Covalent Jello

way to ruin a thread, jackasses

worst thing was 'if you bring it back we can take a look at it again"
(you already got paid, you said you fixed a problem, you gave back a broken bike, now gfy ill bring it somewhere else)

Yaniel

which kind?

urbanknight

Ah c'mon, you're not seeing the forest for the trees. Sure, "about" is relative and loosely defined, but that's because my point was. The point still remains that you don't adjust cockpit length as a function of percentage of labeled frame size. Of course, if I was fitting a REAL BIKE instead of trying to make a general point, I'd look closely at the actual geometry. I wish I had done so for this point so people wouldn't jump down my throat on something that had nothing to do with what I was trying to say.

But just to make you happy, I edited 2 values in my post and still stand by the rest of the statement. Anything else you see wrong with it?

urbanknight

Sorry, this is a fun conversation for me. Feel free to skip our parts if you don't like them.

PaulRivers

...no, the worst thing in the story was that the bike was out on the floor the next day, with the implication that it was perhaps put out there with the crunched carbon still on it.

Honestly, we could totally swap stories about dumb things bike shop employees have done, and we could swap stories about dumb things *we've* done. Fact is, at some point everyone has probably done something stupid. It's just going to happen. But if a bike shop guy brakes something, THEN they put it out on the floor to sell to someone - that's not just a stupid mistake, that's a really terrible thing to do.

Polar Foil

Gulden Draak!

Nice.

Touchez, Le Fleur. I'll take your point as long as you understand my point wasn't adjusting cockpit length as a function of percentage of frame size--I was merely pointing out that a 6cm change in frame size is a much smaller difference than a 6cm change in stem size.

urbanknight

OK, I'll take that.

avalnch33

Ridiculous. I've been in this business a long time and would never dream of doing this.

avalnch33

wow! you go to extremes huh? Chain checkers aren't exact, i get that, and i have used other ways in the past to check chains for wear.

i have also measured a new chain from a box and compared it to the exact same model on a brand new floor model and found a big difference, even when using a ruler to properly measure. I was just offering an explanation as to what happens. I don't rip off customers and am always honest with everyone that comes into the shop.

I tell my customers how to air up their tires and the pressures that right for them.

I have literally taken a chain off a bike that a customer had for 3 weeks and measured stretch and it was way past what it should have been, and I gave him a new chain for free that was of better quality that what came on the bike. Warranty is a great thing. I don't understand where you came up with the 'you rip off people' part. After I do this he tells me he has done close to a 1000 miles on it since he was on vacation for the past 3 weeks, and I said, "Awesome, I'm glad you are enjoying your bike. I can't wait to see the pictures from your vacation.'

The whole 'I hope you go out of business thing' is a little upsurd. You don't even know me or my business and yet you are filled with hostility. I think you need to step back from the keyboard and actually experience the world a little and realize that by getting all wrapped up in a useless forum is a little....childish.

avalnch33

that is pretty funny. don't have an opinion one way or the other, but to say that it is pretty funny.

avalnch33

I once met a customer at 5am on a saturday because it was the only time in 2 weeks that he had free. We talked for 2 hours and he and his wife bought a few bike from me. I am always happy to help customers, and will go above and beyond to make them happy.

My shop has a rule, if a customer is in the store, then you are not closed, and you do all that you can to make sure they leave happy and get what they need.

bonechilling

I'm not some kind of Trek-crazy fanboy or anything, but there's really nothing better about a high-end Wilier frame than a comparable Madone.

BiggSlic

Even my Wilier Izoard is better than a Madone.

bonechilling

Please explain to me what about a Wilier is so much better than a Madone, or any other top-shelf carbon bike.

Yaniel

Best post in this thread.

Brad Maestas

I've had some interesting experiences in NYC shops recently in my quest for a new road bike.

One infamous manager of a Brooklyn shop broke out his coaching license to prove his knowledge and expertise. I felt it was totally unnecessary. They also had a no-test policy on all bikes. I understand that for a Dogma with Di2 but pretty much everyone lets you test sub-$4K bikes.

A girl at a nearby shop dismissed torque specs saying only pro riders and their mechanics followed such suggestions. o_0

Far more entertaining has been what I've heard customers say or ask while in a shop.

go4gr8

Worst thing I've SEEN was a week ago when I was bringing my wheel in for repair and a customer was standing next to some Felt TT bikes. Well, they proceeded to knock them down creating a domino effect.

It was painful to watch!

urbanknight

This is just one of the many reasons smart managers put the expensive bikes on the second level.

Rhodabike

I was told this in a bike shop, as well, and bought a new helmet because of it. Then I wondered what to do with the old one (six years old) and emailed the manufacturer (Louis Garneau) to ask. They told me that my old helmet should still be just fine, as long as I'd never crashed in it.

dahut

"And that is how you do it," as they say. Well done - I wish you owned my LBS.

I popped in there yesterday, in fact. I needed some presta-schrader adapters - surprise! I didnt have any at home.

The shop is owned by a woman and she was busy fussing with a stationary trainer over in one corner. I was met by the other gal that works there. Once she rung me up for the adapters, I told her I would also need some P-clamps to mount a rear rack to a road bike. Once I knew the exact size, I'd come back and get them. "Probably a rack, too...," I told her. "I have more than few things I'll be needing to buy, in fact. And I want to get them here - may as well patronize my local bike shop, you know?"
No kidding, I actually said that.

She looked at me quizzically, like she didn't understand what I meant. I told her that like most purely road bikes, this one didn't have eyelets or mounting holes for racks, fenders, etc. "Oh, I see what you mean. Yeah, I think we got some of those around here...."

At that moment the owner passed by, after retrieving a tool from the nearby work bench. "Nope," she said. "You can't do that. I wont work, so don't bother." Just as abruptly, she went back to tinkering in the corner.
We stood there, looking at each other. I assured the gal I was talking to that, on the contrary, you CAN mount racks with P-clamps to road bikes - it was done all the time. But the whole thing just sort of dropped at that point, like a lead balloon.
"Oh, by the way," she said, "...were going on vacation all next week. I hope you can find what you need..."

Now, to be fair, I didn't buy my most recent bike there. I snagged a once-ridden GAVIN Acele for $300 on Craigslist, which I bought. Half price, nice bike. So sue me.

In this case, they are the only place in town; the nearest shop is 45 minutes away. This could be why she couldn't see the idea of rack mounting without eyelets - if you want racks, you must buy a bike with the needed fixtures.
It may also account for why they behave like they can't be bothered with my requests. This is not an isolated encounter. Each time I've gone in, it is the same - what you see is what we got.

Since they ARE the only ones around here, I'll probably go back for small things. But, if they can't be bothered with me today, I'm not likely to bother with them later on, when I need a big ticket item.

Lets just say I was hardly impressed with their customer loyalty skills.

NathanC

I heard yesterday that Veloce were top-end components.

subie

This is one of the things I love about moving from NYC to Madison. I went to a local shop and asked to test ride a couple of bikes -- the guy not only happily took all 3 down and set them up, but when I asked what kind of collateral he needed he just waved me off and said "I trust you. The bike path is on the right, take all the time you need".

That said, while I can understand not testing riding expensive bikes... but on the other hand, if I was going to drop that kind of cash on a bike, I can't imagine not getting to test ride it.

AmericanMade

The worst thing I've ever heard in a bike shop? We only have two bikes in the store actually made in USA here.........but they amended it to ease the pain and say the Guru's were made in Canada.

Canada is a fine second place for me. We've already bought one......soon another will be in the house.



In my town we have two bike shops, one is run by a jerk, the other by very personable folks with a very dedicated head mechanic. People who love abuse or love to get in arguments go to the jerk, the normal folks go to the other shop. The only problem is when decent folks go to the jerk or the people who love abuse go to the personable shop.......but they both soon find the error of their ways. Both shops seem to be doing well.

Two engineering students were walking across a university campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?"

The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode u...p on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want."

The second engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit you anyway."