Can a quality bike be ordered from an online retailer? If so, what are the dos and don'ts?

There are many things you cannot do when buying a bicycle online. Unless you can find a shop that sells the same model and size, you cannot sit on it to see if bicycle fits you comfortably. You cannot straddle over the toptube to feel if it is too high for your safety.

I have in my shop, bicycles of different brands. My customer tried two 27.5” MTB of different brands with M size frames and similar length stems. He discovered that the reach for the handlebar for one of them is a little too far for his height.

Sometimes the colour of the bicycle you see on the catalouge or online maybe slightly different to the one you received. One of my customers rejected a bicycle I specifically ordered for him because it looks more purple than blue, as seen on the photo I showed him.

Bicycles you buy online are usually delivered in a box partially fixed. Do you have the tools and the capability to fix it up to ride? Some manufacturers will void warranty on defective parts if their bicycles are not fixed up by a bike mechanic.

These were some of the issues faced by my customers who bought their new bicycles online:

1) Missing parts.
2) Gears need to be set.
3) Rear derailleur need to be changed.
4) Hydraulic disc brakes not working well.

The most common issues which cannot be fixed were deep scratches on bikes and damaged decals. We can only help our customers fix minor scratches with paint pen if the scratched part is in black or white colour.

We usually inform our customer that there are warranties on some parts for new bicycles. However, most of them do not want the hassle of sending their bicycles back for warranty repair as it may be more costly or time consuming, especially if the store is a great distance away. Moreover, once their trust in the supplier is broken, it is not likely that they will trust them to get the problem fixed with no additional cost, as they have promised.

As a bicycle shop owner, we sometimes received bicycles with defects from the appointed distributor. We can have them returned for replacement or credit note or sell them with discount if the defects are minor or can be fixed.

If you plan to buy a bicycle online, make sure that you select a supplier who is established in this line. You may have a problem returning a bicycle you are not happy with for replacement if the online supplier is not the appointed seller. So, there is also a reason to doubt if the brand is really authentic or just a brand you like printed on the body without the warranties it should come with.