Bike Assembly and New Bike Adjustments

Would you spend your hard-earned money on a new bike if you knew that it was just taken out of the box, thrown together, possibly not even test ridden, and then put on the showroom floor to sell? We would not either! The professional mechanics at Continental Cyclery take an hour to 1 1/2 hours to finish one bike. We take our time to make sure that the bike is running its best before we set it out to sell, we test ride at least once every bike we assemble, and we provide six months of free adjustments (as many times as you need it!), after the sale of the bike to provide for the normal "breaking in" of the bike. These adjustments include:

· Wheels. We work to center, properly tension, and true each wheel. Our goal is to have a wheel true within 0.5mm.

· Bearings. One way we save you money is by preventing expensive repairs through proper adjustment of bearings. It takes extra time to adjust bearings to our standards, but it is worth it. A bearing out of adjustment could wear out in half the time that one with a good adjustment will - this goes for all bearings!

· Brakes. At Continental Cyclery, we do all we can to make sure the brakes stop on a dime and without any noise. Sometimes this may take a lot of time, but it is worth it to us because it makes your ride safer.

· Frame. We align frame dropouts, thus greatly increasing bearing life and reducing the risk of bending an axle . This requires special tools, but ensures that we have not missed any steps in making your bicycle last a lifetime.

· Shifting. Shifters of every quality are only as good as the mechanic who adjusts them. Regardless of the bike, we make sure it shifts as perfectly as possible. This includes the often-neglected chores like aligning the derailleur hanger and making sure the front derailleur is positioned properly.

· Test Ride. Many times a bike will behave quite differently on an actual ride than it does on the work stand. After a complete assembly ($45-60 worth of labor), we take every bike for at least one test ride to make sure the bike is indeed ready to ride.

We take pride in our truly professional assembly.

Our six months of free adjustments prove this, and they cover all that is mentioned above... and sometimes more. Come on in and test ride a Continental Cyclery bicycle to see for yourself!

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