Answer Mountain Bike Components, Gear Now Available Direct Online

KATSU: It’s a trying time for IBD and product companies alike. The failing model of the bike shop can’t be supported blindly. There are good shops, and there are terrible shops. Unfortunately it seems like the terrible shops outnumber the good shops 10:1

It’s on the consumer who they choose to support. Any IBD can order direct from Hayes. Should they choose not to, now their customers have another option.

If a bike shop wants to buy a brass bowl and pass it around before every race I’ll put a dollar in. Otherwise I’ll save my charity for Sunday morning and my purchases for where I can get the lowest price.

If the traditional bike shop model isn’t sustainable then it should be abandoned. In the internet age, more manufacturers should be selling direct, and bike shops should figure out a better formula. Any markup a bike shop makes should be matched by an added value to a customer.

Unfortunately I’m not seeing much value added anymore by a bike shop. I applaud these steps to sell direct.

I like when people “applaud these steps”, only to complain later when their IBD doesn’t have something in stock for their instagratification, on-their-way-to-a-ride purchase.

You want it both ways: To be able to bargain hunt online (be it through manufacturers looking for quick cashflow or grey market “online only retailers”), AND for you local shops to carry a full inventory of everything you might want when you’re in a hurry.

Then you complain when the shop’s inventory doesn’t turn quickly? Or that they’ve priced things to have some minimal margin to keep the store open? Wow. Who’s the one really looking for charity?

I buy local. (not just my bike stuff either). I pay MSRP too. I make more than the owner of my local shop, so expecting discounts just seems unfair (but that’s just me). I do this because I like having a local shop with expert service, knowledge, a physical location for returns/exchanges/warranties (all of which are less likely when purchasing in-hand products). I like the community aspect, the group rides, the other riders I’ve met there, and generally having a place to actually go geek-out on bikes (not just .jpg’s on a monitor alone in my office)

Nonetheless, as the trend seems to keep developing, the local bike shop will go the way of local music/hardware/appliance/market/etc stores. Then we can all buy Treks from aisle 37 of some huge warehouse and outfit them via Amazon. Yeh!