New bike day for the wife, things have changed !
Today my wife and myself set out to look at bikes for her. I have not looked at bikes for several years now, since I am quite happy with the bikes that I have. That said, things have changed since I have bought a bike. First, I noticed some of the LBS's have all but stopped carrying drop bar bikes. A couple of the shops even claimed that road bikes sales are dead. The drop bar bikes that did exist where now geared towards the adventure road, gravel types. I was actually glad to see that because the at was what we were looking for, but kind of sad to not see traditional road bikes available. The second observation of note, is that shops no longer do complementary fittings when you buy a bike. Some would do what they call a sizing, but very basic to say the least. Most of the shops wanted $150-250 for a fitting on top of the bike purchase, and did not discount the fitting because of purchase. The final thing that I noticed was the difference in bikes in the same price range. We set out with a carbon bike as the main goal, but the ride quality between brands kind of surprised me. I know geometry and design can play a part, but still kind of interesting. At the end of the day of testing, there were a couple that did stand out, but we ended getting the one that was available instead of waiting to order one. That plus we liked the shop a little better. My wife now has a Specialized Diverge that she road for the first time tonight. I'll have to say I am little jealous, it seems to be a great bike.
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So .... did you say it was "I get a new bike too" day for you? Leverage, leverage! You have needs just like she does. :D
By the way ... as a senior member, you know full well that a post like yours Must be accompanied by pictures. Re: the fitting ... time to find a better bike shop. I understand that shops need to make money any way they can, but unless their "fitting" involves video and lasers, they are just trying to rob you. (IMO) |
Originally Posted by maelochs
(Post 20487505)
so .... Did you say it was "i get a new bike too" day for you? Leverage, leverage! You have needs just like she does. :d
by the way ... As a senior member, you know full well that a post like yours must be accompanied by pictures. Re: The fitting ... Time to find a better bike shop. I understand that shops need to make money any way they can, but unless their "fitting" involves video and lasers, they are just trying to rob you. (imo) |
Odd, maybe it depends on locale. The shops around here(Louisville KY) have plenty of skinny tire, drop bar, road bikes. Maybe because there aren't many off-road or any rail-trails in the area. When I resided in northeast MD., I didn't own a road bike, as there were many rails-trails and mtn.bike trails to be ridden. Almost all of my rides are now on the road bike. I don't know if the shops here in L'ville offer a pro fitting, but they will make certain you buy the correct size and help getting the seat and bars adjusted.
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Several of the shops around me have drop bar bikes. There's usually a little assisted fit for free, or a real serious hour or so serious set of measurements with various kinds of equipment (varies by shop). Before dissing your LBS's fit, ask just what it includes.
Since I'm a commute rider, and seldom ride more than an hour per leg, I've passed on the serious fit procedures. Probably to my detriment ;> Is the LBS the only one in your area? |
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