General Cycling Discussion - Bike shop sold me Allez with the "wrong" seat and other issues.

I bought a speciallized allez sport C2 in white. The bike came with the black saddle found on the lower end models (for lack of better term). Should I go back and ask them for an exchange?

Also, after some ridding, the shifters that for the front derileiur doesnt seem to change gears all the time and ticks very loud. These are Shimano 105.

Lastly, I fipped the bike on its back so inspect it and I noticed both the front and rear wheel are not 100% true....

The white handle foam needed a little bit of cleaning, from being tried out I guess..

I know these are little things but gosh I am really starting to dislike the shop I bought it from.... I fee like the took advantage of a new comer, what should I do?

I'd watch the beginning of the film: National Lampoon's Vacation where Chevy Chase goes to pick up the new car of his dreams...

Then I'd return the bike - demanding your money back/credit-card credited. I wouldn't want these guys standing behind their warranty. Ha!!

I bought a speciallized allez sport C2 in white. The bike came with the black saddle found on the lower end models (for lack of better term). Should I go back and ask them for an exchange?

If the saddle fits your butt - keep it and stop obsessing about whether it's a high-end or low-end model. Your sit bones couldn't care less about bling value.


Also, after some riding, the shifters that for the front derileiur doesnt seem to change gears all the time and ticks very loud.

Shifting a bike isn't like flipping a light switch, sometimes you need to overshift a little bit to get the new gear to engage correctly.
Concerned about the shifter clicking? That's a new one. Basically all shifters that aren't friction shifters will have a click to them. You're going from one predefined position to another, and the way to do that mechanically is to have something engages and disengages at set intervals.

There might still be something odd with your shifter, but I'd start with shifting technique.


Lastly, I fipped the bike on its back so inspect it and I noticed both the front and rear wheel are not 100% true....

A wheel doesn't have to be 100% true, whatever you mean with that. You're riding on a surface that's less than perfect anyhow. I like to keep mine within +/- 1 mm, but it has to be quite a bit more before it actually starts to affect riding and/or braking.

Or maybe you were looking at the tire? They too can squirm around a bit. If it's bad you deflate, jiggle it around and inflate again. If it's remains annoying, make a note of the model and get another one next time.


...The white handle foam needed a little bit of cleaning, from being tried out I guess..

So you've got a bike that looks like it's being ridden, what's the problem?


..I am really starting to dislike the shop I bought it from....

Why? Was the bike overpriced? Have they refused to help you with a valid request? Have they treated you badly?


... I feel like they took advantage of a new comer, what should I do?
Well, a bike that's been sitting on the shop floor for some time may get a bit shop worn, particularly if it's seen a lot of test rides. A really attentive salesman in a good shop will spot this and throw in something like a saddle bag, a pair of spare tubes or whatever to sweeten the deal. Or maybe the bike is already priced accordingly in which case you're on your own.

Otherwise you have two options:
1) do nothing, and let your irritation fester
2) talk to the shop, in a nice way. Tell them you couldn't help noticing your bike has another saddle than in the brochures, ask if you're shifting right.
Don't bother about about the grips, by now there's no way of differentiating between the muck that you've put on the bike and the muck it had accumulated before you bought it.
For the wheels it really depends on how much out of true they are. If the rims flop the thickness of a credit card to either side, don't worry about it.
If it's more - tell them. If you bought the bike new you often get a free tune-up, so (if needed) you should be able to get the wheels sorted then.

We didn't sell you this bike, you know that right. Bring your concerns up to them. If you still don't like them find another shop and return your current bike.

Who, in their right mind, buys a bike with WHITE handlebar tape anyway?

Who, in their right mind, buys a bike with WHITE handlebar tape anyway?

Hey, I did! That said, I knew it wouldn't last :)

As to the OP, it's quite possible that it came from the factory that way. I bought one that had mismatched rims. Take it back to the LBS and ask. Mine was made good with no issue. Don't know how the LBS is until you ask. Stuff happens.

-R

Take it back to the LBS and ask. Mine was made good with no issue. Don't know how the LBS is until you ask. Stuff happens.

-R

Take it from one who often times gets on the super defensive/offensive before getting into ask the shop (car, bike, etc.). It doesn't hurt to ask but as mentioned above these aren't really deal breaker things for most people and in most cases it'd have been pertinent to bring it up before you bought the bike.

I have white handlebar tape. I've only put about 40 miles on my bike since I changed the tape to white and it already shows signs of use. Even if you got it when it was pristine and new, it'd show signs of use right away.

And as mentioned above, if the saddle is comfortable, keep it. Lots of people go through many saddles before they find one that fits them well. I know I've gone through at least three, and the one that fit me was not the one that came stock on the bike, and in fact wasn't even a "high end" saddle. Sometimes that's how it plays out.

EDIT: Summary - it doesn't hurt to ask but don't go in upset and ready to explode. I can pretty much guarantee that won't get anything done.

If the shifter doesn't click, then it will NOT work. Take the bike back and take up another sport and leave us alone.

Tell them to change the saddle, get your free tune-up (two words 4 u cable+stretch) and for god sakes dont mention the dirty white bar tape, here or there, again.

thanks for the encouragement haha

If the shifter doesn't click, then it will NOT work. Take the bike back and take up another sport and leave us alone.

nice.. =)


Tell them to change the saddle, get your free tune-up (two words 4 u cable+stretch) and for god sakes dont mention the dirty white bar tape, here or there, again.

I know i am turning into a fred.. I am going to change the white tape to back. My concern was that maybe I bought a bike that was used and returned and maybe dropped and what not.


Hey, I did! That said, I knew it wouldn't last :)

As to the OP, it's quite possible that it came from the factory that way. I bought one that had mismatched rims. Take it back to the LBS and ask. Mine was made good with no issue. Don't know how the LBS is until you ask. Stuff happens.

The lbs was pretty nice about a previous issue, on of the shimano 105 brakes lever covers was badly scratched and they replaced it, however the is the lever that is giving me a hard time shifting.

-R


Who, in their right mind, buys a bike with WHITE handlebar tape anyway?

I know, I was thinking the same... or a white saddle. It only looks nice when its clean.

Who, in their right mind, buys a bike with WHITE handlebar tape anyway?

Me :D

my bike has a white saddle AND white tape :D

My bike came with black bar tape. It got switched to white tape IMMEDIATELY! I only run white tape, sorry. When it gets dirty, I rewrap it with new tape. Probably do this about once a month or so.

my bike has a white saddle AND white tape :D

I'm a simple guy; my two main road bikes, one is all black with a black seat and black tape, the other is all white with a white seat and white tape:D

The saddle issue might not be a big deal, but the bike shop should address it. Ask them why the saddle they sold you isn't the one specified on Specialized's website. Maybe there's some variation between saddles on the same model and this is normal (?) Maybe the bike tipped over and the saddle got scuffed so they swapped it out. Maybe one of the guys in the shop wanted the original saddle so he swapped it, thinking the customer wouldn't notice or care.

I don't know what your shifting issue is, but cables stretch, especially when they're new. If you don't know how to adjust your shifters yourself, take the bike back to where you bought it. They should be willing to sped a few minutes getting things adjusted properly if they sold you the bike.

The wheel true is a similar issue. If I spend a bunch of money on a bike, I want the wheels perfectly true. The bike shop should be willing to do this. It doesn't take long and doesn't cost them anything except time. Wheels can go out of true after awhile when they're new. When I had a guy build a wheel for me, he got it as true as possible, told me to ride if for a few weeks, then bring it back and he'd true it again. I did, and after he trued and tensioned it the second time it stayed true for a year.

If your bike shop is willing to adjust your shifters and true your wheels with a smile and a cooperative attitude, great. If not, find another shop. Tell them about the saddle and see what they way.

When it comes to saddles, I've spent a lot of time and money trying to find a saddle that's comfortable for me. The odds of getting it right the first time with the original-spec saddle would be much less than 50-50. That's me anyway. But still, I'd want to at least try the original-spec saddle. After all, if the bike manufacturer specified it, I'd at least like to give it a try.

I'm sure your LBS will deal with most, if not all of your issues. Most likely, your bike needs a tune-up, which most shops offer free for new bikes after the break-in period. If you ask them about the saddle, they'll probably swap it out, and I bet they'll give you whatever color tape you want to make you happy. Oh, and they'll true your wheels too. I know I'd do all of the above, no problem.

Hey, y'all, leave the OP alone... I work @ Wallyworld, had a customer the other day that came back to get a new set of the PLASTIC PLUGS THAT COVER THE PEDAL BUSHINGS (NOT BEARINGS, BUT BUSHINGS)!!!!! It never ceases to amaze me that people get so anal over a $100 bike. Sorry, but it's liable to be scratched a little out of the box, the wheels won't always hold a truing, and the parts are sh**; what do you expect? Lance's bike? OOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhh-kkaaaaaaaayyyyyyy.........

Ha. Like my white t-shirts, I never use my white tape more than once, or over 100 miles, whichever is first. I re-tape after every ride and if I plan a century plus, a fresh set of tape will be in my pocket. Anything less is unacceptable.

Hey, y'all, leave the OP alone... I work @ Wallyworld, had a customer the other day that came back to get a new set of the PLASTIC PLUGS THAT COVER THE PEDAL BUSHINGS (NOT BEARINGS, BUT BUSHINGS)!!!!! It never ceases to amaze me that people get so anal over a $100 bike. Sorry, but it's liable to be scratched a little out of the box, the wheels won't always hold a truing, and the parts are sh**; what do you expect? Lance's bike? OOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhh-kkaaaaaaaayyyyyyy.........


IF I AM PAYING FOR IT ! specially 1500.00 or let alone 1$ I want the sh_t to be perfect. Otherwise, get out of business... GTFU (grow the **** up) ;)

Ha. Like my white t-shirts, I never use my white tape more than once, or over 100 miles, whichever is first. I re-tape after every ride and if I plan a century plus, a fresh set of tape will be in my pocket. Anything less is unacceptable.

....that's nothing, on my whitebartape bike I tow a trailer with a large box full of new whitebartape and re-tape the bars at every red light.

Limit your coffee and take your Xanax.

....that's nothing, on my whitebartape bike I tow a trailer with a large box full of new whitebartape and re-tape the bars at every red light.

You need a system where the old tape is continuously sliding off the bars and fresh tape is continuously sliding on, like those weird (and nasty!) loop hand towels you find at gas stations sometimes.

Seriously, you guys DO know you can clean white bar tape, right? Try a hand cleaner like GOOP.

To the OP, a new bike will probably need a tune up after the cables, etc bed in. I would expect the bike shop to give it a light tune up for free a month or so after you bought it.

....that's nothing, on my whitebartape bike I tow a trailer with a large box full of new whitebartape and re-tape the bars at every red light.

I was thinking of stopping at every LBS I pass and trading in my bicycle for a new one. Nothing like that Ultimate™ new bike smell.

Bent your cellphone-bracket? Time for a new bike! :D

j/k - You should get the bike you paid for - not the one someone clipped parts from and substituted.

IF I AM PAYING FOR IT ! specially 1500.00 or let alone 1$ I want the sh_t to be perfect. Otherwise, get out of business... GTFU (grow the F-k up) ;)

$1...right. Ever hear "you get what you pay for"?

BTW...be willing to wager i have gray hair older than you, so YOU need to GTFU.

$1...right. Ever hear "you get what you pay for"?

BTW...be willing to wager i have gray hair older than you, so YOU need to GTFU.


sorry grandpa ;)

I bought a speciallized allez sport C2 in white. The bike came with the black saddle found on the lower end models (for lack of better term). Should I go back and ask them for an exchange?

Also, after some ridding, the shifters that for the front derileiur doesnt seem to change gears all the time and ticks very loud. These are Shimano 105.

Lastly, I fipped the bike on its back so inspect it and I noticed both the front and rear wheel are not 100% true....

The white handle foam needed a little bit of cleaning, from being tried out I guess..

I know these are little things but gosh I am really starting to dislike the shop I bought it from.... I fee like the took advantage of a new comer, what should I do?

The Saddle - I just looked it up, both the bike you described and the bike below it come with the same saddle, called a "Specialized Comp Road, full padding". Do you know that's it's a lower end saddle, or perhaps it's the same saddle in a different color?

While I would feel you're completely within your rights to go back and ask for the original saddle it's supposed to come with, if you care about the color, if you don't like dirty looking bar tape and it turns out it's the same saddle you'd get only in black I would probably stick with the black one. As someone else said, there's no way you can keep white handlebar tape white, even after you replace it it will quickly get obviously dirty. If you care about color and aesthetics, you could get the handlebar tape replaced with black tape but then if you had a white saddle it wouldn't match - thus might thought that you might stick with the black saddle.

The Shifting - New bikes take 100-200 miles for the shifting cables to stretch out, and even with the absolute top end stuff (like the Dura-ace on my bike) you have to adjust the derailler after the first 100-200 miles. Most bikes shops have a free tune-up after so many days, or free adjustments for so long. You can likely take it back and they'll adjust the settings on the cable and it will shift great again. I was rather irked about this happening on my bike as well, but after some research I found that all bikes do this.

Truing Wheels - if the wheels are ever hitting the brakes pads that's a real problem. And I might consider going back and asking them to true them. However, I've never seen a pair of wheels that stays 100% true, and it's perfectly normal for them to be a tiny bit wobbly.

Handlebar Tape - as I mentioned (and other people have) you can try to clean the handlebar tape, but it's just going to get dirty again from you riding the bike anyways. If it really bothers you, perhaps take the bike back and tell them you didn't realize the handlebar tape would be so icky looking, and ask them if they could give you a discount on buying and installing some black handlebar tape.

Thanks for taking the time to help me by addressing my questions individually.
Well, I have to say that I agree with you on the black seat. Once the white tape get a little worn, I will replace it with black.

I am going to do some research on adjusting the deraileurs as i like to work on my car and im sure i can work on my bicycle.

Well I am happy to also inform everyone that I got some short and a jersey and most important a helmet!

Bring it back.

If you are unhappy about ANYTHING (and do not listen to the trolls), bring you're f'n bike back.

How many hundreds did you pay for something you're not completely satisfied with?

Who cares about the bike dealer, they are in sales. They have a quota.

I thought the same thing, but I happy =)

Bring it back.

If you are unhappy about ANYTHING (and do not listen to the trolls), bring you're f'n bike back.

How many hundreds did you pay for something you're not completely satisfied with?

Who cares about the bike dealer, they are in sales. They have a quota.

No, the question is - "Are you going to be able to find something you'll be happier with elsewhere?". So the other question is "Am I going to bring it back, spend time bringing back and buying one somewhere else, only to have the exact same set of thoughts on another bike?"

I'm not saying that OP's complaints are not thought out - most of us when we started thought the same things, like "Can I just buy high end components and not have to bring it back to have the cables adjusted after 100 miles in order to get it to shift cleanly?".

But to take your reasoning to an extreme (and I think this is a good analogy to the bike as well), unless there's something we're not aware of with the OP's bike, bringing it back would be a bit like buying a car then taking it back because there tires "look worn" and you're shocked, shocked! to find out that this car requires oil changes. You can say you're unhappy and return it, but does it make sense to do that when just about every car on the face of the earth requires oil changes?

Hey, don't think I'm making fun of anyone - I was actually super pissed when I got my first car and found out I had to take it somewhere every 3,000 to 6,000 miles just to get my stupid oil changed! :notamused: :D

Well in my case is plain ignorance. I am new, I don't know what is normal or not. My main concern where the shifter but I have to say that they are working better.

Well in my case is plain ignorance. I am new, I don't know what is normal or not. My main concern where the shifter but I have to say that they are working better.

Glad we could help. :-)

In my opinion, a bike buyer has every opportunity to check everything before they leave the shop. If they are satisfied with the level of components (including saddle) when they leave the shop, they have no basis for a complaining about component selection after they leave.

It isn't like a car where it would take crawling under the car and/or taking it apart to see what the components are... All you have to do is look!!!

The same goes for dirty bar tape or other components, unless they somehow hid it in the shop. ?!?!

With any bicycle, I always assume an implied "or similar" for the parts. For decades, bike manufacturers have always switched to other components during a year's run for various reasons such as supply shortage.

As far as wheel truing and shifting, definitely see if they will cover this as a free tune-up, then learn to do it yourself as quickly as possible.

well it was odd to me that a white bike cake with a black saddle. So i asked the sales guy. He saids yes. When I got home I looked it up and it didnt.

I really want to learn how to adjust the shifters. any DIY on the forums?

For DIY, two good sites are http://www.parktool.com and http://www.sheldonbrown.com

I have also seen links to videos to help with various adjustments and repairs, but I don't know those links by heart.

Good luck on getting your issues resolved.

well it was odd to me that a white bike cake with a black saddle. So i asked the sales guy. He saids yes. When I got home I looked it up and it didnt.

I really want to learn how to adjust the shifters. any DIY on the forums?

Youtube has some stuff.

Fine tuning the rear derailler is relatively simple, though sometimes time consuming. Here's a pic:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/derailer_adj.gif

(Actually, that page - http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html - has a decent description under 3. "Indexing adjustment", and like it says in that section "If a derailer is correctly adjusted when it is installed, this is the only adjustment that should have to be tweaked later on, to accommodate cable stretch, or when cables are replaced.")

You see the part in the pic labeled "adjusting barrel"? You basically just turn that, then try shifting through your gears. If you can still reach the highest gear and the lowest gear, and each shift works smoothly, it's been adjusted to the right spot.

I do think that one point that everyone's missed is that all manufacturers have a statement that "all specifications are subject to change without notice". I know the bike I just bought spec'ed with Avid Shorty 6 Cantis and came with 720 Tektros.

well my components were a big selling point for mine so..

IF I AM PAYING FOR IT ! specially 1500.00 or let alone 1$ I want the sh_t to be perfect. Otherwise, get out of business... GTFU (grow the **** up) ;)

If you're going to complain about white bartape being dirty, best forget about flipping your bike upside down. It takes a lot of concentration just to build a bike with white bartape and get it out onto the floor without smudging something into it, and shops don't charge $5 for a test ride just so they can afford to re-wrap the bars for every new prospective customer. Bar tape is the shortest-lived part of a bike anyway, it won't be with you for long.

And your shifter just needs an adjustment check. Best get used to that.

Whatever you do, don't go back to the shop and start complaining, be friendly. A bad shop is just that, a bad shop, but you won't get any respect from the techs if you're indignant about your bike needing maintenance. Ask them about it, and if something's wrong they'll adjust it.

Above all, if you've had the bike for more than five minutes, do not complain to them about your white bar tape being dirty.