newbie w/ intro and stupid story

[morsecode]

So my husband and I have been going to the TE website everyday to make our entries for the Tour de France contest (he actually won a couple of days ago - the day of Floyd's big comeback )... I've known about TE for a long time and have ordered from the site, so I can't believe that I didn't realize that there was a forum here.

Anyway, my name is Karen. I'm from Buffalo, NY (actually I'm not from Buffalo, but that's where I'm living now) and apparently I don't look like the kind of person who rides a high-end bike (this is all part of the story of how I realized there was a forum here)...

Since it's the weekend, hubby and I decided to go to our local Trek dealers to do the Tour Mania scratch-and-wins (we won a PowerBar ). When we were browsing around one of them I noticed a sign about a new program for test-driving saddles before you buy them. I was so happy because I desperately need a new saddle (numbness in the soft tissue regions pretty much every time I ride). As directed we found a salesperson to ask about the program. When we did he looked at us and said that the program was really only for high-end saddles, and then went on to clarify in a patronizing way, those saddles for high-end road and mountain bikes. oooooh... that made me so mad. Granted we don't have bikes that cost thousands of dollars, but we don't have cheapy bikes either (I have a mountain bike, Trek 4500 - the women's version, though after the fact I realize that the men's version would have been a better fit for me). Needless to say, we aren't buying anything from them in the future.
[After the fact, this actually seems a bit funny. The salesguy getting all snooty with me when, you know, this isn't the store that all the "high-end" cyclists in the area go to, in fact, they just started carrying "high-end" stuff in the past two years (since the last time I went in the store), and they don't even have the alot of the really "high end" stuff (no time-trial bikes, etc)]

Sorry for this long story...
The whole point was that this incident made me refocus on my need for a new saddle and when I started doing websearch I happily happened across this forum previously unbeknownst to me

I'll probably be lurking around the forums quite a bit now that I know it's here. I'm recently got back into riding after 10 years. I'd love to get a road bike, but honestly I can't afford one and cars make me a bit jumpy.

I'm hoping for some guidance on the saddle situation, though I do realize that different saddles work for different people.

[mimitabby]

hi Morse,
welcome to TE forum. you know; i had that same experience in a violin store once. We didn't look like high end customers and they treated us pretty badly. We've bad mouthed that store many times, because of that incident, even in a published letter to a national magazine. A little class goes a long time in the sales dept i think.
I am sure you can find another bike shop where they will treat you with dignity and respect.

Go to the saddles section here in the TE forum, you will get an earful (or an eyeful) of lots of opinions about saddles, good luck
mimi

[morsecode]

Luckily it really doesn't matter if we never go to that bike shop again.

If we need anything we usually go to a different shop. Actually, they're the other Trek dealer in the area and when we went there yesterday to do our scratch-and-win (before the bad store) one of the salesguys offered to let me test drive a $10,000 road bike in the rain

[mimitabby]

well, at least you have 1 good shop in your area!!
did you like the 10k bike?

[Bikingmomof3]

Hi Morse!

I would not be going back either, although I would mention this incident to the manger. I am pleased you found this group. The women here are wonderful and not only knowledgeable, but helpful. Welcome.

[morsecode]

well, at least you have 1 good shop in your area!!
did you like the 10k bike?

I didn't actually test it. I would have been so nervous with it that I would have run into something

[morsecode]

Welcome.

thanks

[mimitabby]

I didn't actually test it. I would have been so nervous with it that I would have run into something

i can relate to that!

[Kathi]

I didn't actually test it. I would have been so nervous with it that I would have run into something

Warning! don't ride that 10k bike unless you can afford it because you'll wind up buying it.

[morsecode]

Warning! don't ride that 10k bike unless you can afford it because you'll wind up buying it.

yeah, that's why they want you to ride it.
When I told the guy that it was probably out of our price range he said "well, you can take it for a spin anyway"
luckily I know better (or maybe a more honest answer is that I didn't want to do something stupid and embarass myself in front of all the salespeople and serious-cyclist customers there)
The store is great and the people there are really nice, but I'm completely intimidated by it b/c I feel completely out of my league.

[Kathi]

I can't wait til my camera comes and I can show off my new baby!

[Kano]

The store is great and the people there are really nice, but I'm completely intimidated by it b/c I feel completely out of my league.

I have a feeling this is a newbie-disease! I feel exactly the same, Karen! They could tell me just about ANYTHING and I'd probably believe it, because I don't know anything for myself when it comes to bikes!

(I'm learning, though, I think -- starting to come up with a wish list...)

Karen in Boise

[morsecode]

I have a feeling this is a newbie-disease! I feel exactly the same, Karen! They could tell me just about ANYTHING and I'd probably believe it, because I don't know anything for myself when it comes to bikes!

(I'm learning, though, I think -- starting to come up with a wish list...)

Karen in Boise

definitely newbie disease!
I feel like I don't know anything