The Flight of my Bike
It all started in June. I decided I would buy a bike and start cycling to work. Over a hill, and over a bridge, the trip takes only about 20 minutes — which is usually a little bit faster than taking transit. It’s good exercise, and cheaper than transit (bike not included).
Off I went to Sport Chek to buy the cheapest bike I could find.
$109 + tax later, I had a cheap bike.
Within a few weeks, my front tire came loose. Something in the axel went funny, and the wheel rotated on its axis ever so slightly. That’s not good. So I took it back and had them fix it. Warantee service #1. The friendly bike mechanic at the store gladly fixed it, but said that it would likely happen again because it’s a cheap bike, with cheap parts.
Granted, when you pay $100 for a bike, you don’t expect it to last for ever. Daily use was not what was intended for this bake, apparently. But that’s like saying that if you buy a cheap car and the transmission falls out four weeks later, it wasn’t intended for daily use.
So my cheap bike was nicknamed Adam, after Adam Sandler and my altered version of one of his dumb songs: Piece of Shit Bike.
Skip ahead about 6 weeks. I was riding home, just about to go over the Burrard Bridge, when my gears went all funny. My chain didn’t fall off (although that has happened countless times), but it went all funny, and I could no longer shift into 6th gear. I managed to climb over the bridge, and even up all the hills. But as soon as I got to the top, the gear sproket thingy on the rear tire came all loose. When I peddled, the chain turned through the sproket thingy, but the tire didn’t turn. Nice. Good thing I made it to the top of the hill first.
Warantee service #2.
Today, I took my bike back and had a chat with the same friendly bike mechanic. First, I asked for my money back. No dice. Then, I asked if there was anything else that could be done (trying to avoid having the bike serviced a second time in as many months). The manager became involved and offered me an exchange for another bike. I was able to talk him down a little bit lower on this bike.
Another $180 + tax later, and I now have a bigger and lighter frame, a better bike, and a larger bill. Or at least I will when I pick it up tomorrow after work.
So much for the flight of my cheap bike. Intending to spend under $200, I’ve now spent nearly $300. How did that happen?
Let’s hope the new, yet to be named, bike works out better.
