Bike for my Dad

[Zen]

More gears are better for you.
My newest bike is an eight speed and is perfect for what I use it for.
SS riders would disagree with that assertion also.

Back to the subject at hand- why doesn't Dad go to the bike shop and talk to them?

[colorisnt]

Zen,

He is going to tomorrow, but we live in a wasteland without many shops. It's a good hour to the closest ones to buy from. The other one which is a bit closer is very, very pricey and if he goes there, he already knows from what my uncle and I have told him that he will overpay easily by a couple hundred. Also, their fitter is awful. He put me on a bike a good 2'' too big. I didn't even have clearance over the top bar.

ETA: We are definitely looking at that Sirrus now, thanks. Dad really likes the sport. He is willing to pay up to $800 for a bike he says now. I think he is most concerned with fit (as he should be) but nervous to ask questions. I'm kinda more moral support. It's been a LOOOONG time since he has had a nice bike - since well before I was born.

[KnottedYet]

Kona makes some nice bikes that meet some of what he's looking for (like the various models of Dew, Smoke, etc.) They run about $500, leaving him $300 to buy goodies for his new bike!

[colorisnt]

Knotted,

The local store that sells Kona's is sort of strange. I was worried if we went there, he would never be able to get good service. They are very uppity and don't like to service a commuter. I just worry they also would not want to sell "just a commuter" as well. He liked the Smoke, though, but unfortunately the frame and geometry would have been too big. A 15'' frame.

We went to most of the local stores. Did not go to a couple I knew were completely overpriced and not worth it. Went to one and looked at a Raleigh. The shifters weren't as good as the Trek he was interested in and it had a suspension fork which Dad didn't want (was too heavy and too much extra work while moving. I told him we could switch that out if that was "the one", but we should look at more.

He agreed and we went to another store where we saw a Jamis Commuter. It was a nice bike,but they didn't have his size, so would have to order it. It was also far overpriced for what it was and this is another shop where if it is not a competition bike, you get very little attention.

I saved my favorite shop for last and he was shown a WIDE range of specialize and trek bikes, but he liked the 7000 best. It was at the low end of price, but he liked it the best. It was also very light. I wasn't sure about the shifters and neither was he, but he tried them and liked them. He liked the more gears, actually, so that was good.

We switched out the seat and fitted it and he was happy, so it was a successful day.

[Biciclista]

Colorisnt that doesn't make sense. if they sell the Konas, they're going to want to sell them to you too. Cultivate them. You'd be surprised how far a little positive energy towards a store clerk can go...

[colorisnt]

I know they sell them and service them, but I also know what I have experienced in discussions with the staff. There are good service places and bad. This place likes to cater to mainly $$$$ clients. Don't ask me why they are so uppity, but they are. I think it is just the area they are in. I know people I ride with who have bought bikes at this shop and they are not at all friendly when you take in a "less expensive bike". You may say it doesn't make sense and I agree, but they are not very friendly. When I was talking about putting a rack on my commuter and described my bike, the service guy actually said putting a rack on that bike wasn't something I should do and I should just buy a $1000.00 road bike to replace it. I already have one. I wanted my old bike to be fitted for commuting. That was very odd, so I talked about it with several area cyclists and found out that the place is not very friendly to certain clients. My coworker brought her 10 year old steel bike in for service and was not treated well. In fact, they acted like it was a joke. However, when her hubby brought in his $$$$$ tri bike he was very well catered to. It's not so much the sales staff/clerk, but the service people.

I like the place we bought the bike. I also like another place for service, but I would not buy a bike there thanks to the exhorbinant prices. There are a couple other great places which I would have recommended for a good buying experience and service. However, he didn't like those as much. Either way, Dad is going to have to drive away to get his bike serviced. If he wants to put fenders on in the fall, he'll have to do that, too. I'd prefer to set him up for a place where the staff will easily, knowledgeably, and kindly take care of his needs and will KNOW him when he calls. I say this because I am moving 8 hours away in 4 weeks and would like to know that he is in good hands should he need help and I am not here.