Cheers guys
If you f'it up then you are on your own!
If, like me, you practically strip a new bike to correct any assembly issues before you ride it and you know what you are doing then warranty issues won't be an issue.... See
HERE.
Thanks - while I'm 100% confident I can manage to put one together without farking it up and I have absolutely no practical issues with run-of-the-mill setup tasks (gears, brakes, seat and bar position etc..) I'm not concerned by the need for any of this; more that in attempting to do these basic tasks at the shop some ham fisted "individual" will cause a load of damage to my bike in the process.
I'm fortunate in having a very good LBS who will adapt my bikes, suggest ideas etc. to suit me. One of the significant benefits of using the same place for 20+ years. I know if they damaged my bike it would be fixed.
I can't help but feel your solution is simple, buy online and assemble yourself if possible. This of course doesn't eliminate the issue of the bike arriving damaged. A decent retailer will solve this and it sounds likely you would quickly spot a problem.
If buying from an LBS, the better option in my view, the solution is obvious. When you take delivery inspect the bike closely before leaving and if you find damage refuse to accept the bike. I can't see a problem here which isn't easily solved.
When I get a new bike the first thing I do is inspect it thoroughly.
You are fortunate indeed - IMO knowing trustworthy folk in any trade is worth it's weight in gold. My potential problem with mail order is that I suspect (although this is as-yet unconfirmed) that to cover their arses the bikes will probably be removed, built, tested, disassembled and re-boxed before being shipped out; hence still giving the opportunity for damage prior to dispatch.
The message I received from Spa was somewhat ambiguous, stating:
Spa said:
It will be fully built and repacked for shipping with the wheels, pedals and handlebars removed for transit.
- the term "repacked" suggesting to me that they'd have it out of the box upon arrival; presumably for inspect (OK as long as they're careful) but also probable potential assembly and testing (less OK IMO as more potential for damage).
Totally agree about a thorough inspection; that's 100% a given with anything of value I buy. My issues really are that a) return of a mail-order bike is a massive PITA if I do find anything wrong and b) that based on previous, repeatedly poor experiences with various LBS, I'm left with basically zero faith that something won't get fecked up somewhere and as such I'd like to do as much as I can to minimise that possibility; along with all the hassle and conflict it would eventually generate - especially in the instance that the shop decides to argue the toss because the damage is acceptable, it was my fauit etc.
I've seen several bikes from the likes of Cannondale and GT unboxed at my local bike shop.
They usually arrive with the front wheel out and the bars twisted, but fully built in most other respects.
After assembly, the shop doesn't do a lot more than index the gears and give the bike a general once over.
Increasingly, disc rotors arrive bent.
Not sure why, but there has been so many the shop has invested in a hand tool for disc straightening.
An exception is Brompton, which arrive fully assembled and usually require no work other than unboxing and unfolding.
I bought my expensive Riese and Muller ebike direct from the wholesaler.
It needed nothing doing other than straightening the bars.
Riese and Muller say each bike is road tested - it arrived with four miles on the clock.
Fair play to them, it needed nothing doing to it in terms of pre-ride fettling.
In your case, a simple solution would seem to be buy the bike as normal, take it home in the car, then do as much take down/reassembly as you need to.
No warranty worries, because what you do in the privacy of your own workstand is your business.
Thanks - I appreciate the info! Again though, having seen the damage caused recently by one muppet and a set of allen keys attempting to alter a saddle's position, I'd rather nothing was done as it seems the scope for causing damage during the most basic procedure is enormous.
As previously mentioned, while it'd be nice for the bike to work perfectly out of the box, I'm very happy to spend my time rectifying setup issues with the gears, brakes etc.. unable on the other hand to do anything about the stuff that really matters to me; chips, scratches and other damage that results from careless assembly.
If you don’t even have the tools for basic servicing what makes you think that you will do a better job than Spa? They are a company that thrive on their reputation.
That's not the case - I certainly have enough hand tools to carry out basic assembly (better examples in the case of last week's shop assistant and his god-awful fold-out Allen keys). I also now have a fair selection of specialised bike tools since, after my terrible experience of many LBS', now every time a job needs doing the appropriate tool gets bought and I do it myself. In the event that wasn't possible for whatever reason or I didn't have the knowledge, It'd be researched online before getting down the local bike co-op to use their tools myself under their supervision.
I'm sure we both know that tools are only part of the job and I'd guess many on here would do a better job on most work on their bikes since they're not on the clock and care more about the outcome since it's their own property. My point is less about Spa's abilities and more about my doubt in everyone's abilties off the back of past experience - a sad state of affairs indeed, but a good rule of thumb appears to be "trust no-one"
Go down to one of the ports and see new cars being taken off a boat and then loaded on a car transporter then follow that same car to a main dealer and watch it get pdi'd and road tested before being handed over to its lucky new owner
.
On a serious note the bikes arrive at shops with normally fr wheel removed , bars disconnected from the stem , pedals and saddle in a small box within the big box , then hopefully a bike mechanic will re assemble it but do they get a road test ??
I would like to think someone like spa and other big names take a bit more care .
Thanks - tbh I'd much rather they didn't have a road test tbh, considering the potential for damage. In terms of assembly and setup I'm more than able to check if a bike's likely to kill me or not, ta
I too would like to think Spa would take more care, but who's to say if this is actually the case..?
A good friend spent £4-5000 on a Canyon which was delivered from Germany. One thing which convinced him to buy online - I advised against this - was Canyon's claim every bike is fully built, test ridden, disassembled and packed for despatch. Sounds great.
Bike received and minimal building up was required. Attempting the first test ride the Di2 wouldn't work.........the battery was missing from the delivery!!
As my friend pointed out there wasn't even a checklist in the box to help ensure all the components were packed or anything to suggest there had been a test ride.
He had to wait a week for the battery to arrive as Canyon wouldn't credit the cost and allow him to buy one in the UK.
LBS for me...... every time.
Thanks - would love to have the confidence inspired by past experience to have the same trust you do..
I've had a lot of very good buying experience from
Rutland Cycles, must be 10 bikes over the yrs for my wife and myself.
I have had the odd bad PDI but we all have a tale to tell I guess.
I bought a bike from
Halfords , Boardman, they said we'll build it, I said I'll take it in the box thanks..
Bike from Merlin Cycles internet buy ,perfect.
Bike from
Chain Reaction internet buy,ok but I think it was more yodel than crc.
All I can say is thoroughly check the bike before paying if you go to a lbs.
PS I check everything when I get a bike home as I don't trust anyone with my safety
Thanks! Again though; a full inspection and setup as necessary will be a given; however doesn't help much in the case of any damage, which is what really concerns me as any setup issues should be easy to put right myself, while chips and scratches all over the frame arent.
