I guess two things come to mind reading your post.
Specifically, I think that, like many a resource, bike forums are a great tool with lots of good information but you have to be thoughtful about asking the right questions if you have a specific goal you’re trying to achieve or question you’re trying to answer.
Other riders are, for example, happy to share their great customer service experiences if you ask for them. Looking for companies that have great customer service/support I’d post a query like “give me an example of a bad experience with a product (failure, etc) where you’d buy from the brand again because of your customer service experience.” I’ve learned lots of great stuff from bike forums over the years just have your fanboy meter turned up high - you’re looking for actual experience not love letters to the bike designer from folks who’ve never had an issue.
Put a different way. Everything breaks - I want to know what companies do when their shit fails.
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Generally, and this is absolutely not directed at any specific brand, (one you listed or otherwise), deep manufacturing-based-marketing always raises my eyebrow. I once had a rep from a bike brand tell me I should believe all his company’s bullshit because “they are a manufacturing company not a marketing company.” Hahahahaha. Hyperbolic marketing trying to differentiate a product around design, manufacturing tolerances, materials, etc should draw more not less scrutiny.
I hear you, nice words but how about a real world example of how to action any of this on the next bike purchase?
Buying a multi-thousand bike? Ask the shop to throw it in a stand, remove the rear wheel, and unbolt the top shock mount. Now you cycle the back end. Then do the same with the shock bolted in and the air out of the shock (or coil removed). If the bike’s really out of alignment you can often (certainly not always) see and feel it through the stroke just with this simple process.
April 25, 2022, 12:05 a.m. - Andrew Major
I guess two things come to mind reading your post. Specifically, I think that, like many a resource, bike forums are a great tool with lots of good information but you have to be thoughtful about asking the right questions if you have a specific goal you’re trying to achieve or question you’re trying to answer. Other riders are, for example, happy to share their great customer service experiences if you ask for them. Looking for companies that have great customer service/support I’d post a query like “give me an example of a bad experience with a product (failure, etc) where you’d buy from the brand again because of your customer service experience.” I’ve learned lots of great stuff from bike forums over the years just have your fanboy meter turned up high - you’re looking for actual experience not love letters to the bike designer from folks who’ve never had an issue. Put a different way. Everything breaks - I want to know what companies do when their shit fails. ——— Generally, and this is absolutely not directed at any specific brand, (one you listed or otherwise), deep manufacturing-based-marketing always raises my eyebrow. I once had a rep from a bike brand tell me I should believe all his company’s bullshit because “they are a manufacturing company not a marketing company.” Hahahahaha. Hyperbolic marketing trying to differentiate a product around design, manufacturing tolerances, materials, etc should draw more not less scrutiny. I hear you, nice words but how about a real world example of how to action any of this on the next bike purchase? Buying a multi-thousand bike? Ask the shop to throw it in a stand, remove the rear wheel, and unbolt the top shock mount. Now you cycle the back end. Then do the same with the shock bolted in and the air out of the shock (or coil removed). If the bike’s really out of alignment you can often (certainly not always) see and feel it through the stroke just with this simple process.