Buyers remorse/panic: Bit of a saga, sorry!

[KnottedYet]

congratulations!

Now, post some pics of your beautiful new bike! (we like pictures!)

Your 30 tires should do just fine for you. I have 28's that I take on everything (including grassy fields for bike skills practice) on my roadie. Cyclocross racers have tires in this range, and you should see the stuff they ride through!

Hoooray for your new bike!!!

[MINIskirt]

Congrats on the new bike!!!

[KnottedYet]

Just a snarky side comment:
I've never heard of a shop that wouldn't refund/return an ordered item that hadn't even arrived at the shop yet.

Ok, I'm done being snarky.

[mimitabby]

without a re-stocking fee you mean?

[KnottedYet]

I'm thinking about the baby-seat, which isn't supposed to arrive until this weekend. "they were not so willing to refund that one." Special order or not, the seat hasn't even arrived, so why would they fight cancelling/refunding?

and no, what's with the restocking fee!?!?!

Oak Bay Cycles sounds like a better match for an LBS. Hey, they were even helpful about a bike being purchased at another store! They sound good.

[mimitabby]

until i met Smart Cycles, I had never heard of a restocking fee for anything except orders of small inexpensive items which cost more to handle than they are worth. APparently it's another way for small businesses to make some $$.

[pooks]

That's a gorgeous bike, that orange Road Warrior!

I got hit with a restocking fee at a national computer store and wrote a letter to the CEO (copied to the store manager) that was so brilliantly scathing the store manager called me before the store opened two days later and said, "The check is in the mail."

I was so steamed about that.

Especially since the salesguy had been inadequate and had misunderstood the way that laptop worked, and it wasn't until I got home and opened it that I realized it wouldn't work for me! Took it back the same day, and they said, "10% restocking fee."

I've never been in that store again and that was years ago. And I can't remember the name of the store, or I'd say it!

[uforgot]

Your 30 tires should do just fine for you. I have 28's that I take on everything (including grassy fields for bike skills practice) on my roadie. Cyclocross racers have tires in this range, and you should see the stuff they ride through!

Hoooray for your new bike!!!

Knotted, what tires do you have? I'm going to 28's on my road bike, but I'm not sure what to get. I want a more all round tire than the little slick 23s I have on there now, and my rims support up to 28.

Maybe I just need to put you on speedial. The last two weekends I've asked your advice...

Chakra, congrats! Sounds like you found a bike you love. I, too, want to see pics!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have Pasela brand Panaracer tires 700x28mm, with kevlar (to help prevent flats) on my road bike. I can and have ridden over the most god-awful sharp rocky gravel roads you can imagine, including through fields of tractor ruts, too...several thousand miles....no flats yet.

By the way, I do NOT inflate them to their stated maximum pressure of 105 psi. I keep the back tires at around 95, and the fronts at about 85. That keeps my ride way smoother, gives me more stability on slippery gravel and in wind (and NO, it has not slowed my average speed down- I compared my average speeds with when I pumped up both to 105). Remember when your tires are super inflated and hard, they will bounce more and have less road contact. That can translate to less traction, more wasted vertical bounce movement, and thus loss of forward power.
I realize a lot of people disagree with this, but I figured I'd throw it in anyway. Works for me.

[uforgot]

Wow, thanks Lisa! I really wanted a tire that would go on my road bike, but on light gravel also. Sounds like what you have is just the ticket. Thanks!

[KnottedYet]

I have Vittoria Randonneurs with reflective sidewalls. 700 x 28.

I've ridden on grass, asphalt, broken asphalt, and small gravel. They are low pressure tires, max inflate is around what Lisa uses. Very comfortable!

[uforgot]

I have Vittoria Randonneurs with reflective sidewalls. 700 x 28.

I've ridden on grass, asphalt, broken asphalt, and small gravel. They are low pressure tires, max inflate is around what Lisa uses. Very comfortable!

Thanks Knotted. I did a search on these and Lisa's and my favorite lbs carries these, so I guess I'll have to make the trip there soon. Next weekend maybe we can discuss headlamps? waterbottles?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Claudia,
Dumb question, but...I assume you already know whether 28mm wide tires will indeed FIT on your road bike, right? (Also, if you have fenders, will they fit WITH the fender clearance as well?)

[KnottedYet]

Next weekend maybe we can discuss headlamps? waterbottles?

Poly-something water bottles from Soma. They don't grow cooties! (I have 3 of them and Trek has them, too.)

http://www.somafab.com/bottle.html