Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Weirdness
Quote | Reply
First off I'd like to state that I'm posting this hesitantly given the whole 'fork failure fiasco' last week and if Dan thinks in anyway that this is a harmful post feel free to 'nip it in the bud'.

Having said that, what happened to me this w.end at Nytro (bike shop here in San Diego known for fitting numerous athletes of note) is just too weird not to share. I'd also like to add that the staff at Nytro was very professional and nothing short of excellent so please keep that in mind as you read. This is not a slam at Nytro.

Okay here comes the weird.

I went into Nytro to look at tri bikes, long story shortened, I ended up choosing to test ride the QR Private Reserve Compact, Felt S32 and Nytro's Xlab Hawi.

On the first test ride, I was shifting into high gear and the rear deraileur pushed into the spokes. Deraileur bits flew and I ended up carrying the bike back to the shop with a broken deraileur hanger. I felt horrible for having destroyed the deraileur and fully expected to be making compensation to the shop. Walking in, head bowed, the salesperson, Chris's only question was, "Were you hurt?".

Chris handed me the Felt. Which at this point amazed me since I was thinking there is no way these guys are going to entrust me with another bike. I followed the same route as the test ride of the QR hoping to retrieve more bits of the deraileur as a gesture of what I don't know. This time, just pedalling and within 15 feet of the 'QR incident' the rear deraileur hanger let go on the Felt. The deraileur caught in the spokes and exploded and the chain snapped. Within 15 mins. I had destroyed two Shimano drive trains. Looking for some ray of hope I thought to myself, "Well at least this one was 'only' Ultegra. Again I humped the bike back to the shop having absolutely no idea what I was going to tell Chris. Again his only question, "Did you go down?"

Chris asked if I still wanted to test the Hawi. Of course I did, I have a severe case of bike lust. This time Chris had the mechanics check the entire bike before I left the shop for a ride. I think we were both dumbfounded. I was feeling like the most jinxed individual in history and I have no idea what Chris was thinking. He said in his 4 1/2 years there he had never seen anything like it. I rode the Hawi, thankfully without incident, and decided to buy it.

If you haven't heard of the Xlab Hawi its because the owner of Nytro a few years back, prior the QR releasing it's 'compact', thought there ought to be a compact tri geometry bike, so he designed one and had the Pinarello bike factory in Italy make the frame for him. Gorgeous welds by the way. I loved the ride and how can you pass up a compact tri bike with full Utegra for $1295?

So anyway, weird huh? If you have any amulets or good luck incantations you like to pass along. I'm all ears.

John
Quote Reply
Re: Weirdness [canneberra] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Very weird, but you may not need good luck. This is just a thought, but if the same guy at Nytro built up both bikes, and didnt know how to do it properly-that could happen...

No worries, although I probably would put some holy water on it before each race
Quote Reply
Re: Weirdness [canneberra] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Nytro is an excellent triathlon retailer with a very, very solid performance record. Their mechanics are very good. I've seen their work and it is solid. Things can still go wrong though. Last week we sent a bike out with the seatpost head reversed (it came from the factory that way but WE should have noticed it, I was not in the shop when the bike went out. I like to be here when every bike goes out if possible.) A friend of ours and common twitch poster jtenniswood noticed it, and was cordial enough not to mention it on this forum. Everybody makes goofs- and this may not have been a goof on Nytro's part. In retrospec, short a Space Shuttle inquiry, it is difficult to tell what caused this, but Nytro's reputation speaks for itself- and that is from a guy who also sells triathlon bikes.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Quote Reply
Re: Weirdness [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Tom,

I agree. Nytro has a very sold reputation and they've earned it by being attentive to excellence. My opinion is this was a totally freak thing and that was my reason for posting.

John


"A man must love a thing very much if he not only
practices it without any hope of fame and money,
but even practices it without any hope of doing it well."

(G. K. Chesterton)

Quote Reply