Is it cheaper to buy parts online or bike shop?

[Brett8902]

Im having some upgrades done to my giant AC air, pedals, saddle, chain, cassette, shifters, brakes, and cables. Would I better off buying these parts from say pricepoint.com or have a shop order the parts and then install them. Either way im bringing the parts to a shop to have everything installed.

[CRAIG2]

Im having some upgrades done to my giant AC air, pedals, saddle, chain, cassette, shifters, brakes, and cables. Would I better off buying these parts from say pricepoint.com or have a shop order the parts and then install them. Either way im bringing the parts to a shop to have everything installed.

Well, the pedals and saddle I'd shop online for - you can install those yourself pretty easily.

For the rest, check out your LBS first. You can always get a quote (for comparison) - they might cut you some slack on labor if you buy there. My guess is that anything you save online, you'll just pay back to your LBS in labor. Just about every shop I've been to has made an effort to meet a regularly priced online price, or has at least come down some if they couldn't match. (Note: this means, don't walk in with a webpage of last years stuff on close-out and expect your LBS to match the price - there are limits.)

My vote: buy your pedals and saddle online. Buy everything else at your LBS - help your shop, help the local economy.

[philvw]

I used to buy online, but found with my local shop which gives me a small discount, once you figure in shipping from across the country, and tax locally, it's about the exact same price.

My advice? Spend the few dollars and join MORE (http://www.more-mtb.org/index.php?page=membership). Then visit one of the sponsor bike shops listed on the home page that offer a discount to MORE members, there are plenty of them, and get parts, labor, service, and a friendly staff there.

[crack monkey]

With the MORE discount, I find it easier to buy locally. Not always cheapest, but close enough that I don't mind.

I do buy some close-out stuff online, but normal stuff, I try to get locally.

[CRAIG2]

I must also shamelessly admit that I'm an instant gratification kind of guy. Often, whether or not I can have something now trumps saving a few bucks on it online and having to wait a week for it. :rolleyes:

[allencb]

Living in Manassas, there aren't a lot of shops near me that carry the stuff I need/want. Plus, I rarely have time to get out to a shop. I also spend my entire day in front of a computer. It's just easier to order the stuff online than to go to a shop and hear "we don't have it but we can order it for you".

Chris

[mjbrox]

I would say try installing everything yourself.

If it ever fails on the trail you will know how to fix it
you will also save money on labor

Once you learn how to work on you own bike, you will no longer have to rely on the LBS

[CRAIG2]

Living in Manassas, there aren't a lot of shops near me that carry the stuff I need/want. Plus, I rarely have time to get out to a shop. I also spend my entire day in front of a computer. It's just easier to order the stuff online than to go to a shop and hear "we don't have it but we can order it for you".

Chris

Another good point, for those of use that are mechanically adept. I for one, am not. And, it sounds as if the requestor is resigned to having the work done by an LBS anyway. Given that this is spring and shops are backlogged as it is, I doubt that a waiting period is going to be show-stopper.

Which brings us to another point - don't expect your LBS to turn things (other than maybe small stuff, fixing a busted spoke, etc) around same day this time of year.

[CRAIG2]

I would say try installing everything yourself.

If it ever fails on the trail you will know how to fix it
you will also save money on labor

Once you learn how to work on you own bike, you will no longer have to rely on the LBS

Of course, if you don't know what you're doing and you screw up and things fail catastrophically on the trail.... Trips to the ER are not cheap. ;)

[Brett8902]

Installing the parts myself would be ideal but I don't have the time and honestly the interest to install the parts right now. I used to have a lot of tools/repair stand but right now the LBS installing everything is fine with me.

[Vecsus]

I like to use the LBS but when I find a killer deal online I take it...especially of the LBS needs to order it anyway. If I'm gonna wait for a part I will just order it online to save money and have it delivered to the house. I go to the LBS to troll for impulse items and staples (such as tubes, food, lube, etc).

Not to throw stones at any of our MORE sponsors but some local shops have stopped carrying spare parts. They have tons of bikes, helmets, shoes, gloves, and shorts but almost no components. Someone might slash my tubless tires for saying this but if you walk into Performance you still see cranks, derailleurs, disc rotors, cables, chains, pads, and handlebars on display. While the more "professional" shops might have that stuff in the back, the casual shopper won't necessarily ask. That's the other appeal of ordering online: visual access to a vastly larger number/variety of parts than you will get at the LBS.

That being said, on my way home from work today I will be stopping in at one of our sponsor shops to order a stem and maybe a handlebar because they are available through dealers only - one way to ensure the LBS can still move some parts.

[CRAIG2]

Peformance is hardly an LBS. They're a national chain. That's like comparing Home Depot to a local hardware store, if such a thing even exists anymore. Your LBS simply doesn't have the credit and floor space to stock all the stuff, in the same quantities, you'll find at Performance.

But yeah, whenever I expect 'visual access' and sh*tty service, Performance is # 1 on my list.

[rciracing]

I think now more then ever, your LBS will cut you a deal in order to compete w/ the online deals out there. Ask around for a shop that price matches. If its special order, it should only take 2-3 days which is probably the same as ordering it online.

[CRAIG2]

Or.... buy it all online on close-out. Find a friend with a toolbox, some free time, and some bicycle know-how. Pay them in beer. In most garages, beer is still legal tender. And, it's worth more than the dollar currently. :p

[Vecsus]

LOL. I knew I would piss someone off by mentioning Performance in a semi-positive tone. Nothing I buy from them requires customer service...just a monkey working the cash register. Call me disloyal to the real LBS's if you want but if I need a new shifter cable or sram quick-link it's a lot faster to do a drive-by at Performance.

[CRAIG2]

LOL. I knew I would piss someone off by mentioning Performance in a semi-positive tone. Nothing I buy from them requires customer service...just a monkey working the cash register. Call me disloyal to the real LBS's if you want but if I need a new shifter cable or sram quick-link it's a lot faster to do a drive-by at Performance.

Nah, I'm not pissed off. I'm just saying that you're comparing apples to oranges. Each venue certainly has a set of advantages, and disadvantages.

[jabberwocky]

LOL. I knew I would piss someone off by mentioning Performance in a semi-positive tone. Nothing I buy from them requires customer service...just a monkey working the cash register. Call me disloyal to the real LBS's if you want but if I need a new shifter cable or sram quick-link it's a lot faster to do a drive-by at Performance.As much as people like to talk smack on Performance, I've always had good experiences with them. They stock a lot of parts/accessories, their prices are generally good and their service people aren't as bad as people make them out to be. They are still my go-to shop for clothes and small parts because they stock a much wider variety of brands and parts than most smaller shops.

[jlc115]

LOL. I knew I would piss someone off by mentioning Performance in a semi-positive tone. Nothing I buy from them requires customer service...just a monkey working the cash register. Call me disloyal to the real LBS's if you want but if I need a new shifter cable or sram quick-link it's a lot faster to do a drive-by at Performance.

Yeah, they're handy for stuff you need immediately. I do as much as I can with my bike myself because of the lead times for shop work. Sometimes I just can't be without a bike for a week. :confused2:

[micky]

If your LBS is Performance, then find price comparisons for all the parts that you will need online. Performance will price match (giving you the lowest possible price), you wont pay for shipping (agian lowest possible price), and I am sure since you will buy the parts from them, that installation cost will be minimal/less (compared to bringing in all the parts and haveing them install it).

[jlc115]

They price match? Even with online stores (i.e. pricepoint/jenson)? How does that work?

[CRAIG2]

They price match? Even with online stores (i.e. pricepoint/jenson)? How does that work?

That's probably a question for Performance. I can only speak to how it's worked out for me in the past - I was at an LBS, though. I think I spoke to this in a previous post.

[Brett8902]

Just called performance, they have over a month back up. Race pace said they could get me in ASAP.

[rciracing]

They price match? Even with online stores (i.e. pricepoint/jenson)? How does that work?

Yes they (Performance) and many LBS price match. Bring in ad, catalog, website as proof.

[jlc115]

Yes they (Performance) and many LBS price match. Bring in ad, catalog, website as proof.

Don't they have caveats like other brick and mortar places do? I thought places like bestbuy would do their best to deny the pricematch saying it was online and not comparable to their products or something.

[rmac]

my experience - the Performance up here will price match internet sites such as jenson, bluesky, greenfish, ... just print out the part and price and take it in. I think it has to have the date on it same as the day you to take it in; although it's been at least a year since I've done this (found an lbs I like & support). Performance may not be local, but the staff is & I see them on the trails once in a while - decent folks. I wouldn't go in there not knowing what I want or need though.

Now, I call or email my lbs and let them know what I need and they have it when I come in a few days later. If I see what I need at a great price online - I let them know & they do their best to match.

I do like rei for bars, gels, shots (great selection) and I'll buy tubes & lube while I'm there.

[nocro]

Im having some upgrades done to my giant AC air, pedals, saddle, chain, cassette, shifters, brakes, and cables. Would I better off buying these parts from say pricepoint.com or have a shop order the parts and then install them. Either way im bringing the parts to a shop to have everything installed.

One other thing to consider, and it may have been mentioned in this thread and I missed it. Some LBS won't install parts that you've bought and brought to them.

I do all my own wrenching, so I don't know any shops around here.

But if I were a shop owner, and you brought in parts you bought online to install, I could just pad the bill with the profit I would have made on selling you those parts. :p

Seriously, how would you know? You don't have an opportunity to comparison shop labor after you hand over your parts, and you're only going to get an "estimate" in advance of actual performance of the labor. Did that tune up take 1.25 hours or 1.75 hours?

[CRAIG2]

Yes they (Performance) and many LBS price match. Bring in ad, catalog, website as proof.

Just keep your expectations realistic with your LBS.

[Vertigocycles]

I haven't read all the posts on this thread so my apologies if I cover bases that have already been covered.

Get your stuff from your local mom and pop shop, ESPECIALLY if you're having them do the labor. There's going to be a time, probably the day before a big trip or a big race when you notice that you have a twisted chain, or a small gash in your tire and you need someone to fix it ASAP. Once you build a relationship with a shop, with a specific mechanic, they'll usually take care of you. JensonUSA or PricePoint won't do that for you. Beer helps. So does pizza for lunch on busy Saturdays when employees don't have time to get food.

[allencb]

Once you build a relationship with a shop, with a specific mechanic, they'll usually take care of you. JensonUSA or PricePoint won't do that for you. Beer helps. So does pizza for lunch on busy Saturdays when employees don't have time to get food.

Because my hard earned money isn't enough to get good service? Just say no to the "bro deal".

I wonder how my customers, who spend a lot more for my services than anyone will spend at a bike shop, would feel if I only gave them my best when they gave me gifts above what I charge for my services.

Chris

[jlc115]

Because my hard earned money isn't enough to get good service? Just say no to the "bro deal".

I wonder how my customers, who spend a lot more for my services than anyone will spend at a bike shop, would feel if I only gave them my best when they gave me gifts above what I charge for my services.

Chris
I'm totally in line with what you said. I thought about bringing in beer when I brought in my wheels to be trued but it felt weird. Why should my wheels be any more important than another guy's bike and vice versa? Maybe they use their bike to commute to work and rely on it to make a living. So I didn't bring any beer. :confused2: It feels forced especially when the guys there don't seem to like making small talk.

Besides, beer/food should come after you feel they've done something special for you like get the work done early or go above and beyond. If they just do a good job on what you paid them for it's simply because you paid them to. Reward for this kind of job well done is simply coming back again later with more of your business. If you bring beer from the start it just feels like bribery. :flushed: Only my 2 cents of course. :p

[ChrisJ]

I use performance all the time, as well as The Bike Lane and A1 Cycling.

I also shop around online alot.

I do most of my wrenching myself short of truing wheels, rebuilding shocks, and bleeding hydro brakes.

[Dr Phil mmkay]

To the OP: is it cheaper to buy online? Sometimes, especially if you can pricematch (universalcycles does this and sometimes you can snag a cheaper price), or take advantage of the failing US dollar (CRC).

For parts that you need replacing on your bike where you're having the shop do the labor? I would order it through them. That way, if the items come with any defect, it won't be up to you to deal with customer service people and the monotony of warranty work. I would say as far as special orders go at most LBS, about 5 days.

Reward for this kind of job well done is simply coming back again later with more of your business. If you bring beer from the start it just feels like bribery. :flushed: Only my 2 cents of course. :p

I totally agree. This reminds me of that topic we were discussing about how to treat your LBS by beer-currency. Again, address your LBS with realistic expectations. I pay my LBS mechanics in beer because I consider them my friends and know that after a long hard day at work, unwinding and hanging out can help relieve some of that stress. (as an aside: my LBS has a beer-fund jar, *hint-hint*;))

I think that the service price will be what you should pay but sometimes, if a mechanic decides that the service he/she provided for you isn't worth them filling out a service form and ringing you up for the labor, it doesn't hurt to remember that and realize that they might've hooked you up with some free labor. Of course, our LBS shop policy (like many others) is complementary minor adjustments if you buy your bike from us. (This is shop-policy, not the mechanics hooking you up)

[pirate]

Blah, blah blah

What the hell?! Aren't you at Massanutten? Why in the world are you posting on here instead of watching DH videos and drinking beer?!

[Dr Phil mmkay]

What the hell?! Aren't you at Massanutten? Why in the world are you posting on here instead of watching DH videos and drinking beer?!

Can't you tell by the long drivel that I'm drunk-forum-posting? :)

Massanutten was meh. They screwed up my race order so I think I had my race run with the elite boys. :hammertime: Oh those crazy downhill hijinks.

Edit: Speaking of Mass & your LBS:

I managed to lose a rear brake caliper adaptor bolt on the last run on practice day at Massanutten. It was half way down the course I was ankle deep in mud and drainage water. I grabbed some front brake and feathered the rear, felt a vibration. And then lost all brake pressure as the caliper (which was now halfway off the rotor) was squeezing the pads with only part of the rotor in between.

Needless to say, I packed up and we rushed back to NOVA. I gave Derrick at TBL a call to see if he could help me out. After laughing at me (which was expected due to my idiocy) he said that it was no problem and that they would take a look at it. I came back up to NOVA a bit late (a few minutes after closing) but the guys over there managed to fix my brake problem and replace the pads for me (the old pads had half the braking material gone, with silver backing plate exposed). TBL saved my ass and got the bike ready to roll for race day the next morning. Right on.

Edit #2: This is where Mark or Chris or someone will come in and say "well, there's an easy solution for your problem: brake less." Ha, beat ya to it!

[jabberwocky]

Edit #2: This is where Mark or Chris or someone will come in and say "well, there's an easy solution for your problem: brake less." Ha, beat ya to it!I'd be lying if I said Mark and I haven't plotted to cut your brake lines right before your race run, mister brake-a-holic. ;)

[Dr Phil mmkay]

I'd be lying if I said Mark and I haven't plotted to cut your brake lines right before your race run, mister brake-a-holic. ;)

That last moderately steep rock garden full of loose baby-heads on the Mass course made for an interesting experience with just a front brake. :bangshead:

[Vertigocycles]

I'm totally in line with what you said. I thought about bringing in beer when I brought in my wheels to be trued but it felt weird. Why should my wheels be any more important than another guy's bike and vice versa? Maybe they use their bike to commute to work and rely on it to make a living. So I didn't bring any beer. :confused2: It feels forced especially when the guys there don't seem to like making small talk.

Besides, beer/food should come after you feel they've done something special for you like get the work done early or go above and beyond. If they just do a good job on what you paid them for it's simply because you paid them to. Reward for this kind of job well done is simply coming back again later with more of your business. If you bring beer from the start it just feels like bribery. :flushed: Only my 2 cents of course. :p

Yo, the beer/pizza/cookies IS about bribery. But you're not bribing the mechanics so you can supplant another customer, you're bribing them to stay after hours and work on your stuff so they keep all the non-bribing customers on schedule. If they're moving other customers out to take on bribery-induced-labor, they're doing it wrong.

FWIS - My favorite shop job ever was at the Catonsville Bike Shop (that's right Paul, if you read this don't let it go to your head) but it was my worst paying shop job ever (Paul, if you want to send me back pay, you have my address). The only people I'd stay late for were already solid customers and I used to ride with most of them. They were the people who showed up to the shop rides, and genuinely had fun hanging out. Good people at that shop.

Don't underestimate the value of a couple of cheap pizza's on a busy Saturday when shop rats are answering the same questions they've answered thousands of times before, fixing countless flats and starving (knowing full well that the customer stream won't subside enough to get a bite) when it's 65 degrees and sunny. Shop people don't get paid well enough to spend an hour on a sunny saturday arguing with a guy who can't believe that repairing his Huffy costs more than the Huffy.

[jlc115]

Shop people don't get paid well enough to spend an hour on a sunny saturday arguing with a guy who can't believe that repairing his Huffy costs more than the Huffy.
Oh g*d. :flushed: