Help! I need a new bike!

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by monster

Thanks. I'm having no luck with the local bike shops. They all suck. I'm very tempted just to get a low-end all-aluminum Schwinn from Target and be done with it, but you're doing a really good job on selling me Trek! Where do you all buy from? On-line or your local bike stores?

Monster, I've bought all of my bikes at bike shops. I went to a local (non-chain) shop when I bought my Trek 520, because I thought that they would help me with sizing, but I realized later that I bought one that's a little big, so I was a little disappointed there.

They were good for a service issue. One day I had my rear wheel off and was pumping up the tire after patching the tube. The wheel was sitting on a bench and I was using a floor pump. Just as I was on the final down-stroke (when my head was nearest the wheel) the tire exploded. I was working in a small utility room with concrete walls and the explosion was incredibly loud. I just kind of staggered around for a few seconds. When I finally recovered I inspected the tire, which was destroyed, and saw that the wheel rim was also shredded. I was amazed. I took the wheel back to the dealer (the service manager said that he had never heard of that happening before) and they built a new wheel for me at no charge. If I had purchased on line I probably would have been out $100 dollars or more for the wheel and tire.