swoooper

Recently I ordered a new bike at a local shop. It was assembled and given to me for a test ride.
The stem was tightened enough to get out the door and I rode down the street. Then the bars turned about thirty degrees away from center. I stopped, easily turned them back straight, and walked back to the shop. The mechanic/sales guy explained he'd used the wrong wrench like "no big deal."
So I'm okay with mistakes, we all make them. This was a safety issue, though. I did bicycle mechanics for a decade so I know how to simply twist the handlebars to check for tightness before the test ride we gave each bike we worked on. So it seemed to me that this guy didn't check his work and maybe didn't test ride.
There are other bike shops in town.
Would you go elsewhere or continue using this shop?
Was my assumption that my new bicycle was properly assembled wrong?
Thanks for any opinions.

Marcus_Ti

LOL...wrong wrench. Try wrong torque value.

fietsbob

@ my LBS everything is around the Block tested before the sale tag is put on it ..

to catch those Detail Lapses Ourselves. and shop Mgr does double checks ..

AnkleWork

Search "law of small numbers (fallacy)."
Any response you might consider is just as likely valid as invalid.

Raiden

Like you said, you've built bikes before, you have the instincts and knowledge to know what happened/didn't happen regarding the build of that bike.

I've seen even great, experienced mechanics make absent-minded mistakes, so I wouldn't damn the shop forever, but it's certainly a strike against. If I still planned on buying a bike there, my approach would be to politely ask for/talk to management. Let them know what happened last time, that you like their product/service/whatever it is that you still like about their shop, but you would like each bike you try to be double-checked on the stand, and test ridden before you test ride. It's a completely fair request, considering their current safety protocol isn't working (it's really what the protocol should be anyway).

Have you shopped at the other shops? You may as well drop in to them and see if you like their vibe, too.

Andrew R Stewart 

I feel that the greater flaw was the mechanic's seemingly flippant excuse. If he really did use the wrong wrench then he should have know/felt that at the time of tightening, if he didn't feel/discover that then he's not paying attention. He also should have made a larger effort to apologize then done a second bike check before offering a second test session. Agreed that we're all human. We all make mistakes. It's how we handle them that separates the good from the worse. Andy.

Homebrew01

+1

What will be the next b.s. story they come up with ?

TallTravel

I'm not convinced they actually ride the bikes, despite what they say. My mechanic told me once, when he was being honest for some reason, that he can't ride my bike to test it because it's so big.

For what it's worth.

krobinson103

I build a lot of bikes for myself and at times have helped out at the LBS down the road when they are busy. Every bike I work gets a test ride to ensure that everything is the way it should be. If you can't make the time to double to check your work then in my opinion you are doing it wrong.

Grand Bois

It's hard to believe that the original post was written by someone with ten years of bicycle mechanics experience.

Andrew R Stewart 

I didn't want to go there, but... Andy.

HillRider

I agree that the real error was the indifferent, dismissive attitude of the "mechanic" after the mistake was pointed out. He apparently didn't realize the potential liability if his negligence had caused an accident. The OP was able to handle the problem and get back to the shop. An inexperienced rider may have panicked and crashed he and the shop would have been in a world of financial trouble.

Bandrada

Use good judgement.

Bashing on an LBS that none of us are familiar with is unfair.

woodcraft

I see the LBS mech test riding bikes frequently.

It's not easy to ride a kid's 12" bike.

fietsbob

So is swoooper always Perfect in their own life ?

the stone throwers living in glass houses comes to Mind. the selling shop rectifying it would be sufficient to my Mind




I take test rides of my assemblies, in the shop apron, with a couple tools handy in the pockets.

Dave Cutter

I once posted a complaint about a LBS worker that reeked of pot... and appeared high IMHO. I got a lot of grief from other forum members. I feel the same about drinking/drunken people working with/on my bicycle. I am NOT saying that was the case at the LBS you use (or any other shops I haven't visited). But the acceptance of the use of intoxicants won't likely elevate the quality assurance practices in any business that doesn't use employee drug testing.

I think this might be the direction of the new-normal.

HillRider

You missed the point completely. It's not that we expect perfection but we do expect that mistakes, particularly serious ones, are admitted to and corrected. Not passed off as trivial. The stone throwers should at least apologize for breaking the window.

fietsbob

Whatever ...


I wasnt there and Hearsay remains inadmissible in Court.

HillRider

Well, no one has filed suit......yet.

Grand Bois

I do some of my best work while high, but I only work on my own bikes.

Dave Cutter

Sounds normal to me.