My bike arrived. Should I try to put it together myself?

[EFerrari]

Poll question: My bike arrived. Should I try to put it together myself?

What's the worst that could happen? :shrug:

[IndianaJones]

1. yes. nt.

[SacredCow]

2. what kind of bike? n/t

[EFerrari]

6. It's just a little 18 speed Huffy. But we have a great bike path

and I was tired of watching everybody else using it. :)

[SacredCow]

11. You can probably put it together....

They come almost completely assembled. You'll have to put the pedals on, the front wheel, the seat, and the handlebars. I think that's it. You wouldn't be any worse than an assembler at wal-mart or toys r us- I promise you that.

[EFerrari]

13. Wow, I hadn't thought of it that way.

:hi:

[SacredCow]

16. It may need some adjustments that require some knowledge....

But I'd say go ahead and assemble it yourself. THEN take it to the bike shop and get the brakes and derailleurs adjusted, which shouldn't cost too much.

Typically, if you didn't buy a bike from a shop, they'll WAY overcharge you for an assembly (and somewhat rightfully so, since they assume some liability in putting it together and didn't make a profit on selling it to you).

[EFerrari]

19. When my kids were little, we were a churchmouse poor very young

couple, so my husband and I had to put everything together. Made for some really funny Christmas Eves. (We had a running joke that everything Grandma got the kids required assembly, made horrible NOISE and hurt if you stepped on it in the dark.

Or, maybe that's just how we justified partying too much on New Years' Eve. :)

[texanwitch]

3. Make sure the brakes work.

How complete is the bike, the gears may need a adjustment.

[EFerrari]

4. I'm afraid to open the box!

:scared:

(Brakes: make sure they work!)

[texanwitch]

10. I would take the unopen box to a bike shop,

I used to work on my bike but I don't anymore, it is worth the money to have bike tech do it right to begin with.

[EFerrari]

12. The thing is, the cats haven't been afraid to open the box

which is now going molecular all over the livingroom. It might not make it to the car.

I'm going to finish the job for them and give it a whirl. If I can put the thing together, it can be taken in for a, um, "tune up" somewhere or better, one of my neighbors can check it out. One of my favorite neighbors confessed to his youthful career as a bike thief and seems to have the skills you'd need to check behind my work. The aforesaid neighbor is now in rehab and a very fine human bean making the appropriate amends. :)

[texanwitch]

17. My cats like to open boxes to.

Really, at some time take the bike to a good bike shop and get it a tune-up.

We don't have a bike path around here yet, the nearest one is about 3 miles away and very crowded.

I get together with some bike riders and we do an midnignt ride, no traffic and in summer no heat.

We also ride the seawall at Galveston, it is 10 miles one way.

[EFerrari]

18. We have a great path that runs along the coast but about a block

away from the actual beach. Walkers and bikers get along fine. Runners seem to have no personal boundaries and are a menace. They are likely to plow into you and cuss you out for not getting out of their way. As a former runner, I apologize for the lot of them.

[texanwitch]

20. The sidewalk on the seawall is wide but we ride next to the street side.

The runners stay on the beach side, we usually do not have any problems.

A few runners like to play chicken, I don't get this.

I wouldn't want to run in front of a bike going about 20 mph.

[EFerrari]

21. Or too close to an unknown dog. It's just wierd.

Maybe the rush you get from running short circuits the common sense area of your brain. I know that when I was running, it used to take a good hour to come down. :shrug:

[krispos42]

5. Go for it!

Just remember, they usually include a few extra parts in the box just in case you lose one of them!

:crazy:

Oh, and, um, get a helmet.

[EFerrari]

8. LOL! Only if it requires no assembly.

Maybe I'll just knit one.

[Gormy Cuss]

22. Buy a helmet.

I know where you live and those drivers don't see bikes or pedestrians, LOL.

Got no advice on assembly. The bike shop had assembled mine before I bought it.

[EFerrari]

24. "I have been in your pocketbook and I KNOW where you live."

-- Fontaine/Whoopi

There's a new study out today that has San Francisco in the top tier of cities (#2, iirc) where people sit in traffic. San Jose is something like #8. And HelLA leads the pack.

I've lived in all three cities. Out here in the Sunset, I still remember when the whole place was one big uncontrolled intersection. My friends, the Meehan Brothers, have a whole stand up bit about playing "Sunset Roulette".




lol

/oops

[Gormy Cuss]

28. Sunset roulette -- LOL

Stop sign? What stop sign?

[EFerrari]

29. If you ever see a listing of them playing or Mike playing alone,

go see! Mike is also an amazing painter. Chris is an actor and they all three of them are gorgeous writers. Howard just started doing solo stand up a couple of years ago and he's light years ahead of most newbies. And no, I get no kickback. :hi:

[Shell Beau]

7. Sure!! You can do it!

[EFerrari]

9. Promise me I won't have to learn the metric system first.

:crazy:

[LynneSin]

14. I suggest a round of tasering before you get started

[EFerrari]

15. Maybe it would go together easier if I were juiced.

:rofl:

[Whisp]

23. sure! but let someone else take the first test drive. ;)

my sister and I put together a propane barbque years ago. We had the pieces strewn around her entire back yard.

but we got the neighbor to do the first light up, while we watched from across the street. nice neighbor. still alive.

[EFerrari]

25. Good news about your neighbor!

:rofl:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

26. Just take it out of the box

and ride it damn it.

[EFerrari]

27. I KNEW that was you.

Alternately, I could just sit on the box.

lol

:hi: