There's a lot of reasons to buy a bike or other cycling gear from a shop here in Indianapolis, rather than ordering it online. Fitting, quality of assembly, warranty service, etc. However, I had a pretty stark and simple example the other day.
Fellow walks in with an off-brand carbon fiber road bike purchased from one of the online retailers. It had top-of-the-line components: SRAM Red, carbon wheels, etc. We have a Serotta on the shelf with pretty much the same kit, and we've ordered in several Giant bikes with similar specs.
The Serotta: 15.25 pounds.
The mail-order bike: 18.5 pounds.
Buyer beware!
Fellow walks in with an off-brand carbon fiber road bike purchased from one of the online retailers. It had top-of-the-line components: SRAM Red, carbon wheels, etc. We have a Serotta on the shelf with pretty much the same kit, and we've ordered in several Giant bikes with similar specs.
The Serotta: 15.25 pounds.
The mail-order bike: 18.5 pounds.
Buyer beware!