Originally Posted by
Mickmeister
They gave me the distinct impression that once I wheel it out the door I've bought it. I guess I could return it if I could prove it's defective...but I still don't even know what the problem is. Keep in mind that I had already taken it back in once; they popped it up on a stand, shifted gears a bit, then said everything's fine...so I think returning it will be a tough nut to crack.
They still have an obligation to sell you a product with no defects. You have been very patient and have gone so far as to have the bike inspected by a real bike mechanic. This is a safety issue and you should be very clear about it. If the chain slips when you are pushing hard on the pedals you could fall and injure yourself badly. My guess is that your freehub isn't engaging its ratchet pawls properly. This happens quite often on bikes with cheap freewheels, but it can happen with more expensive cassette wheels. A friend of mine had a similar problem with a set of high end Campagnolo wheels. The local distributor completely rebuilt his hubs to correct the problem. At a minimum, Dick's should replace the defective part