Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2016 16:37:31 GMT
Helloooo...
I'm soon to be getting my first road bike and its a Triban of course. I went for the Triban 540 as I wanted a decent bike that I can commute with as well as have fun at the weekends on, possibly doing some club rides once I find a club.
I'm located in south west London and am looking forward to riding it, I just hope the cycle to work scheme voucher comes soon. In the mean time I thought I'd sign up and say hello to everyone here, as would be good to get to know other people and learn from some of the posts here.
Nice to meet you!
Sam
|
|
|
Post by chas on Nov 11, 2016 16:49:51 GMT
Hi Sam and welcome. The British Cycling website has a 'clubfinder' feature but I'm sure someone more local to you will be able to suggest some.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2016 17:44:19 GMT
Welcome Sam from another 540 owner. I love this thing to bits....
I'd say spend a bit of time browsing bike fit on the internet so you have done everything in your power to get it right when the voucher comes. You may not find expertise readily on hand when you are choosing the size but it will become more and more important to you with every ride you do so investing the time while you wait will pay dividends and remember, it can be tricky. Reading up you will find contradictions or just things that can be taken in different ways depending on how you read it. Get a firm grasp on the basics and then you can tweak as necessary without finding you bought the wrong size.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2016 18:30:06 GMT
Hello and a warm welcome on board Sam...
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2016 10:09:36 GMT
My voucher came through at the weekend as the whole process is automated now, so as soon as t he payment clears an automated email containing the voucher is sent. Happy Days!
I popped down to my local Decathlon as I am lucky to have one 15 mins walk away, and I picked up all my bits and even had a ride around on a large and a XL 540. I went for the XL as I am 6'1. However, I only have an inside leg of 3'1 (long body short legs) and after getting it home was looking a\t it properly and I can only just stand over the top tube with no space between it and my crotch. I think I am going to take it back today and size down to the large! I should of been a bit more thorough with my testing in the shop but I got a bit too excited... Has anyone else had any sizing issues? Acording to the size charts, if I go off my leg measurement I'm a Medium frame, but off my height I'm an Extra Large, so I should of settled for the in-between size I guess.
|
|
|
Post by chas on Nov 14, 2016 10:50:08 GMT
Take it back straight away a large should be fine for your height, be aware you don't have the usual warranty/rights under the cyclescheme as they own the bike.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2016 11:13:51 GMT
I am going to call them at lunch time (currently at work) and arrange to go in this evening. I changed the tyres to a set of Continental's for the winter months so I will have to swap them back to the original ones.
I took some pictures of myself on the bike to see if was too big, but I'm not sure how to upload pictures on the forum in a post or reply.
|
|
|
Post by Rocket on Nov 14, 2016 12:13:53 GMT
If you want to post pictures on this forum then what most of us do is set up a free PhotoBucket account and upload the pictures there. Then link to the picture on PhotoBucket in your post. The forum itself does not host the pictures as being a free forum we were only given limited space for attachments - and it has all been used a long time ago for avatars and such.
|
|
|
Post by chas on Nov 14, 2016 17:47:04 GMT
Probably too late now but you could leave your tyres on and just swap the wheels
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2016 16:57:11 GMT
I went back to Decathlon last night where they had a Large T.540 on hold for me (I rang earlier to make sure they had stock). I got there and the guy was more than happy for me to swap for the smaller size, result... or so I thought. After inspection of the supposedly new bike, I noticed it had quite a few scratches and chips taken out of the paintwork and fork, and even a few marks on the rims. Now, I don't mind a few marks, it's a bike after all, but these were quite obvious and and some where there size of a pea that had be chipped out of the frame, so I was a bit reluctant to accept it as my exchange.
I called the customer service team and they said they can do an inter-store exchange with another store that stocks the bike, so she looks on her screen and finds a store that has 3 (hurrah). The shop assistant phones them up, adn after a lengthy discourse informs me that their stock is wrong and they only have the T.540 in red/purple, not the grey/red. He then rings up about 5 other stores and informs me that there are currently only 4 bikes of that model, colour and size in the whole of the UK, and all are unavailable!
Ultimately, I had to exchange my shiny new XL for a scratched Large, in the hope that they will eventually restock their shelves with my bike so I can swap it for a sparkly new one!
Though to finish on a high, I rode the large 540 to work this morning and had a blast, it fits perfectly and I even hit 30mph along Embankment and beat the tube.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2016 17:28:17 GMT
Glad it was a blast!! I'm a bit confused though... I understand how you can swap the size so soon but having accepted the new size, they'll still take that one back? Also (from experience with another bike of mine) you only have to knock it over in the garage once and it'll scratch!! so maybe some gear in the shop thrown in would have been a good sweetener?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 9:38:47 GMT
That is what I first thought, but it was the customer service agent's idea. Apparently they take their 365 day return policy literally. As long as the bike hasn't been used stupidly then they will accept it back, to quote from their returns policy, "we will not accept products that have deemed to be damaged on purpose or used outside of their means." I was still slightly dubious of this so I got her to email me what she had said so I have a copy in writing.
They offered a 10% refund which would of been Β£65, which to me didn't really mitigate the amount of scratches and chips in the paintwork. Plus, I got the bike through the cycle scheme so a refund would not of been possible.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 18:10:30 GMT
Welcome Sam.
Hope you get everything sorted with Decathlon.
I live in South West London too, and am new to road cycling so am also looking for a club.
Happy to try to link up for a ride, once: (a) my fractured elbow is healed (cycling related 'numpty' injury - don't ask!), and I have rebuilt my Triban 3 with the Shimano 105 11spd gearset I have gathered. Then it will be closer to matching your shiny new 540.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2016 9:43:45 GMT
Hi Adam! I've kind of get everything sorted now, just a waiting game I guess. Hope your elbow sorts itself out too! I'm living in Putney at the moment and there is a local club called Velosport Cycling Club. I also hear that the Twickenham cycling club is very good, and large, and accommodates people of all levels of cycling. I'm hoping to get involved in one at some point though not I'm not sure as to when I will get round to it. The local council also do lessons for free about cycling on the roads, such as safety and awareness I think. I'm new to cycling on roads too so want to attend one of these too. I'll post some links below. Velosports Cycling Club: www.bc-clubs.co.uk/velosportcc/Twickenham Cycling Club: www.twickenhamcc.co.uk/tcc/Cycling training: www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200123/cycling/351/cycle_training_and_skills
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2016 19:08:24 GMT
Thanks Sam.
I'll definitely check out those links. Hope your bike's sorted now.
|
|