Originally Posted by
Y2HBK
This really doesn't equate to what I ran into. Theres a big difference between what you are stating and my walking into a shop and an owner only pointing me to bikes in the 1k range stating I will hate the bike and hate riding unless I spend that kind of money. I understand the concept of "top-down selling" I guess you could call it, but in this case there was no moving down. It was that level of bikes or nothing. The shop I ended up at was much more laid back and willing to find a bike that would suit me at a decent price....
She settled on an Electra Townie. The owner of course didn't think it was as nice as the Trek's or Jamis that were available, but that it should suit her needs. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good choice.
This is why I said it's important to find a good bike shop with a good reputation.
When I was looking to buy my bike I went to 2 stores that I found in the area. One of them it seemed like only one guy worked there and I believe he was the owner. I didn't think the prices were too great He was also showing me bikes in categories that I really wasn't looking in. He only had GT and Fuji mostly. Mostly it was the lack of help I was given that drove me away from there. The guy didn't seem too knowledgeable.
Next place seemed more knowledgeable. I was told that they'd give me a 2-year warranty which as a person who hadn't rode in a long time seemed like a good deal. The warranty was for basic things like seat adjustments though. Give me a break. About a month later, that shop was closed down. So much for that warranty. Good thing I didn't buy from them. They did have a nice Trek at a good price though.
I decided I needed a better bike shop before making a purchase. I found a shop nearby with great reviews. The shop has been there since 1912 and under the current owners for the past 25 years. This gave me confidence to buy from them.
When I came in I was helped by someone right away and they had a lot of people working there. They were stocked with tons of bikes. When I brought up the Cypress, I was told by the store owner that the bike was not the right choice for me. I listened to his friendly advice. He suggested a GT which was a good price and was a good bike. I thought he was trying to sell me something that he stood to profit more off of. Now that I have more experience, I believe he was only showing me a bike he thought I'd be happy with and for a price I was looking to spend.
They told me they could order any bike that I wanted and were really cool about the whole process. At first I was going to order a Giant Escape 2 which was a fair price for what I wanted to spend. I believe it was $420. The shop owner checked his computer and told me they had a Giant Escape 3 coming out for 2013 now and that he could order that. I was afraid the bike could be a bit cheaper in quality since I never heard of Escape 3. So I gave it some thought and about the next day (maybe same day), I went back to tell them I'd take the Escape 1 that they already had in stock (mainly so I wouldn't need to wait for the bike to arrive). They told me the bike was about $50 off since 2013 bikes were coming out and I was able to get the Escape 1 for $480 I believe it was. From checking around, I now realize what a great shop it really is.
It's all about finding a good bike shop.