Fat Guy & Bike Shops

Pretentious bike stores, are part of biking. Why this is bad for the sport, and how to find not only the right bike store but also how to deal with the jerks.

When I started riding again in 2020, I was pushing 255 pounds. That weight to any road bike store isn't seen as the "typical" body frame of a "cyclist". I am not skinny, and even when I get to my ideal level of fitness I still won't be the typical cyclist in terms of frame. As I discovered when I got back into riding, there are a shocking number of bike stores who will treat clients who don't match their image of a cyclist poorly.

This isn't so much body shaming, as it is a problem with the business of bike stores. I have a feeling that many people who work there see someone who looks different than a "cyclist" as someone who isn't serious about the sport or serious about learning about biking. They prequalify customers as serious or not when they walk in, vs giving them the benefit of the doubt. Many novice riders get serious sticker shock when they are learning about the sport. Some bikes are insanely expensive, and there is a wide array of the fiddly bits and gimmicky things in every bike store. Many store owners and employees get blinded by the desire to land one $10,000-15,000 sale today off a walk in. Which in the short term is easier than building a relationship, teaching and working with a customer to get them eventually into a top of the line bike after a couple of years.

In the long term I now refuse to work with certain stores in town, they lost out on purchases, service or anything else I may spend money on. I will also never recommend them to anyone I talk to. Their lack of service to a "noob" will effect them much more later. I have also noticed a disturbing trend of local bike stores refusing to service either bikes they didn't sell or bikes from direct to consumer manufacturers. This is equally as short sighted. As a couple of bike store owners have told me, some of their best customers have never bought a bike from them.

I often question why cycling is rife with pretentious people. Most of the people I ride with ore encounter in the biking community are salt of the earth, and just simply great people. Many others are accepting as long as you can somewhat keep up, but they will encourage newer riders to get to that point. Even the best riders have bad days, even the best riders need a tow up a hill now and then. Bonking happens, no matter how good you get. The learning curve and speed curves are steep enough for those new to the sport, our attitudes as fellow riders shouldn't add to it. The way I see it, the more riders there are out there, the better the laws will be, the more people will be aware of riders, the more money will get plowed into trails and other areas for riders. By excluding others we hurt ourselves in the long run. I implore all that I know to look out for this behavior and work to change the culture.

Now, how to deal with it. As a new rider, the learning curve is steep, but at least there are online resources. When going into a store be equipped with some knowledge, do a little research why you are going in, and be prepared to ask questions. Hopefully this blog will help by answering some questions ahead of time. Learn the parts of the bike, at very least knowing what part you are talking about, along with sensory impressions can help guide people you are asking towards the right solutions for you.

Take everything online with a grain of salt however, some sites are great for education, but be wary of ordering items sight unseen relating to a problem you may have as you may end up wasting money. I personally have a bin full of non-returnable items that not only didn't fix my problem but gave me an education on how not to do it. Cycling is popular enough that there are a lot of bad and gimmicky products out there, I have fallen victim to them and certainly you will too.

If you are passionate about cycling or any other activity, or are digging in to learn more you will go through a noob phase. We all begin as outsiders, and through knowledge and experience you will earn your stripes. But, if you have a bike store who doesn't want you as a client, don't give them your money. They shouldn't be rewarded for treating people poorly, and as a customer you should vote with your dollars and feet. Walk out, and buy elsewhere. Thanks to the internet no matter the product, the store full of jerks isn't the only store you can easily find and shop from.