I have thought about few questions to ask to the shop keeper before buying a bike.
But would like to know from you experts, a complete set of questions like warranty period? Number of free services offered after sales?...etc.
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1Buying a bicycle is more of a physical than a mental thing. Getting the right fit on the right kind of bicycle that you can test ride as long as you need has been the key to my happiness with bicycles. – Joe May 29 '13 at 13:25
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2"Do girls get turned on by this bike?" – Daniel R Hicks Jun 3 '13 at 17:17
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1Shop keepers often will try to rip you off (no offense, personal experience). I had this problem and my first free service from Evans Cycle high street shop after my Jamis 2012 hybrid bike purchase went really bad. They simply checked if the Chain links are okay, but never check the brake tuning, derailleur shift lever jams, etc. I had to go back 2 months later again for several problems and got charged! Warranty, free service details, tyre life, average brake pad lifetime, any free/discounted accessory with your purchase, etc. should be a good list. – hagubear Jun 5 '13 at 12:06
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You are just in time. I am on the way to purchase – Freakyuser Jun 5 '13 at 13:35
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@Freakyuser Yikes! Hope you get a good bike. Let us know what you purchased, and possibly a picture of a shiny new bike :p ? – hagubear Jun 5 '13 at 13:48
If you're buying a new bike at a bike shop I'd do the following:
Ask yourself:
Ask the shop:
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Good list. A good bikeshop should ask you most of the questions from the first list. If they don't ask you many questions, look for another shop. – Kibbee Jun 3 '13 at 16:01
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why shouldn't use cable lock in the city? any specific reason? If not cable lock then what lock? – Freakyuser Jun 3 '13 at 18:03
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1A cable lock can be cut in under a minute with tools that are extremely cheap, quiet, and fit in a pocket. I hear of at least one bike a week being stolen that was locked with only a cable which was cut. People assume it's safe if they are only leaving it 'for a few minutes'. Bike theft often takes only seconds. – Benzo Jun 3 '13 at 18:09
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2
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@Benzo +1 for your solution (I was gonna say D lock same as U lock). ABus assigns ratings on how secure their locks are from level 1 - 12. My personal experience is anything between 6-8 is quite stirdy and secure. I own two abus locks (wire and D) and both are quite good. – hagubear Jun 5 '13 at 12:26
I never really concerned myself with questions to ask a bike shop before buying a bike. Competition in most places is far too keen for a bike shop not to bend over backwards to assist you if you have problems. On the other hand, I do pay close attention to the attitude a LBS takes on letting you test ride bikes. Some shops don't like the idea but allow it. Some encourage you to do so. I'll always take my business to a shop that encourages me to ride the bike as long as I want. The shop should also offer to do a fitting, to make sure the bikes fits you perfectly, after you buy it.
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The shop owner says he won't allow me to test ride the bike. He doesn't have display piece also. Is it no-go for me? This is another question that I asked. – Freakyuser May 29 '13 at 16:16
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4@Freakyuser - That would be enough for me to look elsewhere, assuming he isn't the only bike reasonably close by. – Randy Minder May 29 '13 at 19:48