Need tips from Tern Verge P20 owners
 

hello,

I have a Tern Verge P20 being shipped to me, should arrive next week. My question is should I bring it to a bike shop to get it tuned up, or is there something I can do on my own? If it's something that I can do myself, I would appreciate any tips from experienced tern bike owners.

thanks in advance...

I'm pretty sure that the mail ordered Dahons and Terns have to be taken to a local bike shop and looked over in order to activate their warranty.

It's all about liability... if they put that in writing (and they do) and you choose to ignore it, that's on you. If you do take it to the bike shop and they look it over and then there is a problem, now it's on the local bike shop for missing the problem, barring something like a frame or hinge failure, which will almost certainly go back to being the manufacturer's liability assuming the LBS doesn't remova/add/damage anything.

The most common problems seem to be wheels going out of true during shipping and loose screws on fenders and racks and wheels, all of which you can fix yourself, but then again, your warranty doesn't get activated if you don't at some point have a local bike shop look it over.

Local bike shops shouldn't mind doing that, it's no different than if you brought in an older bike for a tuneup that hasn't been ridden in years.

Just don't bring in a bike that that shop sells and has in stock on the floor, would imagine that's not cool.

Here in Seattle, people will go down to Portland to buy bikes (no sales tax in Oregon) and then have the maintenance done in Seattle where they live, and if the bike is a brand and model the shop carries that's pretty cold.

all authorized Tern Internet dealers will check the bike and prep it for you. However, if there is any question, than its not necessary a bad idea to check out the closest bike shop, you might need a helmet, shoes, bags, lights, etc etc anyhow
Thor

I purchased new via the internet a 2008 Dahon Speed P8 for myself and 2008 MuP8 for my wife. We unfolded and rode them right out of the box and have been touring on them ever since. The only thing I've done is the usually chain and cable clean and lube jobs and tire and tube replacement.

This forum made me paranoid about the wheels falling apart, so I frequently check spoke tension. But so far I have been wasting my time.