How to pick a "Good" bike store

ninjamini said:

I am shopping for a bike and I was wondering how to pick a good shop? I don't know anyone here who rides. I don't trust any retail sales people. I find most of them are just dumb joe's. The one guy I liked does not sell Trek and I decided on a trek. He likes Giant and I was tempted to go Giant but I like the Trek a little better.

How do I pick the right store? How do I know that person knows how to put together a bike?

This will be a rough go for you if you can't trust any retail salespeople. There are alot of people, salesmen, and other cyclists who hate Trek bikes, and many of them are not at all dumb. They may be a bit elitist but they are not buying your bike....you are. Find a shop where you can talk to the guys, one that lets you walk around without being pressured. Also try to find one that will take care of you after the sale. Many buyers overlook this in favour of price. I wouldn't necessarily worry about the guy that sells you the bike being able to put it together. Most shops have mechanics that will do that, or at least more than one salesman...at least one of whom is qualified to assemble a bike. I also wouldn't get too hung up on one brand of bike without test-riding a few. Most bikes within the same price range will be very similar in quality and componentry, what will determine the right bike for you is the fit and ride feel.

Have fun searching. This is the most fun part, other than actually riding your brand new bike.

Cheers,

Brian

ninjamini said:

I am shopping for a bike and I was wondering how to pick a good shop? I don't know anyone here who rides. I don't trust any retail sales people. I find most of them are just dumb joe's. The one guy I liked does not sell Trek and I decided on a trek. He likes Giant and I was tempted to go Giant but I like the Trek a little better.

How do I pick the right store? How do I know that person knows how to put together a bike?

Bike shops are under tremendous pressure to move inventory. They have to compete with all the on-line dealers as well as e-bay. If they are a Giant dealer that's what they will push. I've heard good things about Giant, so if they want your business, they should allow you to test ride a few and let the bike sell it self. Then I would see how they are about letting you customize the bike and what type of service and warranty they offer. A good buddy of mine keeps winning races on his Giant TCR Carbon...

ninjamini said:

I am shopping for a bike and I was wondering how to pick a good shop? I don't know anyone here who rides. I don't trust any retail sales people. I find most of them are just dumb joe's. The one guy I liked does not sell Trek and I decided on a trek. He likes Giant and I was tempted to go Giant but I like the Trek a little better.

How do I pick the right store? How do I know that person knows how to put together a bike?

Given you already know what you want to buy, find all the Trek dealers in the area and chat to the sales staff and see what they're like. How open they are to test riding, what after-sales support they offer. eg. free bike tune after a month of riding, free servicing for a year etc etc. There are some stores I go to where some of the staff are cool and others are morons. If you can, make a few visits and talk to a couple of them. Test them out with questions that you know the answer to. eg. ask them what the difference between two models is.

Out of interest, which model have you settled on? I have 3 friends who ride Trek's, so if you're interested in any feedback, I can help you out. (they're Trek lovers :p ).

Go to a lot of shops, talk to a lot of people. Get a feel for the shop in which you are most comfortable. I don't know why you prefer Trek. I would assume, in the price range you are looking, all the major brands are competitive, with no brand superior to another. In my geographic location, the year I bought a bike in a particular price range, the Giant OCR was the best bang for the buck based on component mix, frame quality and ride qualities. A month later it might have been a Specialized bike. A year earlier it may have been Trek.

The bottom line is you don't care about the brand when you ride your bike. You care about the shifting working right and the seat height being right. You care about whether your hands get numb, or your foot goes numb or your saddle sucks. You realize very soon that you are only as fast as you are fit.

Good luck in your search. In my way of looking at things, find a good shop, if they treat you fairly, then return the favor by buying an accessory or some clothing from them. You give a shop an idea that you are a repeat customer and they will treat you well. You give a shop that you are a one-time buyer with them and you won't get as good service. It's human nature.

Insight Driver said:

The bottom line is you don't care about the brand when you ride your bike. You care about the shifting working right and the seat height being right. You care about whether your hands get numb, or your foot goes numb or your saddle sucks.

I think the "bottom line" is that the bike needs to feel right to you, and these points are more about groupset quality/installation & bike fit. By test riding a bike, you can see what different the geometry makes and how the bike comes together on the road. After all, a bike can be fitted properly, be great value, have top level components, but if you don't like riding it...there's not much point. You don't have to be a pro to notice the difference either.

I don't think this is going overboard, just giving yourself a "real" understanding of the difference between 2 similarly priced bikes.