The future of the Bike Shop

That is totally dependent on the local market. Our bread & butter for a decade was the $750-2000 price range. That is shifting upward a bit, but you get the drift. This is relatively remote Montana (but the largest city in the state) and I expect that some markets are well above that. It likely also depends on the shop in question. Some make deliberate work to focus on different segments and price points.

You have your sights WAY too high…most groupsets sold in the IBD are the Altus / Alivio / Acera groups.

both of those shops are internet retailers that just happen to have store fronts. Excel Sports is in Boulder and R&A is in NY and Walnut Creek. But you can browse to either shop to see what they carry. R&A has a much bigger showroom but neither carry any kid bikes apart from x-small Bianchis or Argons. R&A is a huge Pinarello retailer. To be clear, I’m not so elitist that I get sad around 105 but the typical (around here) shop that’s 90-100% bikes with axle bolts just have nothing for me.

Here’s a couple of pix from the WC R&A


That’s probably the most beautiful bike shop I have ever seen. Even the big ones here are rather crammed chock full of bikes.

Last time I bought a bike in Germany, the share of bikes with XT was very high actually. Even 1,000 € bikes would have a drivetrain that consisted of a mix of XT and SLX components. My 2,200 € full sus bike came with full XT except for cranks and cassette (both SLX). Price tiers have changed now … :sweat: :sweat_smile:

That’s the tension of being a bike shop that makes a profit and the bike shop you want. I’m blessed with a great bike shop where I currently live. The owner is a former world tour pro team mechanic, and they have all the tools for professional bike fits. He has lots of relations to people in the bike industry, including current athletes. Once a month, a bike fitter from Shimano will come to his shop to offer his services. I happily paid a premium for my bike.

My local bike shop has an interesting model (though one that work work for every bike shop) - they focus on high end customers and maintain a reputation for the best and very personal service. They get to know everyone by name. They’ll do custom orders from smaller frame and bike builders in the US and Europe, but for the most part they just focus on bike maintenance and accessory sales to a clientele that wants and can afford the top end of equipment. I kinda wish they would partner with bike kit companies a couple times a year to bring in a couple new release lines from folks like MAAP or whoever for a month.

I think that sounds very much like the business model of my LBS. They jumped through crazy hoops to get me a bike during the middle of Covid. The owner really knows his stuff and saved my bacon on at least one occasion (he spotted that I had overtightened my stem bolts and my carbon handlebars had buckled). He confirmed his suspicion within seconds. It is hard to put a price tag on this kind of service.

Sadly, most people will try. The unfortunate reality is that most businesses are being forced into a business model of lower prices with less service or no service at all, and with the concomitant drop in quality of many business processes, because such a high percentage of the public is simply looking for the best “deal” for this transaction in the most shortsighted way possible.

Coolest place I was ever at was a bike shop called The Hub outside Asheville, NC.

Decent sized shop, trails that I believe basically started behind the shop, MT bikes for rent, full service mechanics, and had a BAR with local beer on tap inside the shop, beer garden/picnic tables, with a BBQ place across the street. If they let me I’d have moved in for a month or two :joy:.

Doesn’t hurt it’s at the doorway to some of the most trails on the East Coast. Whomever owned that spot has been sitting on a gold mine.

which also shows that a shop has to be nearby to some nice trails or a well known road route (or gravel) to help move things. Also, I’ve heard that the HUB makes way more in beer sales than bikes.

depends on the where the shop is.

the shop where i work is a bit more service/repair oriented as it is a lower income city and bike riders are not the majority but there are quite a few bike commuters that we service regularly.

ebike service/repairs are a growing business as well as sales.

the vast majority of bikes we service/repair are inexpensive…big box…bikes and they are our bread and butter, without them we would struggle.