Purchasing a Bicycle in San Antonio

Alright, this is something that I have had to experience this last week and I need to write about it. This is my experience purchasing a new bicycle.

I set out to learn about bicycles nearly two weeks ago. I have been wanting to start riding more seriously and maybe getting a bit of exercise. So I started by stopping at a shop near my neighborhood. I walked in with my brother who also shares an interest in riding and I thought he might be of some help as well as company.

We entered the shop and informed the salesman that I was interested in purchasing a bicycle for a beginning rider. I also said that I did not want to spend a whole lot of money since it was very likely that the bicycle could end up collecting dust in my garage. He said that he could help me and stated that I might be interested in a bicycle with a pricetag of $4000 (four thousand). I quickly stopped him and clarified that I was not interested in spending nearly that much.

He continued to tell me that if I wanted a bicycle, I would want to consider the extra safety mechanisms, components necessary for riding, and appropriate wheels, tires, etc. He continued to explain all of things that I would need for what seemed like an hour. I was interested in everything that he had to say and was learning a great deal, however I still had not ridden one bike or selected a single style. I then was a bit more firm and asked him, what he had for under $500 that I could ride. He pointed to a few models and said that they had this particular bike in my size, but that they would need a few days to put it together.

During this entire time, he was certain to explain to me that if I purchased a bike from his store that they would make sure that the bike was built “just for me”and that the bike would be “fitted” to my body shape and size. All I would need to do was give them 20% of the cost and they would build the bike for me. Then they would set up an appointment for me to come back to the store and ride the bike that was built for me. He promised that they would then adjust the components of the bike. That would include the seat adjustment (up, down, backwards and forwards), handlebar adjustment (rotating will adjust the reach and angle of the bars), and brakes would be adjusted to the correct tension among other things. Most of all, if I was not happy with the bike fit, I would be under no obligation.

Eventually, I left the store without riding anything because they did not have my size in the style which I was interested. I needed a common-sized bike, but they had little stock put together. So I left thinking that this guy was trying to sell me store services rather than a bike. I left somewhat overwhelmed, but disappointed because I could not ride a bike in my pricerange and size.

I visited a few other stores that day and found that bikestores can be very expensive, but department stores or sport stores sold junk bikes that are very heavy, made of steel rather than alluminum, and had inferior components on them. I was convinced that I did not want to buy a bottom-line bike that was a one-size-fits all frame. They can have a very uncomfortable ride.

I continued to shop other bike stores for a week, visiting a different store almost every day. I eventually learned every store in town offers a one-year or even a lifetime of free bicycle adjustments. This was each of their strongest selling points. It is fairly well understood in many markets that stores make much of their money on promised future services that are rarely requested. In addition, each store specialized in one brand or another so that there was less competition between stores. This is very much like bed mattress stores. It was difficult or impossible to find two stores with the same model since they agree not to compete with each other so that the prices are non-negotiable. I even asked if they would be willing to negotiate if I bought two bikes. Every store denied me this option.

So after about twelve hours or more of speaking with salespeople from the various stores, I had learned that all of the bikes are Chinese made products imported into the USA and required little assembly. Most of the bikes were simply assembled as shipped and they were shelved after a few simple attachments. Rarely could I enter a store that had two or three different sizes for a specific style of bike. It was much easier to display one size for each model for space-saving purposes. If a bike came in sizes 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, and 21, you would have to ride what they had available and try to guess what size you might need so that they could build it for you and you could determine if you liked the way it felt, but you would not necessarily get to compare it to the next sequential sizes. What a headache. This left me with much uncertainty and at the welm of the salesmen (or women) that were simply going through their routines.

I eventually returned to the first store that I stopped at and looked at the bikes under $500. I found a $429 bike and rode it outside. It felt fine, but I did not have an adjoining size to compare it to. So I told the salesman that I would like to take that bike, since I had determined that in many cases a size 16 was right for me. He was happy and charged me for the purchase. There were no adjustments, no fittings, no measuring of my reach or sitting angle. There was none of what every salesman at every store promised. It was simply a selling point to get you to buy from them.

I took the bike to my brother’s to share with him my excitement in my new bike and rode up and down his street. He quickly noticed that the frame size may have been a bit small and that the turning radius would be reduced due to my knees close proximity to the handlebars. After putting in some thought, I agreed and knew that there was little difference between all of the bikes that I had seen other than style. Afterall, they all came in a variety of sizes.

So I took the bike back to the shop and explained to him that the bike was not well fitted for me and explained my reasoning. I then stated that I would like a refund so that I could select another size or continue to shop. A different salesperson intervened and stated that they did not give refunds on bikes and were not concerned if the bike did not fit me. He went on to tell me that there computer would not even allow them to give refunds. I reminded him that I had spoken to two different salesmen at their store and they both assured me that they would offer a 100% satisfaction and fit the bike and check all adjustments. I also pointed out that the brakes were not centered correctly and that the seat was not angled correctly. I said that if they could not arrange to refund my bike immediately that I would be very upset. The intervening salesman called another manager at another location and said that they could do it and all of the sudden their computer could indeed run a refund transaction afterall.

I decided to select another bike from another bike store and take it home. After riding for a few moments, my brother noted another descrepancy. The suspension in the bike was inadequate and unresponsive. I was happy with that bike model and size, so I had to exchange it for another one. At first they offered to exchange the forks with a different size and cut it to fit. I was uncomfortable with this idea and later learned that this would have nullified the warranty. I eventually agreed to visit their other location, across town, so that I could find a working bike in my size and style.

I have learned that buying a new bike can be as much a headache a buying a new car. Finally, I am anxious to enjoy my new bike and I am excited about learning to ride many of the great trails around the city. All I need to do is convince my brother to join me.

I purchased a size 16, TREK 4300 for $359 in my university color of orange.