|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
My experience with Racer Sportif
In the summer of 2002 I was searching for a replacement for my 1975
Bottechia road bike. I had already rebuilt the Bottechia a couple of times over the years and I figured it was time to splurge and find something more modern. I wasn't looking for anything special, just something to commute to work with here in Toronto. Racer Sportif is close by so I decided to check them out. After some discussion with the salesrep, I bought an aluminum frame road bike with a mixture of Tiagra and Sora components and the widest tires they could fit on the frame. I picked up the bike a few days later and began to use the bike to commute to work. Within the first week I noticed that the right crankcase cap was coming loose and I returned the bike and they tightened it up no problem. The bike is light and quick but the ride is harsh, choppy and not very comfortable for my daily commute. My communting riding pattern over the next few weeks was to use the new bike in good weather and the old bike in foul(rainy) weather. After doing this, I began to like the feel of my slower old cromoly bike better than my new bike. This being the case, I decided to have the wheels rebuilt and the rear sprocket and chain replaced as well. Back I went to Racer Sportif and had them do the work. The price was a little bit steep, but they explained to me that they could not put off the shelf wheels on the old bike, and they would have build custom wheels to fit it. They built new wheels for the bike and replaced the other parts as well. All was fine for next few weeks when I used the bike sparingly in foul weather. The next spring of 2003 I began my routine of new bike in good weather and old bike in foul weather. I really like the ride and feel of the old bike and began to ride it more often. One day while riding to work, the rear wheel started to wobble. Taking a look I noticed that the tire was coming off the rim. No problem I just let the air out, set it back on, pumped it up and continued on my way (I carry all the basic tools, a spare tube and a pump on my commute). A couple of days later the tire came off again. This time I said I'd better replace the tire. So I popped into MEC (Mountain Equipment Coop) to pick up a new tire on my way home. I put the new tire on and noticed that it didn't sit in the rim properly and only the bead is catching the rim. At this point I went back to Racer Sportif and asked them what they think the problem is. They told me the tires were fine and were seated satisfactorily in the rim. They asked me what pressure I was keeping the tires at and I told them 70lbs. Ah, that's the problem, they said I should keep the tires at a higher pressure. Fine I said, I pumped them up to 80lbs as they recommended and within a week the other tire blew off the rim while the bike was parked at work. Being downtown, I went over to Europe Bound on Front Street. The young man and I went through his inventory of tires until we found one that fit pretty good. He replaced the tire and tube. I asked him what he thought about the rims and wheels. He said that he could have given me better wheels off-the-shelf for less money than I spent. In other words I did not need custom built wheels for the bike. I went back to Racer Sportif and asked them what they think the problem is? They told me it looks like defective tires and they would have to contact the distributor to rectify the situation. Well over the course of the next few weeks they gave me all kinds of excuses as to why they haven't been able to contact the distributor and they would not replace the tires or compensate me for the tires and tubes I had to replace. It's now been 6 months since I first contacted Racer Sportif regarding the tires and I still have no answer from them. So after spending a good chunk of money at Racer Sportif, they were unwilling to do anything about the the product they sold and installed for me. They would rather lose a good customer instead of simply replacing the faulty tires for their cost, which is probably $20. I guess I didn't spend enough money! Needless to say, I will be avoiding the place like the plague! In the meantime, over that time period I have bought three more bikes since, for the rest of the family, and none of them came from Racer Sportif. Paul |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
My experience with Racer Sportif
"foggy" wrote in message
om... In the summer of 2002 I was searching for a replacement for my 1975 snip.. In the meantime, over that time period I have bought three more bikes since, for the rest of the family, and none of them came from Racer Sportif. Paul I've never liked Racer that much, and that's going back to 1980 when I first started racing. Both Racer and High Park Cycle were both the "race shops" down there back then, with Bloor Cycle being the monster shop. I never liked either Racer or High Park, mostly due to the attitude of the owners I think. We swung a deal once (the shop I worked at..) to purchase a Gios Torino frame from there for a customer. We got a certified cheque to complete the transaction (their request) and went down to pick up the frame. When we got there, they decided to cancel the deal. Ever since then... ;-) I like Silent Sports up at Yonge and Doncaster or Chain Reaction down at Royal York and Dundas. And, of course, Duke's is a big shop downtown but I haven't heard much about them. You should also check out Urbane Cyclist which is also downtown. They cater more to the fixie and urban commuter crowd. Cheers, Scott.. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
My experience with Racer Sportif
"S. Anderson" wrote in message ...
"foggy" wrote in message om... In the summer of 2002 I was searching for a replacement for my 1975 snip.. In the meantime, over that time period I have bought three more bikes since, for the rest of the family, and none of them came from Racer Sportif. Paul I've never liked Racer that much, and that's going back to 1980 when I first started racing. Both Racer and High Park Cycle were both the "race shops" down there back then, with Bloor Cycle being the monster shop. I never liked either Racer or High Park, mostly due to the attitude of the owners I think. We swung a deal once (the shop I worked at..) to purchase a Gios Torino frame from there for a customer. We got a certified cheque to complete the transaction (their request) and went down to pick up the frame. When we got there, they decided to cancel the deal. Ever since then... ;-) I like Silent Sports up at Yonge and Doncaster or Chain Reaction down at Royal York and Dundas. And, of course, Duke's is a big shop downtown but I haven't heard much about them. You should also check out Urbane Cyclist which is also downtown. They cater more to the fixie and urban commuter crowd. Cheers, Scott.. My original Botechia was from Bloor Cycle. I also purchased a Raleigh for my wife back in 1984 from there. I've bought a couple of seats from High Park Cycle (Dundas & Keele) but the place is a mess. I have also been into Chain Reaction to have a look around but that was many years ago when they were closer to the Humber River on the north side of Dundas. As I mentioned I'm a 'fair weather' commuter and I pick up most of my bike supplies from MEC where tubes are still the best deal. I'm not sure where Urbane Cyclist is but I do pass John St. on my way home so I will have to pop in in the spring to check things out. Have a merry one! Paul |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
My experience with Racer Sportif
...and the widest tires they could fit on the frame.
Could very well be a rim/tire mismatch problem. I can tell you what works well for me, but I can't tell from your statements where the problem is. Sheldon has a table on line that pretty much covers what the limits are in terms of wide tires on narrow rims, etc. I only run Conti TT2Ks on my clincher rims, I can tell you that a 32 will work well on an MA-2 but a 38 won't. A 38 will work well on a CR-18 as will a 32 but a 28 might not. A 28 will work well on an MA-2. I never tried one on a CR-18, but I wouldn't be optimistic. Racer Sportif may be unwilling to rebuild the wheels with wider rims? -- _______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------ in.edu__________ |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
My experience with Racer Sportif
"Eric S. Sande" wrote in message ...
...and the widest tires they could fit on the frame. Could very well be a rim/tire mismatch problem. I can tell you what works well for me, but I can't tell from your statements where the problem is. Sheldon has a table on line that pretty much covers what the limits are in terms of wide tires on narrow rims, etc. I only run Conti TT2Ks on my clincher rims, I can tell you that a 32 will work well on an MA-2 but a 38 won't. A 38 will work well on a CR-18 as will a 32 but a 28 might not. A 28 will work well on an MA-2. I never tried one on a CR-18, but I wouldn't be optimistic. Racer Sportif may be unwilling to rebuild the wheels with wider rims? Seems to be a little confusion about my long winded original post. I had the new bike built with tires as wide as possible on a narrow frame. I think the tires are 28 because the inside of the fork is very narrow. The problem I had was with the rebuilt rims and tires for the old bike. These tires are 32 and just going through an inventory of different tires, all 32 in width, we (the fellow from Europe Bound and I) finally found a tire which fit pretty good. I can't remember the make but it is an all black inexpensive tire. The good news is that both replacement tires have remained in place. I did read Sheldon's recommendation and I think I remember him saying that you should measure the inside width of the rim and then review his chart to see the recommended tire width. I never did this, but just looking at the rims, I would say that they are wide, so I probably should be putting on a wider tire. I guess the point is why didn't Racer Sportif put on tires to match the rims? Regards, Paul |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
My experience with Racer Sportif
You might check the tire size descriptions on
http://www.airfreetires.com Solid rubber tires are more sensitive to the correct tire diameter and width. foggy wrote: "Eric S. Sande" wrote in message ... ...and the widest tires they could fit on the frame. Could very well be a rim/tire mismatch problem. I can tell you what works well for me, but I can't tell from your statements where the problem is. Sheldon has a table on line that pretty much covers what the limits are in terms of wide tires on narrow rims, etc. I only run Conti TT2Ks on my clincher rims, I can tell you that a 32 will work well on an MA-2 but a 38 won't. A 38 will work well on a CR-18 as will a 32 but a 28 might not. A 28 will work well on an MA-2. I never tried one on a CR-18, but I wouldn't be optimistic. Racer Sportif may be unwilling to rebuild the wheels with wider rims? Seems to be a little confusion about my long winded original post. I had the new bike built with tires as wide as possible on a narrow frame. I think the tires are 28 because the inside of the fork is very narrow. The problem I had was with the rebuilt rims and tires for the old bike. These tires are 32 and just going through an inventory of different tires, all 32 in width, we (the fellow from Europe Bound and I) finally found a tire which fit pretty good. I can't remember the make but it is an all black inexpensive tire. The good news is that both replacement tires have remained in place. I did read Sheldon's recommendation and I think I remember him saying that you should measure the inside width of the rim and then review his chart to see the recommended tire width. I never did this, but just looking at the rims, I would say that they are wide, so I probably should be putting on a wider tire. I guess the point is why didn't Racer Sportif put on tires to match the rims? Regards, Paul |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
My experience with Racer Sportif
In article ,
"Eric S. Sande" wrote: A 38 will work well on a CR-18 as will a 32 but a 28 might not. A 28 will work well on an MA-2. I never tried one on a CR-18, but I wouldn't be optimistic. 28c tires work fine on CR18s. I've been running 28c Conti Sport 1000s (which measure more like 25-26) and before that Super Sports on them for years. About Racer Sportif; I haven't been there since the mid 80's when they tried to pull a bait and switch on me. Eventually I got the bike I'd ordered but I've never been back. -Cary |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Best recumbent exercise bikes for the home user who wants to replicate a gym experience? | Roger Carlson | General | 16 | November 26th 03 02:48 AM |
the specilized infinity tyre - my unfortunate experience of | dschmittz | General | 25 | November 20th 03 06:08 PM |
Any experience of threadless bottom brackets ? | Alex Bird | General | 4 | September 15th 03 08:04 PM |
Roark bicycles - any experience? | thequeenie | General | 2 | August 27th 03 03:24 PM |
anyone have experience with Kona bikes? | Pat | General | 11 | August 19th 03 04:53 AM |