They’re coming for you
This weekend’s racing is mostly about a mountain of green situated up north in the land they call Vermont, where carbon dioxide gnomes feed on the breath you exhale while trying to ascend their native hills.
As mentioned above in farcical detail, the Green Mountain Stage Race is happening in Waitsfield, VT, and if you aren’t already there; you will be NOT be racing with the gnomes.
Monday brings the gnome-free Kissena Labor Day Track Meet held at the Kissena velodrome in Queens.
And finally, Monday is also the Olde Mill Inn Tour of Basking Ridge in Basking Ridge, NJ.
just a pre-emptive post here … good luck all
also, just curious, are the CO2-breathing gnomes relatives of yours?
Well, they are but we don’t like to admit it. They behave poorly in enclosed spaces.
bill who???all i know is ray alba is monica
ray has better hair.
when’s he gonna get it done? he’s the american poulidor.
just a bit long, and no jump…thats exactlywhaqt Borat was waiting fer
What about the PA State Championships (Robeson Township) on Sunday? Not everyone has the time/dough to schlep up to VT…
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=9177
http://www.velocityresults.net/results/232/gmsr-gc
The team lipstick girls would like tell everyone that we were verbally abused and mistreated at the Piermont Bike Shop.
Do you need a hug or something?
Doesn’t surprise me, they are ass-hats over there…what happened?
“abused and mistreated”…can you be more specific?
I’d “mistreat” you too if you came into my store and threw a $160 jersey on the floor and got it dirty.If your gonna tell the story tell the whole story and not just YOUR side.Pretty pathetic to come to an online forum looking for sympathy and bad mouthing a shop that has good everything.
I’d like to hear more about the mistreatment. Did it involve any lewd bahavior like touching or fondling? Or was it more like degrading comments, because I’d like to hear those too. I’m thinking this is a viral marketing campaign for the new max hardcore series.
bike shops mostly employ a jerk or two , behind the desk and almost all wrech-men are dicks , that is just the way it is
someone has had a bad bike shop experience
Brett Cleaver is a sandbagger
http://www.velocityresults.net/results/236/gmsr-stage-3-appalachian-gap-vt
Well the bike shop at least..the town is nice, but they sure don’t care for cyclists.
Anyway, Glenn runs a great shop and is one of the truly good guys in the business locally.
i’ve had nothing but good experience from piermont bike. bought a bunch of stuff from him as an ebay seller, of which he sells a LOT of items (i guess it’s on consignment or store product they’re trying to blow out).
explain the whole bad treatment situation, perhaps?
always 2 sides to a story.
i can only say from personal experience that the employees especially Glenn are great. The owner sucks because he is a right wing fear monger…during the election he was rooting for McCain/Palin…
He is the partner (and stepson) of Steve. Glenn is cool and reserved. Steve is neither.
Glenn is pretty cool….most of the other guys except for some of the latin american wrenches are pretty much angry “don’t bother me -just pay types” Over-priced – over rated store –
EVIE = Columbia-HTC
http://velonews.com/article/97553/young-guns-columbia-htc-for-2010
Nice job!
Congrats to Evelyn and best of luck. We will be following your success next year.
Very great. Does she get a free kit? And a wheel discount?
Glenn is a good guy, and knowledgeable. Other shop employees act put out by even pushing a few buttons on the cash register to take your money. Steve is a complete ass.
Stopped in to the new shop on Hudson Terr for the first time a few weeks ago. Really nice shop, great service, and great coffee. I wish them well.
In the city, Gotham is pretty good, and both NYC Velo and Sids rock.
GLenn is cool, very nice guy. the mechanics on piermont are very good mechanics,besides the good services. Steve needs to learn how to treat people.
GLenn is cool, very nice guy. the mechanics on piermont are very good mechanics,besides the good services. Steve needs to learn how to treat people.
5:53 came out of nowhere and now I’m laughing. Thank you.
I like the shop – I visit often and my teammates and cyclist friends enjoy shopping or getting service from the shop. The staff are all good guys who actually care about customers and the cycling community. They often go out of their way to help – whether it is a quick mechanical issue, ordering special items, or handling claims regarding bought items.
Having said that, they are in business and like any retailers out there working hard to get by and based on what I heard, they had the absolute right to get upset with the incident.
The lipsmack team stops by regulary either to use their bathroom or buy a bar or two. They are often provided quick free mechanical services by the shop.
On that day, one of the riders tried on a $160 jersey which hanging on the rack. She left the hanger on the floor and when she was done trying it on, she basically rolled up and shoved the jersey like a rag practically ruining the value of the product as “new”. Steve saw the whole thing and confronted her. She apologized but obviously did not care because she was gigling and responded that the shop should be able to write that-off as a business expense. The rest of the team was also there and they were either gigling or in silence. None them seem to care what had happened.
Steve told them that they were not welcome at the store anymore and asked them to leave. Steve actually felt bad for her other younger teammates who had nothing to do with the incident.
Team lipstick says they were “verbally abused and mistreated at the Piermont Bike Shop”?
Have respect for their business, may be they will respect you also. May be they need to use to use their “lips” more wisely.
I have used Piermont a lot for repairs and some purchases, as well as selling some stuff on E-Bay. Glenn is cool. And Bill, the head mechanic, has been really, really good, fixing several things some other shops could not. Great to have a shop in Piermont, so generous with helping cyclists get on the road again after problems and with excellent stock of good stuff. It’s a tough business, and I wish the best to every shop that hangs in there and provides these kinds of services. Sure, put enough people in a shop, and someone will come out with bad feelings. But overall, these are among the good guys. Support them!
DC
Don’t know the final standings for GMSR, but can say that CRCA dominated the women’s 3-4 race, with Donna McMahon taking first and Dara Kiese 2nd in the opening TT (both Radical Media), Fabienne Girard (team Teany) dominating in the Queen of the Mountain competition to take that jersey both days, Xieyue Fan of Metro taking 3rd in the Circuit Race, Donna McMahon winning the road race, with Fabienne Girard 2nd and Dara Kiese 3rd, and then, in a surprise finish, Dara Kiese getting in a break today, taking almost all the sprint bonuses, and winning both the sprint jersey and the overall GC (with Donna McMahon 2nd, Fabienne Girard 3rd). So CRCA keeping the leaders jersey all three days and taking both the QOM and sprint jersey. That’s just the top finishers for one field with lots of great performances further down.
A great weekend and terrific stage race. Nice job to all!
DC
Affinity Cycles Dominates in:
1st in Women’s field
1st in Masters field
1st in 123 field
Chris Barbaria also won Walter’s Cup for 2009.
Looked like a tuff race but Chris pulled it off.
Nice going Chris!
Affinity looks strong this year.
Way to pull it all back together Jay.
either there is some bad palleja going around, or there might be a bad batch of “new” stuff…
subject of bike stores. NYC Velo is a COMPLETE rip off for parts. It is not a store for racers.
If you a first year NYU student looking to get your standard issue hipster Pista and messenger bag at full price, NYC Velo is your place.
If you are a racer looking for a deal to replace the derailleur that you toasted last weekend – do NOT go there. They charge more than full retail, and apparently make no qualms about it.
Any shops in NYC that compete with Internet for pricing, or convince with service a mail order can’t match?
I think Sid’s Westside, Piermont, have done that to keep repeat customers…
But I wouldn’t mind a “GOB” sale at SBR or R-A…
TOGA Westside is hit or miss…so deal with someone you know and respect, I guess is my point…
sheepshead cycles is so far away…really a great group of guys there
http://www.velocityresults.net/results/232/gmsr-gc
Lotta CRCA and New York City.
Maxime Bottle is funny. NYC Velo is a superb store.
it is impossible for a LBS to compete with internet pricing. Shops have WAY more overhead and most people who own/run/work bike shops do it because it is a passion. next time you complain about a certain shop being ‘overpriced’ because they charge full retail, remember 2 things:
1. isn’t nice to at least have a shop to be able to stop in and pick up some tubes or a chain when you need it? think of paying more as a tax on convenience and instant gratification!
2. your LBS needs to charge full price to keep their doors open. i don’t really know any people involved in the retail side of cycling that get in their BMW and drive home to their 3000 square foot house in a gated community.
ps. Bike shop employees are dicks because they are usually underpaid, they deal with people who think they know more than them about everything all day, and they are missing a race/ride so they can help someone size up a pair of shoes that they are going to buy on the internet for 1/2 price anyways…
If you’re a “racer,” then you’ll benefit a lot from developing a relationship with a shop, or more shops, who will take care of you when you really need it. This means finding a shop that stocks good components and who has mechanics who know what they are doing, buying some of your stuff from them, and tipping for good service when they help you out. The convenience for racers is key. So help good places succeed!
Have you ever run a retail business in NYC? Retail rent is brutal for a small indie business. It’s no coincidence that the city resembles a mall. Some chain stores even operate at a loss but remain open as part of a branding, brand domination strategy.
A retail business can not compete with mail order on price, so don’t bitch about that one. Be thankful you even a have a good shop near by, and not another Duane Reade, CVS, Rite Aide, or bank etc.
I will assume you are not studying business. Also, NYU tuition is was what, 40K ?
Ive been using NYC bike shops for about 8 years now. Im my experience, the only real diff I notice is the shops that will recognize you as a regular cyclist/racer and treat you with a slight bit of preference – ie throw your bike on the stand rather than giving you a ticket and telling you they will call in a week. The great thing is that most of the local shops do that for us. Peirmont has done it for me – and I really appreciate that. NYC Velo has done that and MORE many times – they rock! Prices are totally fair, and they give discounts to sponsored teams. Dont criticise based on one visit, or the owners temperment – results are what matters.
Great shop, great guys. Known him for years. Benefit of the doubt: Piermont.
Show some respect, chickies.
I’ve seen the Lipstick Team come into shops and just trash the place – tipping over displays of Powerbars, slashing tires, pushing over little kids trying out training wheels. Once I saw them set fire to an entire row of Assos chamois, and smear Strawberry GU in the owner’s face. They are not to be messed with.
It’s a women’s tri team not bike racing team right? Go figure.
I doubt Comedy, Radical, Metro, Teany or NYVC women riders would do such thing…
I heard CJ just sent his resume to Team Lipstick.
For what? Head chamois washer?
…I was applying some chapstick, and they slapped me in the face.
I used to go to deCadence for my faux grass now I go to SBR or Signature (frogery)!!!
Does not Will from Lip Schmear encourage competitor shops being trashed???
I love the “its part of overhead”…too many in-end-ooze…
my beef with most LBS’s is that i try to go in there to support them when i need a component and they never have anything in stock. and “we can order it for you” doesn’t cut it these days.
i’m willing to pay retail for the convenience and speed of getting something at the LBS. when they don’t have anything i need, i go to the internet. i can order shit myself.
Agree that supporting the LBS is a good idea – that is why I tried NYC Velo.
When they charged me 10% MORE than MSRP for an expensive part – they lost a customer for life.
When they were questioned about the price (which admittedly was AFTER the work had been done – so bad on me) they were unapologetic about it. Okay, fine. You get to soak me exactly one time.
Rock bottom internet pricing wasn’t what I was after – far from it – just a reasonable price with a tad of understanding that racers go through parts and will be back when treated well. And to be fair, the mechanic was outstanding.
I was a ardent supporter of my LBS and always tried not to send my money to a big out of state on line/catalog dealer.
Recently a friend of mine that was new to cycling went to a LBS in New Jersey with a supposed good reputation and got totally fucked over. He upgraded his older Merckx to Sram Red with new wheels. They charged him $ 850.00 more than the going online price for the exact same shit. Additionally they charged him $ 375.00 to do an install which typically takes 2 hours of shop time to complete. When he went back to buy some new shoes and pedals, another $ 500.00, the bastards charged $ 35.00 to simply put the cleats on.
Bottom line know your LBS and do your homework, nothing wrong with saving money and buying online. I’ve used Colorado Cyclist for 25 years and have been great on prices and service.
you live in colorado, quentin?
NYC Velo knows plenty about racers’ needs. The guy who owns the shop races, as do most of the mechanics there. I have no allegiance to them and LBS’s are not charities, you can shop wherever you want. But going to a shop in a high-rent neighborhood, buying some stuff and getting service done without confirming the price of the parts until afterward, then going online and anonymously criticizing the shop in an effort to damage its reputation? That’s stupid.
Bike racers in this town have a ridiculous sense of entitlement. You can’t throw a brick without hitting a cat 4 who feels that his “sponsors” should provide him with free kit and heavily subsidized equipment in exchange for the vast marketing opportunity that he provides by pedaling his fat ass around Central Park at 6 am and then posting pictures of himself on Facebook. Bike shops are also now expected to cater to this superior class, who are willing to pay $300 for handlebars but whine about the markup on small parts or the insufficiently deferential attitude of the guys they pay to glue tires on their $2,500 wheels.
I’m a shop employee and a racer, and I can tell you that the LBS does not carry what you need because racers almost never come in. It doesn’t make sense for most places to have thousands of dollars of high end inventory taking up expensive space just in case the odd racer comes in wanting a new set of 808’s RIGHT NOW, instead of looking online for 10 minutes to find the right part at the best price and then waiting 2 days for UPS. 99.9% of Manhattan LBS business is with people who view their bikes as awkward, mysterious machines to be used 2-3 times per year in the Hamptons (or in the NYC triathlon), and so shops are equipped to deal with people like that, and set prices accordingly. You can and SHOULD charge a lot for simple tasks when customers are unwilling to install cleats. Buy your part online, and if you are uncomfortable diagnosing the problem or installing the part, take the bike to one of the small shops that specialize in repair, and either give them a tip, or else order what you need through them (same difference). They are not going to be too burnt out from selling “those clicky shoes for spin class” to douchey upperwestsiders to give you good service.
SBR is the best shop in the world because they employ Guzman and Lisban, period
If you want a good mechanic, use Mark Purdy.
when i walk into the LBS and i ask for a SRAM OG-1070 11×26 cassette i should not get looked at like i have two heads.
when i try to buy a new chain, you should have some options.
when i ask for assos laundry detergent, you should at least pretend like you know that product exists.
when i buy some nutrition products, it shouldn’t be beyond the expiration date with last year’s packaging.
and all the employees should have shaved legs or srsly the feldheimer is walking out and going to google or ebay.
when i walk into a bike shop all the employees laugh at me. what am i doing wrong?
This is such a strange thread. Napolionic and others are going on and on trying to justify high prices, while the guy who works at an LBS says straight up NYC LBSs don’t cater to racers because they don’t come in. There is a reason they don’t come in – they know better.
Clearly someone who races has different needs than NYU students or summer Hamtons dwellers. It is one thing if you ride your bike three times a year. It is a little different story when you ride 15,000 miles a year and go through a fair amount of parts.
This has nothing to do with entitlement or anything other than not wanting to get ripped off on parts. I could give a rats ass about small items like tubes and tires, etc. I fully expected to pay more than the internet when i went to NYC Velo – and actually was happy to do it to support the shop. Getting charged well OVER the full retail price on an expensive part was not what I expected.
You are right, I should have checked the prices first. Like I said, my bad. So I got soaked. That’s what I get. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t a ripoff.
The fact that the owner of NYC Velo races and still chooses to overcharge for parts says a lot. Its a free country — he can do what he wants. And likewise, it is free country and he shouldn’t be surprised when a customer gets vocal about their experience with his store and pricing.
I stand by what I said. NYC Velo is a ripoff in terms of parts and it is not a store for racers.
not a shop for racers? NYC Velo sponsors at least 2 teams, has at least 4 racers working there, and one of the best mechanics in the city. they stay alive and thrive BECAUSE they don’t just cater to roadies. except for tri stuff, they’ve got all the bases covered- road, CX, MTB, and fixie/hipster/commuter/normal people.
Love it. This may be the most true thing ever written on NYVC:
Bike racers in this town have a ridiculous sense of entitlement. You can’t throw a brick without hitting a cat 4 who feels that his “sponsors” should provide him with free kit and heavily subsidized equipment in exchange for the vast marketing opportunity that he provides by pedaling his fat ass around Central Park at 6 am and then posting pictures of himself on Facebook.
Maybe if you used your LBS more they wouldn’t soak you. I was a regular at NYC Velo before I was on any team and they gave me a discount anyway. Why? Because I wasn’t some self-important Cat 4 racer who wants his ass washed by his LBS like Maxine Bottle. Did you ever think what it costs him to keep inventory like that. That and they charged you d-bag tax obviously.
Yah, Cadence didn’t charge a D-Bag tax and look what happened to them.
normal people have no business riding a bike
was nothing but one giant d-bag tax
“It’s immoral to let a sucker keep his money.”
You want to pay the rip off tax, go right ahead. NYC Velo is your place.
Happy to pay normal rates. Not happy to pay more than retail.
running an nyc retail business with high rent, payroll, utilities, expensive inventory, low profit margin and winey customers is a lot harder than than a cat 1 upgrade.
seriously, as if yall aren’t bad enough, then they have to deal with the whole NYCC recumbent set
When in Rockland, support Nyack Bicycle Outfitters across the way from the Runciple Spoon.
Same owner/one man show for 30+ years and and extremely nice and fair.
Would be great if Mark Purdy could open up his own shop since he has such a loyal following. The internet can’t fix your bike and he is arguably the best mechanic in the city.
Maxime, you’re the worst. I shart on your entitlement.
Mark Purdy should run for mayor. He’d lose, but I’d still consider voting for him.
i don’t want to pay the rip-off tax … hence why i ask what something costs before i buy it. what better way to segment customers than to charge people more if they are price-oblivious?
Id love to see what would become of this town if every citizen argued every stupid part item. What would your plumber say if you screamed that he was asking above MSRP? Hed tell you to go blow. Bottom line: If you dont do the work yourself, you have to PAY for it. No shop would survive just sitting around waiting for DB riders to show up that wont pay more than $10 profit on some obscure part that the shop has to spend time ordering and then installing when they could be doing something that generates an actual return for their investment. You are LUCKY they even serve you. You dont make them real money, and being a dick in the process doesnt help you either.
“you are LUCKY they even serve you?”
I agreed with everything else you said, but that’s moronic. they need you a lot more than you need them
seems like bike shops have so much disdain for their customers–what’s the point of even opening one if you can’t be tolerant of ignorance (rec riders), entitlement (racers), or people wanting a bargain (everybody)? this is new york city.
no one opens a bike shop unaware of the nature of the biz.
I was looking to spend a good deal of money several yrs ago on my first really nice road bike, after having done enough races I knew I was sticking with it, etc, and it was amazing the number of stores that would simply say “we can’t help you” based on my height alone. not even try. fuck em.
how tall are you?
“no one opens a bike shop unaware of the nature of the biz.”
Uh… Cadence? They had good customer service and nice people, but might have stayed in business (at least a little longer) had they stocked the place with more accessible items… like less expensive gear, bikes, variety, etc… A lot of people hang a shingle without having anything other than a dream. Proper planning trumps all, even a recession. Just look at SBR. Shitty customer service but the location is convenient to CP and they carry brands that are accessible to most.
Are you a midget? Did they at least offer you a BMX bike with drop bars? I would pay good money to see a midget race in CP… that would be awesome. Who’s with me?
I know, not that weird…you would think maybe a store or two would stock some thing in the 60-63 range….or at least offer to talk to you about what you might want and order for you. I think I could have put 3 grand on the counter and said “this is yours if you just spend 10 minutes, tell me what I should buy and order it for me, and tell me to come back in 10 days to pick it up” and they would have said no.
was the opposite, had several of my size in stock and made it clear that they would order whatever. people can talk shit about felix all they want, but there is a reason they won’t go under while others will.
trust me, they’ll never stock those sizes. btw, can i draft you?
They carry those freak bikes here:
http://www.funclownentertainment.com/
Cat 4s unite… unless our team shops give us better deals we’re not posting anymore pictures of ourselves in kit on Facebook.
ha! sure.
i know, why is that though?
“You are LUCKY they even serve you.” = “No, you’re not breaking up with me, because I’m breaking up with you.”
……by far the worst bike shop in NYC…..maybe the country….just maybe
that any of you will talk shit about nyc velo…won’t cj stop talking to you?
This recession is so bad a priest, a rabbi and minister walked into a bike shop and nothing happened.
it’s sorpriced.
Bent Overmi…. Dick Isinya…. sandbaggers
Think of bike shops like any other retail establishment. How many times have you gone out to dinner at a local restaurant only to, more often than not, be disappointed. It’s the good ones that keep a customer coming back for more–right?!
With that said, I’d like to plug Piermont. Glenn (note, two Ns) is a great guy. He has always been more than knowledgeable, professional and courteous. Just remember to steer clear of Steve, his partner and step dad, since he’s pretty much clueless.
In any case, their eBay program is fantastic. I have sold over $7k dollars in used gear and household stuff in the past few years. In addition, if Glenn doesn’t have something in stock he’s more than happy to order it from one of his many distributors. He has an online catalog feed from QBP, and he’ll often match online retailer prices too.
The mechanics there are ok, I have seen better, but the quick service is very appreciated. It’s not easy to just walk into a city shop and consistently have them drop what they are doing to throw your bike in the stand. I’d just keep any of the really important or challenging jobs set aside for Sids, Conrad’s or Imbert at Master Bike. (Actually, I do all of my own work since I’ve wrenched in shops for over 10 years.)
Anyway, that’s my .02 cents.
Peace….
So you guys have anything to add? Can you go away and post your non sense on some other tri site? and perhaps write an apology to Piermont for taking teh whole trash talk public?
pretty simple really, plenty of stores are going to rip you off and sure you can get it cheaper on the internet, they do not have the same overheads.
Your choice at the end of the day,if the store screws you over, you don’t go back and they lose out in the long run.
If they screw someone for 10 percent extra on a wheel for example and you leave them they probably just cost themselves a fortune in the long run, how much more stuff would you have bought in the future, being a racer probably alot.
So you go bad mouthing that store to everyone you know telling them not to go there,etc, etc so that just cost them a load more customers and so it goes on.
I think the hardest thing is finding a good mechanic, not easy as alot of stores have complete cowboys working in them, better to pay a little more and get it installed properly by a good mechanic.
However in nyc we are very lucky and at least we have a choice of plenty of bike shops to go to, and have an amazing racing scene as well, not many areas have big name bike sponsors for cat 4 teams etc.
And if a cat 5 wants to go spend thousands on wheels etc, so bloody what, there money, let them, is it really hurting you ? helps put more money into the bicycle industry.
bike tv on public access ch 57/Time Warner now- 10pm- 11pm
Jose Medina was the wrench behind Mark Purdy at Cadence. They were a great team. Anyone know where he is working now?
Hilary was the wench behind Bill Clinton. Anybody know where she is working now?
I’ve seen Jose Medina working at Champion Bikes on W. 104th lately.
Good Luck to all racing Bear this Sunday!
next weekend
The other day I had a problem with my bike, i went to SBR,NY=Velo and couple of friends that are mechanics, only one shop knew what happenned to my bike.I went to Innovation bike shop.
Obviously some folks have no idea what it costs to run a business. Rents in NYC are very high, so a bike shop can’t discount too much and still stay in business. Sometimes if the shop is at a prime location they have to charge more than MSRP. In any case, there is no excuse for poor service.
I’ve never heard anyone say that R&A provided good service. Never, ever. What people will say is that when they needed a part for their bike and they went to R&A, more likely than not R&A had it in stock in the size and color they wanted. R&A has tremendous stock. That’t the only positive thing to say about R&A.
Piermont bike is expensive, but hey are friendly and courteous. As others have said, Glenn is always good to work with. You pay more, but you generally get good value for your money.
Here in NYC you don’t always get consistent service at many bike shops. The reason is that some shops have alot of employee turn over.
I dont know if there is more than one Jose Medina, but the Jose Medina from Cadence now works full time at Sid’s 19th St. location in Chelsea.