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
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