donhaller 

I'm taking my new Bike to the shop for some maintenance and tweak the brake lever throw. I put painters tape on the frame to protect the finish. Insurance for me and them. Is this insulting to the shop or mechanic?

sweeks

Well, just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to wreck your paint job!

jadmt

nope smart move and let them know you are picky...remember they don't love your bike like you do.

bikemike73 

I would have used bubble wrap. I'm pretty ocd about my things.
some shops might be insulted.
A real professional shop would hopefully appreciate the care given to this bike and realize it's not just "any bike".
Explain to them your doing this to feel better and protect the bike from an accident.
Ask if you can drop it off and pick up the SAME day.
Should be no problem
Good Luck and keep us posted

Andrew R Stewart 

Not right away but if during the service write up there were more indications of an overly anal customer I've know some wrenches that would beg off.

IMO this is more about the shop's ability to meet expectations. When those are heads and shoulders above the repairs that the shop can make $ on any profit can easily be lost in these situations. Andy

donhaller 

I totally agree with your first sentance, and that's why I posed this question. However, I don't think I'm being overly anal. The bike has NO scratches, blemishes or marks. I've owned it about a month and it only has about ~350 miles on it. When it gets its first ding, I want to be the guy that did it!! I know they don't stay new forever, but I'm trying to keep that as long as possible.
However, if I thought this was a "dick" move, I might remove the tape before I drop it off in the morning. I do plan to tell them they can remove it if needed, but nothing is covered that they need to access.

Not sure I'm following your second statement. I expect them to not scratch my new bike I just bought from them last month. I don't think that is an expectation that would cut into costs, unless I'm misinterpreting your comment.

Alan K

Probably not… but good mechanics are very careful and do not scratch up your bikes.

In my case, the mechanic even buffed out a small spot I thought was a scratch.

veganbikes

If I saw that I would make assumptions about the customer. Right or wrong it would not be pretty. People don't want those nightmares were everything has to be so "just so" and it interferes with the bike and functionality and they don't understand or care and won't listen to reason. I would personally remove the tape or leave the tape and bring a six pack or maybe some homemade baked goods or something like that along with it and explain things in a calm relaxed very chill manner and say hey do what you need to do to get it working well, make sure you share this with the tech who works on my bike. Don't come in so anally and hopefully it won't be perceived like that.

SurferRosa

Not if you brought beer.

john m flores 

Ding it with a crescent wrench before you bring it in. Then remove the tape. Problem solved.

donhaller 

Love it!

Russ Roth

I would never have been insulted and would even understand, though I'd still think you're a little peculiar. In 15 years of working in the back I'd like to be able to claim that I never scratched a bike but no one is perfect. As someone who cares deeply about how the finish on my own bikes look I always took extra care to make sure I didn't scratch anything but sometimes the wrench slips, you move just the wrong way, or in the height of the summer the bikes were packed in on the hooks and getting one down it was possible to slip. I'd say I lightly scratched/chipped a handful, didn't matter how tiny I always noticed and was upset over it but none were ever big enough for a customer to notice or comment on. Considering it might be one bike a year or less and over a 1000 would pass through my hands a year between builds and repairs, the odds are high your bike is safe, but I still wouldn't be insulted.

choddo

I know my mechanic mates would laugh but not be insulted. They get how people feel about their bikes, especially new.

Will they handle it as carefully as usual though, with the perceived protection it has? ;-)

Also, I can’t see the full tyre but is that a logo non-aligned with the valve I spy there??

Polaris OBark

Why not do the adjustments yourself?

You can adjust the brake lever throw, for example, in less time than it would take to tape up the fork. Plus, painter's masking tape is expensive, and will only protect from minor impacts. Why not use pool noodles or pipe external insulation?

Barry2 

+1
Take the time to learn how the adjustment is made.
If you don’t already own one, buy a torque wrench.

Wrenching on your own bike, even if just the small stuff, is rewarding.

Barry

choddo

I guess it depends what “some maintenance” is but it can’t be too invasive after that kind of distance.

He’s probably not paying either.

Chuck M 

Someone had to do the final assembly, adjustments and make ready when you bought the bike and were careful then. I'd expect they will exhibit the same level of care for this simple adjustment. But the tech will not be offended, insulted, or otherwise butt-hurt. But everyone in the shop may possibly look at you as a difficult person which shouldn't be any skin off your teeth. That may encourage them to be extra careful or just do the minimum in the future to get you out of the shop.

shelbyfv

Hope you'll update and let us know how the shop reacted.

Kai Winters

As a shop wrench monkey I'd not be insulted but rather I'd be grateful.

pdlamb

I'd be wondering what you were trying to hide with that stunt.

And best case, the shop will not be able to find any cracks in the frame and bring them to your attention. OTOH, they might take a picture for insurance purposes (see, judge, the client made a positive effort to prevent us from finding an unsafe condition!) and skip a few points on their 47-point inspection before they let it go out the door.

Koyote

It must really be a hassle when you take your car in for service.

smd4

I agree with Andy on this.

Right or wrong, when an impeccably-maintained high-end bike came into the shop, we handled it extra carefully, as opposed to how we handled the rusty Free Spirits or Murrays that came in. We weren't abusive, mind you, but we also didn't handle them with kid gloves. These bikes would be hung in the back, shoulder to shoulder with other like bikes. Nice bikes were carefully stored on the sales floor in empty display racks before and after repair.

When I brought my Cinelli in to the local pro shop to have the new headset installed, the owner insisted on doing the work himself (I didn't own the tools to remove or install the headset).

If you don't trust the shop to the extent that you have to cover your bike in tape, either find a shop you do trust, or learn to do the work yourself.

Polaris OBark

In some instances, it might be helpful to tape up your wallet like that.

Crankycrank

Clearly some varying opinions posted but if I was a shop mechanic it wouldn't bother me you taped the frame except that I would worry that the customer is hiding some damage that they may later claim I created. Take it to the shop and see what they say. Mechanics range from brilliant to scary, very polite and helpful to condescending and rude so the concern about your frame isn't paranoid IMO.

boneshaker78

Just curious about what work is being done by the shop. I care about my bikes to this degree too and a lot of people might see it as absurd, but I think it’s just a sign of the level of passion I have for the sport. I try to keep my bikes out of the shop because I care so much, I do like 95% of the work to my bikes. I ask a lot of dumb questions on here to get the jobs done to my satisfaction and the community is nice enough to help out. Buying the tools for a lot of jobs tends to be a wise investment for me in the long run because my interest in bikes for over the last 20 years hasn’t been diminishing at all. My point is… if you are willing to go to these lengths to protect your machine, why not do the work too?