Zinn-X

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I recently bought a Specialized Stumpjumper Hardtail at this one shop in Santa Cruz. The next day, I noticed there was no seatpost quick release even though it was listed in the specs. My brother and I went back there the next day to buy some stuff and I asked the guy behind the counter if they could throw a quick release on. His first response was "No, we don't include them with the bike." My response was "It's listed on the Specialized Web Site and in your 2007 catalog right here." He started yelling, "DUDE! It's not like we take the quick releases out of the build kits and make you buy them separately! Specialized didn't send us one, and I'm NOT giving you a $50 quick release, so you're going to have to call Specialized and have them send you one!"

Anyway, I just kind of rolled my eyes and left (had to go riding before it got dark). My brother mentioned that the guy looked like Bruce Lee when he was yelling at me, and I thought it was kinda funny. So that's his name now.

Anyway, fast forward to today:

I brought my bike in so they would fix the rear wheel which had gone out of true. Bruce Lee took a look and noticed that the rear wheel quick release was basically not tightened at all. It was so bad that the wheel could have pretty much fallen off.

Bruce: "Did you mess with this quick release at all? It's pretty loose."
Me: "No. I rode the bike as it was delivered to me."
Bruce: "Well, we would never sell a bike without tightening everything."
Me: "I DIDN'T TOUCH THE QUICK RELEASE"

at this point someone else (cool guy) came over and calmed me down. He said sometimes wheels go out of true during the first few days of riding and that he'd fix it right up. I took this opportunity to remind him that I wanted a quick release for the seatpost as well, and again that it was in the spec for the bike. He took a look and confirmed this was true, so he went to get me a quick release from up front. Suddenly, Bruce Lee struck again!

Bruce Lee: "Dude, what are you doing?"
Cool guy: "Specialized lists a seatpost QR in the spec but didn't send one with the build kit."
Bruce: "Dude, I don't care! We're not giving him a $25 quick release!"
Cool guy: "Yes we are. Specialized will pay for it."

End of story.

I think this little prick and his attitude are the only reason this shop has such a bad reputation. All my friends say that the people at this bike shop have attitude, but everyone else I talk to there is pretty cool. I just seriously don't get what's wrong with that one guy though. Seems like he's hurting their reputation.

CLIFFS NOTES:
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+) Guy at bike shop looks like Bruce Lee when he yells at customer
+) He's a jerk

Cyclist0383

Wow. Did you speak with the owner about him?

Hopper

It does sound like the guy at the store was being a jerk but you should also know that a bike manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the spec list on bikes they make and sell to the bike shops. The fact the other guy got you one is great. Don;t let the one dick stop you going to that store, it obviously has atleast one good guy working there.

Also quick releases on wheels or anywhere in general can loosen over time, however I have no idea why someone who works in a bikeshop would go mental over a loose quick release.....

Zinn-X

I'm going to have a chat when I pick the bike up on Wednesday.

Some friends and I happened to meet up with one of the owner's friends the other day on a ride and we mentioned this Bruce guy to him. This is a pretty small town with a lot of bike shops, so it would really pay for them to treat their customers right. Stuff gets around rather quickly.

I think if they change their spec list, they should at least change their web site to reflect it. I understand that paper catalogs can't be updated, but the Internet should be pretty much realtime.

Seems like he's agro over quick releases in general. But this was after the virgin ride for this bike. It has less than 20 miles on it, so it's pretty much definitely an assembly issue. I know I should check on that stuff myself, but my "new bike fever" got the best of me and we were kind of rushing to go on the ride before it got dark.

Zinn-X

I'm going to wait on giving out the name until I talk to the owner. I'm not about to burn any bridges.

norco_rider77

my front quick release has come loose a couple times. i only notice it when the wheeel wobbles back and forth. glad it hasnt fallen off yet, because my front end has a tendancy to stay off the ground

Hal Fisher

What a jerk. Seat posts HAVE-TO-HAVE quick releases so you can adjust the seat height when going up or down hills. They certainly are not $25, more like $2.50. I can guarantee a manufacturer like specialized would never leave this out except by mistake. That guy just has problems. I'd talk to management about him. If they back his attitude then I wouldn't return to that shop.

never

Not everyone wants or "HAVE-TO-HAVE" QR for their seatposts.

But the price of a seatpost binder and QR are essentially the same, should have been a non-issue swapping it out.

LowCel 

I have never had to have a quck release and I ride up and down quite a few hills. As for $2.50, I just looked through my QBP book and I don't see a $2.50 quick release anywhere. If I did I sure as heck wouldn't want to trust it. $25 is a pretty reasonable price for a quality quick release such as a Salsa.

With that said, it's still no reason for the shop employee to panic. If nothing else he could have just stated that specs are subject to change without notice and there really isn't anything they can do about it, then offered a nice discount (wholesale) on the quick release if he wasn't willing to eat the cost of it.

ricebowl

I don't see this as a debate over whether a seat post quick release is needed. But rather is it a reasonable assumption that a mtb would have one, I think it is. When was the last time you saw a stock mtb at a store without quick release wheels and seatpost?

LowCel 

Most bikes at the shop I help out at come with bolt on seat posts.

*edit

I just went to Titus's, Turner's Trek's, Cannondale's, and Ellsworth's websites. Most of those companies bikes come with bolt on seatpost clamps.

never

At my LBS, there are a good number that have a seatpost binder instead of a QR. And if you look closely, you'll see a bunch that have a non-QR front wheel (20mm hub) and some that have a bolt on rear.

LowCel 

I've had quick releases come loose before and I can assure you that they weren't "cheap" quick releases.

junkyard

In the end, despite all his martial arts skill, Bruce Lee was not tougher than the bullet. I think there is a lesson somewhere in there.

KayGee

My 2006 Stumpjumper HT came without a QR. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a mistake.

On a side note, I've found some of the higher-end QRs pretty disappointing. Specifically Salsa and Hope.

C Law

you don't look like Chuck Norris when you get angry do you?

That would be a cool LBS fight.

Flash

Sounds like Bruce is not all there

mtnbk3000

thats why you ride bolt-on hubs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i will never ride anything else ever again!! unlessw of course it is a 20mm bolt -on axle

norco_rider77

it only happens after really long rides, and it gets wiggled loose, or maybe gets nudged. but dont worry, i check it before i leave my garage now. hasnt come loose in a while either

ed 

I doubt that anybody 'round here is worried...but if you do forget to check it and 'tank' because your "front end has a tendancy to stay off the ground" please post a story about it. That'd be a real hooter.

mtnbk3000

even if you do check your quick release before the ride, what about during the ride, or after a crash, do you check it then? get bolt-on hubs. Infact i will sell you a wheelset with bolt on hubs for $200.00 U.S. of course, and you would have to buy them over ebay.

LowCel 

I don't need an explanation, I just know that they do come loose. You stated that they "can't" and "never" come loose under normal conditions which is untrue.

Zinn-X

You guys sure like to nit-pick!

Well I got a nice Hope QR out of the deal for free, so I'm happy. I would have been fine paying wholesale for one if it came down to it, but pretty much everyone else at that shop is cool.

I know there are plenty of MTBs that come with bolt-on seat binders. I've always ridden bikes with QR's. I know it's a small detail, but if it's in the catalog and on Specialized's site that the bike has a QR, then I don't want to be spending $25 on one separately!

If you've ever been to Santa Cruz or along the San Andreas fault-line mountains in general, you will know why a QR is desirable. Some of the hills here are just so steep that it becomes necessary to adjust your seatpost multiple times during a ride (unless you like flying). It's easier to flip out a QR than it is to pull out the multitool...

LowCel 

Apparently so, I relate mine to actual mountain biking where there are no "normal conditions".

Denny Koll

I think Bruce Lee is used to pushing customers around. Maybe this will slap some sense into him?