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Best strategy to get a deal at your local bike store?

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#61 ·
They guys at my LBS are great. I went in to get a tune (free for all customers for the 1st year) and was looking at bars to replace the stock ones. He offered me a discount with out me asking for it.

It helps to know their names, and they will end up remembering yours too over time. When I walked in to get my bike yesterday, I was not in the door 2 seconds when they greeted me by name and went to get my bike from the back.

They have hooked me up on other things as well, and always talk up the shop here and with people I meet riding. I sent a guy there who ended up spending 2k there on a new mtb. I let the shop know next time I was in there that I sent them that customer, and they were very appreciative.

I can keep going with examples, but bottom line is it is about building a relationship. I don't expect anything except good advice and quality work. Any thing they throw my way is just gravy!
 
#62 ·
pop_martian said:
Don't haggle price to save a few bucks. Doing so will label you as "that guy" and you will be known as such forever when you enter the shop and then receive subnormal service. Pay what they are selling the bike for and bring some "refreshments" when you bring your bike in for service and you will at least get a discount on the service. In no time you will recoup what you would have saved by haggling the price down.

Disclaimer: This is only my opinion and is therefor undisputed fact and shall henceforth be regarded as such.:thumbsup:
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Any shop that will do or act in this manner deserves no business at all. What a Fing joke. Don't listen to guys like this. I went to two different shops, one of which I've bought every bike I've ever owned from, and one from which I never heard of until I went looking for a MTB. My original shop said $2000 was the best deal they could do on my XTC1 29er with a three week delivery. The other said $1700 with a three day delivery. I paid cash which does help. I went with shop number 2. I still get great service, respect, and have been invited to do there weekly ride. The "that guy" BS is exactly that. BS! :rolleyes:
 
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#63 ·
AndrwSwitch said:
If all you're interested in is a deal, just order from a web site and be done with it. The reasons to go to a LBS are so you can test ride bikes, get some help with fitting, and walk out with an assembled, tuned bike.
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And don't be an ass and consume a salespersons time fitting and test riding bikes knowing full well you can and ARE gonna buy it cheaper online.

I'm all for getting it cheaper but if someone provides you with means to decide on a bike you should reward them for their time and effort.

joepa150 said:
No offense but I would have walked out and not come back. There are enough bike shops in my area that I don't need to be treated that way. That is just poor customer service.
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Not really. It CLEARLY demonstrated that the $800 price tag was ALREADY a discount.
 
Discussion starter · #64 ·
On a different note I notice that some of you get 1 year of tune ups or several months. The 2 shops I narrowed it down to said they will give me lifetime tune ups ($65 tune ups). Sounds too good to be true from what I have been reading here.

Could this be true?

Also the free tuneups for life doesn't replace a discount on the bike price since those free tuneups are available to everyone.
 
#65 ·
This post kind of hits a nerve. I have been searching for months for the right deal on a Toyota Tacoma double cab 4x4. I would stop in the local stealerships weekly search Craigslist etc. The stealerships were pricing mediocre trucks 06-08 from 20-24k depending on mileage condition but I never did see one for less than 20k. I finally find a truck reasonably priced by a private party the guy tried to trade the truck and was offered 13k!! So let's go with worst case scenario the stealership takes the truck in trade for 13 k needs to put tires on it and detail it now they are into for 13,800 they put the truck on the lot for 20k it sells for 18k = 4200 profit WORST CASE SCENARIO mind you. Now mind you nobody makes 4200 in profit on one bicycle. I guess my point is why would you not sell and make a bit smaller profit and do more volume??? In the case of the trucks I was looking at I would see some of them sit for months. BTW I bought a like new 06 Toyota D cab with 70k for 15k.
 
Discussion starter · #66 ·
noobie39 said:
This post kind of hits a nerve. I have been searching for months for the right deal on a Toyota Tacoma double cab 4x4. I would stop in the local stealerships weekly search Craigslist etc. The stealerships were pricing mediocre trucks 06-08 from 20-24k depending on mileage condition but I never did see one for less than 20k. I finally find a truck reasonably priced by a private party the guy tried to trade the truck and was offered 13k!! So let's go with worst case scenario the stealership takes the truck in trade for 13 k needs to put tires on it and detail it now they are into for 13,800 they put the truck on the lot for 20k it sells for 18k = 4200 profit WORST CASE SCENARIO mind you. Now mind you nobody makes 4200 in profit on one bicycle. I guess my point is why would you not sell and make a bit smaller profit and do more volume??? In the case of the trucks I was looking at I would see some of them sit for months. BTW I bought a like new 06 Toyota D cab with 70k for 15k.
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I know what you mean about some stealerships. I was in the market for a used Toyota 4runner. Everyone I found was 2-3 years old with about 40k miles on it. They still wanted on average about 25k and they were not even limited models. I then call up a dealership that was about 40 minutes away and asked if they had any used 4runners. They said no BUT they could sell me a new one for $23k. I told them I will be there tomorrow to buy one. Once I got there I saw the MSRP of $31k. I also had them through in leather seats for free. I didn't have to haggle with anything. So now i know that whenever I buy a new car, I will not except a price that is close to the MSRP. I probably would want at least 5k off the MSRP (depending on the price level).

Also most dealerships don't know how to maximize their profits. Obviously if you only sell at high prices, you won't sell as much. If you sell at really low prices, you will sell a ton. The problem is that they need to find the profit maximizing point where they are selling a lot and making the most money.
 
#67 ·
manabiker said:
Coming from a KHS hard tail, this bike that sucks to you feels great to me, I'm not racing, I'm riding for fun and conditioning, I don't care about how this or that works, bottom line is it works for me, and with my motocross, flat track, hare scramble, ice racing, back ground from the 70's and 80's , I've got it working to my liking, and I had a motobecane Fantom Comp, before this one so I didnt' buy one without trying it, I keep improving my lap times everytime out and my stamina.
Sounds like you work at a bike shop, or own one, and don't like internet bike buying, to bad, get used to it..go feel your bikes, I'll ride mine..I'm 64 yrs old, ride 80 to 100+ miles a week on ruff Michigan trails, these bikes suit me just fine. These bikes have more suspension then my motocross bikes had in the 70's and weigh 200 pounds less. And I had a Motobecane then too, had it for 35 years. keep your technology, I'll keep my Motobecanes..Not everybody needs the latest gadget to enjoy riding, that technology only keeps the prices of new bikes at the local bike shop in the rediculous price range..
Bob Hannah rode the best technology in MX bikes when he raced, others cried, "unfair advantage" Bob took a box stock showroom bike and won Outdoor National MX events with that stocker, it's up to the rider, not the technology.. I hope everyone out there is still riding when their 64..Happy Trails to you all...
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cheers:thumbsup:
 
#70 ·
Well I'm about to buy a bike that's $550 MSRP, but it was only 480 for last year's model so that's a bit more than I was hoping to spend for that model. I guess I'm going to go in with a stack of $100s and see if I can get a little break on it. They seem like a really small shop though that does low volume so I don't know if they'll move. Plus I haven't talked to a guy over about 17 in there yet.

I think the moral of the story on this thread from people on the other side of the transaction is this: People selling things like people with money, preferably lots of money. If you have a lot of money and you want to hand it over to them (either with beer or buying $5000 bikes every year), then they'll love you!

I, as a consumer, however, have been conditioned to want a deal on everything I buy. It's just how I was raised and how I do most transactions, possibly to my detriment at times.

(By the way if you're buying a used car, I've found that dealers are a waste of time if you don't like getting screwed. Check the by owner tab in craigslist.)

Anyway I'll see how this goes down. Seems just the one shop in town has the model I want, but there are other alternatives for me. You just have to be ready to walk away from any deal, or decide the deal is fair enough.
 
#71 ·
Developing a good relationship with a shop owner always helps. My LBS is the greatest and I always refer customers and I make sure the new customers tell them who sent them. I have helped them sell a few bikes by referral, they in turn saved me about $500 bucks on my last bike build.
 
#72 ·
schmoab said:
I, as a consumer, however, have been conditioned to want a deal on everything I buy. It's just how I was raised and how I do most transactions, possibly to my detriment at times.
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The problem is many people don't understand that their interpretation of a "deal" isn't always conducive to the shop staying in business.
 
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