Buying Local

This past week, I've learned my lesson the hard way about the importance of buying locally.

After completing my first sprint triathlon in 2010, I was hooked but in need of a better bike. Pitting a Trek hybrid against road or tri bikes is like racing a Geo Metro against a Camaro.

Four months before I knew Storm Lake existed, I found myself on a trainer at a major cycling retailer in Minneapolis, being sized for my first quality road bike, a sharp hot pink and white Raleigh Capri 2.0.

The employees at the mega chain seemed knowledgeable during the process: suggesting bikes that would fit my needs best, ensuring a quality fit and explaining the bike's nuances, such as gearing and filling tires using an adaptor.

From the moment I began riding my new bike, it developed an attitude, shifting temperamentally, but I figured that was to be expected since it was a mid-priced model.

Its quirks quickly turned evil this summer---one shifter completely jammed, while the other shifted stubbornly and incorrectly, often causing me to cycle through several gears until the drivetrain's clicking ceased.

Normally when my bike has problems, I have my personal bike repairman, aka father-in-law, take a closer look, but he was stumped by the malfunctions.

After misperformance during a race this past weekend, it was clear the poor bike needed some professional care. After a quick check by a trained eye at Lakeshore Cyclery, I received some troubling news. I had been duped by what I thought was an experienced bike store---sloppy workmanship during the assembly process was causing problems that a one-year old bike shouldn't be having.

After sending a tersely-worded e-mail to customer service, I had several conversations with a regional manager, who attempted to shift the blame onto the factory assembly process and directed me to take the bike to a Raleigh dealer.The closest one is a five-hour round trip from Storm Lake - it would take two trips because they are busy in summer. When asked about paying a portion of my three-figure repair bill, the regional manager refused, basically saying it was not his problem store employees were sloppy.

The whole experience has been very frustrating, and has left me with a sour taste in my mouth as I pay the price for someone else's laziness.

There's a reason why Lakeshore Cyclery received Top 100 Bicycle Retailer of 2011: outstanding customer service and selection. Major cycling chains may allure customers with promises of free maintenance and rock-bottom prices, but will hustle you straight out the door, eager to make a buck on the next unsuspecting buyer.

Choose local when making major purchases and you'll most likely receive customized, personalized service before and after the sale, and for years to come.