Wheelworks Terms and ConditionsWheelworks encourages you to build your bike with all of the customization you desire. You can mix and match componentry to your heart's content. As you go through the bike buying process, you'll note that each bike manufacturer has several component gruppo part configurations for their bicycles. Complete bike pricing is derived from this Standard Road Kit offered by the manufacturer and can be a great value do to their tremendous buying power. What are the advantages of our Standard Road Kit? Suppliers are leveraged to drive down prices on the most popular componentry, which in turn allows us to offer the lowest possible prices to you. Your final complete bike price is simply a function of the extent to which you choose (or choose not) to modify our Standard Road Kit. Given today that bikes are loaded with the lightest, most durable, highest quality components made -- Thomson, Easton, Selle Italia, Shimano, and Continental just to name a few -- many folks feel no need to make any substitutions to it whatsoever. How can I compare the bikes that interest me? Wheelworks wants to work with you to design your bike and empower you to make educated decisions about the process. We don't want you to feel obligated to purchase anything, but we will do everything in our power to help support you and your choices. How will my frame be prepped? How will my bike be assembled? If your preference is to build your own bike, we welcome you to do so. We'll still prep your frame and check its alignment before shipping everything out to you. If you prefer to do your own build and you purchase a frameset and a complete component kit from us (this means everything except pedals, bottle cages, and computer -- with no other deletions), we will deduct $75 from the price of the bike. Please note, however, that once this $75 deduction is made, we will charge for any labor we perform on an item-by-item basis (i.e. installing a bottom bracket or installing headset cups). Do you offer a military discount? What methods of payment do you accept? If you're planning on using your debit card, please note that debit cards typically have a daily limit not exceeding $1000. Please discuss this limit with your card-issuing bank, as they will often give you a brief window to make a charge over this daily limit at your request. Card-issuing banks are very eager to prevent fraud, and they oftentimes decline cards for your protection. As such, it assists us greatly in getting your bike out the door if you proactively call your card-issuing bank to inform them of the impending charge. How long will it take 'til I see my order? If you're ordering components, clothing, or accessories, we'll do our best to have it in the store within a day or two. Depending on the manufacturer, the specific part and other factors, though, it might take 5 business days or more for the items to arrive at our shop. Due to the nature of special order items, you may be required to leave a deposit or pre-pay. This will be discussed when you place your order. If delivery of your order is time-sensitive, please let us know. Additional charges will be added to cover over-night shipping costs. How about international orders? We are unable to provide any currency conversion information, as your bank or credit card will have its own methodology for such a currency exchange. You can use websites such as XE.com to get a good guess as to current exchange rates. We are sometimes asked to minimize the declared value of international shipments in order to minimize your exposure to duties, taxes, and customs. Please don't bother to ask. We will not comply with such requests for two reasons: (1) Governments scare us. Our belief is that lying to a government is something to be saved for special occasions. We don't do it as a regular business practice. (2) The insured value of an international shipment cannot exceed its declared value for customs. Do I have to pay sales tax? Do you match prices? Keep in mind that in terms of complete bike purchases price-matching isn't always as simple as it appears. We like to make sure we're comparing apples-to-apples. There can be great variance in the cost; some retailers choose to cut corners by using second-rate parts. When comparing prices, please make sure to keep an eye out for such details! What is the warranty on my frame? Can I backorder a frame or item that isn't in stock? Backordering any item from Wheelworks is no different from placing an order with us for an in-stock item. Simply place your order. At the time of order placement we will authorize your credit card for the purchase, but we will not capture funds. We capture funds when your item is ready to deliver. Our customers tend to know what they want with great certainty and they're normally willing to wait as long as it takes for a particular item to arrive. You are welcome, however, to cancel your order if it is a "standard product," example standard part, complete bike, or frame. Unfortunately we cannot control the manufacturers' delivery dates, scheduling, etc... The only exception to this policy is the placement of a custom frame or parts order. Just like a normal backorder, we will authorize your credit card in full upon placement of a custom frameset order. But unlike a stock frame backorder, we cannot and will not accept a cancellation of a custom frame. Once an order for a custom is placed, it is final. Can I visit your store? What are your hours of operation? Our phone number is 706.867.0228, leave us a message if we don't answer and we will call you back as soon as we can. You're always welcome to e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). We strive to answer email daily -- typically 11am-6pm EST. E-mail is great because it allows us to be the most thoughtful with our answers. If you send an email, you can be sure that you'll hear back from us very, very shortly. Shipping GuidelinesWhat method of shipping do you use and what is the cost? Customers who purchase complete bikes from us are (understandably) quite concerned about our ability to ship their bikes safely. We have designed a rather ingenious system for shipping bicycles that makes them nearly impervious to damage in transit. On very rare occasions, though, such damage can occur. Please note that if damage occurs to your bicycle in shipping, we must file the claim on our end. You MUST keep all original packaging. Given our location, transit time for your order rarely takes more than 4 business days. We'll be glad to provide you with your tracking number so you can go to UPS.com to determine your estimated day of delivery. Please keep in mind, though, that this is only an estimate. The only guarantee offered by UPS Ground is that your package will arrive within 7 business days from the day it was shipped. If transit time exceeds 7 days, you will be refunded your shipping costs. Please be advised that unforeseen delays can occur, and any orders cancelled due to such shipping delays are subject to a restocking fee as described in our Returns Policy. Please note that UPS chooses to observe certain holidays but not others. On some holidays they deliver/pick up both ground and air packages, and on other holidays they only pick up air packages. There are holidays, too, when they take the day completely off. Due to the volume of orders we receive, we cannot individually notify our customers when they will experience a one-day delay in receiving an order due to UPS observance of a holiday. Can you Express ship my bike to me? Returns & CancellationsWhat is your return/exchange policy? We are committed to providing you with an extraordinary cycling experience and our hope is that you'll be completely satisfied with your purchase from Wheelworks. Should an item fall short of your expectations, we'll exchange or accept a return for refund within 30 days of purchase. After 30 days, merchandise must be brand new (unworn, unwashed, and/or uninstalled) to receive a refund or exchange. The only exceptions to this policy are bicycles, framesets and wheelsets (please see below). Please note the following important fact about our exchange process: Upon receiving your original item(s) we will issue a credit within 1 business day. Your replacement item(s) will be charged as a separate transaction. We mention this detail for one reason: Our experience is that some card issuing banks are a bit slower in issuing credits to your account than they are in debiting it. As such, two charges might appear on your account for a brief period of time while your card-issuing bank goes through the credit-issuing process. We must stress that we issue credits promptly and our credit card processor processes them promptly. Any delay you experience in seeing a credit reach your account is a matter to discuss with your card-issuing bank. Once we issue a credit to your account from here, there is nothing we can do to expedite your card issuing bank's finalization of the credit. Bicycles, Framesets and Wheelsets: Despite the number of bikes, framesets and wheelsets we sell, we're not jaded. We never lose sight of the fact that these products require a substantial financial investment. And we never lose sight of the fact that no one parts with significant sums of money without doing a good bit of soul-searching first. Our foremost goal is to ensure your happiness with your purchase. We take every step possible to ensure that you're making smart choices before you finalize your purchase. Nevertheless, we recognize that fate occasionally intervenes in strange ways. If you are unsatisfied with your bicycle, frameset or wheelset purchase, you can return it according to the following parameters: A. If the bicycle, frameset or wheelset is defective or damaged, you can return it for replacement, store credit or refund with no penalty within 30 days of delivery to you. In the case of such damage, please call us immediately at 706.867.0228, or email us. B. If you determine that you chose the incorrect size bicycle or frameset, you can exchange it for a proper-sized replacement within 30 days of shipment. You will be responsible for a restocking fee of 20% of the retail price of the frameset in such a situation -- this covers the administrative, labor, and depreciation costs associated with an exchanged frameset. You will also be responsible for all shipping costs. Your enjoyment of your new bicycle or frameset is first and foremost a function of proper fit. We also recognize that the human body is an extremely complex thing. We also recognize that the measurements determined by our customers are sometimes not as accurate as we would like. As such, we cannot guarantee that the results will yield the ideal bike size and fit. If you have any lingering doubts about sizing, we will be more than happy to work with you before placing your order. We're eager to help you dial in the fit of your new bike and we encourage you to set an appointment with our fit expert to get your position maximized. (See below in the Technical Overview section 3, "In Person Fitting Service") If you have any questions or uncertainty about our returns/exchange policy, we encourage you to discuss it before making your purchase, as the placement of an order constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions. Technical Overview 1. Do you have touch-up paint for my frame? Frame importers generally don't stock touch-up paint. Why? The small, expensive bottles of paint that importers supplied us in the past was no better in quality or durability than what you can acquire for yourself at your local retail hobby shop (the kind that sells scale models & RC airplanes). Look for the brand Testor's or Tamiya. A small bottle of paint is only a few dollars. You can put as little or as much work into it as you'd like -- whether you just want to protect a flaked-off spot, or if you want to go crazy wet-sanding and making it look like new. Testor's and Tamiya make an abundance of finish options. You'll have no problem matching any color or finish (gloss or matte). 2. My bike is making clicking/squeaking noises. How do I fix it? Pro-quality bikes shouldn't make noise. Silence is one of the things you're buying when you purchase a high-end bike. Nevertheless, the reality of modern bikes is that they're made from thin, oversized tubes and they resonate clicks and squeaks like a thousand dollar set of stereo speakers. We have a standard checklist for trying to fix noise problems, and we encourage you to follow the same steps we do: a) Pull the Bottom Bracket (BB). Remove your bottom bracket from the frame. Clean the threads on the BB cups and clean the threads in your frame. Put a liberal amount of grease on the threads and re-install the cups with a nice bit of firmness. BB shells have torque settings, and you should follow them. But if you're not exactly sure how tight those cups need to be you can follow one rule: make it tight. Riding in the rain will wash this grease out, so this is something that you'll likely need to do on an annual basis. 3) Do you offer in-person fitting services? The precision and the thoroughness of our pro fit expert Nathan OÕNeill should reflect the seriousness with which we approach bike fit. Nathan is an 8 time Australian National Time Trial Champion and is a master of fitting cyclists to their machines. An in-person fit is best for revealing your body's quirks and all-but-guarantees that you'll learn what frame geometry will best suit your body. We're happy to get you on his schedule. A fit session with Nathan runs $250, plus parts if needed. You can learn more about Nathan at his website, www.nathanoneill.com. Contact us by phone or email to check for an appointment. 4) Do I grease my carbon fiber seatpost? No! You'll note that most every carbon post out there has a slick, clear-coated finish to it. If you grease the post, it makes this already-slick surface even slicker, meaning your post will slip in the frame, which means you'll overtighten it, which means you'll exceed its torque setting, which means it might very well crack. Rather than greasing the post, you can apply carbon paste. Other alternatives include Scotch-Brite or some fine grit sandpaper and lightly rub the lower portion of the post to give it some roughness to make it "grippier" to your seat clamp. 5) Are carbon handlebars safe? The short answer is "yes", for both mountain and road bikes. Although consider the following. For some reason, as an industry we've become fixated on the weight of handlebars. It's as though breaking the 200g barrier will allow an average rider to suddenly contend for an alpine stage of the Tour de France. This, of course, is not the case. It's an irrational obsession that has serious ramifications in regards to the care and feeding of your bike. A lot of very nicely made & very thoroughly tested carbon bars exist today. We need to accept the fact, though, that carbon bars have their Achilles heels. For example, you can clamp aero bars to only one or two carbon bar models on the market today. Most aren't built to withstand such clamping force. And while carbon bars can handle unbelievably forces pushing downward on the tops or the drops, they aren't as robust in terms of the side-loaded forces a bike has to withstand during a crash. If you're trying to build a tricked-out, superlight bike are carbon bars appropriate? Yes indeed. But ask yourself something: Why is it when you watch the video of the Tour de France you don't see a single rider with carbon handlebars? The answer is rather easy: Pro mechanics are big believers in due diligence. They know that if one of their riders crashes (and they all do), or if they accidentally drop or tip over a bike when loading it or unloading it, the handlebar takes the brunt of the force. In either situation prudence requires at the very least that you unwrap the bars, remove the STI or Ergo, and remove the stem to closely inspect the bar to ensure that no micro-cracking occurred as a result of the mishap. Such due diligence, of course, is an enormous pain in the ass, and sticking with an alloy bar that weighs in at 20g heavier is the sensible solution. An engineer from the bicycle component manufacturer Full Speed Ahead (FSA) summarized the carbon bar situation very succinctly. He said that if the consumer demands F1-quality componentry, they need to have an F1-type mentality about it. How expensive are the composite components on an F1 car? Outrageous. How many races do most of those components make it through? Oftentimes one only. The notion that such components are built to last as long as a well-made carbon or alloy frame is simply wrong and misses the point entirely. Carbon bars, like carbon rims, are made with pure performance in mind, i.e. durability isn't paramount. So, to answer the question, are carbon handlebars safe? Yes they are. But if you crash them, or otherwise submit them to odd side loaded forces (such as having your bike tip over when leaning against your car or garage wall), do everyone a favor and replace them. USED BIKES - Wheelworks works with our customers to buy and sell used bicycles. We strive to provide you with a great value on a high quality used product. It is very important that you completely understand all of the terms. All sales of used bicycles are finial and sold as is. If you have any questions please ask us. Please understand these bicycles may have been owned by a private individual or used by Wheelworks as a demo or rental bike. These bicycles are NOT a brand new and Wheelworks makes no representation as such. If you purchase a used or demo bike from Wheelworks, please note: a) The bike may have visible indications of normal wear and tear but the integrity of the frame and components remains adequate for ordinary recreational use. b) Wheelworks shall thoroughly inspect and professionally tune the bike prior to turning it over to its new owner. c) Used bikes may require new components or parts to get them into good working condition. These items will be replaced on the bike at the sole discretion of the Wheelworks and will be done prior to the delivery. d) The bike will be delivered to the new owner in good working condition. THESE BIKES ARE SOLD "AS IS" AND WHEELWORKS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Wheelwork's above disclaimer of warranties does not, in any way, affect the terms of any warranties which may be applicable from the manufacturer of the bike. The purchase and sale provided herein is a final sale. The bike is not returnable for any reason. |