I've been a member since 1986, without any previous issues. I think one of the problems is the location of this one. Nobody can afford to live anywhere near Saratoga on an REI salary.

To be pedantic, it isn't in Saratoga, it's in San Jose. Though I don't really disagree with the premise, that's an expensive part of San Jose to live in. Basically anything that isn't south or east San Jose is an expensive area to live in, and even those areas will shock you if you aren't used to housing prices around here.

There are some bikes from mail order companies that come assembled. If this is packed the way a bike normally comes to a bike shop, I don't think the front wheels have ever actually been on the bike. You will occasionally find one that needs to be warrantied because the fork wasn't made right. I have also had to finish tapping a brake mount because the bolt they sent with the bike has 3 threads in the fork. I would fully disassemble a bike shipped like that.

The shop I work at occasionally takes every bike down to the bare frame, even the $250 kids bikes.

That's weird:


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7abeff3503.png

REI is a great outdoors category drygoods store. Member over 30 years and shopped in over a dozen.
Above Dicks and academy.

Their individual store bike shop is TOTALLY contingent on their mechanic. I was raised on a farm with 3 shops. One of our farm mechanics was a great teacher.
I am a tight wad with bike purchases and like to Buy garmin stuff there because nobody wants to discount and REI does pay a dividend.
I think serious bikers should set up their own shop and be able to build a bike. Getting special tools you use once every other year for cheap from China helps setting up shop.

A fair amount of bicycling merchandise is sold at a universal, Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) and REI.com is my go-to site for all such products. Local REI stores pretty much never have what I want in stock but I order online and get free, one-year returns at the local store (which I don't abuse). For products where discounted prices ARE available, I try Amazon.com first and make sure the item comes with both free shipping AND free 30-day returns.

But back the original poster's premise - yeah, it's negligent to deliver a new bike with loose and misaligned parts. Things can happen, so let the store know and go forward. Such an error is a reflection on one store, not on the entire company and all it's employees.

OR he's never been inside a Walmart.

Ok, I give up. What's the issue with the picture cause it looks perfectly fine to me.

There should be a 5mm spacer above the stem.

I'm pretty sure the photo REI is using is actually provided by Cannondale themselves as it seems to be identical to the photo from Cannondale's site.

Well, you're lucky the fork is on right way around then.
There aren't too many brands that ship bikes with a spacer on top of the stem. I wonder if Trek does it, aren't they the ones that started urging people to have a spacer on top because they had trouble with people breaking forks?

As long as the top of the steerer tube sits above the top bolt of the stem there isn't a need for the spacer. I can see wanting one there but not being there isn't incorrect. I can see brands wanting to have the spacer there with carbon forks being in greater numbers so that the average person doing the assembly isn't a skilled mechanic, that's why bikes are rechecked before leaving or even before being test ridden, helps to get the bike safely out the door perhaps. But I wouldn't see the lack of a spacer above as technically correct. Out of 22 threadless stem bikes in my house divided among 5 people, there's one with a spacer above as I'm experimenting with my preferred stem height on that bike, not that I consider REI mechanics to be a whole lot better, but if you want to see bad head to a Dick's.

Apologies for the delayed reply. This in fact was the problem (and as I and others have mentioned, looks to be what Cannondale specifies):

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d37419deb.jpeg

That's the level of quality of the Ford Model T, according to Deming. At its peak of production, the cars were untested when they were loaded onto trains and shipped to dealers. The dealers were the final step of the assembly process, having to get the car working, often having to perform repairs and adjustments before it could be sold.

When I bought a new bike at REI in 2016, the mechanic spent a fair amount of time on it before I could ride it home. And I had already tested the same bike so I knew that it was in good condition to begin with. I've been very happy with it since then.

I wonder if most new bikes purchased during the pandemic bike craze have been compromised to some degree. Quality naturally suffers when every step of the production process is stressed.

I went to REI’s bike shop just this morning because my pre-covid LBS is currently working on a 3-week backlog for repairs … I love my LBS, sport their sticker on my van and wear their T-shirt around town, but dang, I can't be without my ride for 3 weeks! My derailleur took a hard knock and needed some professional CPR.
I walked into REI at opening time, no appointment: walked out with the problem perfectly fixed in 20 minutes for $20. I also got some great insight from the mechanic about some future upgrades I’ve been dreaming about … Needless to say, I got me a new sticker, too.

That would be Dr. Deming to you!

gm

A Dick's what?

It's in San Jose (proper) but very near Saratoga.

According to Park Tools, for non-carbon steerer tubes, one doesn't need a spacer. For carbon steerer tubes, one needs a spacer.

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair...ion-threadless

According to Park Tools, the spacer or stem should be higher by about 3mm (and not larger) for non-carbon steerer tubes. Your picture seems to show a much larger distance.

For carbon steerer tubes, they say there needs to be a spacer.

Dick's sporting goods, they've got hundreds of stores across the US including New England. If you don't know what they are you're in luck.

Woosshh!

Yes, I've been to a Dick's or two or three.