Bald Paul

When my neighbor was shopping for a new bike (Trek) the local dealer did not have any in stock, and wasn't sure if they would be getting more stock in any time soon. They did locate the bike he wanted at another Trek dealer, and handed the phone to him. He gave them his CC information, purchased the bike, and we drove to the other dealer to pick it up. The local dealer hasn't given him any trouble with warranty adjustments, and is (of course) more than happy to sell him genuine Trek accessories.

livedarklions

Who wouldn't love a long drive to and from Schenectady in the dead of winter, amirite?

No idea where the LBS actually is, I just like to type Schenectady.

Dominae

I am doing this right now. The bike shop had the bike I wanted but not in my size. The bike shop contacted its Trek rep and found a bike in my size at an unaffiliated shop. The Trek rep arranged to have the two shops exchange the bikes, and I am buying the correct size bike from my shop. It’s relatively easy to do.

Trakhak

The only way I can see this working out without (much) additional cost to you would be if both dealers are in the same Trek sales rep's territory and you somehow make it worthwhile for the local and distant dealers to pressure the rep into transporting the bike from the distant dealer to your local dealer during his normal rounds of the territory. (It's also just possible that the local dealer has a bike that the distant dealer would be willing to swap for the one you want.)

Otherwise, assuming that Trek and both dealers are OK with some version of your plan, you're going to be out at least the full retail price of the bike plus a handling and shipping fee of (conservatively) at least $100.

On the plus side, January is a good time to try to weasel concessions out of bike shops.

Edit: the post above this one appeared while I was typing mine. Glad it worked out in that case, but it's likely that those two dealers are relatively local to one another.

livedarklions

Are either or both stores owned by Trek? Not sure if that makes a difference if only one is, but if both are, this should be easy.

I ask because Trek bought out the three store chain in NH and seems to be doing this all over the country.

Troul 

grubbing on the road vs at home is quite different for me in terms of cost & satisfaction. I am a boring person, I like to cook my own stuff. lol
I'm hoping the bicycle is not already assembled & could be drop shipped to my lbs or to me.

I am not sure of the other shop being a legit TREK retailer/dealer or if they are in the same region (if they are sponsored by TREK) , but I suspect they are not within the same region (IL vs MI) . When I have more time during business hours to call, I'll try getting in touch with that other shop. I did send an email to a TREK rep to assist, if they can.

rumrunn6

I once drove to Nyack & back same day to get a used $200 bike from the '90s just cuz it was what I was looking for, at my size. took all day

jon c. 

I did this with a bike for my wife a few years back. The bike she wanted was going out of production and I could only find a few in the country in her size. Found one dealer who was allowed to ship (others weren't) and he sent it directly to my LBS who then assembled it for us (with a few modifications from stock). As it happened, I had just acquired a vintage bike that needed an overhaul. The shop told me their mark up on new bikes isn't that large, so they made as much setting up our bikes as they would have selling a new one. They were happy with the arrangement and provided post sale adjustments as they would have had we purchased new from their stock.

Troul 

if it were a rare tub of chain wax lubricant; driving across the country might seem reasonable.

Until I hear some feedback from the Trek Rep, I cannot make such determination at this point.

Trakhak

gpburdell

meh.

that’s just a simple question of value - whether or not that stuff is worth getting the bike months earlier than ordering from local LBS.

which option you choose is of course a personal matter only you can decide.

Troul 

right. We dont neeeeed internet or neeeeeed cake.

mstateglfr 

You are in MI and the bike is in IL?
Oh my gosh, just go get the bike.

Complaining that you like to eat your own food or have to pay $125 for a hotel(vs that to the local shop to assemble) is just lame at this point.

livedarklions

It would be lame if it was a question of doing something important, but you're scolding him because his reasons for not frivolously wasting time are frivolous.

And your math is silly. Add a tank of gas and the value of a couple of vacation days he could use for a more pleasurable activity, and the premium cost of eating out several meals to the cost side, and it makes a lot of sense to contract out the transfer, or waiting for the lbs in his town to get it.

That said, this is a ridiculous thing to debate. OP should do what OP wants to do.

dedhed

More pleasurable than getting a new bike?

WTF? People don't own a cooler and can't pack food in it? Done several X country trips without ever setting foot in a restaurant.

mstateglfr 

I view it as just a lot of hand wringing at this point.

Costs to travel to get it- a tank of gas, a night at a hotel, food. probably $300 total is very generous.

Costs to stay home and have it shipped to a shop- shipping charge, assembly charge, and food. Probably $300 total is a very accurate amount.

I guess if the OP lives in the UP and the bike is all the way down in Cairo IL(it isnt...nothing is there) then it could mean a couple of nights at a hotel and a couple hundred in gas.
If the OP is in the middle of MI and drives to the middle of IL, that's a couple tanks and a single night in a hotel.

No time off of work is needed for many in the scenario described as most have multiple days off standard. Sure, there is a chance the OP doesn't have this work setup.


I can't believe we are going into this detail to clarify things. This is just silly.
​It will cost up to a few hundred either way.

livedarklions

The question isn't getting a new bike or don't. It's get a bike without wasting two vacation days on a boring road trip or wasting two vacation days on a boring road trip when you really aren't saving any money by doing so.

People value their own time differently. I hate long drives, some people like or don't mind them. People like hot food or they don't care about it. Film at 11. And this time of year, weather is a wild card that could make that drive excruciating.

Why should OP care what you or I would do? I hate eating "cooler food", and stopping for meals is the way I manage keeping the tedium of long drives to a tolerable level.

Koyote

You guys are arguing about what you would do… Which is irrelevant to the OP. And the OP‘s original question could only have been answered by the shops.

tl;dr: pointless thread. Par for the course in the dead of winter.

fishboat

MI to IL..phfft. I'd be on my way back at this point. As for vacation days..no weekend time off? Working 7 days a week?

I've made more trips like this for stuff than I can remember. This isn't complicated and far less complicated than this thread. Trade a day and a half (or one long day) of inconvenience for years of riding a nice ride..no brainer..

livedarklions

That was about where the whole discussion should have ended. Why should OP or anyone else care what we would do?

You're arguing with his preferences and priorities. I think that's really weird.

livedarklions

Like all of these things, it's a bunch of people "proving" they care more about nice things than the OP.

And yeah, this thread has been incredibly pointless from the gitgo.

mstateglfr 

The OP doesnt have to care what anyone else would do, but its a discussion and the discussion had turned to one of two potential options. The OP then expressed interest in driving, so I opined on driving. The OP also expressed reasons to not drive, which I offered up a counter to in order to help with a different perspective.

MI to IL isnt literally a state over, but the states are as close as 50mi apart. So depending on where the OP is and the bike is, its could very much be a reasonable day drive or overnight drive.

These are reasons to not travel to the bike, but I countered with details that I view are valid for the OP to consider. Shipping and assembly most likely wont be free and so even going nowhere incurs a cost. Thats why I offered up some general prices.




I understand and accept that you dont find my comments in this thread to be helpful. Thank you for expressing your view.

fishboat

He doesn't really want the bike. The hand wringing serves as a delay tactic to blow the deal up so not buying it is "out of his hands"

As for pointless threads...a healthy 25-30% of the threads here are pointless & yet they seem to garner lots of attention. This one isn't a whole lot different.

livedarklions

Now you're a mind reader. Amazing.

fishboat

..and occasionally you make a good point..amazing