So you’ve decided you want to buy a new saddle or a new helmet, but you want to put your hands on it before you purchase. At My Local Bike Shop is a new online search tool that mines the databases of more than 550 shops to tell you who has what in stock.
At My Local Bike Shop is not a sales site – you can’t buy anything – but you can quickly determine which shops nearby have what you’re looking for.
“You don’t have to go visit or even call multiple shops just to determine if they have it,” said Beverly Garrity, general manager of the site.
“Most of us cyclists have something in mind before we go to shop,” Garrity said. “This allows you to find out who has it nearby. We do it within a 50-mile radius.”
For now, that search radius is fixed, but that may be customizable in the future.
Another thing that may change is the current lack of shops’ websites. Currently only the shop name, physical address and telephone number are shown in search results.
At My Local Bike Shop returns results whether you search by a brand, or by a specific product
There are approximately 4,000 bike shops in North American. At My Local Bike Shop just launched this fall, with about 550 shops currently sharing their inventory information with the site. Garrity says 20-25 shops are joining each week.
“My goal would be to have 1,000 stores by the first of year,” she said.
Pricing is not listed for any products on the site.
“People want to see pricing, but that’s not we do,” she said. “The pricing wars become crazy. We simply want to connect people with stores. This isn’t a shopping site. This is a search site.”
At My Local Bike Shop lists some product information, but never prices
