Bike Fitting - buying off the internet

Neverlandland

Hi,

I am thinking about buying a bike on the internet. I brought the bike for a test ride in my LBS, and know what size fits me.

Obviously when you buy on the net, the bike will be coming in a box. I was wondering, does it take much skill to assemble it, and more importantly, is it tough to adjust everything so that it fits you perfectly or are you better off spending the extra 200 or so buying it from the LBS?

Thanks

fat bloke

Sometimes it's just an allen key to the handlebars - raise em up, tighten, ditto saddle height, and away you go.

I there's only 200 quid in it, I'd go chat to my LBS and see how much closer they could get to the online price, and see if I could put the money in their pockets rather than the online retailer. I like the idea of building up some sort of a relationship with an LBS for servicing etc.

Neverlandland

I probably should have been more specific

I tried out the bike in the LBS, but it was a different spec, and they didnt have the one i wanted. I tried another bike store, and their best price was 200 more than the net. The thing is, this bike store is nearly 140km away from where I live! So that's a little under 300 km to go out, see the bike, and order it and then come back. Then I go to my employee and tell them which one I want to buy the bike from, get the bike2work, and then go back out and do the 300 km journey to collect it.

I suppose, looking at it there, that's nearly 2 tanks of petrol! And there's not going to be much of a relationship since theyre so far away!

I'm already after paying for the bike2work scheme, I just need to provide the specifics. If I bought it on the net, I could always end up going to the LBS to spend it there on shoes/pedals/helmet/shorts and possibly some triathlon gear. I may even buy some upgrades .

Lumen

Neverlandland wrote: »

Obviously when you buy on the net, the bike will be coming in a box. I was wondering, does it take much skill to assemble it, and more importantly, is it tough to adjust everything so that it fits you perfectly or are you better off spending the extra 200 or so buying it from the LBS?

You're probably going to have to work out how your bike works sooner or later. Usually you just need allen keys.

blorg

It depends on who the online retailer is. Wiggle send them completely built up, gears tuned etc. and you just have to put on the handlebars. Planet X are not far off this either. Others send the box as it comes from the manufacturer and it may be a bit more involved (you may have to attach brake cables, tune the gears etc.) In almost any case the bike will be mostly built... if it is coming in bits (as Planet X used do) it will generally be flagged, but this is quite rare.

Neverlandland

Thanks for the advice.

I'm going o be buying from jejamescycles, so not too sure, although I imagine it cant be too hard?!

petethedrummer

If it's just handlebars, do the top bolt first then the two side ones. Explained here: http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-threadless-headset/

I think you can damage the bearings in the headset if you screw the top bolt on too tight.

Dubba

I bought a PX last year and was set up apart from the rear derailleur wasn't attached so I had to bring it to a LBS. No big deal unless your very far from a local bike shop. If you are then you should ask jejamescycles for them to ship the bike ready to ride.

Possedion

got a bike from wiggle, everything ok out of box. they even ask for size details.
so it was not far off the mark... but its nice to go to LBS and see the bike first.

blorg

Most come with the stem attached, you just add the bars.

blorg

Dubba wrote: »

I bought a PX last year and was set up apart from the rear derailleur wasn't attached so I had to bring it to a LBS.

Mine was cabled and indexed, I just had to screw it on to the frame (5 seconds with a 5mm allen key.)

Dubba

blorg wrote: »

Mine was cabled and indexed, I just had to screw it on to the frame (5 seconds with a 5mm allen key.)

Woops. I really didn't have a clue and I'm still far from proficient when it comes to bike maintenance on the whole.

Paul Kiernan

blorg wrote: »

Mine was cabled and indexed, I just had to screw it on to the frame (5 seconds with a 5mm allen key.)

Just to understand why they do this - I bought a bike on the internet and the gears were all wrong, spent half a day with the Shimano manual trying to adjust them to no avail:o. Eventually brought to LBS where they had to replace hanger and rear mech as both damaged in transit:).