Does the Bike Industry Hate Beginners?

Here's to the bike shops and nonprofits helping get more folks on bikes.

ABOUT ME:
Ex-bike shop owner turned YouTuber helping families get on the bike to leave the car at home ❤️

I owned an electric bike shop and have worked in the bike industry for 20 years. On this channel, I mainly cover e-bikes, cargo bikes, cycling tech, and general bike maintenance.

DISCLAIMER:
Some products may be provided for review. I also may earn a commission from some links if you purchase through them (affiliate links).

[PathLessPedaledTV]

I'd expand that to anyone that isn't interested in racing. Very little support and encouragement. The bike industry is a snake eating it's tail. Instead of market growth it is more interested in selling more expensive products to the same customers.

[yeyeTF]

i was a runner and had an amazing local shop experience. when i got into cycling i went to a local bike shop expecting the same level of welcomness. in college, my experience buying my specialized allez aluminum for $600 was hostility and coldness. i touched the gears and the shop kid working there told me i was hurting the bike and gave no reason or context. a week later when i got a flat i took it into the same shop. was talked down to and told to learn how to fix my own flat. saddest $15 i ever spent. its a real shame thats the culture

im now part of a cycling club which hosts women only beginner rides that are no-drop. plenty of breaks, no bike requirements (must have drop bars and clipless etc), provided snacks, and smiling members. its great to see, even as a now well-experienced high end super light skinsuit wearing racing cyclist

[arleydial]

I’ve been a bike commuter for many years. Never once have I felt welcome in a bike shop. My bike is not nice enough for them to pay me any regard. Thanks for your insight

[elleryklein]

Now teaching at a bike riding school for teaching people how to ride a bike, and our advice sheet for buying a bike contains a lot of "don't let the bike store talk you into on about 3 different topics. Thank you for talking about this. And considering how often bikes are stolen, we need shops to lean more into selling just everyday, quality but not fancy bikes that won't break the bank if stolen - and maybe won't look as appealing to steal, either.

[scotttripp]

As a straight-up commuting biker, I have had far better experiences at Dick's Sporting Goods than the LBS I tried. I think primarily DSG is more accustomed to working with the casual rider and not the next Tour de France winner wanna-be. Nor does DSG have really high-end bikes. I think their most expensive traditional bicycle(not e-bike) is under $2000. Still expensive, but not compared to the $14k road bike at my LBS. I love to commute via bike whenever I can and encourage others to do the same. Very liberating.

[ykeefus]

everything with bike shops is absurd. it's like the car industry ONLY selling V8 1, 200HP cars with Italian leather seating and unicorn horn details. Most people want a simple bike that looks cool. They like retro bikes that look like what you see in movies that take place along the Mediterranean. Basically all the shops sell is super sport bikes that very few people want, and the ones who do aren't first time riders. i feel like the people in charge of these companies are just hardcore riders trying to one up other brands.

you want to get people biking? sell single speed beach cruisers in flat areas. sell 5 speed rim brake bikes in fun colours in hillier areas. make the bikes look cool and functional with baskets. don't have walls and walls of lycra and helmets that make it feel like it's some hardcore dangerous sport. it just needs to feel like a casual lifestyle thing that helps you get around in a nice way.

[AMGJason]

The issue is that beginners will look traditionally at four methods to buy their bikes:

1/ Secondhand through Facebook marketplace and other online platforms
2/ New from Walmart or similar department store spec bike
3/ New value for money direct to consumer online only brand
4/ New entry to mid spec bike from a local bike shop

They will also commonly make mistakes such as, choosing incorect type of bike for intended use, not understanding which frame geometry is suited to their riding needs and incorrect frame size, underestimate price points of quality components, apparel and accessories.

So by the time they go to the local bike store which in most cases be the most costly option. Trying to buy a entry level bike (lowest margin selling bike on the shop floor), which also takes up the most effort to sell to a complete novice. I can understand why some bike shops are less than enthusiastic in helping beginners.

The current cost of living crisis, glut in bike inventory lingering from Covid over production, lack of affordably priced entry level bikes from big brands will help clear out the operatiors which have been run poorly.

Entry level bikes are similar in business model to for entry-level cars. They are the least profitable sku in the manufacturers portfolio. Hence if you notice carefully, most large car manufacturers have removed a lot of new entry-level cars from their offerings. It's more profitable to sell up speced midrange and high-level skus. It's that profits take priority over catering and becoming more customer centric to develop the entry-level segment.

Its a sad state direction the industry has moved to. It's general pricing model has made cycling less accessible, less affordable more complex, more overwhelming to understand terminology, etc, to make a decision to buy a bicycle.

These are my thoughts and observations when buying a few new bikes recently. I was fortunate to have a very good and helpful bike shop walk me through the mindfield of information, honest in disclosing what items were not needed, not pushing upsells to make me comfortable. Old school honest customer service.

Not even touching on some of the elitist, gate keeping attitudes in the cycling sub culture from enthusiasts.

[manubisbee]

Went on a no drop shop ride last week. Was all super fast guys and within 10 minutes was dropped and never saw anyone again. No one said hi… super sad, won’t be going back.

[gilabear]

Hey! I really liked this video and you nailed it. Recently, I was at one of our more popular mtb destinations, "The Big Tree", I was there alone enjoying the solitude, listening to woodpeckers, etc. but wishing I had a cup of coffee. So I organized/hosted a "Coffee at the Big Tree" event last Saturday (near the equinox). Me and a friend carried two gallons of water, a canister camping stove, a percolator, cookies, scones, etc. and waited for people to show up. People did, even people, though not beginners, people I've never ridden with before. People were happy. Now, to get the beginners out there. It is an intermediate level ride, mainly because it is about 6 miles from the trailhead. Looking at Campfire Cycling's website, a bikepacking shop in Tucson, sponsors "Breakfast by Bike" rides that look like family-friendly social rides from city park to city park then pancakes and coffee are served. Thinking of hosting something similar. I prefer riding alone, but all about getting more people on bicycles.

[CarlosPerezColorado]

There is a distinction between urban utility bicyclists who bike for transportation and recreational cyclists who bike for fitness and fun. They are different mindsets and that is why many bike shops struggle with figuring out if they are fish or foul.

[peterbedford]

I've been cycling for 50 years and almost never go into a bike shop. Even before the Internet, many of us used bike Nashbar to order bike products.

[jackiegammon]

This certainly is true in so many spots, and I'm glad that you took the time to share this! My small shop is geared towards trying to get everyone riding.We do offer a woman's dirt ride, but would like to expand that more next season. Another area is children, sadly I've realized that 80% or higher of our young folks do not ride a bike and do not how to ride...how sad is that? Anyway, that's my next goal is to try and get more youngsters riding, that also means that in order to make that happen... I have to get more adults riding again. So, thanks again, for sharing and reminding all of us how we can make our small portion of the world a bit better.

[StephanieDaugherty]

Fortunate enough that the local bike nonprofit is also the local bike shop here - and pretty much caters to beginners with their selection. They can get some of the higher end stuff ordered for those that need or want it, but what's on the floor is a decent selection of used bikes mostly priced from $200-400, a few new options in the 600-1200 range, and a selection of entry level e-bikes.

They fix just about anything that comes through the door, even when the other shops say it's unfixable, and if you can't afford a bike, they'll manage to cobble one together from donations.

Perhaps the for-profit shops have a little to learn from the bike nonprofits....

[itsagueybana]

I had such bad experiences as a beginner biker this summer. I bought a RadRover and every shop I went to wouldn't even look at my bike and treated me with contempt. I never ended up finding a bike shop. I've been servicing my bike all summer from people like you on YouTube. 😮‍💨

[chuckhunter]

We need the manufacturers to really pay attention to the lessons learned by the Buffalo Bike. Especially for beginners. Something reliable and affordable is what is needed.

[dough]

I am a 67 year old senior who bikes 30 miles daily. I have been hit 2 times by distracted drivers was not injuired but both times over $200 damage to my bike. safety is the biggest issue among my friends they do have bikes but dont ride because of the safety issues.

[vanomadcyclist]

We are working with our local bike shop to start a “Cafe Ride” geared towards a slower more social pace on bike paths to start and see how it evolves from there. There are plenty of faster rides, but very little in respect to community rides at the lower pace. The local bike shop is working with us to utilize what they have in place (waivers, marketing, social media, etc) to get the word out. I am excited to see that you brought this topic out in the forefront, thank you!!

[peterbaskind]

Preach on, Ma’am. I now buy expensive bikes and do my own swanky builds. But in 2012, I bought a hybrid. If my LBS had not taken the time to sell me that bike — which I long ago converted into a drop bar gravel-like bike for riding on rainy days — I would not have spent THOUSANDS of more dollars on better stuff.

I fail to understand the mindset. The cheap bikes should be near the entrance. The dentists, doctors, and lawyers all know the shop has expensive stuff. But a new rider may not know that the shop — let’s use Trek as an example — has a nice selection of FX hybrids. Let’s be real just for a moment… it may not be cool, but Alivio works well. Very well, actually.

I ride nice stuff. But we have to remember that ANY bike is a good time.

[marksutton]

You're killing it with the content lately, spot on!

[viktorkoves]

The first bike I bought myself was a black Retrospec single speed that came in a box from Amazon, and I remember more passionate bikers saying it wasn't a good brand later on. But it's what I could afford at the time, and it turns out that ten years later it still rides great! We need more beginner options 🤘🏻