Online vs local dilemma

[CanucksTraveller]

After quite a lot of research I have my heart set on a Giant TCR Advanced 3, and I know the size I need.
The price via Giant online is 1049 pounds, full stop. There are a few online shops offering it at 200 to 250 pounds less without so much as a haggle. Nevertheless I support independent bike shops and I'll want it set up anyway, so I went to my local Giant dealer today to see what could be done, I don't want to destroy his profit margin but 200 quid is quite a lot of money, and needing new shoes and pedals too I thought we could at least talk about a decent discount somewhere along the line.

What a miserable experience. First he scoffed and said I'd be lucky to even find one. I said I can find 10 on the internet now but I want to buy local... no he says, the online dealers promise stock and then when you go to pay, there's none in stock. I eventually got him to actually check, and yes, apparently he can get one. And it's 1049 exactly... the same as on the Giant site. But you have to ride one first he says. Great I said, when can you arrange that? Ah, I don't have one, but I have the pro. You should ride that. It'll give you a feel for it. Not now though, come back in the week, I'm closing in an hour.
I suspect that if I do go back a lot of attempted upselling is going to happen here. I left with the distinct impression that he'd rather sell me his children than sell me the bike I really want at a good price.

So, I can (I think) have one on the way in the next couple of days off the web from Wheelies or similar for 200 less leaving money for setup, shoes and pedals. And it will need a set up at a bike shop as I'm not confident with setting up really modern race bikes. The question is, should I do this and is this generally accepted as being a good way to buy a bike these days? I'm feeling quite let down by the local shop. One other option is to order direct from Giant and get it delivered to, and set up at the dealers shop at no extra cost.

Where would you go from here?

 

[vickster]

Another local Giant dealer? Try the Giant stores (St Pauls, Camden, Twickenham depending where you are? The latter certainly has reductions on a number of models)

Are Wheelies and Tredz the same company? If so, your guy's predictions about saying they have stock and then not, could well be true!

 

[steve50]

I would go down the route that saves me money and still gets me the bike I want, the bike fit you could do yourself as a process of trial and error. Even if the shop were to set the bike up for you it is highly likely you are going to tweak those settings to suit yourself anyway. a saving of £200 is quite a substantial saving and as you state it could easily cover the cost of shes and pedals, ultimately the choice is yours.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Vickster: My location has changed now since signing up (now in Herts / Beds border rather than London) so no other Giant dealers local to me sadly. 3 bike shops in the one town mind you, but just the one Giant dealer. And yes, Tredz get their stock from Wheelies, so there's some history with Tredz making promises they can't keep but I've read up on the stock issues... I think most of the time there are no huge issues with Wheelies.

Steve50: I think in terms of set up I mean just making sure gears and brakes are well aligned (I've never worked on Tiagra) and that we don't have transit grease where proper stuff should be, that kind of thing.

Thank you all, online is looking attractive to some extent.

 

[vickster]

There's a Giant store in Radlett if that's anywhere near? @Tiny01 i think got his carbon Giant there and was very happy with the whole experience

You could always buy from Tredz and then pay the local dealer to check it over if not all tickety boo?

 

[jonny jeez]

Where would you go from here?

to a better bike shop

 

[CanucksTraveller]

to a better bike shop

If only. See that's my dilemma, I don't have one, (unless I wanted a Specialized, which I don't). I feel I'm forced into buying online and then getting it set up by either Mr Disinterested / Mr Upsell, or by the local independent Specialized dealer.
Radlett is a long way off unfortunately.

 

[jonny jeez]

If only. See that's my dilemma, I don't have one, (unless I wanted a Specialized, which I don't). I feel I'm forced into buying online and then getting it set up by either Mr Disinterested / Mr Upsell, or by the local independent Specialized dealer.
Radlett is a long way off unfortunately.

but if you are investing over a thousand pounds in something, is it not worth a train ticket to go and visit a good Shop?

 

[simon.r]

For me, a price difference of hundreds of pounds makes the decision very easy - buy online. The bike should require minimal tinkering when it arrives. If you're not comfortable doing this yourself is there a local bike repair shop, as opposed to a bike dealer who could do this for you?

I strongly suspect that the LBS as a retailer won't exist soon (with the exception of the large chains like Evans) but will be replaced by shops doing repairs, setting up mail order purchased bikes and selling low value consumables like inner tubes and cables.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

but if you are investing over a thousand pounds in something, is it not worth a train ticket to go and visit a good Shop?

I suppose if I could guarantee that the experience would be better, that there might be a good mutually agreed discount, and that they'd deliver a finished and ready to ride bike to my house, I'd certainly invest the 20 quid in the train ticket. Sadly, based on my experience so far I can't guarantee that, so it's more faff, more possibles, more maybes. I had no idea that offering someone a thousand pounds for selling me a bike would be this negative an experience. I just want a bike that's useable at the end of this, and it somehow seems hard to get that.

 

[vickster]

Everyone on here who has used Giant stores seems to have had a positive experience

Or if buying online, is it one of these you are considering? http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?mode=search

An independent shop that also sells lots online. Again positive feedback from Cyclechat buyers

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Ooh good link, thank you.

 

[Drago]

If my dealer was an insufferable twot like yours then id buy online with glee.

 

[bozmandb9]

If you're sure enough about the bike, to buy it online, I'd simply buy it online, and put some of the money saved towards a professional bike fit. I know many on this forum scoff at the idea of a bike fit, and I can agree to an extent, that it CAN be an easy way to waste a lot of money, however it can also be a great way to discover a lot of latent potential, and more pleasurable riding, and possibly injury prevention.

It can also be a great way of supporting local business. It's highly likely that the 'fitting' you get by supporting an LBS will be only an upselling session, for stems, saddles, and seatposts etc. Better to buy online, pay somebody local for their time.

Edited to add, I do try to support my LBS as much as possible. But it does come down to best allocation of limited funds, and also value added. I bought my first and second bikes from my LBS, subsequent purchases have been second hand. Clothing and accessories are mostly sourced online with massive discounts, but I still buy whatever I can locally.

 

[slowmotion]

If you are sure of the frame size, buy it online. Prowl around Youtube for clips about how to do some basic servicing, and look at some more clips about doing the bike fit yourself. Unless you are hell-bent on shaving milliseconds off your time as a professional racer, bike fitting isn't rocket science, it's just a matter of comfort.