got a bike from chainreaction

[vqdriver]

so the time is come when both my kids graduated from 24" to the next size up. this whole time i was under the impression that the good ol' 26" wheelsize would be the next step. it seems, decent kid oriented 26" bikes have been brushed aside with the expectation that they go directly to 27.5 or small size women's bikes. an argument could be made for either and with lbss everywhere local, and even some not so local, out of stock i was on multiple call-back and wait lists. didn't get a single update from any trek/spec'd/c'dale/giant dealers.

i did get a couple back-in-stock emails from chainreaction tho. the first was already sold out again before i woke up to see the email. the second was for the bike i really had my eye on so i pulled the trigger within 5 min of seeing the message (by that time there was only 1 left). received it today, box intact, 4 days after shipping. [ it still boggles the mind how i can get something from half a world away, go thru customs, and to my door in less time than ups ground from the east coast ]

so my impressions are pretty good. obviously i bought this bike based on the specs alone since i couldn't see it in person. i gotta say, tho, that i'm very happy with chainreaction. it wasn't the hodgepodge of parts that i was expecting from the factory. it's evident that it was built up, tuned, and then repacked for shipping. all i had to do was install the front wheel, bars, and pedals. they also repacked the pedals and other loose bits into their own little crc branded box and included a house brand multitool and pedal wrench (which incidentally i really like, perhaps more than my park pedal wrench) along with a checklist of things done (including checking spoke tension, yay) and the steps to reassemble the bike. i appreciated that they included, but left off, things like the reflectors, bell, cassette saucer, etc.. things that liability averse US lbs always install. i had it together and ready in about 20 min. if i'd never wrenched a bike before i'm guessing it would have taken roughly the same time.

interesting note, they shipped it out with tires fully pressurized. i understand they protect the bike and wheels, but they were like rock hard and surprised they didn't pop on the plane.

anyway, overall a good experience.

fwiw, this is what i got
http://nukeproof.com/products/cub-scout-26-sport-2020/

[ultraman6970]

Good looking bike man congrats

[73Bronco]

Nice review, it's refreshing to hear something good now and then.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[muz]

Originally Posted by vqdriver

interesting note, they shipped it out with tires fully pressurized. i understand they protect the bike and wheels, but they were like rock hard and surprised they didn't pop on the plane.

This is often misunderstood. Ambient pressure at sea level is only 15 psi, so even if the plane went to outer space, the effective pressure in the wheels would only go up by 15psi, hopefully well within the margin. Also, most cargo holds are pressurized (not to sea level, but to perhaps 8,000ft).