General Category > Freewheeling

My LBS has just closed down

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LEE:
Bollocks and Arse!!

The best shop my town ever had, in any category, has been forced to close.  Abbots Ann Cycles of Andover, along with it's in-house cafe, TUBS, has finally given up the fight with the on-line retailers.

This is a real shame as it had become a real hub for cyclists in the area.

Unfortunately shops like that can't compete with the bulk-buying power of online warehouses like the Wiggle-ChainReaction group.

It's the way of the World so there's nothing else to say except, "It's a damn shame".

Torslanda:
It's worrying. I'm relying on the fact that the one thing the internet can't do is actually fix your bike.

I've never understood the 'if you bought it online I ain't fitting it' attitude from some people. To me that's cutting the nose off to spite the face. With me it's the total opposite. Fitting parts is simple and helps the cashflow. Maybe I'm strange.

LEE:

--- Quote from: Torslanda on 01 September, 2018, 09:36:28 pm ---It's worrying. I'm relying on the fact that the one thing the internet can't do is actually fix your bike.

I've never understood the 'if you bought it online I ain't fitting it' attitude from some people. To me that's cutting the nose off to spite the face. With me it's the total opposite. Fitting parts is simple and helps the cashflow. Maybe I'm strange.

--- End quote ---

I think the repair/mechanic side of the shop was busy but the owner wanted it to be more than that.  Unfortunately that requires staff and a steady flow of sales.

I still think there's an element of the public who think bicycle repair/maintenance should cost 10% of the price of car repair/maintenance, despite it taking just as long and requiring identical spanner-twiddling. 

2 hours spent on a car and a bill for £160 +VAT would go unnoticed but try giving someone a £160 bill for 2 hours spent on a bike.

ElyDave:
 not so much the time spent as the tools as well, talking to a chap at my LBS they are really pissed off with the plethora of ever changing "standards" requiring new stuff.  No wonder they need to charge what they do

PaulF:
Was that the one on Weyhill Road?

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