Put my bike in for ...
 

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[Closed] Put my bike in for a service - just had the dreaded phone call....

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"In excess of £450"

Fork service (Reba 100mm)
Brake bleed and new pads fore and aft
Complete new transmission (SLX)

Is this a tad steep?

*inhales smelling salts*


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:26 pm
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erm yes

new transmission - new cassette chain and chainrings will be all you need.
Fork - speak to Loco
Pads - superstar and watch you tube on how to bleed it yourself.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:29 pm
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Crumbs, when was it last serviced?

If that's the work that needs doing it doesn't seem off to me.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:29 pm
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effing hell... now I know how LBS survive.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:30 pm
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Depends what you asked for when you took it in?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:31 pm
 MSP
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New pads and transmission is stuff everyone should keep an eye on, shouldn't take you by surprise.

What does "complete" actually mean, no way everything needs replacing, do you mean chain, cassette and chain rings?

Bleeding brakes is fairly simple but can seem daunting if you haven't done it before.

As I am told is servicing a fork, but I still bung them in to my lbs once a year for a full service.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:32 pm
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Way way OTT.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:32 pm
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Yes

£238 for a full 10spd SLX groupset http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/mtb-parts/transmission-gears/groupsets-mtb/shimano-slx-10-speed-transmission-groupset.html

Do you need everything though or just chain, cassette, chain rings? If so you're being ripped off even more

£20 for a brake bleed

£10 for pads

£40 for a Reba service kit http://www.tftunedshox.com/Catalogue/TF-Tuned-Service-Kits/TF-Tuned-Refresh-Service-Kits

Leaves about £140 for labour, though I doubt you really need every groupset component so the labour charges are even higher.

Buy the parts yourself plus a workstand and save yourself a fortune.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:33 pm
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I'd have done it for £499.99 for you!

But seriously, is that including Parts, So cassette, Chain, Crank, Rings.

If so that price plus labour probably isn't that pad. Is it not?

If thats just Labour, Well Bend down sir. you've just been Bummed by the Honey monster!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:33 pm
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By fork service do they mean the full shebang or just the seals? Are they doing all the o-ring and the damping etc. if full thing say 80.

Bleed ~30
brake pads could be 25 each end brand retail.

so 290 for changin the transmission parts and time.

seems steep to me, but I do all my own stuff, this is why.

In fairness they would have maybe also done other things as part of the service, wheel true and bearing change. What was the standard charge for a service?

did they say what they were doing as standard?

In short unless they're doing other stuff they haven't mentioned I would be saying no thank you, pay them for what they have done, and go elsewhere... I can't find maths that makes this work for the work you've described tbh


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:34 pm
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name and shame!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:35 pm
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What's a service?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:35 pm
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For new SLX transmission see here

For new SLX transmission with brakes see here

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/mtb-parts/transmission-gears/groupsets-mtb/shimano-slx-10-speed-disc-brake-groupset.html

Gear cable may also be required

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/mtb-parts/mtb-accessories/cables/shimano-mtb-gear-cable-set-with-ptfe-inner-wire.html

Forks - Loco or J-Tech


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:36 pm
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Technical ability, knowledge and labour cost money. If you don't have it then I guess its fair to pay for it.
Just think of the hours of fun you'll get out of it... You'd spend that for a couple of hours with a solicitor for instance, but not have nearly so much fun 😀


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:37 pm
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[list]sComplete new TX= Casette, rings, chain and front and rear mech and cables.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:37 pm
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name and shame!

derek_starship - Member:

Can't even do basic bike maintenance.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:37 pm
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'full retail' on that SLX stuff will be a lot more than the Merlin oem stuff that everyone's linking to.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:38 pm
 DezB
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[i]name and shame![/i]

derek_starship - Member:

Can't spell XT 🙂


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:39 pm
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sounds about right

£100 fork service, £50brakes, £300 Drivetrain

you could do it cheaper, and if you talk to the lbs they will cut the costs a bit.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:39 pm
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DeBz - Member

The letter 'R' is broken on her keyboard.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:40 pm
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I took my car in for it's MOT this morning, got the call at lunchtime.......

It needs a new fuel filler cap as apparently the old one is broken and won't come off (odd I'm sure I'd have noticed that last time I filled it up, and every week previously)

All 4 tyres are wearing on the inside edge, but seeing as they've done 18,000miles on the front and the rears were the old front ones and only just down to 4mm, I think they'll survive a bit longer despite the scaremongering.

One of the number plate bulbs is a little dim.

Who want's a sweepstake for the total bill when I pick it up at 4?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:41 pm
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Well your obviously at the lazy end of the market, or you wouldnt have just put it in to your LBS to ask them to look at it. Because your lazy I'll cost it up for you 🙂

Fork Service - £70 but would have to take fork off and post away
SLX Chainrings x 2 - £60 tops
Chain - £25 approx ?
SLX Cassette - £30
Brake Pads - £20
Brake Fluid Kit - £20

Total = £225

Thats just in parts. To do all that yourself you will need tools, probably £30 +

Then theres your own labour time, faffing getting to the post office etc.

So probably not too excessive.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:41 pm
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To be brutaly honest, saying "service" to a bike shop usually means "Do stuff to my bike and then charge me for it, i want it to look clean and shiney and don't care about anything else". Most the people who take it in and say will be middle management don't know anything types who will then convince themselves its made it awesome.

Here I will confess i used to take my bike in say "Service my bike", and then get charged for things i hadn't noticed were wrong...

Even if you don't want to learn how to do it all yourself learn to recognise what needs doing and take it in for Specific jobs. "Here is a bike, please bleed the brakes and put some new pads in for me and change the cassette and chain" and say you would be interested to know if there is anything else they think should be done. A) removes the blank cheque factor B) allows you to get a price up front. Depending on the shop they may already have done all this and insist on billing you for it.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:42 pm
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Standards are slipping around here. We're 20 posts in and nobody has suggested that'll he'll rid himself of all this with a rigid singlespeed, with a stick to put through the spokes instead of brakes


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:42 pm
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Can you ask the shop for a breakdown of exactly what they're charging for what?

Sounds a bit steep on the face of it, but it all depends exactly what they've decided needs doing.

Transmission - could be just chain & cassette/chainrings ... or it could also include a new bottom bracket ... maybe new cables ... or they might have decided you need a new mech too. I can't for the life of me think they're recommending new cranks. Unless you've actually snapped one off. Likewise for shifters.

Fork - could just be seals, or could be more ...

Brake bleed & fit new pads should be childs play for them, so maybe an hours labour plus pads (& possibly bleeding kit ?)


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:42 pm
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Who want's a sweepstake for the total bill when I pick it up at 4?

You didn't ask in advance??


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:43 pm
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DezB - Member

name and shame!

derek_starship - Member:

Can't spell XT

TX = transmission, no? 😛


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:43 pm
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£100 fork service, [b]£50brakes[/b], £300 Drivetrain

£50 for a bleed and new pads? Where are you getting your work done?

£10 an end at my LBS http://www.bicyclerepair.co.uk/price-list.htm

And if you're paying £30 for two sets of pads...


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:43 pm
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I can, in total seriousness, build a whole bike for that price

Unless the rear mech is bent, the worst it will need is new jockey wheels for about £15
Cassette and chain £30 from Merlin
Chainrings - you probably only need a middle, Deore will be fine £14.
Full fork service including bushes and postage £80-ish from LoCo
New pads £10 from Superstar
Tools to fit that chain and cassette £30

This is why I HAD TO learn how to do it myself. Originally I couldn't afford it, now I just refuse to pay those prices


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:44 pm
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Full retail will be much more, I was more trying to open the OP's eyes to what he could have if he was any good a bike maintenance.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:45 pm
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@DezB: maybe he was abbreviating transmission to TX 😉

Why do you need new front and rear mechs?

If that is for a fork service, brake service and all those SLX level bits then it's about right.

tbh I would question why you need the mechs and get a break down of the prices.

edit: beaten to the TX thing. Gah!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:45 pm
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New front and rear mech???

Fair enough front ones get nacked after time, but rear would have me getting suspicious. Were the gears playing up? Massivley?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:46 pm
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I can, in total seriousness, [s]build[/s] buy a whole bike for that price

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/81-2011-id_8168695.html

Full X7 drivetrain

Brand new Avids

Buy the bike, swap the bits, sell what ever's left and probably make a profit!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:46 pm
 mboy
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Failing to see how anyone would need a "complete new drivetrain" come service time. How have you worn the shifters, mechs and cranks out? 😕

Quick tot up of what you actually needed:

Fork service: £75 from Loco or similar
Cassette: £40
Chain: £20
Chainrings: £60
Brake pads: £25

I make that £220, not including any labour. Most LBS's charge about £30 an hour labour, and if it took more than 1hr to do all of that (excluding the forks service, but labour would be included in the price of that) I'd be shocked!

Parts prices I quoted above would be what your LBS charges, obviously parts available cheaper online. Learning to fix/sort/build bikes yourself is probably one of, if not the biggest money savers in our sport due to the things the bikes are subjected to. Learn to do it yourself, save lots of money!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:47 pm
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Rusty is correct.

TX= transmission 😆


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:47 pm
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Fork Service - £70 but would have to take fork off and post away
SLX Chainrings x 2 - £60 tops
Chain - £25 approx ?
SLX Cassette - £30
Brake Pads - £20
Brake Fluid Kit - £20

You pay £25 for a chain? Madness.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:47 pm
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You didn't ask in advance??

I'm far too trusting

Anyone reckon it's a good or bad idea to have the tyres swapped arround left to right and eek another few miles out of them before they're worn for that to be worthwhile?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:49 pm
 DezB
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[i]@DezB: maybe he was abbreviating transmission to TX [/i]

I knew that!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:50 pm
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I'm far too trusting

Or stupid? 😉

Re the tyres.... of course it is.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:51 pm
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fork service £75
Brake bleed and pads. £20 each end - £40
New transmission - £120 tops, fitting 1.5 hr - £60
£300 seems reasonable for shop prices.

Alternatively learn to do it yourself and save a fortune!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:53 pm
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Not really. If you get pulled, or god forbid, hit someone and they're a bit dodgy you'll be in serious grief.

My local tyre bloke never charges me more than £60.00 a corner for budget rubber - Accelleras last time I think and that was for an Omega.

They were fine.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:53 pm
 DezB
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[i]if you talk to the lbs they will cut the costs a bit.[/i]

So I've read - this is your key to a discount

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:54 pm
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"You pay £25 for a chain? Madness."

No I dont, the last time I changed a chain it was an 8 speed one and cost about £8.

However new fangled 10 spd chains appear to be quite a lot more money, and to be honest I really couldnt be arsed googling the cost of a chain not knowing if it was 7,8,9, or 10 speed 😀

To be fair I agree with the posts above that suggest identifying the problem and getting a quotation for a specific job, then at least you can way up the cost of doing it yourself in money and time v. putting it in to the LBS.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:56 pm
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Out of interest Derek, are your gears slipping / playing up then? If not tell them to do one!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:57 pm
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I dunno where STW are getting these cheap pricers from.

Real world prices with retail packaged equipment.

Fork service in house £80ish is fair, is sent away +£20 P&P + removing, cleaning and fitting forks ~ 10er.
Brake bleed, to do a good job well, dependant on condition of pistons/seals etc. ~2 hours so ~£60
new pads ~£20
Set of shimano xt rings, ~£80ish
Chain ~ £30
Cassette ~ £60
front mech ~ £35
rear mech ~ £60
Labour to fit drive parts ~ £30
- gear cables ~ £10
-Checking the bike over, making sure it's all tight. ~15

So i'd put it at ~ £475.

I'd say they've got it spot on. But a little cheeky replacing slx stuff with xt.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:57 pm
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Fork service in house £80ish is fair, is sent away +£20 P&P + removing, cleaning and fitting forks ~ 10er.

the lbs may do it in house. j


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:58 pm
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I'd say they've got it spot on. But a little cheeky replacing slx stuff with xt.

Er, I don't think they have.

Says SLX in the OP.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:58 pm
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However new fangled 10 spd chains appear to be quite a lot more money,

Agreed. That's why I'm sticking with 9sp for the foreseeable future.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 1:58 pm
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2 hours for a brake bleed?? WTF?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:00 pm
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I'd be interested to know how many of these were actually causing issues prior to putting the bike in. I'd certainly want a breakdown of the costings in parts and labour before pushing the button on that lot.

Having said that, last time I went to pick up the bike from LBS after a £30 service I found that work, probably justified, had been done without phoning first (on a much smaller scale than this but still...).


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:01 pm
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Fork service in house £80ish is fair, is sent away +£20 P&P + removing, cleaning and fitting forks ~ 10er.
the lbs may do it in house. j

They may do, yes.
But I'd wager that they won't be resizing the bushes like LoCo or TFT do, so it'll be no more than a DIY lube service you can do at home.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:01 pm
 DezB
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[i]2 hours for a brake bleed?? WTF?[/i]

1 hour for the front
1 hour for the rear

Don't tell me you can do it quicker than that!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:02 pm
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Not really. If you get pulled, or god forbid, hit someone and they're a bit dodgy you'll be in serious grief.

They're not worn out, just worn, 4mm on the inside edge and a bit less worn on the outside. So arround half way through their lifespan. If I swapped now they'd actualy be better as they'd (pesumably) wear evenly and reach the limit accross the whole tread in another ~15,000miles time.

Any good reason not to?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:02 pm
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2 hours for a brake bleed?? WTF?

You question it, but in reality brakes typically don't come in simply needing a "bleed", most of the time it isn't a bleed they require. Normally due to horrible conditions/poor maintenance/riding permanently in sand, the pistons/seals are ****ed. Then you proceed to either fanny about freeing the pistons and soemwhat cleaning the seals or doing a rebuild.

If it was simply a bleed, i'd say you'd be doing really well if you did it by stopwatch, taking brakes off, prepping gear, bleeding and reattaching to bike in under 50 minutes for the pair.

I'm assuming worst case.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:04 pm
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Fork service is simply an oil change - takes me under half and hour and a few quid in oil

Plus cassette and chainrings and chain plus brake bleed and pads

IU do believe that LBSs need to charge a decent amount for labour but that price is around £200 over the score IMO.

somone above put 2 hrs to bleed brakes? ten minutes for me to do it.

Edit - crossed posts. why remove them to bleed?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:04 pm
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In that case, no, knock yourself out!

TandemJeremy - Member

Fork service is simply an oil change - takes me under half and hour and a few quid in oil

[img] [/img]?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:04 pm
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DezB - Member

2 hours for a brake bleed?? WTF?

1 hour for the front
1 hour for the rear

Don't tell me you can do it quicker than that!

Yup - 5 mins an end on hopes. maybe 10 if being awkward


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:06 pm
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There seems to be a lot of assumptions in this thread. In fact almost every post since the first is completely made up. No one actually knows what the OP has asked for, or what service the bike got. So pricing it is no more possible than intergalactic space travel.

What's interesting, is the attitudes towards people making an honest living. Yes, you can get this stuff cheaper. But you will pay in your own time and knowledge. And you will pay when there is no LBS to go to next time you need your bike fixed. You're paying for an experienced and skilled worker to maintain your bike to the highest possible standards, and if you can't be bothered to do it yourself, and learn the skills to do so, and possibly break it in doiing so, then you can't really quibble over a few quid.

We should be supporting our bike shops.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:07 pm
 mboy
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2 hours for a brake bleed?? WTF?

1 hour for the front
1 hour for the rear

Don't tell me you can do it quicker than that!

😯

A Blind monkey with no tools could do it quicker than that!

Being very thorough, and careful, absolute tops of 15 minutes per end. But as the LBS will have a bike stand and all tools to hand, it should take more like 5 minutes per end.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:07 pm
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Rusty - no need to replace seals unless they are leaking. then its a repair not a service.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:07 pm
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why remove them to bleed?

If you're in a shop, you want to be careful, you want to remove as many possible mistakes such as syringe blowing off nipple and drenching rotor/pads/bike in brake fluid as possible.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:08 pm
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DeBz - I have done quicker than that, and I'm a cack handed keyboard warrior. I take Dean's point though.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:08 pm
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[i]5 mins an end on hopes[/i]

I'd love to see the youtube video of this from starting with the bike on the floor and the tools all neatly put away to finishing with it all in the start state and everythign cleaned up.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:08 pm
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I hope they told you the price before they started work!? If not I would ask for your bike back, and go elsewhere.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:09 pm
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Golly, I'm a bit late in this.. Do you ride in wet sand? Do you ever clean/lube?

"smirks"


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:11 pm
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its an outrage i tell thee - the usual suspects talking shit tbh

sometimes people just dont realise things are a problem due to them creeping up slowely.

my mates bike was utterly shagged although he didnt realise this - sounding similar to the above - even at rose bikes i ended up spending 200 quid to get it back to GWO that i was happy to head into the hills with him on.

FOC labour mind you.

So add a third at least to that for LBS prices.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:11 pm
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A Blind monkey with no tools could do it quicker than that!

Being very thorough, and careful, absolute tops of 15 minutes per end. But as the LBS will have a bike stand and all tools to hand, it should take more like 5 minutes per end.

Well I'm glad I'm not taking a bike to you for a [i]thorough[/i] service 🙄


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:12 pm
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Butcher - I agree with you there - but the price quoted is still way over the top

this is my LBS - fixed price servicing and not stinting themselves . I think this is a fair price for a service. so a full service from them plus a fork strip and rebuild is a £140 labour charge.

http://www.thebikechain.co.uk/Bike%252520Repairs/

Add to this the cost of a cassette, chain, chainrings and jockey wheels and pads. you get a total cost in the £250 - 300 region


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:12 pm
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Whos the shop Derek ? Just so I know to avoid them... wouldnt be a well known one in Whitefield would it ?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:12 pm
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Ah excellent, love it when all the armchair mechanics come on.

If you need "a complete new drivetrain" I'm guessing the bike wasn't in the cleanest state ever when it went in? Possibly a few seized bolts? Mud encrusted brakes?

Clean all that off first to avoid bits going in the reservoir, undo a seized bolt or two and you're very quickly onto a lot more than "5 mins per end".

Until we see a breakdown of that expense and the exact work required, I don't think anyone is qualified to say it's excessive or not.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:13 pm
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Derek. Bring it round to ours tomorrow. It'll be a doddle. Theres nowt can't be fixed with the simple deployment of a bigger hammer

Remember: If in doubt, give it a clout! 😀


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:14 pm
 DezB
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[i]I don't think anyone is qualified to say it's excessive or not.[/i]

QUALIFIED!? Of course we're QUALIFIED! This is the Internet! 😆


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:15 pm
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Rusty - no need to replace seals unless they are leaking. then its a repair not a service.

TJ its really not, service of this kind should bare minimum include dust seal and foam rings and I would say oil seals too. If they're leaking you're waaayyy too late.

You don't leave it to change pads until the putting back plate to disc, or tyres until they go right through to the tube...


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:18 pm
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What's interesting, is the attitudes towards people making an honest living. Yes, you can get this stuff cheaper. But you will pay in your own time and knowledge. And you will pay when there is no LBS to go to next time you need your bike fixed. You're paying for an experienced and skilled worker to maintain your bike to the highest possible standards, and if you can't be bothered to do it yourself, and learn the skills to do so, and possibly break it in doiing so, then you can't really quibble over a few quid.

Honest????
This sounds like a rip off to me.

Experienced and skilled????
Sometimes maybe, but 'rushed and underpaid' could also be just as true. I've seen some right howlers of mistakes, bodges and corners cut by LBSs. I've had to correct them for other people

A few quid????
Now you really are taking the piss!


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:19 pm
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It's impossible to say without looking at the bike, but the number of times I've seen a bike come into the workshop just for "one little thing" and it actually needs a serious amount of work.

Did you ask for them to sort everything, or to just get it running again?


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:19 pm
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Honest????
This sounds like a rip off to me.

Experienced and skilled????
Sometimes maybe, but 'rushed and underpaid' could also be just as true. I've seen some right howlers of mistakes, bodges and corners cut by LBSs. I've had to correct them for other people

A few quid????
Now you really are taking the piss!

I'm sure there are some bad shops, and some bad jobs being done. I always go by the policy of if you want it doing right, then do it yourself.

But there are no facts in this thread. People are calling out to name and shame a shop who may well have undercharged for all anyone knows. You can't say it's a rip off if you don't know what work has been carried out.

That's wrong, man. Proper witch hunt stuff.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:24 pm
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It's impossible to say without looking at the bike, but the number of times I've seen a bike come into the workshop just for "one little thing" and it actually needs a serious amount of work.

Ah.... so you've met me a few times then 😀


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:27 pm
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You don't leave it to change pads until the putting back plate to disc, or tyres until they go right through to the tube...

errr... 😳


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:27 pm
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But there are no facts in this thread. People are calling out to name and shame a shop who may well have undercharged for all anyone knows. You can't say it's a rip off if you don't know what work has been carried out.

That's wrong, man. Proper witch hunt stuff.

+1 and what I basically said earlier. I've seen it countless times - bike brought in an owner says "can you just..." before adding "oh and while you're at it, if you could just..."

Before you know it, you're at complete strip and rebuild time. Evans charge £90 for that and that's before they've even charged for any new parts.


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:30 pm
Posts: 39449
Free Member
 

the most dreaded words in a bike shop are " im an engineer" usually code for ive royally ****ed it up and it needs complete replacement now

followed by

i just adjusted it slightly - really why are all the bolts rounded and mullered then ?

followed by

It "just" needs XYZ - meaning serious amount of work.

and finally

"i usually do all my work my self but it just needs XYZ" and you find out that yes they have been doing it their selves - completely wrongly.

im willing to bet ive seen more DIY howlers by havagoheros than you`ve seen bodges by bike shops - unless you have a notoriously shit local shop - although i did get a howler in from another local shop who put mineral in a customers Hope brake que Swollen seals !


 
Posted : 22/05/2012 2:31 pm
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