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LBS took my bike out for a ride.

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

LBS took my bike out for a ride.

Old 09-07-11, 11:44 AM
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LBS took my bike out for a ride.

I'm kind of pissed. Normally I do all my maintenance myself. I'm on vacation in an unfamiliar area and cut the sidewall on my front tire. I stopped by a bike shop on the route and picked up a set of new Zipp Tangente for a reasonable price. They said all prices include installation, so I figured what he heck, left the bike and called for a ride.

I went to pick up the bike this morning and it's obvious that the setup has been changed for a different rider. The seat was slammed all the way back. (I use a short 100mm stem), the barrels on the brakes were set so the pads were almost touching the rim and the handle bars were tilted up slightly from where they were when I left the bike. I could also tell that someone had ridden on the new tires and locked up the back wheel causing a small flat spot.

I understand someone taking a bike for a short test ride when they are working on the drive train... never for simple tire replacement. I've never heard of a shop changing seat/handlebar/brake position unless it's a fitting.

I'll likely never be back in this area riding, so I'm not going to bother going back to complain to a manager. Just seems odd that the "highly trusted" LBS with no bikes in a hick town of 2,500 people would mess with a bike setup. I should have figured something was up when they said they needed the rest of the day to install two tires. I could have done it myself in ten minutes.
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Old 09-07-11, 11:48 AM
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Well in a hick town of 2,500 there isn't much else to do for fun.

I'd be a little pissed too, but I'd take it back and make them change it back in front of me.
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Old 09-07-11, 11:53 AM
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^ i had an issue with this at my lbs, i think it should still warrant a complain, call me paranoid but imagine when you get home and start riding and find something else that isnt right........
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Old 09-07-11, 11:54 AM
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Boy, that's taking some liberties! I'd charge 'em a fee for the bike rental
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Old 09-07-11, 12:02 PM
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Wow... hard to imagine they made that many changes and would not think you would notice.
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Old 09-07-11, 12:03 PM
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changing the set up/bike fit is not acceptable. call and complain to the owner and put them on notice. like said above, what if you get home an notice some other damange or issues. good luck. later.
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Old 09-07-11, 12:16 PM
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Wow, between you and the guy with the $75 charge because-we-feel-like-it these LBS's must have a short life.
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Old 09-07-11, 12:36 PM
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Originally Posted by gadabout007
I'm kind of pissed. Normally I do all my maintenance myself. I'm on vacation in an unfamiliar area and cut the sidewall on my front tire. I stopped by a bike shop on the route and picked up a set of new Zipp Tangente for a reasonable price. They said all prices include installation, so I figured what he heck, left the bike and called for a ride.

I went to pick up the bike this morning and it's obvious that the setup has been changed for a different rider. The seat was slammed all the way back. (I use a short 100mm stem), the barrels on the brakes were set so the pads were almost touching the rim and the handle bars were tilted up slightly from where they were when I left the bike. I could also tell that someone had ridden on the new tires and locked up the back wheel causing a small flat spot.

I understand someone taking a bike for a short test ride when they are working on the drive train... never for simple tire replacement. I've never heard of a shop changing seat/handlebar/brake position unless it's a fitting.

I'll likely never be back in this area riding, so I'm not going to bother going back to complain to a manager. Just seems odd that the "highly trusted" LBS with no bikes in a hick town of 2,500 people would mess with a bike setup. I should have figured something was up when they said they needed the rest of the day to install two tires. I could have done it myself in ten minutes.
Go in and complain. A bike fitting is an expensive deal... So, either demand a professional fitting and adjustment, or demand your money back.
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Old 09-07-11, 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by UberGeek
Go in and complain. A bike fitting is an expensive deal... So, either demand a professional fitting and adjustment, or demand your money back.
This. Besides it's just rude that the LBS didn't let you know when you went to pick up the bike.
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Old 09-07-11, 12:56 PM
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Out of curiosity, what kind of bike was it? I'm wondering why someone in a shop surrounded by bikes would need to ride yours?
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Old 09-07-11, 12:57 PM
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I don't know about you guys.. buy my local bike shop charges $250 for a 3 hour professional fit that analyses everything down to the mm differences in your limb lengths and stuff... if a bike shop went and changed ANYTHING fit related on the bike, id be pissed!!
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Old 09-07-11, 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Cpt.America
I don't know about you guys.. buy my local bike shop charges $250 for a 3 hour professional fit that analyses everything down to the mm differences in your limb lengths and stuff... if a bike shop went and changed ANYTHING fit related on the bike, id be pissed!!
I would go back to them with a bill for a bike fit. A guy at my LBS had to move my seat height one time to work on it and when i came back he made sure it was in the right place for me. but moving the handle bars, seat height/position, and a flat spot on brand new tires. I would go back and get $ for a profession bike fit and my money back for tires. Tell them you will contact the local news paper or something
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Old 09-07-11, 01:10 PM
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i wouldnt complain and then trust their fit. i would complain and make them reimburse you for your fit at the shop you trust.
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Old 09-07-11, 01:24 PM
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I would complain. This sounds like mice at play while the cat's away. Hard to believe anyone responsible for the P&L of that LBS would be so unprofessional. Maybe the manager left early that day and your ride seemed like something fun to play with.
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Old 09-07-11, 01:38 PM
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Originally Posted by bermanfb28
I would go back to them with a bill for a bike fit. A guy at my LBS had to move my seat height one time to work on it and when i came back he made sure it was in the right place for me. but moving the handle bars, seat height/position, and a flat spot on brand new tires. I would go back and get $ for a profession bike fit and my money back for tires. Tell them you will contact the local news paper or something
Yeah, see how that goes over in a tiny hick town where you're the outsider.
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Old 09-07-11, 01:39 PM
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Oh, and make damn sure you get a new NEW tire - one without a flat spot on it.
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Old 09-07-11, 01:40 PM
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Originally Posted by nhluhr
Yeah, see how that goes over in a tiny hick town where you're the outsider.
True. Better off to threaten a chargeback on the CC.
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Old 09-07-11, 01:41 PM
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I would complain too. Specially if your bike was professionally fitted.
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Old 09-07-11, 01:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
Out of curiosity, what kind of bike was it? I'm wondering why someone in a shop surrounded by bikes would need to ride yours?
My thoughts exactly. On the other hand, if they ride one of their in-stock bikes they may then be forced to sell it "used."
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Old 09-07-11, 01:46 PM
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That's nuts .... i would not just let it slide.
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Old 09-07-11, 01:46 PM
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Maybe it was a test ride to see if everything was dialed in?
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Old 09-07-11, 01:49 PM
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Let me offer a different view. People post here all the time about mounting new tires and feeling a bump or wobble. Tires aren't perfect when made. The only way to see if you got good ones is test them out at high speeds.

The shop may have taken some liberties with adjusting your bike - barke pads should almost touch the rims; maybe the mechanic thought your bars slipped and adjusted them so the levers are perpendicular to the ground; not sure about the seat.

But if someone wanted to take a ride on your bike, they wouldn't go through all that trouble to make it feel good for them.
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Old 09-07-11, 01:51 PM
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I'm onto a different city tomorrow morning. The shop is over an hour away and I'd have to inconvenience someone for a ride. I'd rather spend that last evening with my friends than fighting with a bike shop. I've only spent $100 there and it's my word against their techs. Going by the brands they carry, it's obvious that I wouldn't be a big spending return customer. I picked up a new torque wrench from Home Depot and everything is back to as it was.

The bike's an argon 18 gallium pro. It was a tiny, dirty bike shop that had a trek 2.something or other entry level bike in the window as their marquee road bike and a half dozen gary fisher MTB's

Lesson learned... no overnight stays in foreign bike shops for my bikes anymore.
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Old 09-07-11, 01:51 PM
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There seems to be lots of bitter, angry people here
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Old 09-07-11, 01:53 PM
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That is crazy I would be pissed so much if that happend to my bike. I would deal with them outside of work. When I have anything installed on my bike I watch them the whole time, I do not take my eyes off my bike.
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