A few months ago in a fit of stupidity I ordered a stupid expensive bicycle from a dealer in Chicago. It took that few months to ship from a northern European country to the dealer, where they apparently checked the contents of the box, stuffed it all back in and sent it on to me. It arrived, box battered and some parts scratched and bent. Most of the damage was from rough handling of a poorly packed bike. Some of the damage, specifically the scratches on the rims, seem likely to be caused by carelessness when building the wheels.

To expedite a resolution I disassembled the bike and shipped the damaged parts back to the dealer, on my dime. The dealer promptly sent replacement parts, all good except for the wheel, whose rim was just as scratched up as the original. Apparently the builder cannot lace a wheel without scratching the rim.

I have offered to rebuild the wheel myself using a new rim supplied by the dealer, which seems likely to be the only way to get an undamaged wheel.

So am I being too picky? I have 30 year old bikes with rims in better condition than what I received so I suspect it is possible to build a wheel without scratching the rim. Still, maybe spending stupid money on a new bicycle should not necessarily get one a bike in new condition.

Really, am I out of line?

So let me get this straight, you ordered a bike from Europe through a dealership that isnt in your hometown? Strange, but I don't blame you for wanting a pristine product. Do what you can to get what you want. Good luck!

Yeah, but in my defense there are no bike shops at all in my home town, or county, or region. To paraphrase a local bumper sticker, "We're rural, not necessarily stupid."

Thanks, and for the price I really expected a pristine product. The dealer is sending me a new rim. Now I need to find a 4mm spoke wrench.