What do you HATE when we buy a new bike and e-bike ?

[manueloFRCR]

I bought 2 EMTB in 2020 one MERIDA and One Giant for my wife(above). Great bikes. However
WHAT I HATE

For me, in both cases the shop don't have, or don't provide the part list with all the detailed technical specs in case of replacement (ex : bearings, bushings etc)... Am I the only one who like to fix my own bikes? I know how to use a calliper but... bummer

What is the worst part of your buying experience ?

 

[manueloFRCR]

Thinking I could have put the money in Tesla stocks instead. But free money doesn’t buy happiness.

Well knowing that Tesla make benefit only on selling carbon tax deduction to big corporations, and that in 2021 TESLA will have a stronger concurrence from legacy manufacturers I guess it is better to buy a new e-bike and have fun in the forests

 

[Bontee]

Bambamoda,I don’t know about specific parts but most of the pivot bearings are pretty standard stock parts.Bearings and bushes are not bike specific.I am happy to be corrected but most full sus bikes electric or not use stock bearings.I would (when they are due for replacement) dismantle like any other bike drift out the bearings/bushes and go to a good bearing supplier and buy new ones.I have owned about 15 bikes over the last several decades and none of them had anything but stock bearings,just check the numbers on the old bearings and go buy.Some I have worked on and all use stock stuff are
Ellsworths,Bon tempe,juliana joplin,specialized,rocky mountain,yeti,marin.
all the best

 

[The Hodge]

The wait ...it stretched my nerves to breaking point!..?..?

 

[MrSimmo]

All the different “standards” and bolt/bearing/axle differences. On the flipside, wish I had shares in Parktool!

 

[Tone461]

Bone dry frame bearings that are shot in (insert any time from 2 months to infinity) no time at all! Grease anyone?

 

[Gary]

HATE is far too a strong word.. But..
Moaning PITA Customers like the OP who have zero understanding of how a bike shop is actually run would be up there.

 

[Zimmerframe]

For me, in both cases the shop don't have, or don't provide the part list with all the detailed technical specs in case of replacement (ex : bearings, bushings etc)... Am I the only one who like to fix my own bikes? I know how to use a calliper but... bummer

Moaning PITA Customers like the OP who have zero understanding of how a bike shop is actually run would be up there.

I HATE to agree with @Gary, but he does have a point. How many things do you buy between €1 and €100,000,000 that come with a complete parts manual by default. Yes, it's frustrating not to have it in your hand maybe,but equally wasteful as 99% of people would just throw it away. Often you can find the information online to download.

It's not that the shop don't provide you with it, it's that the manufacturer doesn't give it to the shop to give to you. These things are also constantly upgrading and evolving, so a paper version would be out of date and incorrect before you know it.

I don't know about the rest of you, but last time I bought a lear jet, I was so pissed that I needed a 40ft fireproof container just to keep the manuals that I sold it and flew economy ever after.

 

[Gary]

Not to mention Giant and Merida having over 1000 different bike models between them and most larger dealers selling hundreds each year.
OP doesn't state whether they even bothered to Email the manufacturers to request specs before running to the Internet to stamp feet about their unhappiness ?

 

[JimBo]

Like pretty much all electronic devices these daze, I "hate" that any eMTB purchase I make will be outdated soon after, quickly devaluing my purchase (except maybe during a pandemic "bike boom").

It's like Moore's Law... new technology comes out - or will come out - twice as fast every two years. Or maybe MONTHS!

(Note: until the past year, I never saw my ebike acquisitions as "investments.")

 

[mak]

What is the worst part of your buying experience ?

Thinking about having to take it back for some warranty work and leaving it in the hands of a bunch of bodging bast£%rds . Good god I'm a miserable old cynical sod .

 

[RsGaz]

The wait ...it stretched my nerves to breaking point!..?..?

Pure torture ???

 

[Neeko DeVinchi]

The 1st scratch on your new pride and joy. Drives me up the wall when it happens. FYI dont skimp on frame protection.

 

[Rosemount]

Not to mention Giant and Merida having over 1000 different bike models between them and most larger dealers selling hundreds each year.
OP doesn't state whether they even bothered to Email the manufacturers to request specs before running to the Internet to stamp feet about their unhappiness ?

Remember when ?

 

[HikerDave]

Manuals. It’s a thing of the yesteryears.

until you take your suspension apart and your kid comes and knocks the organized bolts all over. Then you go to the internet. 1st world problems.

I bought a bike once and the sales guy handed the manual to me and said “Nothing in this manual will benefit you in any way but I am required to give it to you”. He was right.

 

[Patchinko]

Sales people who's default is to talk down to the customer like they are a clueless moron who has no idea at all about their intended purchase.

It should only take a minute or two to realise the person who is about to lay down ££££'s on a bike has some previous experience with bicycles and has done a little market research.

 

[Russell]

I also find the secretive nature of bike motors annoying, certainly with Bosch anyway. I can and have fixed several Makita power tools. I can find parts diagrams for the tools and buy things like speed controllers, armatures, chuck parts and brushes.
Bosch cx parts in my experience have not been so easy to find.
Having said that ,Performance Line Bearings, are doing a great job at making stuff available.

 

[smtkelly]

I hate the wait, buyers doubt intensifys the closer to delevery and its all gone (more importantly price forgotten) once it's in my hands and it meets expectations.

 

[VWsurfbum]

Sales people who's default is to talk down to the customer like they are a clueless moron who has no idea at all about their intended purchase.

It should only take a minute or two to realise the person who is about to lay down ££££'s on a bike has some previous experience with bicycles and has done a little market research.

When I picked up my heckler the first 30 seconds were like this and then he realised I wasn't a Noob and we ended up chatting for quite a while and talked through set up and upgrades etc. I have watched it in shops though, it is cringy.

 

[maynard]

Its a hardtail. And your gonna have to spend 4 times what you just spent on that on the new bike . Th3n u gotta explain that to the finance minister. And if the finance minister says no . Then you gotta find a new girlfriend. Or boyfriend. Or whatever.

 

[manueloFRCR]

All the different “standards” and bolt/bearing/axle differences. On the flipside, wish I had shares in Parktool!

i have to say all the standards is a pain too

 

[manueloFRCR]

I HATE to agree with @Gary, but he does have a point. How many things do you buy between €1 and €100,000,000 that come with a complete parts manual by default. Yes, it's frustrating not to have it in your hand maybe,but equally wasteful as 99% of people would just throw it away. Often you can find the information online to download.

It's not that the shop don't provide you with it, it's that the manufacturer doesn't give it to the shop to give to you. These things are also constantly upgrading and evolving, so a paper version would be out of date and incorrect before you know it.

I don't know about the rest of you, but last time I bought a lear jet, I was so pissed that I needed a 40ft fireproof container just to keep the manuals that I sold it and flew economy ever after.

I would agree however friend on the website support for download is generic to all bikes. No specifics. I would not kill to give a usb key with all the info inside or a QR code with direct access to spare parts my 2 cents.

 

[manueloFRCR]

Thinking about having to take it back for some warranty work and leaving it in the hands of a bunch of bodging bast£%rds . Good god I'm a miserable old cynical sod .

I am not far away from this feeling -
Do we have the bike shop owner we deserve? or do we deserve our bike shops people ?

 

[manueloFRCR]

Remember when ?

you exactly get my feeling god I clearly remember when this tech was prime ouch

 

[manueloFRCR]

I also find the secretive nature of bike motors annoying, certainly with Bosch anyway. I can and have fixed several Makita power tools. I can find parts diagrams for the tools and buy things like speed controllers, armatures, chuck parts and brushes.
Bosch cx parts in my experience have not been so easy to find.
Having said that ,Performance Line Bearings, are doing a great job at making stuff available.

completely agree with you a secret part of will enjoy hacking the motor ( in a far future i hope

 

[manueloFRCR]

Like pretty much all electronic devices these daze, I "hate" that any eMTB purchase I make will be outdated soon after, quickly devaluing my purchase (except maybe during a pandemic "bike boom").

It's like Moore's Law... new technology comes out - or will come out - twice as fast every two years. Or maybe MONTHS!

(Note: until the past year, I never saw my ebike acquisitions as "investments.")

the good thing is that motor and generator does not evolve so much for the last decade they are really up to date. So they get improved but not substantially to make a 5 years old motor looks obsolete. However for the battery technology, it is a different topic, it advances every year.
What I do not like, are the standard change between battery ... but I am sure tinkerers will find ways to upgrade old batteries with newer cells.
Soon or later we will have access to all the technical datas of the motors etc...

 

[Beekeeper]

Thinking I could have put the money in Tesla stocks instead. But free money doesn’t buy happiness.

surely Tesla stock heading for a crash soon?

 

[Zimmerframe]

I’m I think I’m gonna throw 5k in to Nikola Corporation and not look for a year.

I thought Nikola was basically all just made up crap and most of it doesn't really exist .. then again .. it's still valued at billions .... It's like the world gives value to things that are virtual reality So it's impossible to say if you or the world is an idiot ..

Anyway, I'll let you in on a good thing. Invest that 5k in Zimm Corp and I absolutely guarantee that it will be worth billions in 50 years time !

I was going to get into Pyramid selling, but have you tried buying one lately !

 

[RickBullotta]

Things I hate:

- Waiting
- Parts availability
- Lousy documentation

 

[Zimmerframe]

Things I hate:

- Waiting
- Parts availability
- Lousy documentation

Waiting for lousy documentation about parts availability ?