? For home wrenches ?

[dustyrider]

Where do you folks get your ancillary parts from, like: ferrules, housing, cable ends, etc, ....? Online? Link? LBS?

I've always just gone to the LBS, but the herd has grown and I could justify having a few builds worth of the smalls. I think I remember something posted along these lines, but my search Kung-fu is no bueno.

[yakstone]

I frequent the LBS here in town, or if I am at the office I swing by Vecchios on the way home.

[christian]

I buy sandwiches for the guys at my LBS. I buy beer for the kid at the other LBS. Small parts are not a problem.

Actually, the one guy will basically let me ride a Venge for a sixer. Sh1t, I wonder if he's underage.

[vav]

LBS. A bunch of times they throw it to me for free. They also remove fork crowns for free. In return: I'll buy tubes, waterbottles, tires sometimes, Gu, SS parts, cable/housing, etc

[rice rocket]

The mechanic at the local Performance Bike hooks me up.

Or you can get a jar of 100s of them online and be set for life.

[Ralph]

http://www.loosescrews.com/

Ribble has a lot of small parts also.

If I lived around Boulder, would just stop by Vecchios like above does.

And....you can find everything on E Bay.....never even have to leave home.

[katematt]

When friends need their bikes worked on I give them a list to head down to the LBS to pick up the parts.

The last time I walked in the owner accused me of stealing his mechanic business.

But yes, I generally head down there for small parts. There not that easy to find online, at least from the big box bike retailers.

[GeekBoy]

I have a great LBS just around the corner, so I usually pick up small stuff from them if I'm in a hurry and need it asap. Mostly I wait for sales to buy bulk items when I can.

[Mike748]

Excel on line or Performance store

[54ny77]

LBS, mainly.

Or, if not pressed for time, these are my main go-to online sources for do-dads:

http://www.jerseycycles.com/index.html
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi
http://www.loosescrews.com/index.cgi
http://torontocycles.com/Selling/Titanium_Bolts.html
http://www.universalcycles.com/
http://fairwheelbikes.com/

[bargainguy]

http://www.niagaracycle.com/

My favorite online purveyor, in Niagara Falls NY.

[gasman]

LBS and they almost always give them to me for free. I bring in the occasional pizza, cookies, coffee and other treats. No beer though as almost none of the guys drink. Weird but true.

[DRZRM]

Buy the jar of ferrules and cable ends when you find them on sale and never have to worry about it again. I keep meaning to get some of those huge rolls of housing, but never get around to it. It seems to me rather than the dozens of trips to the local bike shop to get ferrules over the years, its worth the $20 to get 100 of them.

[jchasse]

My LBS gives me any small stuff that I ask for, but I feel guilty asking for it. Plus I want some odd stuff like pink or gold cable ends etc. that the local shops don't have.

Best source I know of is Amazon actually. You'd be amazed at what you can get if you just search. And free shipping as a Prime member.

[oldpotatoe]

When friends need their bikes worked on I give them a list to head down to the LBS to pick up the parts.

The last time I walked in the owner accused me of stealing his mechanic business.

But yes, I generally head down there for small parts. There not that easy to find online, at least from the big box bike retailers.

He's an idiot.

[Gummee]

He's an idiot.

I can sorta see his point, but at the same time, he gets lots of ancillary sales of fairly high margin items out of the deal. Keep up the kvetching (and if it were me) I'd start sending my buddies to other LBSes.

M

[oldpotatoe]

I can sorta see his point, but at the same time, he gets lots of ancillary sales of fairly high margin items out of the deal. Keep up the kvetching (and if it were me) I'd start sending my buddies to other LBSes.

M

He might think that biz was being stolen but as you have shown, people mention crap like that. He should keep that stuff to himself and try to provide the best wrenching he can at his store.

[dustyrider]

Completely forgot I asked!

I'm no stranger to the karma/LBS ratio, even if I have everything I need I still spread the love, where the love is reciprocated of course.
I guess my thinking was more along the lines of wanting very specific items, like brass ferrules instead of plastic, or the specific color scheme as was mentioned. I've always found it hard to ask for a very specific thing without a very specific compensation being agreed upon ahead of time. And well I'm picky so.... Thanks for the links.

[spaced_ghost]

I think I hear dd74 having an aneurysm

[Gummee]

He might think that biz was being stolen but as you have shown, people mention crap like that. He should keep that stuff to himself and try to provide the best wrenching he can at his store.

That can go either 1 of 2 ways:

1. Tell your buddies to mention that you sent em in EVERY time they're in the store picking up high margin items. They either start getting treated better OR

2. Tell your buddies where the good deals are online.

Which one is a net positive for the LBS? Sometimes there's nothing you can do but smile and say 'thank you' while working in an LBS. :nod

I haven't had an LBS do any wrenching on my bikes since I picked up a HS press a few years ago. I'll go in on occasion and pick up cables and housing, etc when I'm in the middle of a re-do, but even then, I have a buddy with 2 boxes of cables. I can have those for free but he's kinda flaky when it comes to remembering to bring them into town.

M

[stien]

I just have a huge bag of leftover stuff that's accumulated. Miles of housing, ferrules and ends. I don't even remember ever buying it! My suggestion is befriend a local flipper.

Too many bikes through these hands...