Bicycle Break-In

When you buy a new bicycle from a reputable bike shop, there is a good reason that it takes some time to "build" the bike. When a company boxes a bike for shipping, it can be in any condition. It is up to the shop to make the bike safe for on-road riding. This includes checking the brakes, shifters, handlebars, and wheels.

Even the most carefully built bicycle will need a tune-up after a couple of weeks, or a couple of hundred miles, of riding. The brake and shifter cables will stretch and settle, meaning that they will have to be readjusted. The wheels, if not meticulously hand built, will also settle, and need to be trued. The chain's factory coating will wear away, and require replacement.

My advice to everyone reading this is to make friends with a local bike shop (LBS) or someone with bicycle repair experience, and have them take a look at your bicycle after a couple of weeks of riding. You'll be glad you did (though you may not realize it).

The good news (for Bike & Build riders) is that Zane's is properly assembling bicycles before re-packing them for shipping, as I just confirmed. (The bad news is that the quotes I originally received for bicycle upgrades were wrong. I'll update with more information as it becomes available.)