Originally Posted by
theranman
Yes, the bike is a 2008, so I can understand them demanding full msrp. Good thing I'm not buying a car, eh?
As for being pushy, I don't think I was, but I suspect that many retailers look askance at bargain seekers. By the same token, I don't know how many folks walk in off the street and pay full list on bikes. Is it insulting to ask if there are any winter sales going on? Just asking....
As for the bike being the wrong size, I was under the impression that stem length was one of the three things that are commonly adjusted in order to find the right fit, the other two being seat height and fore/aft placement. Does needing a shorter stem automatically suggest a wrong frame size?
Is there anything about the bike's dimensions that lead you to this conclusion? Heck, the 50cm top tube is only 10mm shorter than the 53's.
The margin on bikes is surprisingly low, so many people do pay full MSRP on bikes, especially brand new models at the very beginning of the year.
Buying a bike is not like buying a car, for some reason people who wouldn't haggle when buying a sofa think they can when buying a bike. It's okay to ask if there are any specials or discounts, but if the answer is no, then it means no.
The discount culture in the States has gone so far that many people think they deserve a discount on everything they purchase.......
As for the stem, did you actually try adjusting the adjustable stem to see if the bike fit better?