Shopping at LBS during lockdown

[Phyz]

When casting about for a first time eBike purchase with a bit of hesitation and uncertainty, folks on the forum tend to do what we all tend to do on fora, which is to recommend “do what I did”.

And what they did was to drop in to their LBS and test drive a few models to feel them out. And that’s crackling good advice.

But not at the moment. You cannot drop in to an LBS. They’re open for service if you schedule curbside drop off. Or they’re closed completely. A few might let you inside, if you schedule an appointment in advance.

But in the fairly large metropolitan area of Sacramento, no one has a White Vado 4 step through in L or a Trek Verve+ 3 step through of any size, as far as I can tell. The Trek shop is difficult to communicate with via email, and the Specialized vendor auto replies with “we’ll get back to you”.

So that’s the state of things. I’m not in a terrible hurry. And it wouldn’t matter if I were.

Just a vent.

 

[steve marino]

I have no idea what a LBS or a fora is. Good luck w/ your eBike search..

 

[Phyz]

LBS = local bike shop
One forum, two fora

 

[sc00ter]

Our LBS's are doing a ton of business! Only 2 "closed" but will meet you for an appointment if needed. Last Sat. I grabbed new handlebars and grips and went back on Sun. for bar shims.

 

[e-boy]

It's also difficult to find frozen broccoli at the moment .

 

[FlatSix911]

We are experiencing a mini bike boom in California... seems everyone is getting their old bikes out of the garage.

Our LBS is busier than ever with lots of sales and maintenance/repairs... they are considered an essential business.

 

[Readytoride]

I, too, had wanted a White Vado 4.0 step through. Tried a sample 4.0 step through at the beginning of March. My LBS (which is a fairly large chain of 6 stores) said they wouldn't be able to get the white color in until the middle of April. They still haven't been able to get that color yet, and it's almost May now. Online sales says white is on backorder. Same thing they said March 1st.

So I purchased the maroon. Actually like the color better. (The store had a one week only $1k off on the 4.0. It would have been stupid to lose out on that discount simply because of a color. For $200 I can have the frame of my 4.0 professionally painted any color I wanted, but the manfacturer's color is actually really lovely)

Our shops are still letting people try out the bikes, but they are only allowing a few customers in the store at any one time. They also have a senior hour 3x a week for their older clients.

All our LBS are doing a sellout business. They can barely get in bikes fast enough as they are flying out the door. Older bikes are being dropped off for repair/tuneup in massive numbers. The repair staff can barely keep up with the flood of orders.

 

[Sierratim]

Stopped by our LBS to buy a helmet for our grandaughter. They were quite busy. Staff wore masks when they approached any customer. The shop area was taped off asking customers to stand at least 6 feet back. Other than that, business as usual. The owner's wife was in the shop. She said business had been quite brisk, esp with the improving Spring weather.

First helmet! Now, off to the scoot bike...

 

[Phyz]

I'm on the bubble between a Large and an Extra Large Turbo Vado 4.0. How to decide which is the better fit? Ah! I'll jump over to the LBS and take each one for a spin! No problem. Maybe in November.

Accessories and maintenance? Less of a problem in the moment. Sizing and comparing new models? More of a problem. Great for LBSs; non-ideal for jumping into the market. More time for research, I suppose.

And who would want frozen broccoli when you can get the fresh stuff?

 

[e-boy]

Frozen works better for me during the long lockdown .

 

[DaveMatthews]

On my ride yesterday I happened to go by a local Trek dealer. They were busy!
They had all their bikes outside in the parking lot and all their staff outside answering questions, arranging rides, cleaning everything, offering masks and gloves etc. They definitely had their schlitz together! I didn't hang around though because I'm riding a Giant

 

[e-boy]

From Giant USA website :

"Order Delay Notice:
Due to current measures to protect the safety of our distribution center employees, customer service team, and our retailers please expect delays in processing and delivering your order."