Re: [CR]Selling to Friends

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot:PX-10LE)

From: <Sid_Smith@baxter.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Selling to Friends
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 10:40:13 -0600


Sam and all-

I know the feeling. A friend's wife complained about the poor service and fitting she received at the LBS (who are good guys, but really a sport shop not a solely a bike shop). I told her I had a bike she could try, I thought it would be pretty close to her size. It was a late 60's Bianchi, lugged Columbus frameset. I built it up to fit her, with spare components and index shifters. First bike she had ever ridden that fit her correctly. She rode it a bit and decided she wanted that bike, would I sell it to her? OK, the bike as it sits $200. Then after two weeks she wanted a bunch of changes. New stem, new seat, several new components, brakes, derailleur, etc. Came to $350 for the parts. But I trust her, she said she wanted the bike. I've got about 20 hours in by this time. I bought the parts and installed them. I even took a vaction day to do it so that she would have the bike back for the weekend.

She rides it on a "long ride" (35 miles with some hills) and can't stay with her friends on the hills. She claims its the bike, it doesn't have "click shifters" (she means STI's, it is indexed, FWIW). I tell kindly her that she needs to learn how to shift a bike, she is shifting late on the hills. I also tell her that STI's are going to be a lot more expensive than she thinks. So she takes it to Performance Bike Shop and the kid she talks to tells her the Bianchi is "out of date and not worth working with, and by the way we have a modern TIG welded bike here on Sale!" Then she starts complaining about me! Enough!!!!!! I take the bike back, take off the parts I bought for her and take the parts to her house along with receipts. I figure she owes me for the parts, she can do what she wants with them.

She claims she was out of town and never saw the parts. Now I'm out the money, the time, and I've got this stupid b****h telling our friends that I tried to rip her off. Her husband would not have anything to do with the situation. He says it's my problem.

No, we are no longer friends. In fact I've told my former friend, "Don't have any problems near me buddy, I don't know you".

The father of a college room-mate was fond of saying, "No good deed goes unpunished". How true.

So, regrettably, I only work on friends bikes (and other things) under duress. I get in so much trouble being a "good guy". I much prefer a commercial transaction, the expectations are much more reasonable.

Sid Smith Lake Forest, IL

However, if Freddy is looking for a "female friend" he should forward his number. I figure he and Karin could make music, grunge maybe ;-)