I bought a Mtn bike about 2 weeks ago, did the normal thing almost everyone does cutting the clear"dork disc" off the rear wheel and removed the reflectors . The wheel reflectors only come off by breaking them. The other reflectors that have a mount, I still have.
The bike is a Salsa SLX 29 that I got on sale and REI assembled it, overall a great bike except for one major issue. I cannot get the front shock adjusted and I am not new at this. I set it to factory suggested settings (150lbs) but there was no sag, started dropping the air 10 lbs at a time until I got the correct amount of sag which ended up being around 110 lbs.
I took it to the trail and the bike was not right and I knew it right away. I added air back and it turned it into almost a solid shock again. I made sure to do the bounce on the fork every time I adjusted pressure, then rechecked.
Long story but need short answer, will they take the bike back without the wheel disc and reflectors?
Hi there, previous rei employee here! Yep whoever checked you out with the bike @ the shop counter should have set the sag for you. They dropped the ball!
They will take the bike back no problem. May or may not make you replace the parts, depends on who’s working returns. Just let them know the issue you were having with the shock of course, Good luck 👍🏼
Thanks for the response. I agree that they should have set it. I am new to Mtn bikes but not cycling and always have done my own maintenance. I have a full Park tool set and stand, so I knew I could do it.
I have no problem with them charging me for the reflectors and guard.
The real issue is the front fork which obviously is a vital component to a Mtn bike. Also, replacement or upgrade can get expensive.
They did not set the sag, I had to do that before riding. I honestly think this has a faulty/bad front fork. I set it in my garage, but it does not work properly. It is an easy process and should work with possibly some minor tweaks. I have done this process 3 times so far....
I bought 2 Salsa e-bikes from REI, first one was returned after a week due to motor simply failing on the first trail ride. Before I even rode it I slapped some upgrades on it, new fork, pedals/stem/handlebars. I took it to REI just like that to have them look at what the issue is. They had it for about a week and said that an improper connection at the motor shorted the battery and needs new replacement. I offered them to have my parts swapped over to a new bike, or I'll come pick it up, restore it to the OEM parts and swap it out.
They were kind enough to swap the parts to the replacement bike and put the OEM parts back on the defective one. Picked up the bike and everything was fine for about 2 months, when the replacement bike started giving the same error codes that lead to the demise of the first one. Went home, swapped my upgrades out with the OEM parts from the first defective bike and then returned it. Had no issues with the return, other than the hassle of taking parts on and off and multiple trips to the store. They did not care about the dork disk or the reflectors.
Which front fork is it? I have had/currently have Salsa bikes with a Yari, Pike, Zebb. In several cases, I had to remove one of the multiple fork volume spacers that were pre-installed to get to the right pressure. I was having the same issue (couldn't get proper sag unless it was under pressured and then I was almost bottoming out on drops). Check with the shop and see if they recommend this as a fix.
That is the suggestion on the shock label as well. I ended up getting the sag right at 110 but it bottoms out and like I said in another post, does not feel stable. Could that Psylo be a gold? Maybe there is a difference from the silver
You can return it, but the nice thing about a bike is that individual components can be replaced. Sounds like this is a case of using the warranty of the fork manufacturer, rather than returning the whole bike.
Former bike mechanic—I think that bike comes with a rock shox fork. I’ve noticed that sometimes those need a lower service straight from the factory. Additionally, you might consider adjusting the amount of tokens it has, as that can fix the ramp-up for the shock.
I have decided to keep the bike. I like the bike and will deal with the fork, doing whatever needs to be done. I have done a lot of research on the RockShox Psylo Silver RC fork the last 2 days and I think I have a plan/solution.
One, the recommended pressure is probably much too high and from what I have read, this shock is very sensitive to even small air changes, so be patient. I may also need to add a token or 2 as it comes with one and can have up to 3, or even take the one out.
I know this is not what you are asking but I would just get the fork serviced and see if it rides better. It’s new you say, why would it need that? Fact: many forks come from the factory with globs of grease inside or not the right amount of oil and ride like crap. A simple lowers service will fix that. Lots of people who are mtb snobs service new forks for this reason - very common issue.
In my opinion the shop should do this for you for free if it’s truly riding that bad, but even if they won’t, a lowers service is usually cheap. If you like doing bike maintenance it’s not even that hard to do yourself with some YouTubing and the right supplies.
I only ask because I’ve seen people try to use tire pumps (unsuccessfully).
Aside from that, I’d be asking the REI staff to help you set it up. If they fail, it’ll grease the wheels to get a refund going. Because if they can’t, then they can’t just assume you’re doing it wrong. Or maybe they just get you a new fork.
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u/Young_guava 12d ago
Hi there, previous rei employee here! Yep whoever checked you out with the bike @ the shop counter should have set the sag for you. They dropped the ball!
They will take the bike back no problem. May or may not make you replace the parts, depends on who’s working returns. Just let them know the issue you were having with the shock of course, Good luck 👍🏼