Author Topic: New bike dilemma (Read 2060 times)

little miss mac · « **on:** 05 November, 2009, 10:10:40 am »

Dilemma:

Bike shop phones to say my shiny new frame has just arrived in the shop, but it's got two chips in the paintwork. It's the last frame in my size so they will knock £50 off (total built-up price £1000) or give me the option to wait 6-7 weeks for the new crop of frames in 2010 livery to come in.

2010 colour is metallic grey and sounds nice. I'm not particularly partial to the current frame colour.

I am a patient girl. I am tempted to tell them my new bike has to be perfect, and wait.

What would you do?

clarion · « **Reply #1 on:** 05 November, 2009, 10:13:15 am »

I'm not bothered by a couple of chips, as I'd probably chip it soon enough anyway

But it's your new bike. Why shouldn't it be perfect?

I take it that they would be selling you the 2010 bike at the 2009 price?

pcolbeck · « **Reply #2 on:** 05 November, 2009, 10:14:05 am »

Wait if you can especially since you like the new colour better. The chip will annoy you forever. It's different if you go in looking for a frame and they say you can have this one at a discount as its chipped as you never had any expectation that it would be perfect and would feel that you are getting a bargain.

MSeries · « **Reply #3 on:** 05 November, 2009, 10:14:20 am »

Wait, or maybe negotiate some further discount or goods to the value of.

little miss mac · « **Reply #4 on:** 05 November, 2009, 10:25:01 am »

Quote from: MSeries on 05 November, 2009, 10:14:20 am

negotiate some further discount or goods to the value of.

that was my brother's suggestion.

Gah. Total indecision.

Rhys W · « **Reply #5 on:** 05 November, 2009, 10:34:40 am »

Buy it now with the discount, then buy the 2010 frame when it arrives, swap over the components and sell the older frame (one lady owner!)

Seriously though, I wouldn't want to take a nice new frame out at this time of year, I'd probably wait and have it ready for when the gritters have stopped.

little miss mac · « **Reply #6 on:** 05 November, 2009, 10:35:46 am »

It's fixed, designed for mucky weather and to save my other bike from the gritters

hatler · « **Reply #7 on:** 05 November, 2009, 10:53:01 am »

Wait. The fact you've posted the question means the chips will irk you for ever.

seventytwo · « **Reply #8 on:** 05 November, 2009, 01:17:20 pm »

If the chips are small/inconspicuous I'd think it was no biggie so I guess it depends where the chips are.

In a month's time they would be discounting that frame more than £50 to get rid of it before the 2010 stock came in anyway I'd have thought?

I'm not sure £50 is that great a discount on a bike of that value when it's also about to become obsolete (not that I would usually care what year it was).

Given that you prefer the new frame on top of that, I'd be inclined to wait too.

Charlotte · « **Reply #9 on:** 05 November, 2009, 01:34:25 pm »

There's a school of thought that says the first thing you should do with a new bike is to lob it down the stairs and get the first bit of damage over with.

Whilst I don't necessarily subscribe to that, the last few bikes I've built have been with frames that have already seen a bit of wear and tear. I've used them way more than my lovely pimpy posh bikes because I'm not being so precious about them.

Strikes me that if you're buying this as a winter workhorse, you should take the discount, dab some nail varnish on the chips and have your bike right now.

αdαmsκι · « **Reply #10 on:** 05 November, 2009, 01:51:14 pm »

Take the bike with the chip because it's going to get damaged at some point and it'll also save you waiting for the bike, but before taking the bike I'd attempt to get more than a £50 discount from Condor^†.

____________
^† I mean, whatever bike shop this is, which for some reason I thought was Condor despite them not being mentioned in this thread

.

Tim · « **Reply #11 on:** 05 November, 2009, 01:54:04 pm »

Work out what other goodies take your fancy at the shop and ask for the bits and pieces instead (rather than the cash discount) - they'll probably let you have a greater value if you were to spend it all on new jerseys/lights/whatever else you need straight from them.

little miss mac · « **Reply #12 on:** 05 November, 2009, 02:34:05 pm »

Quote from: αdαmsκι on 05 November, 2009, 01:51:14 pm

^† I mean, whatever bike shop this is, which for some reason I thought was Condor despite them not being mentioned in this thread .

Spot on

alan · « **Reply #13 on:** 05 November, 2009, 03:48:00 pm »

Wait.

alexb · « **Reply #14 on:** 05 November, 2009, 11:51:58 pm »

First off I'd go and have a look at it to see how bad they are.
Then I'd ask for £100 in parts.

Retail of accessories is almost always 2 x wholesale + VAT

Sorry, but if you aren't going to be precious about the colour in the future, why be precious now?

little miss mac · « **Reply #15 on:** 06 November, 2009, 04:11:01 pm »

I went to look at the frame today, and as well as a large chip exposing steel on the visible part of the downtube, there were other scratches and gashes around the place. From the looks of the packaging it had already been rejected by someone else - some bloke's name was scrubbed out and mine written on it instead...

I did go in with an open mind but the visibility and size of the major chip means I just wouldn't be that happy with it. It would niggle. Plus, you see, I never did particularly like the colour of the original frame so the opportunity to switch was an unexpected bonus.

So I've got a new frame on order in 2010 livery

It's the dark metallic grey that the current Fratello is in. They also have a second colour coming in for the Tempo which is a vibrant metallic bright/teal blue, but I think I would have gone off it after a while.

Dilemma resolved

alexb · « **Reply #16 on:** 06 November, 2009, 04:19:45 pm »

Good stuff.

clarion · « **Reply #17 on:** 06 November, 2009, 04:20:43 pm »

Well, I'm pleased you went to look.

But I hope you're still getting the bike at the 2009 price...

little miss mac · « **Reply #18 on:** 06 November, 2009, 04:25:12 pm »

Quote from: clarion on 06 November, 2009, 04:20:43 pm

But I hope you're still getting the bike at the 2009 price...

I ran before they could bring that up

If they do, however, I will stand my ground.

clarion · « **Reply #19 on:** 06 November, 2009, 04:28:35 pm »

If they do get arsy, let them think you might be walking away from the deal (so long as you don't have a big deposit on it). They want to sell now. If they insist that you have to pay the 2010 price, get it discounted for the delays/distress etc.

Didn't you need it delivered on time for an important bike ride you were going to do?

I'm sure you probably did, and they ruined that for you. The least they can do is give you some money off....

little miss mac · « **Reply #20 on:** 06 November, 2009, 04:31:28 pm »

To be fair to them, the options presented to me were a discount on the chipped frame, or a wait for a new one. Extra dosh was never mentioned, so I doubt that they will at this point.

MSeries · « **Reply #21 on:** 06 November, 2009, 04:32:21 pm »

you agreed a price didn't you ? they have no grounds to renege on this

clarion · « **Reply #22 on:** 06 November, 2009, 04:32:50 pm »

Yeah, but it is Co£nd$or...

They've not really got grounds to nickel & dime, but that won't stop them trying. And our LMM needs her feistiness turned up to 11 if they try it on (though I don't give them much of a chance against her if they do

)

MSeries · « **Reply #23 on:** 06 November, 2009, 04:35:52 pm »

I'd walk away if they tried to skin me. It's only a Condor, not like it's a Merckx or something exotic

Author Topic: New bike dilemma (Read 2060 times)

seventytwo

Tim

alan