Mister Lost (Online shop option)

Some of you that shop on Pinkbike May have ran across listings from the Mister Lost bike shop. The actual brick & mortar business is in Bellingham, Washington. He, Mike the owner, started out in a box van that hung out at trailheads and just graduated into a full blown shop in 2017 as far as I know.

Anyway and most importantly, Mike doesn’t charge MSRP on anything I’ve ever ordered, doesn’t charge tax (automatic 7.5% savings) and offers free shipping. I’ve essentially built up a couple bikes buying parts from him as he offers 10-15% off MSRP on Fox, Sram and Race Face.

He’s not running a monster conglomerate shop so he occasionally has to order the parts (like when I wanted Orange RF cranks in 170mm length) but he had the best price in the country and wasn’t in a hurry so I could wait the whopping 5 days.

 

I haven't, but I'll check him out... Nothing better than a "little guy making it" referral.

 

Pro tip: If you need a part you can always go in to your LBS, show them the part and ask "Can you match this?". Maybe they can, maybe they can't. I know mine will if they can. If they can't, they just tell you to order it from that site. They actually appreciate the opportunity to try more than finding it an insult that you asked. If the part is stupid cheap (like when Jensons buyings left over stock of parts dirt cheap below wholesale), and they can't match it, they just say "Nope, that price is too good, just order that." I've witnessed it.

Though you will find that some manufacturers have strong price controls, so they can often match that stuff. Shimano stuff on the other hand will often times dump parts on to the market for less than or equal to wholesale prices, undercutting the LBS. So it isn't that the LBS is trying to rip you off on that new XT derailleur, but that literally Shimano charged the LBS more than the online site.

 

I understand the argument and I know you have a good relationship with a shop out your way. I'm the same way with the guy that does all my suspension & repair work (who works solo so no "shop" per se). The closest *real* and worthy shop to me is 20 miles away and even if they'll match the price (they will if ordered online but not in person for some odd reason), they can't eat the tax and I still have to go get it which is $10 in gas in my truck. It's almost not even worth my time because online ordering so easy nowadays and places like Jenson deliver the next day.

 

Your boy is doing videos too!

 

^^^^man-bun for the win