Wow! I ordered a custom Trek Domane to replace a road bike that I bought at George Garner Cyclery in 2003. Yesterday was almost 60 degrees, which is very odd in February; so I went on my maiden voyage. Even though the wind gusts hit 70 miles per hour on occasion, it was an amazing ride. I even managed to exceed the speed limit on a stretch with the wind at my back.
The Experience:
After 13 years, my old road bike was pretty dialed in, so the fit was really important. A few medical issues (back) meant that comfort was an important consideration that needed to be addressed on the new bike. The store manager, Jim spent almost 3 hours measuring the specs and settings of my custom order. His attention to detail here was spot on. It was an amazing process that addressed movement, comfort, performance, power, efficiency, etc. While I learned a lot, the real objective was getting the new bike to fit ME as comfortably as possible. All the measurements and fuss that took place 3 weeks ago really don't mean squat. It's that first time you sit on your new bike. The first impression when you throw a leg over, grab the handle bars, shove off, click into the pedals and take those first few strokes. That's when you know if your fit specialist is a Hero or a Zero. My ear-to ear grin kind of said it all. I already knew Jim wore a superhero cape so I really wasn't surprised.
The Bike:
I ordered a 58cm Trek Domane 6 Project One. To keep this from becoming too geeky, I'll just say it was pretty high end with Dura Ace electronic group (Di2), carbon wheels, etc. With pedals, 2 bottle cages and bottles, DuoTrap (sensor thingy) and a Garmin 1000 bike computer, it weighed just over 16 lbs. I chose a dark navy blue with silver stripe and light blue Trek logo. Matching light blue on the wheelset logos. Looks great- not to blingy, just professional, high tech and unique.
Perhaps the best feature is the isospeed decoupler at the junction of the top tube and seat tube. I know they're putting this on many of their bikes now, and with good reason. It is nothing short of a miracle. It works exactly as advertised, which is rare in this business. It absorbs the bumps and road chatter making your ride amazingly smooth. Now it's not full suspension like a mountain bike, so huge potholes aren't going to go well, but regular road issues that cause pain, loss of focus, and ultimately slow you down are removed by this sweet little piece of technology. So long rides suddenly don't seem so long and that is a beautiful thing. The best part is that it does it's thing without creating a "dead" feel that some endurance bikes end up with when their solution doesn't work as well. The bottom line is I love, love, love this bike. Oh yeah, did I mention that I love this bike.
The Shop:
I've known these guys for a long time and always return when it's time to buy. Sure I'll look around on the Internet and occasionally sneak into a competitive shop under the cloak of darkness, but I always return to George Garner when it's time to buy. Sure I get a good price. Not an amazing price but a good one. The reason I always come back is the package of benefits. Good pricing; Very high quality service; A deep knowledge of the industry; Great brands combined with good inventory on hand; An unyielding commitment to the customer - if something's wrong, they stand behind their products and service and do what it takes to make things right; Two year service with new bike purchase - I originally bought from them because they include that generous 2 year service window, which is nice if you're mechanically challenged (like me). I guess it comes down to a genuine passion for cycling and their commitment to serve all levels of cyclists. I made a mental note of who came in the door during my original fitting. It was an extremely broad group: A couple of like minded "bike geeks" came in for their pre-season tune-ups; A mom and her teenage son looking for a new bike "and an alternative to Xbox," according to the mom; A college guy was looking to revive his old bike to use for transportation between classes; and a middle-aged lady who said she hadn't ridden in 40 years and was looking to increase her activity level. I guess what impressed me most was that they met each customer at their level. I saw another employee help one of the Geeks and "talk shop" as us geeks like to do, and then he turned and helped the lady with her son. The lady/son was a very different customer from the geek and needed an introduction to the options and greatly appreciated the no pressure education they were receiving. It looked like this was a first visit so I think they were starting to collect facts and get a better understanding of the options - but it was obvious they felt welcome and will return with more questions.
Not surprising, this experience reinforces my long held belief that the smart cyclist finds a good shop and then helps them help you. read more