Everybody knows that they’re just doing their jobs, but we usually can’t help but feel annoyed every time a store attendant comes to us as asks “Can I help you?” Sometimes we just don’t want to be bothered; that we want to look at a few items ourselves. But when it comes to bike shops attendants that “pester” you is often a welcome gesture; especially if we don’t know what kind of bike we are looking for.
Bike shops should meet certain requirements that make them a quality establishment. If you think it’s just all about selling the most expensive and well-known brands of bikes, you’re wrong. With bikes, it’s all about personal preference. While anyone can ride and get used to a type of bike, there’s always one out there that’s just right for you. And bike stores should be able to help you find it.
A good bike store should offer bikes in a wide range of sizes and types. They should be selling at least a few variants of the most basic types: road, mountain, single speed, fixed gear, and whatnot. The more they have to offer, the more chances of you finding exactly what you need.
You can’t really feel how good a bike handles until you actually test it. If you’re in brick-and-mortar bike store, feel free to ask if you could take it for a spin. Most of the times, they won’t allow you to, but the good stores would at least let you ride it stationary so you can get a feel for it.
Another good quality of a good bike store is if they offer fitting services, or at least its attendants know anything about fitting a bike. Simply put, they recommend bikes according to your body type and various measurements. This way, you get to take home the most comfortable and ergonomic bike that you can.
Finally, good stores have attendants that will not force any bikes on you. Sometimes, they’ll feel pressured for their sales stats, commissions, and the like and will try to trick you into getting a bike that you don’t even want. As mentioned above, the perfect bike for you is what you want to ride. If you’re set on a fixie, for instance, don’t let them talk you out of it because they seem to hate fixies.
It’s a small checklist, but there are tons of good bike stores out there. Some of the best ones offer customized bikes, and if you’re up for it, you may save a bit of money out of it.