What exactly is the setup maintenance anyway? This has never been explained to me. The manufacturers instructions for this proceedure are not included in the box.

If its a matter of adjusting the shifting mechanism, aligning the wheels, and lubricating the chain and mobile parts then I deem this stuff to be in the category of self-maintenance.

As for "double boxing" I'm not sure what that means. The Curve comes in a pretty high impact box. The weak point of the box is that the shifting mechanism at the rear axel is very close to the box wall and could get damaged if the box is mishandled. That said, the mechanism is shielded by 2 plastic disguardable cover clips so you most likely won't have a problem.

I figured the money I saved buying mail order vs. from a bike shop was worth the risk. If I really had something I couldn't set up right I could always take it to a local shop for a standard $40 setup anyway.

My local bike shop was selling the Curve for $439 and I bought it from Brands for $359 so even with a $40 setup fee I still came out ahead. I also figured that if some bearings or something were totally mangled I'd order them from my bike store and install them myself.

I'll state that I have a house with a tool room and have worked as a mechanic when I was younger. I've owned many motorcycles over the years and performed all the services on those vehicles (both new HD & BMWs) so I'm not too afraid of a little bike.

That said, I would really like to know what this mythical "set up" really is. Sure I had to bust out a wrench and re-align the rear axel to get the shifting mechanism to work correctly but that's no sweat. The rest was lubrication and general inspection to make sure wheels spun, breaks worked, and stuff like that.