Shops of fame, shops of shame
The results of our bike shop survey are now in!
Australia's cycling women know what they want in a bike shop - and what they don't.
There were 400 respondents in our Shops of Fame, Shops of Shame survey! The results give a clear picture of the present-day bike shop experience for women.
Right: The Women 4 Cycling area at Gran Prix Bicycles, South Caufield
Shops of fame
"I visit my bike shop at least once a week and often several times a week. About the only thing that would get me there more often is if I worked there!"
"Attention to detail in repairs" is the most important service a bike shop could offer, according to 85% of respondents. "Good guarantees and backup service", and "careful set-up advice and custom fitting" are also highly valued. The chart below shows the top five most important factors in attracting customers to a bike shop:
“I am sick of having to wear men's big and bulky tops in lurid colours, or skimpy and impractical clothes that leave nothing to the imagination."
An overwhelming 70% of women also stated that they wanted bike shops that cater more specifically to women. Judging from the results of the survey, there is a huge gap in the market for products for women, in particular for women's clothing in a range of styles and sizes.
Women also want more women's specific cycling activities, such as bike maintenance workshops and bike rides.
Shop staff
“I don't like it when the assistants make a judgement on the type of rider you are. Because you may be a middle aged female they often think you ride a Malvern Star with a basket on the front, and you may be looking for a set of streamers to hang off the bars!"
Good staffing is also an issue. Half of respondents weren't fussed about whether they were served by a male or female as long as the staff were welcoming, knowledgeable and great listeners.
'Staff that don't talk down to you" was voted the best trait bike shop staff can have (87%), followed closely by an ability to "listen and find out what your needs are".The following chart shows the most desirable qualities in bike shop staff:
Shops of Shame
Over half of our respondents have had nightmare bike shop experiences - the kind that makes you seethe with anger and vow never to return. And it seems like a lot of the shops commit the same errors time and time again, with shonky repairs and bad service being at the top of the Shops of Shame hitlist.
“The staffer talked down to me and ignored my input when shopping for a new bike. Each question I asked resulted in the staffer giving a deep sigh that indicated to me I was deemed to be an idiot."
Also raising ire in female cyclists are instances of being ignored or patronised. Staff who make assumptions about a customer's knowledge are a complete turn-off, as are those who think that a woman wants little more from a bike than a pretty colour.
“When asking technical questions about how things work, I usually have to prise information out of them with a verbal crowbar. It would just be nice if it wasn't such hard work."
Interestingly, when women encounter a shop of shame, they vote with their feet: after a bad bike shop experience, 67% of women said "they didn't complain but never went back".
By popular choice...
Happily, over 75% of women have had a great bike shop experience.
We compiled the stand-out bike shop favourites into a top ten list. You can view the list here!