Probably a dumb question but...

[Baulplair]

Actually it's probably a REALLY dumb question, but where do y'all purchase your bikes? I've been reading threads with peeps talking about all kinds of expotic bikes like Trek, Merckx, Cervelo, etc. but I never see these brands in any of the local bike shops I visit, and I look around at different mom-and-pop stores in addition to places like Performance. Do you order them online and if so, how do you know which ones fit you and ride well? Just curious.

 

[gclark8]

Try here: http://www.racycles.com/

 

[531Aussie]

Actually .

are you in a remote area?
There are heaps of retail outlets around here who sell all those brands. There are gazillions of Trek dealers in Australia

online bike shopping is much bigger in the U.S. than here.

When I wanted my Cervelo a couple of years ago, there was only a few Cervelo dealers in Victoria, so i contacted the importer and had them send one out to the nearest dealer, without any obligation to buy

 

[Albert 50]

The question is fine. It's only dumb not letting people know where you live, so you may be able to be directed to a LBS. In any case, unless you have a very good idea what will fit, online purchasing could disappoint.

 

[Baulplair]

Cool, thanks for the link, Gclark8.

i'm in the Washington DC area in the US (the heart of darkness). I dunno, I guess I've been looking in the wrong places.

That's cool about the Cervelo, 531. I didn't know you could do that with importers. I was just wondering how some of the more hardcore riders here got a hold of the different high-end bikes. What do you guys do if you're eyeing a couple different bikes and just wanna test them out -- are importers generally accommodating about such requests?

 

[serenaslu]

I really would consider those brands to be mainstream, not exotic.

A quick look at a couple of the manufacturers' websites list:

Ten Trek dealers in the DC area; see:
http://www2.trekbikes.com/us/en/Dealers/Index.php
(example:
REVOLUTION CYCLES INC
3411 M STREET NW
WASHINGTON DC 20007
(202) 965-3601 )

Five Cervelo dealer locations (2 dealers) in the DC area; see:
http://www.cervelo.com/content.aspx?m=ContactUs&i=ContactUs#Dealers
(example:Big Wheel Bikes, 1034 33rd. Street NW, Washington, DC)


Most manufacturers will have a geographic directory of LBS that carry their products.

 

[RickF]

For the US, you can go to most of the manufacturer's web site, enter your zip code, and get a list of dealers in your area. Here is a list of most of the manufacturers' web sites: http://www.bicycleresources.com/products/bikeframe.php

I have two daughters who live between DC and Baltimore. I know there are a lot of bike shops near them that sell Trek, Cannondale, Scott, Raleigh, Specialized, Felt, LeMond, Klein, ...

 

[hd reynolds]

for those brands try - www.competitivecyclist.com

 

[mattjf]

Where are you exactly in D.C.? I just moved away from Gaithersburg, MD.

The best bike shop in the area is The Bicycle Place, in my opinion. They are incredibly nice, incredibly helpful, very good mechanics, and carry a good selection. They carry Trek, LeMond, Seven Cycles, Pinarello, and Felt. They are located in Silver Spring, MD. The Bicycle Place also sponsers local riders and the University of Maryland team (which I rode for). They have some very nice bikes in there.

Their site is: http://www.thebicycleplace.com/index.html

The next place I'd go would be Revolution Cycles. They have one in Rockville MD, Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Georgetown, and a couple other places. They also sell Trek.

Theres a couple other stores downtown, but I've never been to them.

 

[goaliedad30]

Actually it's probably a REALLY dumb question, but where do y'all purchase your bikes? I've been reading threads with peeps talking about all kinds of expotic bikes like Trek, Merckx, Cervelo, etc. but I never see these brands in any of the local bike shops I visit, and I look around at different mom-and-pop stores in addition to places like Performance. Do you order them online and if so, how do you know which ones fit you and ride well? Just curious.

There are several outstanding LBS's near me. One carries primarily Trek, Lemond, and Gary Fisher. Another does Trek, Giant, I think Bianchi. There's also a Performance shop that carries their brands. Not sure if I've seen a C'dale dealer around here or not.

 

[Baulplair]

Oh yeah, duh... I totally didn't even think of checking the sites for dealer lists. /smacks head

Thanks, guys, you all rock !

Mattjf, I've been to Revolution, but I didn't know about Bicycle Place. I'm in northern VA but it sounds like it might be worth the trip to MD. The people at the LBS's near me are really helpful but they always seem really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really busy and flustered, and I always feel guilty asking questions so I try not to bug them too much.

 

[ToffoIsMe]

I find it hard to believe that you can't find a Trek dealer. They have to be one of the most well known and easiest to get bike brands in the country. Literally THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dealers in the USA.

 

[bike_racer102]

Actually it's probably a REALLY dumb question, but where do y'all purchase your bikes? I've been reading threads with peeps talking about all kinds of expotic bikes like Trek, Merckx, Cervelo, etc. but I never see these brands in any of the local bike shops I visit, and I look around at different mom-and-pop stores in addition to places like Performance. Do you order them online and if so, how do you know which ones fit you and ride well? Just curious.

I get mine from ebay

 

[lyotard]

www.gvhbikes.com

Actually it's probably a REALLY dumb question, but where do y'all purchase your bikes? I've been reading threads with peeps talking about all kinds of expotic bikes like Trek, Merckx, Cervelo, etc. but I never see these brands in any of the local bike shops I visit, and I look around at different mom-and-pop stores in addition to places like Performance. Do you order them online and if so, how do you know which ones fit you and ride well? Just curious.

 

[RussB]

I see from the earlier replys that you've been pointed to a number of bike shops in your area. Check out what they have online before going there. And look at the manufacturers web sites. I spent a few weeks educating myself on the different brands and what came with them (shifters, derailers, wheels, etc). Then when you start checking then out in person, be sure to get the right size. And try places with a wide selection on site. Also try a few out (very important). If you take a car out for a test drive, then you should take a bike out too. My local shop doesn't even put a limit on the length of time for a test. Make sure it feels comforatable.

Good luck in your search, and have a good time.
My Bike? 2006 TREK 2.1 spa

 

[lks]

Actually it's probably a REALLY dumb question, but where do y'all purchase your bikes? I've been reading threads with peeps talking about all kinds of expotic bikes like Trek, Merckx, Cervelo, etc. but I never see these brands in any of the local bike shops I visit, and I look around at different mom-and-pop stores in addition to places like Performance. Do you order them online and if so, how do you know which ones fit you and ride well? Just curious.

I only buy framesets and build my own bikes, but when I bought Trek's 2002 & 2003/ 5900 framesets and 2004 Madone project One frameset, my recollection was that Trek did not allow their dealers to sell bikes via the web/mail order. I don't ride Trek amymore, so I don't know if that is still their policy.

 

[Baulplair]

I see from the earlier replys that you've been pointed to a number of bike shops in your area. Check out what they have online before going there. And look at the manufacturers web sites. I spent a few weeks educating myself on the different brands and what came with them (shifters, derailers, wheels, etc). Then when you start checking then out in person, be sure to get the right size. And try places with a wide selection on site. Also try a few out (very important). If you take a car out for a test drive, then you should take a bike out too. My local shop doesn't even put a limit on the length of time for a test. Make sure it feels comforatable.

Good luck in your search, and have a good time.
My Bike? 2006 TREK 2.1 spa

Nice bike and thanks for the extra replies, everyone. I've been reading through the discussions here and browsing through issues of Bicycling, just absorbing as much as I can. It's helped a lot. I'm traveling right now and in my spare time i'm visiting the LBS's, talking with the peeps working there and trying out different bikes. I'm going to test out a Cervelo Soloist sometime this weekend, as well as an all-carbon Specialized Roubaix (or something), and maybe an Orbea Something-or-other if they have my size. The Orbea I saw has a carbon fork, carbon stays, and Campy Mirage hardware, for about $1300. So far I've learned that I probably won't be getting a Felt in the near future, because they all seem to have a straight geometry that my legs are a little too short for.

Right now I'm actually riding a Schwinn Fastback LE that I got at Performance over the winter. It came with a carbon fork and a 150 rear derailleur, all for about $650. It's working out great for commuting to work, which I do about 4 days a week, and since it isn't a glamour brand, I don't have to lose sleep about it getting stolen. My goal is to save up for a 'weekend warrior' kind of bike by next spring that I can use to push myself and really find my limits.

Oh, I also took a bike maintenance clinic at REI and now know how to fix my brakes, replace the bottom bracket, take apart the headset, true a wheel, and a couple other things. Good stuff. I no longer fear my bike.

Ya know, every time I visit a bike shop I'm just constantly amazed at the technology of today's bikes. Every bike I've had in the past was some big 40-pound brick. I grew up in the '80s and used to ride those heavy steel "ten speeds" of the time. Then I got a big heavy mountain bike during college, about 15 years ago, back when chromoly or something was the new thing. That was the last time I rode a bike regularly until now. Even my entry-level Schwinn, which I think is about 20 pounds, is a featherweight compared to what I'm used to. Man we're really lucky to have so much kickass stuff available to us.

 

[bobbyOCR]

It would be better if you buy it at a good LBS, as then you can make friends with them, get info on products, get preference in the reair queue and even get discounts . If you don't have one within a reasonable difference, then consider online, as you can get great deals, but watch warranty. It is like an insurance policy for your bike.

 

[meb]

....

The next place I'd go would be Revolution Cycles. They have one in Rockville MD, Alexandria VA, Arlington VA, Georgetown, and a couple other places. They also sell Trek.

...QUOTE]

There's no revolution in Alexandria. You're probably thinking of Big Wheel Bikes or Spokes.