Biking and Business

The post simply said, “I have an extra tri bike I never use any more. If you want it, make me an offer.”

I’d been thinking about getting a triathlon bike for an upcoming 70.3 and other future races. Felt is a great bike company and the person selling it had made several upgrades. Even if it is a 2011, it’s still in great shape. Right?

“Dibs!” I made an offer which was accepted. The person selling the bike emailed me a few days later and said “Hey, the bike will arrive at your house today. Venmo me when you can. Have fun.” Sweet! New bike inbound!

The bike showed up and I put it together. The handlebars wouldn’t stay put and a couple other things stuck out to me, so I called my bike guy to tune it up. This is where things started going south.

A couple days after being picked up, he gave me a call and told me there was bad news. The bearings on the handlebar were shot. Guess what? They don’t make those any more! The frame size changed in 2013 and those bearings won’t fit. “But, I did find a set in Europe. It won’t be cheap, but will be done and done right. I have to replace all your brake cables, too. And I’d recommend getting new tires and tubes.” Turns out EU bearings are 3x more expensive than U.S.

Great. First, I’ll have to tell my wife. Second, this “good deal” is about to get real expensive fast. As of this post, the bike’s been in the shop for 1.5 weeks.

Here’s the lesson learned for me.

• Touch the bike before you buy the bike – I saw a pic online with a short description. Next time I need to do at least a quick ride.
• Research – A quick Google search told me all about the frame changes to standardize parts.
• Buy from a shop or someone who kept it updated – this bike went from race to box in 2019 and didn’t come out again until I got it.

If you find a good deal, do some checking to see if it’s a really good deal!

• Research the product and manufacturer
• Release your inner skeptic and ask a lot of questions; consider trying to talk yourself out of what you’re thinking about buying
• Whenever possible, leave fingerprints on it to ensure it’s really what you want
• Don’t get caught up in marketing jargon or prices that were inflated just to show it’s on “sale”
• If used, is it better to spend money to ensure it’s in working order or buy new

Not everything that looks like a good deal really is. Make sure you do your research and take an objective look at what you’re buying. Hopefully, you won’t be ordering spare parts from the EU!!