More Overrated Cycling Stuff

[@ketle369]

My local bike shop are jerks so I bought from Canyon and also have bought all the tools I need for servicing and repairing my bike. I mean everything, including replacing brake calipers.

[@mattkennedy1203]

Awesome dude. You won! You really showed them!

[@itiosso]

I believe over the generations I’ve seen a decline in the quality of service at bike shops. With increasing prices for everything and the basic cost of living also high it makes sense to perform maintenance yourself.

[@aaronmastrogiacomo6078]

This is the sort of response i love from someone who potentially "fixes" my brakes and headset@@_Zane__

[@lastonzwift]

Yes this is the reason why bike shops will go out of business...

[@rajhunjan3991]

You either take pride in your work or don't......simples

[@Insert_Screename_Here]

I love supporting my local bike shops, but they also need to be aware that the internet exists and things can be ordered from there, way below the prices they love to quote. I just bought a full 8170 groupset for my road bike, and I called 3 local shops and got their price first. All of them quoted me from $700-$800 more than what I found it for online. I ended up ordering it and installing it myself, instead of paying that much more money. Also, good coffee is NEVER underrated!!!

[@christianb.1028]

What's killing bike shops is bad service and ridiculous pricing. The service of the big bike chains (at least in Germany, i.e. B.O.C. and Stadler) is mostly abysmal. The staff is poorly trained, they don't even know how to sell the correct size of a bike and mostly only service bikes bought in their store. The small bike shops "might" have better trained staff, but their prices are even higher and they often also don't service bikes bought somewhere else, and even if they do, you have to wait literal months to get an appointment and in the end they'd rather sell you a new bike anyway. So basically a lot of bike shops are trying to bully consumers into buying new bikes and try to chain you to their shop. No surprise more and more people go to direct-to-consumer brands and do their own servicing. And don't get me startet on prices for spare parts. I'd be willing to pay a more, but not double or triple the internet price. There is a real market out there for JUST service. Bike shops should start focusing more on service than sales, maybe sell refurbished bikes for a good price. The margins may be lower, but I believe it's the same like with every craft: A good craftsman will ALWAYS have work and the shop is less dependent on economic cycles (pun intended).

[@fallen1102]

As a consumer who has bought bikes from a local bike shop and used on the open market with zero coverage. I have had HORRIBLE experiences with bike shops. I've been forced to buy my own tools and learn to service my bikes myself. I've learned from KZbin videos and online forums. I understand that "not all bike shops..." And I will say I have one bike shop in mind that I've had to get service from, where I was in a time crunch and needed my bottom bracket serviced they took care of it in like no time flat AND charged a reasonable fee. But another bike shop that has MULTIPLE sales men walking the floor who work on commission trying to nickel and dime every transaction, always trying to up sell. It has put a genuinely bad taste in my mouth for local bike shops. I'm interested in riding my bike. Nothing more.

[@hbrameus]

One thing that annoys me with some of my LBS. if I walk in and I’m not 100% sure what I want, they treat me with a bit of arrogance and it makes me feel looked down on. Fortunately I have found an amazing LBS that mostly services bikes and doesn’t make a lot of money from selling bikes.

[@guilhermehorta9285]

Most of the bike shops in my hometown are very hostile to beginners or new customers. I feel like that’s part of the culture of cycling, being unfriendly to beginners and the ones who are not your mates or don’t have the latest and best bikes

[@paralogregt]

We have a local sports shop selling high end gear and the shop staff are so arrogant it is painful to shop in there. Some bike shops are like that as well.

[@82vitt]

Happens to expensive bike owners too. The more expensive, flashy bike you own the more patronising and condescending their approach, to prove you are all the gear, no idea.

[@usmc29er44]

Gatekeeping for cycling is such a turnoff

[@philchevrier]

I agree that good local bike shops should be supported. However, in my case, there's one in my town and they: 1- Never have any inventory for road cycling (only gravel, ebikes and mountain) and usually won't order road bikes, 2- I have more experience and knowledge than the employees and mechanics and 3- everything's much more expensive than online (not by small amounts either). I therefore agree on principle but, in my case, they won't get much support from me.

[@MCDONALD6969]

Why would you support a business that charges you more & rips you off.

[@Loekie-de-leeuw]

In the city I live there is one bike shop and they are also ‘canyon friendly’. They also sell Cervelo, Specialized, Focus, Pinarallo and Orbea, not the cheapest bike and told me that I probably should be a Canyon being 200cm with a 96cm inseam. THAT is what I call service.

[@blackflamesolutions526]

Girona was where all the Anglophone riders relocated to when France made doping a criminal offence and were really serious about out of competition surprise controls. Before then, they were all around Nice. Bruyneel had a contact at the Spanish 'anti'-doping 'authority' who would let him know if they were coming and they would all hide or get on a saline bag.

[@mikeymike1792]

I like the idea of buying a bike from my local shop, but I don't want a Merida or a Trek. My options are going far out of my way for the bike I want, but then I lose the advantage of the bike shop support, unless I go out of my way every time I need help. Or I buy the bike I want online and take it to the local shop for help.

[@alexhadfield657]

I think the best coffee I've had on a ride was from a little village shop/post office. The lady has a kettle, box of teabags and jar of instant coffee behind the counter. It was most welcome after the 20+ miles that seemed to be all uphill.

[@Random_Bike_Guy]

Catalunya transplant here! Girona isn't remarkable because it stands head and shoulders above other places in a specific aspect or is spectacular in any way, it's remarkable because it is still, relatively speaking, a great balance of smallish and out of the way and accessible from just about anywhere; is very easy to live in; has an incredible cycling community; has consistently beautiful countryside all around which is an absolute pleasure to cycle in; the same countryside supports every mode of cycling; and is a great ride from many spectacular places which means that "rides of a decade" are far easier to put together than from a lot of other places. It's the blend that makes it special, not the travel brochure, if that makes sense.

[@SantoRedentor]

And a consistently toxic political atmosphere

[@jackbecker4866]

seeing these comments about local shops all being elitist or just rude or whatever makes me sad, especially as someone who runs a shop. I’m always open and honest with my customers and am very transparent with everything I do. How do others live with themselves? I take so much pride in my work, it’s an extension of me, and when someone has a bad experience with me it really truly bothers me down to my core. Maybe this is why I’m the only bike shop in my city with exclusively five star reviews…..

[@richardhaselwood9478]

With regards bike shops, I'm a wee bit different. I do effectively all my own maintenance, so, buy bits online, but, I pretty much will only by bikes from local retailers, because I can try them out first. I like Meridas and Giant bikes, I really don't want some obscure frame builder that couldn't QA something if their life depended on it. Also, there are two very large online distributers in Brisbane, Australia where I live (99 Bikes and Pushy's) that are both based in Brisbane. Their model is certainly part of the future.

[@shred3005]

My local bike shop is happy to service my Canyon because the bike shop charges me an absolute $hite load of $$$$ to provide the service. I do a lot of basic stuff like changing chains, adjusting derailleur and replacing brake pads etc but over 7 yrs I’ve only needed regular services from the LBS but costs me more to service my bike at the LBS than my Honda car at the Honda dealer. Does the LBS really want to sell anything when they charge so much for the services they provide. I’m not against them charging because they are providing a service I’m happy to pay for it but don’t expect to also rely on bike retail sales as well. It’s about service. Oh and instant coffee is terrible and you can’t overrate the importance of good coffee. It’s a fundamental human need

[@Cynyr]

Comment on the bike shop thing. I was in a local bike shop to buy a helmet a few weeks back. The cheapest bike on display was around $4000, and there were a full on TT / Tri bikes there at $9000. One of the major reasons i've looked at a direct to brand is for the price. It seems very few shops stock or even deal in new drop bar bikes on the lower end of the spec range. It starts at 2500, or 4000 and goes up. Whereas you can get a Canyon with Sora for $1200 shipped. I agree it's crazy that Canyon thinks they can dictate the price to get it fixed, unless they had setup some sort of partner program with that shop.

[@cycleholic58]

After sales service is much more important to me than the selling part. You can't expect this if you buy online, and it does kill bike shops. This is not a 'likely scenario' as Francis claims. It is happening everywhere. In my area of the UK, a local dealer disappeared pretty much overnight in three towns and an insider I know said that apart from the extortionate overheads to run the business, online sales was also a major contributing factor. If we're serious about creating 'real cycling communities,' not supporting your local bike shop /service centre means you are part of the problem.

[@robertrjm8115]

Coffee: I love to visit my brother and spend time with him but every time we end up having a brotherly row over my morning routine of a wobbly walk to the kitchen after waking, boiling water, a spoon of Lidl instant (It's called Bellaroma) and a dollop of milk, before wobbling back to bed fro my final wake up. Whereas he goes to the kitchen, grinds beans, prepares the machine, gets it up to temp and pressure, steams or whatever the ground coffee, steams the milk, eventually mixes it and lets it settle. By the time he has prepared his coffee, I have enjoyed mine slowly in Bed, woken up fully and come back to the kitchen to see him finally sit down to drink his cuppa. And then he still has to clean up the mess and machine and every piece of implement used, whereas I just rinse the cup and be happy. Long live Instant coffee.

[@christianb.1028]

Jeez, this is hard to read 🙈🤣There are A LOT of levels between instant coffee and turning making coffee into an art form! May I suggest you buy a small one-cup french press. You gotta boil water all the same, but instead of using a spoon full of instant "coffee", you take a spoon full of pre-ground real coffee. Hardly any more hassle, but infinetely better coffee!

[@pvasiliou3948]

100% agree on the DTC bike brands (Canyon) trying to kill the bike shop. And for the coffee, proper coffee (in any form, really) is underrated. Freshly ground beans, properly dosed, properly brewed (any way) is like an elixir. Espresso, pour-over, French press, it doesn't matter. It is essential and pure joy!

[@MartinBrown-mb7pz]

My LBS happily services my Canyon and I spend at least $1500 on servicing and tyres and sealant etc, per bike ( 2) each year. I tend to have have spare Canyon parts in reserve, like headsets and hangers, which they are also happy to fit when needed. If it's drivetrain, well they have those parts. The owner has told me that selling bikes (Trek, Cervello) is actually a marginal proposition for them, all the money is in workshop service. Service!

[@lleweybyrne]

The reason all the pros went to Girona was to avoid out of competition doping controls as they were given a heads up whenever the testers were coming. Just like Tenerife is now the go to place to juice and train.

[@richdyer2000]

It all depends how much of a hammering your bike takes. If you’re mountain biking several times a week or commuting in all weather, the fixed overhead of getting tooled up and learning pays off very quickly.

[@shepshape2585]

As a consumer who does all his own mechanic work, direct to consumer is the best way to go. Bike shops, at least most of them, serve very little purpose to someone like me. I don't need you to work on my bike at $125 per hour. I don't need you to overcharge me for everything bike related. And the very thing you should be especially good at, customer service, is very often horrific. If you're not bringing in an expensive road bike, they look down their noses at you. If you're a local who has a beat up cruiser and you just need a tube changed, they tell you it'll be a week and walk away. Bike shops SHOULD take advantage of the fact that the ONE thing they can give you that the internet can't, SERVICE,, is paramount. But they don't. So sorry, I don't need you and won't do business with you. When Shimano issued their "take your bike to your local shop and have them inspect your cranks", I wouldn't even do that because I wasn't going to let the local shop make money for just looking at my cranks and telling me what I already knew.

[@theCranesUS]

My local bike shop is nice, but their inventory is terrible for someone who does their own bike maintenance. I can’t get a chain, tools, or anything I want there.

[@SimonCurrey]

3 underated suggestions. Zefal nylon quarter clips. I cycle to running ow swimming so clipless is a hassle. GRX 400 11 36 cassette big range and affordable. 90 minutes from Calais Seine Maritime south

[@danbelden7354]

I understand your comments in regards to Canyon. I bought an Ultimate SL8 and to buy a comparable Trek Emonda it would have cost me $1,400 dollars more, sorry but for me that was a no brainer. And my Ultimate was lighter than the Emonda of the same components. I have had zero issues with the bike other than having my bike set up to fit me.

[@Crafftyyy]

This is one of the biggest things. Especially if you dont live near one. bought a Polygon MTB awhile back. Zero Issues I couldnt source out myself and was Easily $1000 Cheaper than the Specialized Version of it. Looking to buy an Endurace Soon as well instead of a Domane for the same reasons.

[@frazmars]

@@CrafftyyyI bought an Endurace after the Domane I’d bought in a hurry was the wrong size. I know, I was too eager and didn’t do the research. I saved a significant amount of money for the same spec (group set etc) plus the bike was lighter (not due to the size reduction). The frame weight is just better. I love my bike and always recommend canyon to newcomers and encourage them to do their own basic maintenance.

[@jbgill007]

My Canyon CF SLX has been fantastic. No issues, nothing but a great bike. I did buy a rear bike light from Canyon that didn’t fit the aero seatpost, and Canyon refunded my money and let me keep the light. What more could you ask for?

[@fortesfortunajuvat6782]

As a consumer in the SE US, I'm watching LBSs in this area price themselves out of business. There are only a few independent shops with a few major brand shops (Trek, etc.). Do I take my bikes to the local shop? Yes, sometimes. Do I work on my bike at home most of the time? Yes. Just like any other discipline, cyclists are looking for a deal and that's simply how business works.

[@jaycahow4667]

How are bikes different than cars? There are independent service stations everywhere that just fix cars, they do not sell cars. Yes you can take your car to a dealer for repairs but not all dealers even have service areas. Selling bikes and repairing bikes are two completely different things. If a business wants to try to do both that is fine but they need to be competitive and should not complain about others that do only one aspect. I purchase my car from a dealer but never have them work on it. I get just as good service from my local service station at a much better price. I purchase my bikes as pieces and assemble them myself and rarely ever visit a shop to purchase anything. The whole bike industry seems to have lost its way these days with prices sky high and basic bikes out of the reach for most people.

[@JohnSmith-pr5wl]

Yes!!!! I was thinking the exact same thing, it’s just typical LBS snobbery, they either need to move with the times and diversify or struggle going forward.

[@yonglingng5640]

I've worked in two such shops before, an LBS and a workshop. The LBS sure does earn a lot of bank monthly from selling bikes and whatnot, but when it comes to workshop operations, they can make mechanics of the highest standards shake their heads. Not a single torque tool is accurate (they never reset the click-type analogues), they acquired better hex wrenches later than I did (theirs is Park Tool, mine is Bondhus), they never bothered getting a more up-to-date hanger alignment gauge when they switched bike brands (mine can do the job 😈), etc. As for the workshop, the boss and I share the same views in certain aspects (we actually became acquainted long before I worked with him) and he's got some tools that some customers would definitely appreciate that he has them on hand, like a disc brake mount facing tool. He does admit it's rarely used, but when we have a customer that needs disc brake mount facing done, at least we have the tool to do it. I got to do it two to three times. He invests more in tools than the LBS, so sometimes, he does ask me for opinions since he knows I'm sort of a tool nerd (I'll thank Dave Rome for that XD).

[@jimmypeek817]

The wife and I ride tandem. We are from the the US and have ridden in the Cotswold's in UK and Loire Valley in France. The Cotswolds is beautiful and 15 MPH is the perfect speed to see it. Spain sounds great.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Looking to ride the Loire valley as I was born there and I would love to visit it.

[@jimmypeek817]

@@jamesmckenzie3532 We used one of the many companies that book your rooms, moved your luggage and have pre planned routes. It made every day much more enjoyable.

[@Sofgranada]

As a Brit living between the city of Granada and the coast I think it’s a great area for cycling, road, mtb and gravel. To the west of the city is flat/rolling roads but the obvious way to go is up. Mountain routes including the highest road in Europe or the beautiful Alpujarras. The roads are in good condition and the motorists are patient. A coffee is €1.30, a beer is €2 and you get a free tapa!!

[@karelvandervelden8819]

If you buy a secondhand lightly used quality rimbrake bike you spend your money wiser.

[@quacker998]

I had my steel frame Lemond serviced at the lbs trek dealer (who I wanted to love) and it was given back with the brakes disconnected 😮 - I then went three towns over (to a much better bike shop) and spent $$$ on a specialized and a year later bought a Canyon ebike.

[@DoNuT_1985]

I absolutely agree on the LBS vs. D2C. A good trusted relationship to your dealer makes things so much easier than a bargain fancy bike that everybody rides in two or three colorways. If there is a problem, they will find a solution because they care about you, and that saves you so much time, mental resource and money on the long run. Even if you buy a mediocre bike, that really doesn't matter so much when it just works or you can come in anytime instead of standing in the queue in some anonymous service center ...

[@Insert_Screename_Here]

Only if your local bike shop is good, and actually wants to create that relationship...

[@DoNuT_1985]

@@Insert_Screename_Here Yeah of course, it's a process to find a trustworthy shop and then stick with it.

[@npa5825]

When I go to a lbs I normally see the greed in their eyes, they always try to rip me off one way or the other, they try to milk the cash cow and treat you like a one-off client instead of trying to build a long term relationship with them. If I perceive you're overcharging me I'll probably won't argue much but you won't see my money ever again

[@Crafftyyy]

Same. Went to the closest Shop to me to get internal routed bars mounted. Recommended by my buddies who use them. They wanted stupid money to do it. priced themselves right out of a bike sale.

[@PurePresentations]

100% behind Nick in regards to the B2C comments, love your local bike shop. And having lived in Spain (Madrid) for 11 years, I can attest to it being some of the best riding around. How many other countries have a grand tour?

[@bombero3368]

I, personally, don’t want to buy a bike on line. I want to see the bike I’m buying. I want to sit on the bike I’m buying. I’m currently riding a 56cm bike - 56cm is not the same with different brands. Geometries are not consistent. Plus, I get follow up service from the local bike shop, that the on line bike shop can’t provide.

[@ketle369]

If the local bike shop will even let you try it on the parking lot in sunny ☀️ weather. That used to be the norm 20 years ago. Now they won’t even let you touch the bike before you buy it. Actually better to buy online with a 30 days return guarantee and actually try the bike and return it if it doesn’t fit.

[@jdmcdorce876]

That would be the ideal situation and could possibly still exist in some locations. What I find common in my local bike shops, as well as not-so-local bike shops are that they stock only what they are reasonably confident that they can sell. With all of the variations in model, configuration, and sizes available from a manufacturer, the odds of a LBS having what I am looking for in a size that fits is between slim and none. What they are willing to do is order the model and configuration in a size "they think" will fit you. What happens when they get it in and its the wrong size or you changed your mind depends largely on the bike shop.

[@Nihilimus]

When I'm bikepacking, I *do* grind my own coffee at home, but I don't bring any brewer. I just make cowboy style coffee. Put in a scoop of coffee, add boiling water and let it steep for a a few minutes. Then swirl it a bit and wait until the grounds have settled at the bottom. Tastes like a good french press and the grounds are bio degradable. Just don't drink the grounds.

[@Loekie-de-leeuw]

DTC brands are just the result of shitty bike shops in combination with overpriced brands. I get that a LBS doesn’t like warranty claims, but in the end it is still a bike of which you can make money servicing it. Shops that charge more for servicing a DTC brand bike are probably best to be avoided anyway.

[@HCMORGI]

i have 5 bike shops in my small city (8 if you count the new e-bike only shops). all of them are bad mechanics (some even might try to kill you with how they set up the brakes) some are racists most of them are permanently in a bad mood all of them overcharge alot none of them keep relevant items in stock all of them look bored but cant help you without taking your bike for 2 weeks In berlin, there are hundreds of shops, and I only found one that is genuinely interested in helping (not saying it's the only one, impossible to visit all of them, but I've been to many) I love to visit that one shop, but they are also always booked for months in advance. It's really saddening

[@yonglingng5640]

One bike I've worked on had excessively short disc brake mounting bolts, all four of them, so I went and found four new ones that meet the minimum insertion depth required by the calipers. When I asked my customer which shop was the last one that worked on her brakes, she told me a shop that I initially thought was reputable. I was like "A shop like that? That can't even do brake work right??". I'm not sure how many mechanics they had there at that time, but I'd wager all of them have more experience than I do, which shouldn't have been possible for them to do worse than me, but hey, this isn't a theoretical world.

[@mrbinc0]

I also know a bitter LBS owner like this guy. He charged more for his services if you come in with a D2C bike like canyon, other brands were cheaper to service, regardless of where it was bought. No, D2C brands are not after you, don’t be paranoid. There are exploiting a market gap created by traditional shops. They deliver same value for a product for less money (cutting the middle man).

4500km on Lauf Seigla in one year, clean it regularly, wax chain, change brake pads, no issues. Direct to consumer works - but YMMV based on the vendor and its QC.

[@thangarajmj5814]

My Local Bikeshop guy is very cocky and used to look down at me when i used to go to him for smaller repairs. I got my bike online and learnt to repair stuff myself (most of it).

[@GeirEivindMork]

I love supporting my local bikeshop, but they just sell crap. electric bikes and low end regular bikes. Outside of lubes there are nothing they sell that I would buy. I've had them do bar tape and such when I haven't been bothered to do it myself, but the price of the job makes it hard to justify. I mean, bit of a job to remove the old tape but not a 100 quid job (apply my provided bar tape two bikes, and they didn't even apply it properly. it had a particular end tape but they just ended with regular tape instead. so next time I'll do it myself and properly)

[@carterschichtel9678]

I find it doesn’t make much of a difference. If I break my wheel or break something in my drivetrain I’m not getting free replacements from my local Even though I bought the bike there

[@yonglingng5640]

That may be asking too much unless there are policies where end user-induced component breakage grants you a discounted or free replacement. If what you ask for is made possible, there's a chance customers can exploit it for their selfish gains. One of the only such cases I know of is ENVE's Lifetime Incident Protection, where damaged carbon parts are replaced for free, but this doesn't include shipping and labour costs. Customers only don't have to pay for the replacement part itself.

[@alexanderh2715]

My lbs is a gem. They do a lot of custom builds, have great service, fair prices and I like that they sell brands that are harder to find. I did need a bike that can carry my weight with bikebacking equipment etc and that is above 120kg for sure which was the only weight limit I found in other shops. On top of that I wanted a steel frame and fork. Ended up with the right size, something that would not have happened in other shops for sure due to my proportions and I am overall extremely happy with the bike. Kona is hard to find here. Next week the bike will go to service and get some other stuff installed on top. I am so happy I went for a smaller shop with very good rating. My ebike was bought in a big store and the afterservice was terrible. For sure I will not buy a canyon or anything the like. I want a good biking community and a lbs like this helps with that.

[@AntoineThisdale]

I bought from my local bike shop. I get amazing service and my bikes are all running amazing. Its a great place to share a beer or two as well.

[@robertrjm8115]

Direct to Customer: Agreed, they are bad or even non existent in respect to after care and customer service, but on the other hand any bike they sell will need eventually need a service and hence will end up in a LBS for repair and service, unless the customer is a DIY bike mechanic. So, even though the income from a full bike sale is missing, online bike sales will support LBS to a certain extent in the long run. More bikes on the road and with customers will mean more work for the LBS.

[@adiebleach9563]

Whats the bike shop called?

[@cottageclanmr898]

Totally agree use your lbs I’ve got back into cycling and needed to have the expertise on what to choose so went to a local bike shop for their expertise and never looked back and get my new stead serviced with them as I trust them

[@hockysa]

lool 7 cups of coffee?! also completely understand the formal wear. I still have some shirts and suits but they're at least a decade old and probably don't fit.

[@treesnbikes]

We live and ride in British Columbia, Canada. It’s hard to beat but we are sure looking forward to going back to Mallorca next month. Yes it is a long and expensive flight, but still worth it now and then

[@muratmustafa4532]

I can not get equally good value from independent local bike shop that I get from Canyon. How come it is different over there?

[@yonglingng5640]

Canyon is a consumer-direct brand, they eliminated the need for middle parties (distributors and bike shops), that's why they're able to sell bikes of a similar spec at a lower price. One of the disadvantages however, is that you're at the mercy of yourself or someone knowledgeable when you want to source Canyon spare parts as LBS' rarely stock anything compatible with a Canyon, like headset bearings (I remember they have specific sizes, but it's not all proprietary as there are aftermarket bearings that offer their bearings in Canyon's dimensions).

[@muratmustafa4532]

@@yonglingng5640 Well yes I know all that but we were not discussing that. The point is they said we can get equally good value bikes from independent local bike shops and I argued that we can not.

[@Roger101Watson]

Brilliant idea about listing the FOC work on customers accounts.

[@josefthelesklaf8209]

Dont agree on the Bike Shop issue - where I am living shops charge about 500 Dollars for a proper bike Service - the difference between a Canyon and a Shop Bike ist about 1000 Dollars - so If Ingo the direct consumer Route, I get two Bike Services for free.

[@SlickWillyTFCF]

I think bike shops are overrated, especially for purchasing bikes. For most people they're a necessary evil for parts and maintenance though. There are four shops within a half hour of me (one is a Trek dealer, one Giant, one Giant and Specialized, and the other only has mountain and BMX) and none have any brands I want. Not to mention that one tried to sell me on a bike that I didn't want, just because they had it in stock and didn't want to place a special order for the model I wanted, and refused to work on my mountain bike because it wasn't a brand they sold. I think straight-to-consumer brands definitely have a place in the market. Maybe if they take more business, then other brands will have to bring their prices down or shops will find it unprofitable and decide to just be around for maintenance.

[@MegaSixpac]

We went to Gerona from New Zealand on a Spain/Portugal trip and my wife (who is not a cyclist) and I enjoyed it and I would love to go again.

[@djsaunter]

I'm happy i purchased my bike from a solid LBS, paid a bit more but been given solid deals and discounts regularly in the years that followed. I'd buy from them again if an option.

[@pjcaps100]

My local shop sells Treks, I wanted a Canyon. I’m spending a ton of cash and I didn’t want to spend it on a brand I didn’t want.

[@andybithell7958]

I’m happy to support my local bike shop even if that means I pay a regular price to the items I buy don’t get me wrong everyone loves a discount but the local shop I use Chester cycle hub really go the extra mile when servicing my bike and I love the convenience of dropping in for a chat getting good advice and paying for it by ordering through them. Can’t get that online

[@CruiserBrah]

I recently had a bike shop try to sell me bearings for a DT Swiss hub for $25 AUD per bearing. I was like faaark, but OK if you can remove the pawl ratchet ring for me please........no, we dont have a tool for that......look, by the time you buy a tool and bearings you are going to be up for over $200, you might as well buy a new wheel (carbon rim mind you......). 70 bucks later, I ordered 2 sets of brearings (one spare) and the tool off the net. Some LBSs are killing themselves.

[@kayvankarimi6360]

Direct sales has many issues but on the plus side possibly keeps the big brands Trek/ Specialized on their toes,i wonder how much their top end bikes would be if there was no direct sales companies. 20k??

[@shreyasc331]

Has anyone cycled around Granada? I visited recently (not with bike), but was just looking at the roads on Google and they look stunning. Definitely keen to go back.

[@MCDONALD6969]

What nick is saying is rubbish. Canyon are awesome & they have their own service centres. They don't expect bike shops to "help" as work carried out is refunded. Direct sales is the way to go. Workshops are the future. Bike shops are a rip off. Why would anyone pay £85 for an ultegra cassette when you can get it online next day for £45

[@drummerman122]

Girona is a great place to visit and ride your bike. I live in Spain it’s not overrated Jimmy.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Proper coffee is overrated if you buy it from the national chains. I get mine from a place which a converted drive-tnru photo processing place. There are a couple other places that are of the same quality. Otherwise, it's instant coffee from the supermarket.

[@pl4free]

Canyon has an authorized mechanic 10min from me. It's great: D2C and best service I've gotten in a bike-shop.

[@GotDamBoi]

i'm one of those people that has just bought Trek bikes straight off the shelf and had zero issues for like a decade or more

[@wiscowyo]

Living in Wisconsin where TREK HQ is based, its really your only bike brand option if you are going to buy from a local shop. I don't want to be limited to just being an EMONDA or a MADONE for the rest of my life because that what the local shops carry.

[@maxw5229]

I asked 2 bikeshops near me if they are able to service my roadbike - one said "no electronic groups and no diskbrake" and the other only wanted to service their own bikes. I said thank you, invested in tools, learned it via youtube and did the job myself. They can f!%k off if they don't want my money :)

[@MicroageHD]

"Dscheeeroooonuuuh"

[@danielortega6185]

Why is this guy saying he wanted the convenience of buying a canyon. They only sell online. Maybe he wanted one because his favourite pro riders are in it or whatever the reason may be. Convenience might not even be factored in.

[@lorenzgasztner4662]

I replaced my bottom bracket and they quoted me 3 times msrp, 4 times what I payed online.

[@nickyburnell]

Condor. Sigma. Sensible priced parts online, whole bikes. After service. Shop as well.

[@ernestspicoli8910]

Canyon, great bikes, great innovations, but not for beginners. If you can't do anything on your bike, you should start with something differnet. I also own a Cinelli, Cannondale and a Force. The Canyon is the best attuned bike so far. Of course not a great deal for bike shops but there's a reason a lot of pros are riding those...

[@simonddavies]

I know you have reviewed the redshift stem and post, but, is it worth it?

[@stevevarga8621]

It is if your roads are rough enough to require them. They definitely are effective so if your roads are beating you up go for it.

[@monty2078]

Lots of times Canyon bikes arrive with problems and have ro go to a bike shop right away ND Canyon's support is crap.

[@1afterthep]

if you buy a brand that is not sold in the region you live in then you got the same problem as when buying from canyon. most bike shops these days only service bikes they sold you. and if they do, they try to overcharge you.

[@yonglingng5640]

I've never been to a bike shop that doesn't work on bikes they didn't sell, including the one I used to work in.

[@theoccasionalbiker7732]

Agree with the sentiment about LBS and D2C brands. Can't believe they try to dictate what they'll pay for repairs. However if you do all your wrenching yourself and intend to carry on doing so then there really isn't an argument against D2C. I'm sure there is still space for both though.

[@rkgr2]

I was happy to see Girona on the list. It's like Bentonville for MTB. It's good for sure, but I got tired of hearing about it.

[@owensnicholas]

I am curious who is buying direct to consumer bikes. Is it the same rage of people who walk into a local bike shop? Or is it a slightly different subset of customers?

[@codyhuber]

I think the pros liked paying less taxes there compared to other countries in Europe that still had decent riding. Maybe the taxes went up and some left?

[@richiejames928]

Word to the bike shop owners. having a battered old sofas in your shop and your mates hanging around all day is bad for business. it’s a shop. Don’t turn it into your living room. nobody likes walking into a strangers living room.

[@Pmor75]

Galicia is also a good destination to try.

[@AndysAverageAdventures]

I found a great bike shop and it’s an hours drive from my place. Worth the drive every time.

[@anthonygeiser9778]

100% totally agree with the “you can’t have it both ways” Shop local people

[@Jack42Frost]

I live in top cycling country. We see almost no cycling tourists. Their loss, if they choose to go to all the sane places....

[@donavinnezar]

my local shop is incompetent , i take my bike in for a service and i get it back with contaminated brakes...

[@yonglingng5640]

Pathetic... they're bound to get into trouble one day, if that hasn't happened to them yet.

[@martinhotan8946]

The pros used to stay to Girona because the dopping inforcement by the government was rather lash ...

[@thompson9451]

that image of Jimmy at the christening you can really tell he likes getting dressed up ahahahahha

[@justinharder1257]

Correction at 6:50 jordan never lost to olajuwan in the finals ever He won his championships during jordan’s first retirement

[@SantoRedentor]

Girona overrated: YES. Been living in Barcelona for the last 6 years and have been to Girona many times. It's a nice city for riding and you can go to the coast as well as to the mountains from there. But it's not that good for the huge amount of hype.

[@vanw1554]

How can you judge a place you have never been to

[@lomicwind]

That argument about bikeshops is true if you don't do your maintenance, but otherwise. My bike as never seen a bikeshop and I fail to see why it should anytime in the future. People go to the shop for a puncture ? Seriously ? In the meantime I don't buy fancy custom bike costing 10k either.

[@thayerkids]

If I lived in the UK I’d be in Spain every winter.. for the last 20 winters.

[@MegaSixpac]

I would feel very embarrassed to buy a bike online then need to take it to a bike shop for repair.

[@andlum83]

Who does not taste a difference between lidl and good quality coffee, is not worth it. Not to talk about fair prices…

[@haentz]

I hate how local bike shops are trying to kill direct to consumer bcompanies… Learn how to work on your bike and quickly LBS become massively overrated 🤷‍♂

[@MegaSixpac]

I am old fashion. I still wear a suit, shirt and ties to work each day. I am a dying breed.

[@paulhugo1623]

Brands rely on bike shops for warranty or recall work…. They want their cake and eat it too

[@awol555]

The Lidl coffee is 100% a game changer!