First trip to the LBS--advice?

So I am going to brave my LBS (see how I've picked up the lingo already!) tomorrow and start my new bike inquest. I'm currently riding a Trek 800 sport mountain bike (although it has never been on a mountain!) and while it is comfy and sturdy, I'd like to move to a road bike.

My plan is to go in and tell them my goal (AIDS ride in 2009) and my currently riding level and see what they suggest.

I'm not ready to buy yet--this is kind of a fact-finding mission. Any advice on questions to ask?

Thanks!
:)

ambitious, an inquest is the investigation of an unexpected death.

however, good luck at the LBS and i hope they treat you right! (and if they don't, go to another one!)

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Originally Posted by AmbitiousGirl

I'm not ready to buy yet--this is kind of a fact-finding mission.
:)

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:D:D:D From the mouths of babes! Enjoy your new bike. Tell us all about it later ;)

Which shop are you headed to?

There are so many different bikes and different styles of bikes - my advice would be start riding and see what works - what you like - what you don't like.

CA

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

ambitious, an inquest is the investigation of an unexpected death.

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Oh no! That's what I get for posting before coffee! But I have to say my fear of clip in bike shoes has me a little worried about death!
:)

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Originally Posted by CA_in_NC

Which shop are you headed to?

CA

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I was planning on starting with the Bicycle Chain on Broad St. Where do you usually go?

There, actually. Talk to Chris - he knows quite a bit about bike fit and should be able to help you.

Caveat is - I haven't bought most of by bikes there. Not because I don't like them - just because I ride weird bikes (a Surly, a Bike Friday, my rd bike was used) - my Trek 520 did come from them. They've done all of the work on my bikes for quite a while. They have an awesome mechanic - Linus.

CA

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

ambitious, an inquest is the investigation of an unexpected death.

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But the second definition is just "an investigation or inquiry."

If you haven't already, spend some time looking online at various options from various brands--one thing I've noticed in my LBS is that they don't necessarily have in stock the bikes that interest me most online, so if you go in armed with information about what is generally available, you'll not only know more about what you are seeing, but also about what you are *not* seeing on the floor.

Have fun shopping!

Sarah

[QUOTE=mimitabby;355917]ambitious, an inquest is the investigation of an unexpected death.


Actually, that is the application it has come to have, but:

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French enqueste, from Vulgar Latin *inquaesta, feminine of *inquaestus, past participle of *inquaerere to inquire


It also means to inquire.

Barbara

Ask as many questions as you want - if they seem unwilling to give you an answer, or kind of laugh in your face, I suggest moving on. Try to test ride a couple of different bikes to see what is right for you.

I was completely clueless when I got my first bike. I just knew that I had to have one. I took it out for a 10 second test ride (I was really wobbly on the bike as well). Luckily for me, it turned out the bike was a good fit, and I had BF with me, he's been cycling for years, so that was helpful. If you know somebody who rides, I suggest you take that person along.

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by AmbitiousGirl

I was planning on starting with the Bicycle Chain on Broad St. Where do you usually go?

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I like that shop. Friendly staff. (I'm a former Dukie). Out towards Sanford, there are a couple good shops with other brands (Cannondale, Cervelo, etc.) that seem pretty decent. I'm blanking on the names now, but I could try to look them up...

Yeah....I went on one of those "fact finding" missions last month. Came home 6 hours later with my new bike! ;)

I took my dad with me who has become obsessed with biking the past 4 years. He was very helpful with what I needed and wanted. The LBS I ended up buying at had a machine that could measure my arm length, leg length, etc., and fitted me with the right size bike. (The first few stores just eyed me and guessed which wasn't that helpful.) The LBS where I purchased my bike were very involved in helping me find the right bike for me as well as treating me equal to all the other customers in there. I'm not your typical fit bike chick and I really felt the first 3 stores didn't take me too seriously. It all came together, though, and I bought at the final store and have been very happy with my new ride and all of their help. Good luck and can't wait to hear what you decide on.

It could just be a simple quest.

Ride some bikes!
Have some fun!
Learn something new!

Sounds like you have some good shops out there.
Key things to remember...
They should be asking YOU questions, your goals, riding style, experience, etc. * If all they do is talk about themselves go elsewhere- they don't have your interest in mind.

they should always measure you to insure proper fit. If they just have you "straddle the top tube" go elsewhere.
There are many variables that go into bike fit and they really need to measure you.

Take a good long test ride. You really need to take some time to make sure the bike feels right. And try a couple so that you can feel the difference.

have fun!!

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Originally Posted by aicabsolut

I like that shop. Friendly staff. (I'm a former Dukie). Out towards Sanford, there are a couple good shops with other brands (Cannondale, Cervelo, etc.) that seem pretty decent. I'm blanking on the names now, but I could try to look them up...

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Hrm...Bicycle Chain has Cannondale and Trek. Some of their other stores have affiliated brands. Cycling Spoken Here and the Spin Cycle in Cary have lots of other road stuff - Klein, Seven, Serotta, etc, etc. Not sure about towards Sanford....

When were you at Duke?

CA

I thought the BC had specialized and trek.... eh, it's been several months since I was last down there (late April).

I graduated in 2003.

1) Leave your wallet in the car. That way you won't be pulling out a credit card for something you don't absolutely love!

2) Do some homework before going in. What exactly you want/don't want. Especially color. Do you want to commute with it? Make sure it's compatible with what you want to do, that is one of my downfalls.

3) IF you don't want clipless pedals, why get them now. No one should force them on you. I get tired of people pushing them on me. I have combo pedals on my commuter. If I want to use them, I do (can't right now bc of foot issues). If I don't, I don't. If you don't want to learn them right now, don't. I don't like when I go to a bike shop and they start on me about the pedals. For me, that is a big red flag if they don't like my answer-everyone is entitled to their own setup. Just my 2 cents...

And most of all...remember, you are the queen of your domain...:)

You're right - they have Specialized too (forgot about that) - but I know they carry Cannondale and Trek too.

We graduated in 2000, and I graduated from law in 03.

CA

Well, the sales people certainly saw me coming :D I was new to cycling and very enthusiastic. The only questions they really asked me were: "What kind of frame material were you looking for?", "Did you have any specific brands in mind?" and "How did the bike feel?" Seeming as I was completely new, they should have offered some more insight into what these questions meant.

They took a few measurements and stuck me on a bike. I love my bike although I am not fully convinced that it fits me correctly :( I suspect that they were trying to sell me the model they had on the floor rather than the bike that might have fit me best. They did not offer to order anything or try another brand in a smaller size. The shop did not fit me at all at my time of purchase (it was during a sale) and I had several fit issues which I had to address on my own.

So here's what I will request the next time I purchase a bike (which will be several years from now :D). I'm just drooling over the custom bikes everyone raves about but that would add to my wait for a new bike so we'll have to see ;)

1. The bike staff should ask you questions about the type and frequency of riding you will be doing to determine the best bike for you. They should be happy to answer your "newbie" questions and not be condescending or make you feel stupid :( Nice staff will delight in your interest in bikes rather in your lack of knowledge.
2. The seat height should be adjusted for you to test ride it.
3. A good bike shop will offer to order you the size that will fit you best if they do not have it in stock instead of pushing their floor models on you.
4. A good LBS willl fit the bike to you when you purchase it: this means checking handlebar width, saddle position (or even better, a saddle swap), stem swap, etc.
5. A good LBS will tell you the best time to bring your bicycle in for it's "break in" tune up (should be free!)
6. A good LBS will so also help you with fit issues a week up to a month after your purchase to ensure your bicycle is fitting you in the best way possible.

...and that is what I will be looking for when I can afford to purchase a new bike! :D

I might add - due to the location of this shop (right across the street from Duke) - they will likely be pretty busy for a few weeks. If you want to go in soon - try mid week, mid afternoon, or another random time. Chances are if you go in on a Saturday they will be mobbed and may not be able to spend as much time with you as they would like to.

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Originally Posted by Ana

1. The bike staff should ask you questions about the type and frequency of riding you will be doing to determine the best bike for you. They should be happy to answer your "newbie" questions and not be condescending or make you feel stupid :( Nice staff will delight in your interest in bikes rather in your lack of knowledge.
2. The seat height should be adjusted for you to test ride it.
3. A good bike shop will offer to order you the size that will fit you best if they do not have it in stock instead of pushing their floor models on you.
4. A good LBS willl fit the bike to you when you purchase it: this means checking handlebar width, saddle position (or even better, a saddle swap), stem swap, etc.
5. A good LBS will tell you the best time to bring your bicycle in for it's "break in" tune up (should be free!)
6. A good LBS will so also help you with fit issues a week up to a month after your purchase to ensure your bicycle is fitting you in the best way possible.

...and that is what I will be looking for when I can afford to purchase a new bike! :D

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- A REALLY good bike shop will tweak your bike for fit issues beyond a month.
- A REALLY good bike shop will also do a mini-fitting before a test ride.

At the start of summer, I got my first drop-bar bike. My body has been adjusting to the new position the more I ride. The owner of my LBS actually has encouraged me to just keeping coming in if I have issues or if things need to be adjusted as I get more used to cycling. Right now, my bike is set up so that I ride in a fairly upright position (for a drop-bar bike). As my body gets into better shape, they have offered to swap out the stem for a more aggressive riding position. I know they mean this because they've tweaked a few things for me over the summer as I've taken longer rides and noticed different issues.

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Originally Posted by tpb

- A REALLY good bike shop will tweak your bike for fit issues beyond a month.
- A REALLY good bike shop will also do a mini-fitting before a test ride.

At the start of summer, I got my first drop-bar bike. My body has been adjusting to the new position the more I ride. The owner of my LBS actually has encouraged me to just keeping coming in if I have issues or if things need to be adjusted as I get more used to cycling. Right now, my bike is set up so that I ride in a fairly upright position (for a drop-bar bike). As my body gets into better shape, they have offered to swap out the stem for a more aggressive riding position. I know they mean this because they've tweaked a few things for me over the summer as I've taken longer rides and noticed different issues.

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OMG! They can mini-fit you before you ride it? :cool:

Oh, the things I learn from TE :D

My LBS from which I purchase my bike (though I'm overall dissatisfied) tweaked my bike fit about 6 months after I purchased it...although they were rather reluctant and didn't really do it properly.... :( I had to go back again and they fixed the stem where it attaches to the front of the bike...

I'm new here, but I just got my first street bike after riding a hybrid. If you are interested in clipless pedals, you can put them on your current bike. It's easier to learn on the bike you are comfortable with. Otherwise, I wouldn't put them on your new bike right away--too many changes at once!

I still don't understand the components, but pick a price range you are comfortable with--and based on the quality of bike you want. I zoned out when they started talking, but snapped back when they offered to let me ride different models. If they don't offer, ASK.

Be prepared to go to multiple bike shops--it's the end of the season and there were very few women's models on the floor in our area. It's also easier to leave when you know there are more bikes down the road. I got lucky--I bought the only female frame at the third bike shop (there was one more stop to go on the way home).

Just say you want to think about it and you will be back tomorrow. That's a polite way to get out the door.

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Originally Posted by CA_in_NC

You're right - they have Specialized too (forgot about that) - but I know they carry Cannondale and Trek too.

We graduated in 2000, and I graduated from law in 03.

CA

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My cousin was '99. I knew some people from law '03 from a couple classes, but so many names escape me these days....

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Originally Posted by Ana

My LBS from which I purchase my bike (though I'm overall dissatisfied) tweaked my bike fit about 6 months after I purchased it...although they were rather reluctant and didn't really do it properly.... :( I had to go back again and they fixed the stem where it attaches to the front of the bike...

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That was it??? They should have given you the whole nine yards before your purchase. Actually - a real serious shop would go through the process before you test-ride, just to make sure that they are making you test ride something that will fit you. After all, if you are given some bikes that fit you well, you are more likely to buy one...
And - once you decide and tell them that you are in fact purchasing the bike - they should repeat the fitting process with your chosen components and optimize everything. But a guess some people are just interested in giving away whatever bikes they have available in the showroom... :mad:
You are right to complain - hope you find a better bike shop!

I remember when I purchased my mountain bike - I knew nothing about bikes and the LBS owner took one look at my overweight body and told me I needed a sturdy frame bike. He had me straddle a bike - nothing more. He let me ride it around the parking lot a couple of times and that was it. The bike was a men’s bike on top of everything else and he suggested that it would be more sturdy than a women’s bike. Like a sucker, I purchased it. I rode it for about 3 years, but I was struggling with it. Eventually I developed knee pain. Fortunately when I met my husband to be, he had owned a bike shop and took one look at my mountain bike and said that bike is not right for me. We went shopping for my new bike at a different shop and found my Giant. The guy there fitted it to me the proper way. While shopping recently for panniers and other accessories we visited at least six LBS here and every one of them was stuck up and did not want to answer questions - one of them even replying that “we are about to close, but we will be glad to take your money if you come back tomorrow!”. In disgust, we went to a bike shop near our local park and found an incredible young man who really knows and loves bikes. His shop is not the fanciest, but his attention to detail and his expertise is the best. He has made numerous adjustments to my bike and it is just about perfect for me now. I hope that you find a LBS that will work with you as well. If I knew then what I know now I would have made a smarter decision on purchasing my first bike. Good luck - post pics when you get your new bike!

First, thank you all for the great tips and advice. It was much easier to go into the LBS today armed with some knowledge--even if it is just knowledge about what to expect!

Since it was raining yesterday I decided to postpone my trip until today. Unfortunately, even with the sun shinning it was a pretty unproductive trip.

I went armed with a list of questions, a notebook and pen. There was one guy working the floor and couple in the back repair area. The guy working floor, after asking what I wanted, told me I needed a road bike and then followed with "but I don't know anything about road bikes so you need to come back and talk to someone else".

He then pointed me to a huge binder of bikes and told me to look through it. So I declined looking at the pictures (I'm still at the stage where all bikes look the same to me) and asked when the person who does know about road bikes would be in (next Tuesday). So I'll go back then--and try another shop in the mean time.

Hopefully my visit next Tuesday will be more productive!
:)