Unsure if shop is conning me

[Craigguthrie123]

Hi I am totally new to biking but love it - I was riding a diamondback 21 speed but there was severe chainring wobble so took to the new bike shop near me. After returning later in the day I got the dreaded - oh you've got a lemon here - the guy said extensive and very poor work had been done in the bottom bracket
Among a load of things, saying it would be £150 to fix. He said a better idea was me to buy a retuned old Raleigh they had for £100. It was late and I wanted to get home so I just did it, plus they seemed really genuine. But now over the weekend I am really regretting it as the bike feels slow and heavy plus I contacted the guy who sold me the bike and he said he'd only ridden it five times before selling it to me. Feeling a bit stressed over who to believe so any input very gratefully rec'd. Thanks

 

[Smokin Joe]

I'd go back with the Raleigh, demand a refund, get my old bike back and then find a decent shop.

 

[Levo-Lon]

What he said ^^^

 

[palinurus]

the guy said extensive and very poor work had been done in the bottom bracket
Among a load of things, saying it would be £150 to fix

Difficult to comment on the quote without knowing what 'among a load of other things' might refer to or having a look at the bottom bracket problem. I have on occasions run my commute bikes into the ground and had the transmission pretty much completely rebuilt and £150 or more is the sort of cost for that type of work- so if the cassette, chain & chainrings, bottom bracket and perhaps some cables need replacing then the price quoted might well be reasonable. If the bike has really been ridden five times from new then it should not require any extensive repair work.

If you aren't happy with the bike they sold you though, take it back and get an second opinion on the Diamondback at another shop.

 

[raleighnut]

I'd bet this would fit, add about £20 to fit it.

http://www.googleadservices.com/pag...|pcrid|71714705462|pkw||pmt||prd|5360507404uk

 

[shouldbeinbed]

You should have the bike you want not the bike that the shop wants to sell you. If you're happy and comfy on the diamondback frame then the investment in getting it running sweet will be worth it for the enjoyment and greater use you'll get out of the bike long term.

It could be that the shop genuinely thought they were doing you a favour, so be decent if you go back and play it by ear and be ready to assert yourself and rights if they do turn out to be a bit sharky

 

[Mobytek]

2 things here - its your bike fo you to fix by who you want and to your standard, and b) the NEW bike shop - chain or independant?

 

[Craigguthrie123]

Thanks for all your brill advice - I tried riding the raleigh over the weekend and cos its a hardtail it felt v rough over my bumpy commute roads that i have to do - actually my back light fell off and I lost it :P( But great on roads.
I went into the shop again today and they are really nice - great independent place - he basically said that cos my bottom bracket was seized that he couldnt guarantee getting my bike safe for the road for £150. He is going to have a go at the bracket and ring me...

 

[Profpointy]

Thanks for all your brill advice - I tried riding the raleigh over the weekend and cos its a hardtail it felt v rough over my bumpy commute roads that i have to do - actually my back light fell off and I lost it :P( But great on roads.
I went into the shop again today and they are really nice - great independent place - he basically said that cos my bottom bracket was seized that he couldnt guarantee getting my bike safe for the road for £150. He is going to have a go at the bracket and ring me...

sounds like the shop are genuine then.... but on your comment "hardtail felt rough over bumpy roads" - this sounds very wrong to me. You really don't want suspension at all for the road, back nor front as it's extra weight, saps energy and all the rest. In fact I'd not bother with it on anything less than full mountain biking (which I don't do) and would personally have no suspension for canal tow paths / farm tracks and the like if your main use is road. There's getting the right tyre pressures (pretty hard) and not riding over bumps like a sack of spuds which is something you'll learn.

By a motoring analogy, a 4x4 is totally the wrong tool for the job of the school run even though "the state of the roads round here" - but is the right tool for towing a trailer across a field.

 

[Craigguthrie123]

Ah OK, that is good to know. Basically 65% of my commute is on roads, and the rest on a very bumpy track with huge stones. The raleigh they gave is very rigid in that it has no suspension at all. So would I maybe be best to learn to ride the rigid over the bumps and get used to it? As it does feel like riding air on the roads. It is a raleigh max frame.

 

[Profpointy]

If it's a rough road, then I'd stick with a road type bike - but if it's really a land-rover track or something you'd drive a car over at walking pace only - and if it's some distance, then I'd want ideally wider tyres - eg 26" x 1.5" or something 32mm wide if 700c tyres. Personally I'd still not want suspension if it's still somewhat road-like - of course depends how bad it is and how long the bad bit is - and at some point a suspensioned mountain bike style thing becomes the better choice.

The trick is to stand / take weight of the saddle when going over bumps - the bike kind of glides over without you getting jarred.

 

[si_c]

The trick is to stand / take weight of the saddle when going over bumps - the bike kind of glides over without you getting jarred.

This, stand on the pedals with bent knees, and loosen your shoulders and grip on the handlebars, the bike should just glide over the bumps. Your knees are far better suspension than you might think.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

This, stand on the pedals with bent knees, and loosen your shoulders and grip on the handlebars, the bike should just glide over the bumps. Your knees are far better suspension than you might think.

+1 I find elbows slightly bent too helps as front suspension. @Craigguthrie123 Profpointy has a point, Road bikes are tougher than they look, but if you do get more into it and graduate from whichever of the 2 on offer now, you might do well to consider a cyclo cross (CX in abbreviated form) bike, if you'll still be mixing on road/off road.

CX vs a road bike = higher bottom bracket ground clearance, able to take a wider tyre for the lumpy bits and not quite so head down a**e up so comfier over the rough. but still drop bars you can get quite aero on it and bigger and/or thinner wheels than a mountain bike or 29er so quicker and comfier on decent paths / tarmac.

 

[sidevalve]

Think of riding a horse - you don't sit dead in the saddle you sort of rise with it allowing knees and elbows to flex.
Second - start learning to do your own maintenance, it really is easy 99% of the time just A - sit down and watch how bits work and B- check out the net for how to do it. Remember a large part of your bill is labour.

 

[Craigguthrie123]

Hi guys thanks again. Have established the shop is def genuine. But after a few days riding the restored 93 Raleigh max ogre they gave me and I'm not enjoying it it's a super heavy old mtb, the brakes just squeal and don't stop it, and it's slow as hell. Plus saddle pain severe! I'm not sure if technique can help with a bike as heavy as this.
Think will ask them to return as don't want a vintage bike - would rather get a modern light bike with some front suspension or one of these xc bikes on finance. Worried that riding this bike could kill the vibe a bit