There was no honeymoon period for me and this bike. It's all solved now but the experience beggars belief and I've barely ridden the bike for a couple of months now through loss of enthusiasm. I assume it must be incompetence and disorganisation on the bike shop's part (small shop), as I cannot imagine what I could have done to rub them up the wrong way so as to make them be like this. They did put right the 2-3 things I couldn't do myself, but I haven't brought myself to take this complete list to them as a complaint.
Many of the extra bits that come with a new bike weren't volunteered when I collected. I had to ask for them upon which they seemed to not have much of an idea where they were, and it seemed like this was an unusual thing for a customer to ask for. I ended up making a list, and various things were found in random drawers, cupboards, piles of empty boxes around the place. Some of them I noticed were the wrong ones and we also missed a few so I later returned.
- Surplus original small parts after my upgrades (bought from them and fitted by them) - brake caliper adapters, brake lever clamp with MMX fittings, headset spacers and proprietary cover, carbon handlebar.
- New small bits that came with my upgrades - brake pad spacers, bleed blocks, dropper travel adjust shims.
- OEM accessories - water bottle, Fidlock bottle mount, derailleur battery charger.
- OEM spares - proprietary spokes, combi tyre lever/spoke key, derailleur battery block.
I was travelling a fair way and had said I'd make a riding day out of it, but the bike battery was only at 30% charge so that didn't work out.
During rides and at home over the following weeks I noticed various things that hadn't been done properly. In no particular order:
- Frame wrap poorly fitted - misaligned and crumpled in areas, specks of lint and dirt in many prominent areas.
- Frame wrap was not the brand I asked and paid for, rather a cheaper alternative.
- Frame hose sheath around the suspension missing, instead there was insulation tape.
- Pedals barely tightened, I only checked after a couple of rides.
- Seatpost clamp fitted backwards, so tightened on opposite side where the relief slot is, on a carbon frame.
- Tubeless not set up as offered and accepted, got a puncture on a ride then a surprise to find tubes in.
- System software not updated as asked for, only a dealer computer can do this.
- Derailleur not microadjusted properly.
- Wrong size brake caliper spacer by a few mm fitted. I had actually given them one I had spare but they lost it.
- Brake rotor Torx bolt rounded.
- Brakes not well bled, loads of air came out when I bled them, not sure if they bled them after shortening hoses.
- Zero-gap lever clamps tightened with a gap at both ends.
Finally not their fault but I had to send the fork off due to harshness, it had tight bushings and excess grease.
Not all of those are big or matter much at all by themselves, but all together and with the bigger stuff and overall experience, poor.
Standard stuff these days. No one gives a shit and unlike you most people wouldn’t notice so they get away with it.
Thread title says tardiness - were they late not doing all the stuff as well?
That's pretty bloody rubbish tbf.
Just to counter - bought my new Levo from Cycle Revolution
Tubeless set up spot on with Cushcore
Ridewrap really well fitted
Bike perfectly set up (apart from a minor Transmission tweak - will let that pass)
Every single spare part you can think of down to the original tubes that were taken out, stem cable guides, AXS box with bits in and much more I can't think of came in a big separate box.
I paid for the tubeless and Ridewrap obviously, but hadn't paid for the bike to be fully built/set up (which was an option at purchase). Came delivered by their bespoke delivery service (not many ££) and the driver wheeled it out of the van ready to ride.
Would 100% use again - they were the best internet price for the bike as well
Not another pointless thread with someone venting about a bike shop without having the decency to name said bike shop....
Sorry... can't be doing with the potential aggro.
Standard stuff these days. No one gives a shit and unlike you most people wouldn’t notice so they get away with it.
Thread title says tardiness - were they late not doing all the stuff as well?
Ah no, now I learnt the correct meaning of the word!
Was it Leisure Lakes in Frodsham? I had some of the same issues on your list on getting my new ebike
The one missing from your list was replacing the OEM dropper post with something even more shit !
Sounds poor to be fair. Although I do think that once you notice something annoying that's not right you start looking at other stuff and it starts adding up. I'm guilty of this.
Tubeless not set up as offered and accepted, got a puncture on a ride then a surprise to find tubes in.
I've heard this one quite often. One of the rare times a shop set up a new bike tubeless for me they had gone to the other extreme, taken a litre bottle of Stans and put half in each end.
The way they did the seatpost clamp at point 5 is correct by me. Not many mechanics do it this way but the idea is a more evenly distributed clamping force with no pressure points.
I'd have always agreed with the seatpost clamp thing, but some bikes do come like that these days. I'm sat opposite 2 Specializeds, both have seatpost clamps forward, one has slots at 10 and 2, the other at 9 and 3.
Standard stuff these days. No one gives a shit and unlike you most people wouldn’t notice so they get away with it.
There's a few good points above on both sides of the argument, but the above sums things up best for me.
It's why I've built my latest few bikes myself. Prior to the most recent one the only two things I hadn't attempted were headset cup installation and a rear shock service. This most recent one was a hardtail. I really couldn't be arsed taking it to my LBS and go through the whole usual rigmarole with them:
"When do you think you can have it done by, please?"
"We'll get onto it as soon as we can"
"Well, can you give me some idea? Will it be today, please?"
"Yes, it will be today".
Wait until approx 3.45pm (enough time to give them the chance, not so late that it feels like I'm pressuring them to stay late...
"Hi, I'm ringing about the 'X'. How is it going? Have you had a chance to look at it yet?"
Cue sounds of scrambling around, shouting through to the back etc.
"Which bike was it again?"
"The X that needs the headset cups pressing in".
More scrabbling around and shouting through to the back.
"Err, no, sorry. We aren't going to be able to fit that in today now. Do you want to leave it with us or take it back?"
Two loads of parking charges, two car journeys into town. Progress zero.
I used two blocks of wood, a hammer, a bit of care and patience and it was fine.
If I can get over my reluctance to take a rear shock to bits (other bike), I'll never need to use a third party for servicing again.
The way they did the seatpost clamp at point 5 is correct by me. Not many mechanics do it this way but the idea is a more evenly distributed clamping force with no pressure points.
Another +1 on the seatclamp thing, both my Specialized are set up that way (as per the instructions !) and it's always been perfect.
What did the shop say when you spoke to them about all this? It sounds like it's all sorted now? In which case move on, don't buy from them next time or hope that they'll go out of their way to be particularly nice to you if you do.
But yes, it sounds like a sub-standard customer experience. And it's why, ideally, I build and work on my own bikes, though I appreciate that it's almost impossible to buy an e-mtb in frame-only guise.
Thanks for not starting some sort of online witch hunt scenario btw. I know it's 'fun' for some people, but there's always two sides to the story no-one generally comes out of it well.
So what was the resolution for the dodgy protection tape, and other stuff with a ££ aspect (rather than just poor spannering)?
It's a reason I do my own bikes. Last new one was some years back, and the LBS is a small outfit, but they had done all the finer details of greasing stem clamps etc with Finish Line (road fixed gear) which was above and beyond what you expect.
I asked Paceline Cycles in Crosshill to fit a headset in my new carbon Spur frame. Usually do them myself with a home made tool but didn't fancy trying with a carbon frame.
Arranged a day to drop it off, spoke to the workshop later about options and their recommendations, they ordered the parts on next day delivery and rung me the next morning to go and collect the frame. Perfect job, cost very little and all packaging and spare bits were sent with the frame. I'll definitely be using them again.
So you've come online to moan about a bike shop that you won't name and also you haven't actually complained to them either. You've having a vent.
If you don't want this to happen to someone else then the least you can do is have a little word with the shop about your experience so they can improve.
Obvs wasn't my LBS, I've still got various bags of random stuff in the garage that they've handed me over the years - they don't want it clogging up their shop and they'd have to pay to bin it, so it's in their interests really.
Agree with madhouse
So is this a stealth ad or not?
So you've come online to moan about a bike shop that you won't name and also you haven't actually complained to them either. You've having a vent.
Tbf, if you read the original post, it sounds like the OP did go back to the shop - bits found in drawers etc. I don't know why people respond to threads where people are basically venting, by venting about them venting in an equally pointless way.
People love a good venting thread, it gives them a chance to get cross. Mostly on this one, people seem frustrated that they don't have a specific target to target their pitchforks at. I guess they had to go back in the shed eh.
But basically if someone wants to blow off steam about a frustrating experience and it works for them in a cathartic sort of way, then fine. I know I did when Lynskey did bad things to my Ragley Ti under their warranty procedure, which - credit to them - they then sorted out brilliantly.
Not another pointless thread with someone venting about a bike shop without having the decency to name said bike shop....
Sorry... can't be doing with the potential aggro.
Well whats the bloody point then.
ooooOOOOooooooOOOOooohhh. 👜 👜 👜
I didn't realise forum posts had to have a point. That's gonna shake things up on STW...
Fair point
Sounds poor to be fair. Although I do think that once you notice something annoying that's not right you start looking at other stuff and it starts adding up. I'm guilty of this.
Yes, but there's no guilt in it as I see it. Even after looking I kept finding stuff, eventually started a list.
The way they did the seatpost clamp at point 5 is correct by me.
Opposite to how the manufacture fits it in this case.
So what did you think "tardy" meant?
As I've said really - incompetence, disorganisation, lack of caring and basic attention to detail.
What did the shop say when you spoke to them about all this? It sounds like it's all sorted now? In which case move on, don't buy from them next time or hope that they'll go out of their way to be particularly nice to you if you do.
As I said, I haven't gone to them about all of it, just the things I couldn't do myself. And as I also said, it is sorted.
So what was the resolution for the dodgy protection tape, and other stuff with a ££ aspect (rather than just poor spannering)?
They replaced it with the correct one and did a great job of fitting it. No significant cost for anything else.
So you've come online to moan about a bike shop that you won't name and also you haven't actually complained to them either. You've having a vent.
If you don't want this to happen to someone else then the least you can do is have a little word with the shop about your experience so they can improve.
Well whats the bloody point then.
Yes I am. We talk about bike things here, people have a choice whether to read or participate in any given thread.
There's no real point, there doesn't have to be.
The least I can do is nothing, I don't owe more than that to anyone. My judgement is that the shop has many satisfied customers, wouldn't care much about what I have to say, and would continue as they are regardless. They know about half the major things already.
As I've said really - incompetence, disorganisation, lack of caring and basic attention to detail.
Ah, you're thinking of turdy