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02-03-2005, 10:05 PM

> With the 05's model road bikes out there are some very good deals on
> previous years.
> I am looking at a cannondale R400 sport form 03' marked down from around
> $800 to $499. Trouble is, the bike is in Seattle and I live in Vancouver
> BC...so any servicing for 1st year or 2 I will be on my own. I must
> decide if this 'smoken deal' is worth the hassle of paying for
> adjustments etc...
>
> Any suggestion/input is appreciated!

Sammy: A couple things to consider.

First, there are definitely cases where older bikes, even at big mark-downs,
aren't as competitive as newer offerings. I can't speak to this particular
case, but you might be looking at a bike that was initially relatively
over-priced for what it offered. Then again, that might not be the case at
all; the bike might compare very favorably to current models! But it is
important to realize that a "marked down" price isn't always indicative of a
killer deal.

Second, the importance of being properly fit to the bike cannot be
underestimated. Especially if this is your first road bike, you should be
looking for the quality of the shop as much as you are the particular bike.
Could be that the Seattle shop is the best place around for fitting
people... if so, great! But remember also that "fit" isn't always a static
thing. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get everything right, which means
customer feedback and a staff that will make adjustments and note the
results.

And finally, warranties are often good only in the country purchased, so
that could be an issue if you were to have a frame failure down the road.
However, traveling from Vancouver to Seattle for such an unlikely event
doesn't seem like a deal breaker to me.

Hope this helps-

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

02-03-2005, 10:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
Mike Jacoubowsky Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Servicing New Bike > With the 05's model road bikes out there are some very good deals on > previous years. > I am looking at a cannondale R400 sport form 03' marked down from around > $800 to $499. Trouble is, the bike is in Seattle and I live in Vancouver > BC...so any servicing for 1st year or 2 I will be on my own. I must > decide if this 'smoken deal' is worth the hassle of paying for > adjustments etc... > > Any suggestion/input is appreciated! Sammy: A couple things to consider. First, there are definitely cases where older bikes, even at big mark-downs, aren't as competitive as newer offerings. I can't speak to this particular case, but you might be looking at a bike that was initially relatively over-priced for what it offered. Then again, that might not be the case at all; the bike might compare very favorably to current models! But it is important to realize that a "marked down" price isn't always indicative of a killer deal. Second, the importance of being properly fit to the bike cannot be underestimated. Especially if this is your first road bike, you should be looking for the quality of the shop as much as you are the particular bike. Could be that the Seattle shop is the best place around for fitting people... if so, great! But remember also that "fit" isn't always a static thing. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get everything right, which means customer feedback and a staff that will make adjustments and note the results. And finally, warranties are often good only in the country purchased, so that could be an issue if you were to have a frame failure down the road. However, traveling from Vancouver to Seattle for such an unlikely event doesn't seem like a deal breaker to me. Hope this helps- --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com