> Bicycles are not toys. They are vehicles that need maintenance. You can do much of that maintenance yourself if you're a nerd, but the vast majority of cyclists are dependent on local bike shops to sustain the cycling community.
This is true. Although, I'm afraid the business model of a local bike shop is not sustainable at the moment, at least in Europe where the markups on components and service are just outrageous. It almost seems like the industry is following the footsteps of car industry which is based on franchised D2C sales points and incredibly high margins on servicing.
Unfortunately, for folks who want to save money the only option is to learn how to maintain and fix your own bike using components sourced from online stores.
This is true. Although, I'm afraid the business model of a local bike shop is not sustainable at the moment, at least in Europe where the markups on components and service are just outrageous. It almost seems like the industry is following the footsteps of car industry which is based on franchised D2C sales points and incredibly high margins on servicing.
Unfortunately, for folks who want to save money the only option is to learn how to maintain and fix your own bike using components sourced from online stores.