RVD72

my wife did not grow up riding a bike so she doesn't really know how to ride one. i had her practice before on one of my easier mountain bikes but she was pretty wobbly, etc. however, she is pretty athletic (likes to run, etc.).

i've been trying to get her to learn to ride a bike for years but she just wasn't really that interested. but last week she surprised me by saying that she'd be open to it if i got her an easy to ride bike (like a cruiser).

so i did some research and decided to get her an Electra Townie. we'll probably do some small hills every now and then after she gets comfortable so i decided to get the 7D (7 speed). it seems like a pretty common bike around here so i just figured it would be available everywhere.

now comes the hard part...actually buying one. i did some research on the internet of the local shops and it looks like pretty much everyone seems to sell at msrp (which i thought was $399 - more on that later). i haven't had much luck making deals with my local bike shops in the past so i decided to just buy it from REI where i'm a member so at least i'll get some of the money back in the form of the rebate each year.

so i went to the REI in manhattan beach and they don't have any 7Ds there.

i went to the REI in santa monica and they only have 1 7D but it's the smaller 24 inch version.

none of the regular 7D bikes in stock. so out goes REI.

i checked on helenscycles.com and it looks like they carry them for $399. unfortunately they close at 7pm so there's no way that i can make it to the one near my house (their manhattan beach location) after work in time so i went to the santa monica location yesterday (near my office).

i got there and they only had the 24 inch ones assembled on the floor. i wanted a blue one but they don't have that one in stock. so i agreed to get the vanilla colored one (which is fine). but since it's not assembled they said that i would have to pay for it now and come back tomorrow.

however, when they rang up the price it was $419 instead of $399. that may very well be the msrp (i don't really know) but on the helenscycles.com website it says $399 as well as everywhere else that i looked. when i told the salesman this (he was a really nice guy btw), he walked over to check on his computer. he came back saying that i made a mistake and i was looking at the 24 inch version which is $399. he said that the 26 inch one is $419.

i assumed that i just made a mistake so i paid for the bike and left. i'm supposed to pick up the bike today.

however, last night i decided to double check the website and sure enough, the 26 inch 7D is $399. maybe it's an error on the website or maybe it's not. i don't know. i just know that it's clear that both the 24 inch and 26 inch are $399 on their website.

this whole experience was annoying because:

1) REI and the local shops don't seem to stock the bike very much or have a few assembled. i believe this is a pretty popular bike (especially in southern california).

2) the whole experience with the price on the website and the sales guy basically telling me that i made a mistake is annoying.

i'll probably try to bring it up one more time today when i pick up the bike but i doubt anything will come of it. at this point i've already paid for the bike.

it's really no wonder people just buy online. i buy my bikes in person at my local bike shop but maybe in the future i'll look around some more so that i don't have to drive all over town and i know the price that i'm paying. unfortunately, electra doesn't sell online (you have to pick up in person) which is their prerogative but it sure made this purchase frustrating.

RVD.

Pamestique 

Alot of shops that also use website will say that the deal maybe better either online or in the shop. With REI I have gotten better deals online. Same with places like Performance. The local shops aren't able to match the price but you do have the bike RIGHT NOW and are able to take it home.

Any reason why you decided to buy her a new bike instead of trying to find a used one. Are you sure she will get passionate and stay with riding? Alot of garages, especially in the LA area, are stocked with townie style bikes bought but not ridden by people with good intentions.

calamarichris

Slight? The whole experience is also pretty annoying because the Clif's Notes version (with proper capitalization) was omitted:

He was annoyed because, after researching online, he expected to pay the cheaper online price at a local bike shop. $60 worth of complaining over a $20 upcharge. The end.

Try to leave this annoyance and frustration behind, otherwise it may thwart your attempts to trick your wife into enjoying cycling.

RVD72

I actually have been on Craiglist trying to find one but either they're too expensive (people trying to sell a $400 bike for $300) or there just aren't as many around and i had though that are in good condition (kept indoors instead of outside, etc.).

i don't know if she'll stick with it but i actually think she will. she enjoys cycling (we have a spinner at home and she uses that a few times a week to work out).

buck65

Why didn't you purchase the bike from REI and have them ship it to your local store for free?

Sorry to hear about these frustrations. As calamarichris mentioned, drop the bad vibes and be happy that you're wife is going to give cycling a try. Your best bet is to make her comfortable and safe riding her bike. You help with that and I'm pretty sure she'll get hooked.

JTGraphics

I'd just head on over to Performance Bike you are very close and see what they have in that price range.

RVD72

I tried that but the REI website says that the bike is out of stock.

Despite what it may sound like here, I actually don't have bad vibes and I'm pretty excited to take her out. It was really just a "slight vent"...that's all.

travelmama

I am not sure what you will end up doing but keep in mind that Helens honors 10% off bikes to members of the Los Angeles County Bike Coalition. https://la-bike.org/discounts/discounts.html

RVD72

update. i picked up the bike this past Friday. i walked in and had printouts of their website and the manager agreed to take $20 off the price and match their website price. i didn't know about the LA county bike coalition 10% discount...good to know for the future. thanks!

the bike runs well and overall seems well made for the price. it took a little bit for me to get used to it (sort of rides like a recumbent for me who is used to a road bike).

the techs overall did a good job with bike assembly. the only minor adjustments that i had to make were:

1) angle/position of the hand brakes was not ideal so i adjusted a bit.

2) the handlebar wasn't completely centered.

3) the saddle post had way too much grease on it so it would slide down to the bottom most position when you sit on it. it would also rotate left/right heavily. Just cleaning off the excess grease too care of this problem.

i do notice that the rim is scraping on the front brake. i thought maybe the wheel was not true so i took it in (when you spin it, it doesn't seem true). the guy at helen's told me that it's true but the tire is not really centered so you see the wobble. he also recommended the brakes being adjusted so i'll probably do that.

overall i'm happy with the bike though. my wife rode it in our driveway on friday to get the hang of it and we went on a 6 mile ride on sunday and she enjoyed it. mission accomplished!

LDB

From another thread, just remember to have her lead the parade when you ride so that it's her pace and you "have her back" as it were. Otherwise you may regularly take the pace up beyond her comfort zone and frustrate the whole experience. Not only will it keep things at a better pace, you'll have a better view as a bonus.

RVD72

good suggestion. however, yesterday when we were riding on the beach trail, there were a lot of random pedestrians, skateboarders, strollers, etc. so she actually felt more comfortable with me riding a bit ahead of her to "clear the trail" so that she can follow. i did make sure that my pace was pretty slow, etc. i'll try it both ways.

Garfield Cat

Maybe I'm missing something here; but your wife is putting all this on you. If she wants to...she should be part of the solution. Let her be involved in choosing "her own bike". The benefits for her getting involved are many.

RVD72

Well, my wife knows nothing about bikes so her attitude was "hey, if you buy me a nice cute bike, i'll learn how to ride it!"

i did show her some pictures and she thought these were cute. she does love her townie though but she loves it because she thinks it's so feminine and cute looking.

on a slightly related note, when i was at the shop waiting to pick up this bike, there was another lady there who was talking to me and asking me for opinions on bikes while she was waiting for the salesperson. she basically said "i know this is going to sound bad but i really care the most about the color of the bike and this bike here ($500) is gray while this other one here (with upgraded components) is blue ($1000) but i just don't know if i want to spend that much." i told her to ask the salesperson if the cheaper bike also comes in other colors and it did so she was eventually very happy.

not all women are like this but my wife is...she just wants something that looks nice.

Garfield Cat

Your RS looks nice. Get her one of those. Then add a touch of cute with bar tape and matching saddle. A year later, she'll drop you on a long climb to Mt Baldy.

ratherbpiping

When my wife decided to move from her Hybrid to a road bike she did the selection with the assistence of the owner of the bike shop. she did pretty well as charasmatic Salesman can usually sell her anything. At the end of the day the selection came down to , carbon frame, granny gear, acceptable colour, and imeadiately available it was already assembled. IT was not the most expensive in the shop,by a long shot, but I think she got a good bikefor reasonalbe cost. I inherited the hybrid for a while but not long after she pushed me to gt a road bike. We went back to the same shop and I got basically the same bike as her , I was looking at cheaper bikes as I did not feel I needed carbon frame, but the aluminum frame would have to be ordered, and they had a year old (but new) carbon frame for a great deal. She made me buy that one! Terrible when your wife makes you spend more money on your toys than what you would have spent if you were shopping alone. Any point being the deal maker was that it was imediately available. These are times of instant gratification.

himespau 

Sounds like you've got a keeper there.