I was interested in test riding a new 2016 Niner RLT steel. I went to their website and located the nearest dealers and rode my bike to them. The first one didn't have a single Niner bike in the store. They could order one only. The second store didn't have a single one either. Why do these companies list dealer names even when they don't carry them in stock. Is this just a marketing trick? Is Niner Bikes the only one that does this?
Same deal in my neck of the woods too.. Shops stock what sells in their area, be it road,cx,mtb,grvl or hybrids whatever. Not one single bike I have been interested in was on a dealers floor within 100's of miles. Always a good idea to call first.. The majority of shops by me don't know what a gravel bike is but that is improving.
Well I called first, but they said we will let you try something similar. Ha, didn't have any in my size, just cheap junk too. The biggest bike shops don't carry Niner bikes in Seattle either. But they do have Canadian ones.
I found that in my town too - even though there are a large number of LBS and national chains. I know it influenced by decision. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with the Diverge Comp I ended up with and got a great deal. But, I had to evaluate the Felt V85/55 and the GT Grade options based on specs/internet. Ordering a bike to try seemed a little less than straight forward process-wise, and obviously inconvenient.
I ended up with likely the most expensive option, but at least the process was easy. It is great that there are so many options out there these days, but believe there is some innovation waiting to happen in the bike selection process.
Are you suggesting they add a qualification for dealers that carry stock? That would be a ton of work and no way to verify the LBS claim that they carry them. Dealer just means you can get a bike and related support. It's the same with cars - you might not be able to test drive a Mustang Shelby 350 GTR (or whatever) everywhere.
A ton of work? I bet they don't even sell a bike a week. Having a posted inventory on their website is a pretty common business practice of good businesses.
It seemed you were asking about manufacturers listing shops as "dealers" when the LBS doesn't carry stock of each model, not the actual shop not listing stock.
I just went through this same question, with the same bike.
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\nThe problem is that your LBS actually had to buy the bikes the have in the store, usually in credit. The more specialized a bike is (like a niche steel bike from a small brand) they more likely it is they'll get stuck taking a loss.
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\nWhat I did: find a local Ninet dealer. They probably have 150 specialized bikes in stock at any time, plus 1-4 each of Moots, Niner, etc. They may be able to order in a demo. I waited until the Niner traveling demo came (follow Niner on Facebook to see where they are going). I got to ride an alloy RLT and talked for a long time with the Niner rep about his personal steel.
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\nFor small brands, small yield (alloy vs steel), you'll have to do legwork.
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\nFYI it was worth it. The RLT 9 steel was worth every penny. It's a far better ride than my Straggler, and I'm actually liking it better for most of the road riding I do than my road bike's
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\nCan I answer any RLT 9 steel questions for you?
The main triangle is 853; I'm told the rear is something else. That makes some sense... it soaks up chatter a lot better than my Surly (made of 4130), but it's still stiffer standing on the pedals than my road bike (early 90s Litespeed Ti). I think the thru-axles help a lot there, too.
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\nI like All-City (my wife has a Space Horse), but I haven't ridden a Macho King.
