Originally Posted by
leob1
Glad you like your new bike, but I think this illustrates the pitfalls of buying a bike on line. If you bought it local you could have tried it on for size, that frame looks awfully small, too small IMHO(we are about the same size). There is a lot of seat post showing, is it an extra long, and is it inserted far into the seat tube enough? Having that break during a ride would be painful. My wife ride a 15 inch frame, it is too small for me to be comfortable on it.
Also, you could pester the LBS about the front brake until it was correct.
Since I was considering getting a bike from BikesDirect, I now have more food for thought.
Thanks for the report, and I hope you get the issues straightened out so you can enjoy the new ride.
Mountain bikes do come up small. When I bought My bianchi I tried the next size up and it was too stretched. You do need a smaller frame than you think on MTB's as you can control them better. I am 5'6" short with a 30" inseam. I ride a 14 1/2" frame.
Bianchi..jpg
Assembly on bikes is not difficult- mainly final tightening of bolts- fitting the wheels and adjusting the brakes so should be easy for anyone with bike experience. Set up on computers can be though as you have a few parameters to dial in- Wheel size and possibly a few other items- but all you have to do is read the Instructions. As we are the males of the species- we don't even need them till all else fails
Disc brakes though and they can be a fiddle. Setting the pad distance and whether the rotor is true can take a bit of settling in. Unless you spend as much on the brakes as you did on the bike but that is probably going over the top.
TFORKS..JPG