johnkoz

I don't get all the hate on Avids either. I've had three sets of Avid Elixirs, and they've all worked great. Easy to bleed and good feel. I only bleed them once a year too.

Bring back Tech Tuesdays! Still lots of repairs to cover.

I can barely get a handle on this stroke of genius.

Start with small gaps and build confidence from there. Gaps used to freak me out too, until I found some small ones to start on. I've also found that you can usually case your back wheel on a small gap with minimal consequences, especially with rear sus. This helped my confidence too.

Kind of. On one hand, it's their decision not to wear a helmet and they're the only ones who are going to get really hurt. But, on the other hand, their decision not to wear a helmet could affect lots of people in their lives, as well as paramedics, doctors, etc...

Similar experience. Learn to do the repairs yourself, invest in the tools, it will pay off handsomely in the long run.

LBS are becoming a charity case. If they can't compete, they don't deserve our business. I'm not going to pay extravagant prices and put up with dorks at my LBS just because "they're local and I should support them". They need to step up their game. Offer me outstanding service!

I encourage people to learn about bike mechanics. Last year I dropped my expensive bike off to my LBS for repairs, and as I watched some 17-year old stoner working on it, I realized, "if that guy can do it, how hard can it be?" So, I started investing in bike tools, and with the help of youtube and Pinkbike Tech Tuesdays, I've learned to do most repairs myself. Bikes are remarkably simple! My point? Invest $500-800 in tools, learn how to do the repairs yourself, and buy your components online. I will support my LBS if they provide good service, but truthfully, a good LBS is a rare species in Prince George BC.