Dems da Brakes!
05-19-20, 10:29 PM
#1
Quidam Bike Super Hero
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Location: Stone Mountain, GA (Metro Atlanta, East)
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Dems da Brakes!
I really believe the brakes on my 95 Trek are original. In the past 6+ years, the rear calipers became progressively harder to adjust. Finally, this past Saturday, they gave up the ghost. On that day I was swapping tires front to back. Simply unhitching and rehitching the caliper put it off again. After several failed attempts, I dismantled and cleaned them (my first time!). Aha!, broken return spring.... So, to get back on road today, paid a little more to my fave LBS for a set of Shimano Alivios.
Their online, curbside pickup, promised availability today. (Garnered from hindsight) someone didn't update inventory and the front calipers weren't at the shop. Weirdly, they didn't want to split the order and give me the more critical rear. Told them I didn't want to wait either. They then promised the fronts from a nearby store within an hour. I returned in 90 mins and... the parts were sitting, still, at the other store.
Head manager came to the rescue and offered to comp the fronts if I would drive 5 miles to the other store. Sure.... So, in the end, finished the install, myself, and totally happy with the new stoppers. Even got in a ride before dark and rain set in.
And dems da br(e)aks!
ps: Thanks to members that steered me away from buying a used set and recommending a new set of Shimanos.
Their online, curbside pickup, promised availability today. (Garnered from hindsight) someone didn't update inventory and the front calipers weren't at the shop. Weirdly, they didn't want to split the order and give me the more critical rear. Told them I didn't want to wait either. They then promised the fronts from a nearby store within an hour. I returned in 90 mins and... the parts were sitting, still, at the other store.
Head manager came to the rescue and offered to comp the fronts if I would drive 5 miles to the other store. Sure.... So, in the end, finished the install, myself, and totally happy with the new stoppers. Even got in a ride before dark and rain set in.And dems da br(e)aks!
ps: Thanks to members that steered me away from buying a used set and recommending a new set of Shimanos.
05-20-20, 06:37 AM
#2
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Glad you got your brakes, and at least the manager stepped up and handled the situation as best he could. Glad it (finally) worked out!
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05-20-20, 08:15 AM
#3
Quidam Bike Super Hero
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Stone Mountain, GA (Metro Atlanta, East)
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Bikes: 1995 Trek 800 Sport, aka, "CamelTrek"
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Overall, the staff at Sandy Springs are good people.... Their failing is in an inflexible sales OS and clerks mated to this system. I would take my bike there for repair anytime. Though I'm batting much higher percentage getting parts online. This was an attempt to get the bike running asap. The manager did say he had been to the warehouse, Monday, but failure to update inventory resulted in no front brakes. Transfer from the other store was prioritized behind a onslaught of customers.
It all goes back to their software: online promises not realizable. Shoot, I would've paid full price and gone a few extra miles to the other store IF that was the promise. But, as you pointed out, a good-willed manager solved the problem, and harmony reigns.
