Why You Shouldn't Buy Your Bike Where You Buy Your Groceries

• Posted on 8 July 2021
• By KW
• 0

While on a recent ride with several of my friends, the topic of fixing and maintaining bikes came up, as it frequently does when folks from various backgrounds get together.  Some of us work in bike shops, so of course we trade stories and tips and tricks.  Last week we started discussing the shortage of bikes, and along with that came the idea of mass market, department store-style bikes and the unique issues that come with them.

Let's start by saying that we certainly understand budgets and growing children, both of which sometimes add up to buying an inexpensive bike.  So this post is going to be more along the lines of what makes a bike shop bike a bike shop bike, because most of the time the budget question centers around "why are your bikes so much more expensive?"  And there are real, logical answers to that question!

Every bike you buy from us (or any bike shop) is professionally assembled.  At Main Street, only shop employees build the bikes, which are then safety and completion checked by one of our full-time mechanics, who ensure that all the bolts are bolted, the brakes are braking, and the shifters are shifting.  But it's also more than that: brakes are aligned to pull equally from both sides of the rim.  Derailleurs are adjusted so that the chain doesn't make noise or hang up between gears.  Seats are leveled, tires inflated to the proper pressure, and chains are lubed.  In short, a bike you ride off the floor of MSBC is ready to ride for its intended purpose - road, MTB, gravel, and kids' bikes.

One of the major influences on the price of a bicycle is the material used to manufacture it, and the frame is probably the most obvious here.  A bicycle frame can be made of anything from the highest-mod carbon fiber, with prices approaching (and surpassing!) $10,000, all the way to an inexpensive Chro-moly steel blend.  That blend is important; its composition affects the weight and the price.  It's much easier to draw a tube of metal to a thicker diameter than a thinner one, and the thinner one must be made of stronger stuff in order to be structurally sound.  So a more budget bike is going to use thicker, heavier steel to begin with in order to save costs of manufacturing, and the final result will be a heavier bike.  

In addition to the frame, wheels and components make up a large part of the overall cost of the bike.  (The only things left after that are tires and tubes, really...)  Similar to the frame construction, less expensive materials and processes are used to manufacture these parts, which in turn means they might not be as durable.  We see lots of bikes with bent brake calipers, and that means they need to be replaced; there's no way to safely straighten that bent metal.

Speaking of replacement, there are several parts on some of the "budget" bikes that simply aren't available to us as replacement parts.  Whether that's the aforementioned brake calipers or something more expensive, sometimes we are not able to source the same part.  The consumer is then stuck with a more expensive repair.  

In addition to all of this, the manufacturers we represent all make good quality stuff.  Jamis, Norco, and Scott are all very reputable companies who stand behind what we sell.  It's so great to be able to work with all three of these companies to make sure that our customers get the bikes that are best for them at the best price we can offer*.  Frame warranty issues are few and far between, but when they arise are usually resolved quickly.  The same can be said for the parts and components that go on the bikes.  Shimano, SRAM, Tektro, etc. are all high quality components that have stood the test of time.  Manufacturers use them for a reason.  

*A word on pricing - there are two things to be aware of here.  One is that the manufacturers set the price - MSRP.  That is for "suggested" retail, meaning we can go higher if we want to, adding things like assembly and delivery charges (we don't do either of these things, by the way).  The other is the MAP - the minimum advertised price.  That means there is only so low we are allowed to price the bikes.  (You may notice this with things like Apple products, where everyone is offering the same price for an iPad.  Some retailers will bundle an iPad with a free cover or something, giving you a deal and still following MAP policies.  If you've tried buying bike parts online you may or may not realize that many of them are subject to these same rules, and we offer the same part for the same price!)  These things affect your final price, and we have rules that we have to follow.

One of the ideas we like to talk about is that you're making an investment in a bike.  The shop and our service are part of that investment - we service what we sell (and even stuff we don't!), and we take pride in our work.  We are glad to be of service and answer any questions you might have about bikes.  Several of us have been known to chat for hours about one thing or another, all in the name of informing our customers.  OK, it's fun to chat, too...

So stop in and see what kind of quality we are offering and make an investment in your bike.  Sure, you'll pay more than you might at one of those really big retailers, but what are you giving up for that cost savings?  We think it's worth it to shop here, and we think you'll agree.  

https://main-street-bicycle-company.shoplightspeed.com/bikes/kids/