Another update on my winter bike search

Cross-posting this time, at the behest of others in a previous thread. I'm
not sure which is worse, so please be understanding if you're in the
"never cross-post" camp, as I generally am. With that said, here's the
update. Sorry for the length. It's just too good a story not to tell,
considering how helpful this shop has been. It's that whole idea about not
telling enough about the good things people do for you. So here goes...

So this new LBS I've been dealing with, that has just stunned me with
their ability to work with me and be very generous with their help (i.e.
swapping out parts, doing labor for free, without asking, things I'm
definitely not used to) has two shops in Portland. They used to be called
Gateway Bicycles. Now they're called Speedzone. So I called up the owner
at the main store in Portland and he said that it sounded like either (A)
I wasn't fit right yet and (B) I probably DID need a triple in the front
and that he wished someone had mentioned the Volpe as he personally
thought anyone going long distances might struggle with the Castro
Valley's 9 gears. So he asked me to come in and this is what happened.

I took the Castro Valley and first he put me up on the trainer, made some
mental notes and then proceeded to have his mechanics begin adding the
triple. Meanwhile he put me up on the trainer with my current bike to look
at the difference and where I was currently. For point of reference I'm
6'1" with a 30-inch pants inseam (not sure what my cycling inseam is) and
my current bike is a 58cm Trek 1000.

So anyway, he seemed concerned about the saddle on the Castro Valley and
so we proceeded to look for a saddle that was better fitting (i.e. more
narrow as that's how I like to ride). Found a good Specialized, then part
way through getting the triple on the mechanics realized there was only a
single braze-on for the Castro Valley. So they'd have to do some trickery
to run the cabling for the front derailleur. This is where things once
again get into "I'm not used to getting treated this well" land.

So he basically said we need to scrap this. This bike isn't going to work.
He pulled a 55cm Bianchi Volpe (same frame, but with the braze-on, as the
Castro Valley). He did more measurements of the bike, me, etc. and he said
that (A) the Trek 1000 wasn't exactly 57 for starters and (B) the reason I
needed the funky quill setup was probably because I had the wrong size on
my current bike to begin with. So basically without me so much as asking
he took everything I wanted off the Castro Valley that I'd had put on
(computer, suicide levers, wider handlebars, etc.) and put them on the
Volpe.

And keep in mind, this is all happening for free. I've never experienced
this before. Usually shops I go to charge for most things that are done
and I'm more than willing to pay for it, but he just had them do the work,
without question. They got the Volpe setup, put the new saddle, fenders
on, so basically the Volpe became the same bike as the Castro Valley,
minus the dynamo and the light. He also, without prompting, asking, etc.
switched out the bigger tires on the Volpe for the smaller slicks that
come with the Castro Valley.

So, after it was all said and done, they spent about 3 hours helping fit
me, work on trying to get the right bike put together and when it turned
out the Castro Valley I'd purchased wasn't going to work with a triple,
rather than throw it back to me, he (without hesitation) got me into a
different bike and then given the chance took the time to try to get the
fit better. His opinion being that I was leaning too far on my current
bike and that a 55cm would be a better fit. Especially because I wouldn't
need to do anything funky to get the right height + extension on the
handlebars.

It was quite the whirlwind and when it was done he basically said "let me
know how that works out, good or bad, in the next couple days". I think
them all profusely and headed home.

Quite the odd experience to be treated so well and with such detail. I
ride the bike today for the first time, but given how much effort he put
into trying to put together the right bike for me I'm optimistic this is
going to go well. I'll update after I get a chance to ride it a few times.
Clearly, though, he put a lot of effort into figuring out the size, where
I was at with my current bike, etc. He had a Volpe 58 on hand and was
basically willing to stake the fact I may have to return this for the 58,
on his reading that the 55 would be a better fit anyway.

Anyway, very nice people. Very generous for a bike shop to go to those
lengths to help you, almost without you having to ask or say anything.

Preston

Preston Crawford wrote:
Cross-posting this time, at the behest of others in a previous
thread. I'm not sure which is worse, so please be understanding if
you're in the "never cross-post" camp, as I generally am.

FWIW, IMO posting to multiple /appropriate/ groups isn't really
"cross-posting" -- which, to me, is either adding groups TO an existing
thread, or blathering off-topic crap to a variety of newsgroups. (Think
Mike V@ndem@n and/or P@yP@l sp@ms.) Since you regularly participate in both
groups, that's an additional mitigating factor.

(Just noticed I hit "Reply Group", but only .misc appeared in To: field.
Weird. Will add .tech "manually".)


With that
said, here's the update. Sorry for the length. It's just too good a
story not to tell, considering how helpful this shop has been.

{story snipped}

Hold on to that bike shop like grim death. (And buy 'em a case of beer when
all sorted out.)

We should all be so fortunate!
--
BS (no, really)

On 2004-12-29, Bill Sornson wrote:
Preston Crawford wrote:
Cross-posting this time, at the behest of others in a previous
thread. I'm not sure which is worse, so please be understanding if
you're in the "never cross-post" camp, as I generally am.

FWIW, IMO posting to multiple /appropriate/ groups isn't really
"cross-posting" -- which, to me, is either adding groups TO an existing
thread, or blathering off-topic crap to a variety of newsgroups. (Think
Mike V@ndem@n and/or P@yP@l sp@ms.) Since you regularly participate in both
groups, that's an additional mitigating factor.

Some would disagree. I see where both sides are coming from, but I've seen
enough flaming WRT cross-posting that I've generally avoided it until
today.

(Just noticed I hit "Reply Group", but only .misc appeared in To: field.
Weird. Will add .tech "manually".)

Oh, thanks. I must have forgotten to add that (I use Linux, so my news
reader didn't add that for me and I forgot to add it myself).

With that
said, here's the update. Sorry for the length. It's just too good a
story not to tell, considering how helpful this shop has been.

{story snipped}

Hold on to that bike shop like grim death. (And buy 'em a case of beer when
all sorted out.)

Definitely. Quite amazing in times like these to get that kind of service.

Preston

On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 10:35:35 -0600, Preston Crawford wrote:

Hold on to that bike shop like grim death. (And buy 'em a case of beer when
all sorted out.)

Definitely. Quite amazing in times like these to get that kind of service.

Preston

Sound like great guys. Often guys in bike shops will go out of their way
to make things more than right when it's a bike that they find
interesting, or it's a potential learning experience. It's a slow time of
year, investing their time in your problem, is both fun compared to other
mundane shop tasks, and potentially good for business--I'll certainly shop
there the next time I'm in Portland. :P

When I was looking for a Shimano DX cog for my single a while back, they
begged me to bring in my bike so we could share notes. I spent five bucks
and an hour gabbing with the wrenches. It works both ways.

On 2004-12-29, maxo wrote:
On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 10:35:35 -0600, Preston Crawford wrote:

Hold on to that bike shop like grim death. (And buy 'em a case of beer when
all sorted out.)

Definitely. Quite amazing in times like these to get that kind of service.

Preston

Sound like great guys. Often guys in bike shops will go out of their way
to make things more than right when it's a bike that they find
interesting, or it's a potential learning experience. It's a slow time of
year, investing their time in your problem, is both fun compared to other
mundane shop tasks, and potentially good for business--I'll certainly shop
there the next time I'm in Portland. :P

Do. They are great guys, and really seemed to enjoy the process as well.
It wasn't just work, which is nice to see. I personally (as a computer
programmer sick of my field) would love to get trained to wrench and do
that for a living for a while. I think it looks like fun. I just suck at
it right now. I'm not very mechanical in that regard. Doesn't mean I don't
respect it/think it looks like fun.

As far as being good for business goes, he doesn't know me from the guy on
the street. So the fact that he's going to this extent, shoes that he does
care about everyone who walks in the door, which is cool. And from what my
wife tells me, this isn't desparation or anything. Apparently this shop is
*the* shop people from up and down the west coast come to for their
Triathlon needs, as it's also a huge Triathlon and Tri-bike shop.

When I was looking for a Shimano DX cog for my single a while back, they
begged me to bring in my bike so we could share notes. I spent five bucks
and an hour gabbing with the wrenches. It works both ways.

I asked if they wanted help last night with lame stuff like the bottle
cages, but they were moving so quickly they said "no problem" and sped
along.

Preston