Road Cycling - About to buy my bike...

I've pretty much chosen the bike I want and have 3 LBS that I can get it from. They are all very nice. Shop A is the most attentive, good follow up and really checks things out for you but is 16 miles away (we have no car), Shop B is also attentive (but not as much as A) and offers lifetime service, 3 miles away. Shop C seems to have had the brand of bike I want the longest. Is attentive also about 3 miles away. Does it even matter who I go with?

On a related note is it fair to say that if one bike shop offers a certain price, that the other should be able to do so as well ? Would it be rude to ask?

Lastly please tell me if this scenario is odd. Standard bike set up with campy chorus and Campy euros wheels "discounted" (but not closeout or anything like that) $4000 quote but suddenly not available, I've been requesting that they build the bike, same carbon frame with ultegra and Mavic Elite , bike cost - $3900. Is the price between the ultegra and campy that small or am I missing something?

Oh one last thing is it true that a lot of european bike makers don't come up with 2005 models around this time fo the year (unlike Trek, Cannondale, and specialized who have been coming out with 05 models this last month).

Any thoughts?

I've pretty much chosen the bike I want and have 3 LBS that I can get it from. They are all very nice. Shop A is the most attentive, good follow up and really checks things out for you but is 16 miles away (we have no car), Shop B is also attentive (but not as much as A) and offers lifetime service, 3 miles away. Shop C seems to have had the brand of bike I want the longest. Is attentive also about 3 miles away. Does it even matter who I go with?

On a related note is it fair to say that if one bike shop offers a certain price, that the other should be able to do so as well ? Would it be rude to ask?

Lastly please tell me if this scenario is odd. Standard bike set up with campy chorus and Campy euros wheels "discounted" (but not closeout or anything like that) $4000 quote but suddenly not available, I've been requesting that they build the bike, same carbon frame with ultegra and Mavic Elite , bike cost - $3900. Is the price between the ultegra and campy that small or am I missing something?

Oh one last thing is it true that a lot of european bike makers don't come up with 2005 models around this time fo the year (unlike Trek, Cannondale, and specialized who have been coming out with 05 models this last month).

Right now, Shimano is hard to get for a bike shop...easier to get full record campy on demand than Shimano Ultegra...and one thing I would be careful about...if you shop well, you can get a 2004 model with all the candy you'd ever want for at least 500-750 less than a 2005 with less candy...

Oh yeah, and don't ask an LBS to price match...IMHO, you won't miss the $100 and the service you recieve from allowing them to have a bottom line will be priceless

"Right now, Shimano is hard to get for a bike shop...easier to get full record campy on demand than Shimano Ultegra..."
That's the weird hing, LBS said that the Orbea (the bike I want) people themselves didn't have their complete bikes (which came with with campy chorus parts) and was pushing shimano ultegra instead. One reason mey be that he may have given me too low a quote ($500 less than retail) for the bike I wanted and was pushing another set up to make up or everyhing could be on the level.

"and one thing I would be careful about...if you shop well, you can get a 2004 model with all the candy you'd ever want for at least 500-750 less than a 2005 with less candy..."

This goes back to my question on "Do some Euro brands not have 2005 models coming out soon?" I thought that with interbike in October, pretty much all brands would be showing of the 2005 models and that would mean model/price changes. I was told this would not be the case for Orbea. They will have a lower price range carbon bike but the Orca would not change. No new colors even so either my waiiting is pointless or this is a salesman trick (I'm more inclined on the former)

"Oh yeah, and don't ask an LBS to price match...IMHO, you won't miss the $100 and the service you recieve from allowing them to have a bottom line will be priceless"

Thought so. Just weid though that with every other thing you will most likely buy/own (cars, houses etc) you will try and haggle. Bikes can seem to almost have a take it or leave it attitude.

Anyway thanks for your answers and I hope to be done with this soon.

I've pretty much chosen the bike I want and have 3 LBS that I can get it from. They are all very nice. Shop A is the most attentive, good follow up and really checks things out for you but is 16 miles away (we have no car), Shop B is also attentive (but not as much as A) and offers lifetime service, 3 miles away. Shop C seems to have had the brand of bike I want the longest. Is attentive also about 3 miles away. Does it even matter who I go with?

Go with your gut instinct on this. It a personal relationship that can't be measured mathematically.



On a related note is it fair to say that if one bike shop offers a certain price, that the other should be able to do so as well ? Would it be rude to ask?

I don't think it's rude to ask. In fact, it's smart business. If they say no, then give them a chance to explain their POV. If they get defensive, that says something right there. Just don't argue with them why they should if they don't already - I'm sure they've given it a lot of thought.



Lastly please tell me if this scenario is odd. Standard bike set up with campy chorus and Campy euros wheels "discounted" (but not closeout or anything like that) $4000 quote but suddenly not available, I've been requesting that they build the bike, same carbon frame with ultegra and Mavic Elite , bike cost - $3900. Is the price between the ultegra and campy that small or am I missing something?


This sounds like a bait and switch or an honest mistake that won't be admitted. Campy Chorus and Euros wheels are more expensive than the Shimano and K-Elite combination. Could it have been that that price was for a floor model that got sold? Either way, I'd feel better about the relationship if they explained this better.

55/Rad

"Could it have been that that price was for a floor model that got sold?"

The official explanaion was that Orbea doesn't have complete bikes (the campy stuff) in stock. They only had the frames.