Would you buy Direct to Consumer or LBS?

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ptkatoomer

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I have a '23 YT Decoy MX10 (my first ebike) that I bought a little over 2 years ago. Seemed like a great price for what I got and I've really enjoyed the bike.
I was concerned about no location shop support but since I was only one and a half hours from their Mill in San Clemente I figured it would be OK. We'll, I dodged a HUGE bullet when the bike quit and I got it to Yt 3 days before they shut down for good. They had to replace the battery and main harness under warranty( the battery is not a Shimano). If I had waited or not been close enough to their Mill I would now have a 6k boat anchor.
So, I'm really liking the Forbidden Druid E but it's the same scenario: boutique brand, no local support (seemed like with my Shimano motor that the local shops that carried brands with this motor were not keen to work on my Decoy since I didn't buy from them (sorta understandable).
Am I better off going with a Legacy brand that has the nationwide dealer support but not the coolest tech?
 
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I’ve had bad luck at my closest shops in the few states I lived. Just very bad service and vibes. If you have a good local shop then of course support them! I’m all about shopping local when you can, but not every shop earns your money right? If the vibe is off then don’t feel bad buying or ordering from another rad shop that carries what you want. Just also don’t go back to that other shop asking them to fix it. It’s a great way to learn to work on bikes yourself. YouTube has everything you need to learn to diy.

I’ll shout out a few shops that have been super helpful and amazing to work with when ordering bikes and parts: chainline bikes, pro bike supply, n+1. Those shops aren’t local to me, but very solid if they carry what you’re looking for.
 
We have purchased 2 bikes from authorized bike shops and 4 bikes direct to consumer. The 2 bikes from the bike shops had problems. The authorized Specialized shop did a great job, and the Marin authorized bike shop did a horrible job. I fixed little things myself on the Marin for months because I felt if I took it back to the shop it would likely come back worse.

The 4 bikes direct to consumer have had zero problems and have worked perfectly. Two of them have well over 2K miles of riding. I’m sure not all DTC experiences have been like ours but we have been very happing going this route.
 
There's something to be said about local support, if its good. I bought a SCOR through Jenson and it's been a mixed experience. Part of it related to the boutique and not so common brand in the US [SCOR] and the other dealing with an online shop.

Really the only value online shops provide, is that initial value. That's not to say, online retailer or shops can't and don't offer great support. The same can be said with local shops, I've had mixed results.

With an eMTB dealing with a motor and battery, having a shop than can deal with Shimnao/Bosch/Avinox, Fazua, etc... can save the day when having to scan the components for issues, update software, provide warranty. Dealing with shipping of bike/components for warranty can be a huge hassle.

My buddy just brought his Bullit into a local shop and is getting his battery warrantied even though he bought the bike online. Now even traditional brick and mortar brands are doing DTC...
 
If you buy an E-bike from an LBS and the company that built and warrantied the bike went out of business, you'd still be SOL.
Other than the motor/battery combo, most decent LBS can service anything else. I got an Ari (an hour away). Any shop that supports Fazua can service it and any component. The only real exception is the frame. But if the manufacturer goes sneakers up, buying from an LBS won't help.
 
If you get your bike from an LBS you would expect them to deal with any warranty claims. Obvious really, but what if the bike brand in question has just gone broke? I agree that your contract is with the LBS, but if you and others in your situation press the LBS to deliver on the two-year warranty, then you may well find that the LBS too goes broke. It's a tricky one.

As for an LBS that sells the brand that you have bought, but you bought it from a distant LBS that just happened to have a better sales price. They will deal with your warranty claim, but they are probably not interested in pursuing claims for a fault that may just turn out to need a £7 cable. They tell you that it will cost them a fortune to deal with. So they want to charge you a fee to pursue it for you, which may be £35-£50 (probably cheaper than the transit costs back to the distant LBS). I think that is reasonable, they didn't get paid any money by the brand for your bike, so why should they fund a warranty claim? But they will deal with your warranty claim.

Over the years, I have bought six bikes from several nearby LBSs and also one from a direct supplier over the internet (a YT Capra from Germany). Oh, and half a dozen bikes for the grandkids from Islabike, internet purchases. I have also done two internet purchases from a supplier that has shops all over the UK. The local shop(s) didn't have the bikes I wanted. I found them and paid for them on the internet, but it felt like buying from an LBS, because that was where I went to collect them and received personal service. Unfortunately, they were too far away to be considered, in any way, local to me.

I have also purchased bike components via eBay and built up complete bikes for my grandson, in conjunction with buying used bikes from indviduals I know.

There is a variety of purchase options out there and all have their plusses and minuses. Any one of them could go wrong and you have to be unlucky to get wrong-footed. So far I have been lucky.
 
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ptkatoomer said:
Am I better off going with a Legacy brand that has the nationwide dealer support but not the coolest tech?
Click to expand...

Santa Cruz? Ibis? Pivot? Crestline? They're all local to you, they all pick up the phone when you call, and they all make cool bikes. Find a local store that can get the bike you want, will cut you a fair deal, and has the juice to get you whatever you need without delay.
 
I like to support my local bike shops if I can, but ultimately if I can get a better deal buying direct/online then I'll take it.

My current bike has headset cable routing, so my LBS will still make money from me on servicing :D
 
I like to support my LBS and would always go to them first. I am even willing to pay more if I have used their services - for example test rides or trying on helmets.

I think it is rude to use a physical shop to check things over / test fit etc. and then but online. If we don't support them and recognise addiitonal costs we will lose them.
 
I have bought 2 E-bikes from LBS's and 2 from online vendors (though not direct from a manufacturer), all at prices I have been well pleased with. I have not needed to make warranty claims for any of them so cannot say how that would have worked out online vs LBS. I have not been satisfied with the service I have had from either of the LBS's where I bought the bikes, one was very unfriendly and declined to service one of the bikes I bought online and the other is just not very good because of a woeful lack of knowledge about the use of the Bosch diagnostic program. That shop is part of a quite large group but their main store where much more knowledgeable people are available is a long way away! I was very satisfied with service and repairs I got at a one man business LBS nearby but sadly that is no longer trading and an alternative which looked initially very good has recently drastically reduced their E-bike offerings including their e-bike mechanic. I'm still looking for a service partner for my e-bikes but although I live in a large city and there are plenty of bike shops around finding one where they have any more than a rudimentary e-bike knowledge is not proving easy. I do purchase the majority of spares and accessories online, LBS's simply can't match the choice and delivery times.
 
Personal service, product knowledge, fault diagnosis and fixing, speed of response, flexibility, and better access to the manufacturer are all the things that the on-line guys struggle with. So why does your LBS not major on these?
Mine does and I consider myself lucky to have them on my doorstep (9 miles away). But he no longer sells e-bikes as he just cannot compete on price with the on-line guys. He withdrew from bike sales and was able to halve his shop area and his rent and business rates.

www.newarkcycles.co.uk

Newark Cycles Ltd – Your Friendly Independent Cycle Shop, Workshop and Repair Service

Your Friendly Independent Cycle Shop, Workshop and Repair Service
www.newarkcycles.co.uk www.newarkcycles.co.uk
 
I really want to support my local shop but they make it REALLY hard. I needed a 12 speed deore chain the other day. I thought I would swing by and pick one up from them instead of ordering one online. They hired a new service manager since I've been in there last. The new guy only stocks KMC chains and I really wanted a Shimano. No problem, they added it to the list and would order it next time they placed an order (to save shipping). This is something I've done many times before. They call me around a week later and its ready to pick up. I swing by to get it and it rings up $52! I could order 2 from Worldwide Cyclery for $60! I really want to support local but I have 5 ebikes in the family and just can't do it.

That said, I truly believe my next ebike (not that I need one) will be another Bafang bike. It's just easy to get parts and work on yourself. Then I don't have to worry about anything.
 
Emtb from LBS, warranty cases etc BOSCH related, everything else from internet I'd say. For suspension related topics I've couple of specialists, one in Austria and one in Finland.
 
steve_sordy said:
Personal service, product knowledge, fault diagnosis and fixing, speed of response, flexibility, and better access to the manufacturer are all the things that the on-line guys struggle with. So why does your LBS not major on these?
Click to expand...
I can't really say if I want a tire changed, puncture repair or brake pads replaced no problem but when it comes to fault diagnosis on e-bikes generally, activating the light power port or retrofitting an electronic derailleur they have not got a clue! Lack of product knowledge and training I would guess. As for access to the manufacturer when I asked the LBS where I bought a bike from (an official dealer) for a replacement decal that had fallen off they claimed it would take months as they had to have a minimum order value for spares and they rarely needed originals!
 
I can do anything my local bike shop can do so really have no need for them, and most of the shops in my area are rubbish so I don't have much use for them.

My only concern buying direct to consumer is warranty issues (cracked frame, dead motor etc). That can be a little more cumbersome to deal with in a direct to consumer situation.

.
 
mtnrider said:
I can do anything my local bike shop can do so really have no need for them, and most of the shops in my area are rubbish so I don't have much use for them.

My only concern buying direct to consumer is warranty issues (cracked frame, dead motor etc). That can be a little more cumbersome to deal with in a direct to consumer situation.

.
Click to expand...
I too can do most things. But some I just don't want to do, like threading cables through the frame, or sorting out rim wobbles. There are also other reasons, like illness for example. I was out for most of January and into February, which in the UK was also very wet indeed, every day! So I took the bike in to the LBS and left it to them. I just didn't have the energy for anything else. I should get it back this week! :love:
 
It depends how pedantic you are to get exactly what you want and if you are prepared to wait for warrantee claims.
Also how handy are you working on your own bike.

If the lbs has something you could live with then obviously buy that.
I am a really pedantic mofo when it comes to bike choice and i research the shit out of the next bike im going to buy and the one that best suits my needs within my budget is the one i buy regardless of where it is.

I am mentally prepared for delays with warrantee claims if i buy remote.
 
In January 2022 went to our LBS to buy my bike (Trek Rail 5 (L)) They didn't have any stock and didn't know when they would get more. Found one online so bought it. Two weeks later went to LBS and they'd just been shipped stock and the bike I asked about was in the shipment! Couldn't believe it neither could they. 2 weeks later after being left behind wife decided she'd also have to get an eMTB (Trek Rail 5 (M)) and exactly the same thing happened again! LBS are really good looking after us. (y)
 
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