JustAName

I read an article about caring for carbon fibre based bikes and now I thought, well, here we go agian. lol
So what should pay attention to in regards to the assebly part, in regards to the dealer not over torquing the bik, jimmy parts, not doing things properly, etc.
So, what would I look for specifically?
thanks a million guy.

jimc101

Unless you have a torque wrench, would leave as is, what is the issue with the dealer? If you didn't/don't trust them to assemble correctly, why did you buy from them?

Maelochs

I guess a lot would depend upon what you are buying and where? I assume you are buying a complete bike from a reputable dealer?

As long as the thing worked and was unscratched when you picked it up ... make sure it has two wheels and shifts. Once you start riding it, if anything was overtorqued you might see cracks or tearing or something.

If you are buying it from people who know what they are doing you should be fine .... and if you are buying an expensive CF bike from people you Don't think, know what they are doing ... WTF are You doing?

AlmostTrick

Inspect the frame and fork closely for any nicks or scratches. If there are any you want to find them (and point 'em out) now, not after you get home.

JustAName

I bought the bike from a reputable dealer in fact, from a few reviews, I read they cater in a nicer manner to those who spend a lot of money on bikes, which I personally don't think is an honorable way to run a business. Every customer should be treated equally.
The reason I chose them?
- close to home (maintenance free for 2 years), pretty good deal on a 2016 and the guy that initially helped me was helpful.

Not that this needs any real explanation as plenty of first time (new) car owners ask the same questions and the cars are built by well known car manufacturers.

JustAName

Thanks.

Retro Grouch 

So you've already vetted the dealer. I think that's the most important thing. If a problem should happen to crop up, you'll have to work with that dealer. I wouldn't want to be starting with somebody that I already have bad feelings about.

JustAName

No bad feelings, if the reviews are true, then it's a bit disappointing to hear when a a guy walks in to buy a $500 bike and he's overlooked and brushed aside for a buyer who wants to purchase a $2k bike. Shockingly enough, I bought a $2k bike not my original intention and plan, but once I sat on it, was told what the bike was designed for I fell in love and while not in the budget, I could afford it.

If there was a person there waiting to buy a bike for their kid or themselves for that matter and got brushed aside in front of me, for me, I'd ask them to help that person first. I've been on the receiving end of that kind of snobbery, while I can afford the bike, doesn't make the other person less important, in my opinion.

And/or maybe the reviewer had other motives for their review.


I mean, I'm starting to feel out that there's some snobbery on this forum already and I'm new.
Before joining, I read some posts and it seemed like a good bunch of people helping each other out with the usual back and forth with some.
But as is the case, just like in any other venue(s), cars, cameras, etc, you're going to have a few smartass group of people. (not implying you)

The irony.

shelbyfv

Since you have to ask, this is all that would be appropriate for you. It's not likely that there will be other issues not covered by warranty. Enjoy your new bike!

Wanderer

I would ask to speak to the senior mechanic, to ask him/her about what to watch for in the way of adjustments, tightening, things to watch for....

VegasTriker

Do any of the reviews deal with after-the-sale treatment of the customer? Now that you bought the bike, that's far more important. If they brush aside the person spending $500 before the sale, what will they do once they have your $2K in the bank? It's nice that you would insist they treat all customers equally no matter what the budget. It's better to make $500 sale with the possibility of selling some accessories than spend a lot of time with someone who is looking at a $2K bike who then walks out the store to go online and find it cheaper. How can they know who is buying and who is just sightseeing?

Maelochs

You probably weren’t referring to me, but I am for sure one of the smart-a$$ posters (at least part of me is smart, right?)

What you said with carts doesn’t directly apply, because if you were going to buy a car, dealer prep wouldn’t be so much of an issue (dealers don’t assemble a box of components into a sellable car) but idiosyncrasies with a certain model would be an issue.

If I were thinking of a specific car, I would go online and ask owners about that specific model’s traits—how much power did it actually have as opposed to what the number said? Was the power usable at a reasonable rev range?

Of course I would have looked at the power and torque curves, but the real test is when you have two passengers and need to pull out of a side street onto a busy thoroughfare and you have your bike on the rack and Do Not want to get rear-ended ....

I would ask about service issues peculiar to That model (for instance, my specific Civic has an issue where a rubber button falls off the brake pedal lever—knowing that saved my an expensive trip to the dealer.)

With a bike, the same stuff doesn’t apply. Bikes are so much simpler. The mechanics at any reputable dealer can do the dealer prep on any bike. And individual models’ idiosyncrasies tend to be much more subjective—you don’t see a lot of recalls for faulty parts with bikes because the parts are simpler and there are so few of them.

Since you didn’t mention the specific shop or model, there really isn’t anything anyone can tell you, except to make sure the obvious stuff is right—no grinding or binding or squeaking, no scratches, everything works as advertised.

Whether CF or steel or Al, the drill is the same—if the mechanic is competent, he will have done basic assembly and adjustment properly.

The issues with torquing too hard of CF frames are mostly for those of us driven to tinker. I have read about people cranking down extra hard on their seat bolt because they didn’t know about assembly paste, and I guess some people torque too hard on the bottle mounts or derailleur clamps and screw up their frames that way.

No competent mechanic is going to do any of that stuff—he will have a large and small torque wrench and will use the manufacturer’s suggested settings because that is what competent mechanics do.

As for snobbery ... Funny. Just like yourself, i read a few posts here where people were really gracious and helpful, particularly to people (other than me) who didn’t know a lot and needed sound advice. i signed up right away.

Well, to be factual ... my first BF post was about a guy in Japan who rides int he most ridiculous (to others) position. He sort of likes the attention that comes with being different, and readily absorbs and replies to the gentle criticism he receives for his outlandish ways. But I also saw some really kind and helpful posts.

But yeah ... BF is just another Internet forum, full of trolls and troll-feeders and troll-baiters and obnoxious punks like myself. Just ignore all that ... there is still a wealth of good information here.

fietsbob

My LBS Is OK I have No clue how any Others are..

rumrunn6

I've read that new bikes should have their wheel spokes tensioned & wheels trued before riding, then again after the 1st 100 miles

Maelochs

Checked, not "tensioned and trued." If the wheels need it, do it.

Definitely something to check right away ... but if, when you pick up the bike, you make sure the wheels are straight and the brakes are adjusted (which along with making sure headset and BB spin smoothly and shifters work, shouldn't even need to be mentioned (sort of like saying "when you eat (by putting food in your mouth and chewing and swallowing ...")) then if the wheels are Not straight they will hit the brakes and you would naturally tell the LBS about it.

And yes, after some number of miles, wheels should be checked again ... and again, if the brakes are tight, the wheels will rub if they go out of true.

However ... this is a good point to raise, because I can recall an occasion when an experienced cyclist (not saying it was me, just that he looked and acted exactly like me and was riding my bike) put on some new wheels, checked, rode away, and forgot ... until he got a flat a while later, started to change it, and found that the entire rear wheel had loosened so much it could barely be ridden at cripple-speed back home for a complete reworking.

That guy (what a fool, eh?) had to completely disconnect the rear brakes because the tire was wobbling a couple inches, and every turn about threw the bike down. Lots of fun ... great autobiographical material ... for whoever that guy was.

rumrunn6

of course. a pro would check them before making a single adjustment