My Thoughts on Bike Snob's "Eternal Dilemma"

June's edition of Bicycling Magazine, as usual, includes a column written by the now uber-famous (and no longer anonymous) Bike Snob. In particular he explores what he calls "The Eternal Dilemma"... to buy online or to buy from a Local Bike Shop (LBS).

Even though there's really no right answer, and good points that argue both sides, he does cover most of his bases. Most importantly, at the end of the day... or the year, or decade, there WILL be room for both.

In my time in the industry, I have noticed that unlike Bike Snob describes, it doesn't depend on a person's mood, they don't tend to swing back and forth as much as their mood might. An LBS customer tends to be an LBS customer regardless while an online shopper isn't an online shopper, he or she tends to be a bargain hunter and shopping online allows them to do that.

LBS customers tend gravitate to their local shop because of many aspects, but most commonly: Knowledge - as simple as bicycles are, they're still complex machines and any good LBS will know bikes inside and out. Familiarity - it's the whole "Cheers" theory, going somewhere everybody knows your name... as a matter of fact, hang out at any independent bike shop and you'll be sure to find "groupies". Instant Gratification - though not always the case, it's great to not have to wait for something you want or most importantly need. Finally, and most importantly Customer Service - cycling is not a cheap sport/hobby, having the piece of mind that an LBS will stand behind their products and services is priceless, and while not all bike shops do this, all good ones do. Loyalty is mutual... a customer that's loyal to a bike shop will feel that loyalty reciprocated.

Sure, there are lots of exceptions to every rule, for example convenience... an LBS customer may have to travel 1o miles each way for tubes and instead opt to buy them online. On the other hand, an online shopper might not be mechanically inclined or have certain tools and therefore use his or her LBS selectively for labor purposes.

In the end people will do what "fits" them best, and that's fine. It's the great thing about having options. So if you're an LBS, or online shop make sure you give your customers a reason to come back, if you don't you've essentially given them a reason to go somewhere else.

Feeling Trisexual? What you Need for your First Triathlon

I'm not much of a triathlete, even though it's how I got into cycling I haven't done one in about two years. There's a local race in a few weeks that I've considered signing up for.

I must admit, right now there's a couple of things holding me back... and even though it's nothing major, I'm just getting a bit nervous about having to put a bento box on my bike (not to mention one of these). Luckily, the race won't be long enough for either of those.

All joking aside, even though I consider myself a roadie (and need to live by these rules) Triathlons can be fun and a great way to cross-train. The fact that they're looked down upon by my fellow roadies is kind of a head-scratcher. Aside from all of the gizmos and gadgets, triathletes aren't so bad after all.

So if you're thinking about doing your first triathlon, here's the cliff notes version of the whole process... just remember it's not as bad as it sounds:

1. Pick a distance: Triathlon is any event in which you swim, bike, and run. A lot of people assume Triathlon = Ironman, which is not the case... there's lots of different distances but most races will be one of the following: Sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman and Ironman. If you've never done a triathlon, you're most likely going to start off with a Sprint or something similar to it.
2. Train: You probably know this part, however if all you've ever done is watch people dot it on TV, you're probably thinking "oh that's not so bad" (Unless you've watched NBC's over-dramatic Telecast of IM Hawaii). My point is that even the short distance triathlons require training. So do yourself a favor and don't waste your $60-$100 to get pulled out of the water. Check out Ontri or Slowtwitch as they're great resources.
   
3. Gear Up: For a newbie, showing up to a race might be a bit intimidating as local Age Groupers (fast or not) will have some of the coolest shit the pro's don't even have. You don't need most of that. These are the must-have's: Goggles, a triathlon top & short (or suit), a bike, helmet, running shoes, a number belt, and body-glide (very important).
4. Have Fun: If this is your first race, the probability that you're not going to win is high, so just go out there and have a good time. This will be the only way to get a feel for how it all works... you can practice all you want, however race day is race day, you'll see what I mean.

If you're thinking to yourself that can't be as easy as what I just described, you're kind of right. It wouldn't be called exercise if it was easy... and more people would be doing it. However, this is a good starting point.

Make sure you use your LBS (Local Bike Shop) as a resource, especially if there's a Triathlon specific shop in your area. Find a local triathlon club or coach and get in touch, they're usually willing to help you through the process. Don't ever feel like you're asking a dumb question, there's a lot of unknowns to someone who's new to the sport and people will understand. If you're not much of a people person, it is 2010 and everything is at your fingertips online, so check out some of the resources I mentioned above and knock yourself out!

Good luck!