Those Troublesome Adult Toys

It’s not only children’s toys that come in pieces. Adults, too, get toys that must be assembled, like treadmills and Stairmasters.

“Bikes come partly assembled, but usually you have to put the gears and brakes together,” says Reggie Dameron, manager of Sportmart on Sepulveda.

Fitness equipment comes with detailed instructions, he says, but that doesn’t mean it is a breeze to put together. “To those of us who are mechanically inclined, they can be easy to assemble. To those of us who are not, it can be a nightmare.”

Many sports equipment stores offer a delivery and set-up service for an extra fee. Some, including Sportmart, contract with Pro Tek, a Buena Park assembly service.

“We deliver and assemble anything you buy that comes in a box,” says manager Gabriela Mear. “We do this all year--Father’s Day was swamped.”

Weight-lifting equipment takes the longest to assemble, she says. “The big home gyms can take up to four hours.”

The company gets SOS calls from customers who’ve gotten started on home assembly and bogged down, but they prefer to start with an unpacked box, she says. “We do carry back-up equipment, such as bolts and screws that might have accidentally gotten tossed out.”

Don’t plan on calling Pro Tek if you get stuck trying to attach the tricycle handlebars today. “We have five people working, and we’re booked solid,” says Mear.