Top Five Reasons Romney Cycles Beats Online Shopping

Manager and parts expert Jacob Buttrum gets to the heart of his customers’ needs before recommending a product.

Most of us shop online, and that’s great for books, dog food, and plenty of other products. But parts and gear for your bike? Not so much. 

Here are the top five advantages shopping in person has over shopping online, according to Romney Cycle manager Jacob Buttrum.

1. The Real Deal

Romney carries both OEM and aftermarket parts that come directly from their manufacturers. Parts and gear bought on eBay and Amazon could easily be fake. Jacob sees it all the time.

“A customer will purchase something like a Mikuni carburetor for an ATV on eBay, and they’ll install it, but it doesn’t work correctly. Then they ask us for a rebuild kit because they think it’s a small problem they can fix. We end up showing them that what they got was a knock-off, a copy made in China. You can’t get a $250 carburetor for $20.”

2. Safety First

It isn’t easy to be sure whether online goods meet essential safety standards. Helmets, for example, can have up to three different certifications (DOT, Snell, and ECE), and unethical sellers can label helmets with fake certificates. Romney only carries gear and equipment that meets certifications and has been proven safe. They care about their customers’ safety and wouldn’t recommend anything they wouldn’t wear (or have their kids wear).

3. Convenience

Online shopping sounds convenient, but have you ever bought something online that’s a bad fit or doesn’t work the way you hoped? 

“To return it, you need to contact customer service, get return or exchange approval, print the shipping label, box it up, and take it to a shipping service,” says Jacob. “Then you wait for days or weeks to get your money back.”

Shopping at Romney Cycles avoids all these annoyances. Face-to-face consultations, he says, where staff asks you all about what, where, and how you ride, mean that “You're going to leave with the right product the first time.” 

Additionally, Romney has speedy delivery of any non-stock parts.

4. Trusted Expertise

Simply put, Romney offers expert recommendations on the best purchase for any budget. 

“We all ride, and we buy the same stuff we sell,” he says. “There’s someone in the dealership that probably owns the same helmet or jacket or pair of gloves you’re looking at and can say, ‘I’ve tried this, and I love it.’

“It also saves you the time of researching 16 articles to try to decide what brake pad you should buy.”

Another plus: Returns are hassle-free, with instant refunds.

5. Saving Money

Romney’s been working with the local community since 1987, and the staff takes great pride in giving customers the best bang for their buck. They’re experts on where to spend and where to save because they know their products inside out. 

“Some manufacturers will try to cut costs by using a quick-wearing brake pad. But we’ll show you an aftermarket pad, like EBC. It’s super-high quality and highly rated, but it saves you money.” 

In the end, where you shop comes down to confidence: confidence that you made the right choice, based on sound advice from knowledgeable, local enthusiasts who want the best for their fellow riders.