Repair book time? ( alldata for bikes ? )
03-24-24, 02:08 PM
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Repair book time? ( alldata for bikes ? )
When I was an auto mechanic we used alldata to look up how many hours to charge a customer for work ( timing water pump = x amount of hours )
Is there something likes this for bikes? I have been getting request to work on peoples bikes but I don't know what to charge.
Is there something likes this for bikes? I have been getting request to work on peoples bikes but I don't know what to charge.
03-24-24, 04:19 PM
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For a bicycle it is rare you will go over that hour for most average repairs individually. There are somethings that will take longer but that is usually more on the e-bike and dynamo wiring front or building a bike from the frame up but that is generally a known quantity or something on the service menu.
03-24-24, 04:43 PM
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Not really anything specific you just either need to figure out your hourly rate and then set a clock or have a service menu of your common labor but you still might want to an hourly rate.
For a bicycle it is rare you will go over that hour for most average repairs individually. There are somethings that will take longer but that is usually more on the e-bike and dynamo wiring front or building a bike from the frame up but that is generally a known quantity or something on the service menu.
For a bicycle it is rare you will go over that hour for most average repairs individually. There are somethings that will take longer but that is usually more on the e-bike and dynamo wiring front or building a bike from the frame up but that is generally a known quantity or something on the service menu.
I see. thank you.
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03-24-24, 04:53 PM
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03-24-24, 05:45 PM
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The Barnett Institute offered a series of retail service shop specific checklist and flat rate manuals. I used some for the years i had my own shop (great sales tool for the service shop. We now had a third party that validated our procedures and rates). The I had the tune up checklists (for various types of bikes and levels of "tune up") in our service cost book that was customer available (actually usually sat on the service write up counter open for all to see). The flat rate manuals I kept from most all the customers
Barnett was the competitor to the UBI school with the hands on classes but they started to offer the manuals in the early/mid 1980s. But our industry is full of those who think they know it all and don't have much to gain with this type of help. I saw the manuals as a how to better your business thing and not a how to fix a bike thing. No wonder they never were widely accepted. Andy
Barnett was the competitor to the UBI school with the hands on classes but they started to offer the manuals in the early/mid 1980s. But our industry is full of those who think they know it all and don't have much to gain with this type of help. I saw the manuals as a how to better your business thing and not a how to fix a bike thing. No wonder they never were widely accepted. Andy
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03-24-24, 05:54 PM
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Not really anything specific you just either need to figure out your hourly rate and then set a clock or have a service menu of your common labor but you still might want to an hourly rate. Any shop that doesn't calculate their cost per hour (and then their hourly rate above that, to be able to show a profit) is doing a less then great job at running their business.
For a bicycle it is rare you will go over that hour for most average repairs individually. There are somethings that will take longer but that is usually more on the e-bike and dynamo wiring front or building a bike from the frame up but that is generally a known quantity or something on the service menu. I agree with the general idea of most shop services won't be lengthy ones I will say that given the real life in a retail shop that is usually understaffed and tend to customers who expect more time spent with them that a mall big box will that most repairs will take much longer if the mechanics are in view or responsible for service writing and repair pick ups. Andy
For a bicycle it is rare you will go over that hour for most average repairs individually. There are somethings that will take longer but that is usually more on the e-bike and dynamo wiring front or building a bike from the frame up but that is generally a known quantity or something on the service menu. I agree with the general idea of most shop services won't be lengthy ones I will say that given the real life in a retail shop that is usually understaffed and tend to customers who expect more time spent with them that a mall big box will that most repairs will take much longer if the mechanics are in view or responsible for service writing and repair pick ups. Andy
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03-24-24, 05:55 PM
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Its a very tough businesses for those who want to make money/profit.
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03-24-24, 07:13 PM
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This more like just helping 10 to 20 people but not having my time getting taking advantage of. I am just used doing auto repair. I though bike repair would have similar practice.
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03-24-24, 08:06 PM
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Sean- The bike business (at least the retail/service side) has been "behind" the automotive industry in many ways for many decades. There's huge numbers of customers and amount of money that flow through the auto industry, and other huge industries (insurance, government) who see profits (votes) supporting the auto and it's use. The business model, economics and "social politics" are just too against the bike industry.
It has been said to me by many (and I've passed it along to more) that the retail/service bike business is one that offers those who can't work in the big business, civil service, corporate highly structured world a place they can work in. A place that they have control, they can produce within without the hassles of what they see as the problem (the big business thing many times). Some of this is changing as the margins are slimmer and the cost of business grows and the purchase options expand. The LBS is really having to be on top of their business game to survive these days. Kind of glad I retired last year.
I still do a little bike work for a small group of friends. I charge far too little for the skills but it's a nice trade off to not have to do this stuff every day. Andy
It has been said to me by many (and I've passed it along to more) that the retail/service bike business is one that offers those who can't work in the big business, civil service, corporate highly structured world a place they can work in. A place that they have control, they can produce within without the hassles of what they see as the problem (the big business thing many times). Some of this is changing as the margins are slimmer and the cost of business grows and the purchase options expand. The LBS is really having to be on top of their business game to survive these days. Kind of glad I retired last year.
I still do a little bike work for a small group of friends. I charge far too little for the skills but it's a nice trade off to not have to do this stuff every day. Andy
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03-25-24, 04:05 AM
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Andy, I work for free from my home after spending decades in the bike biz. The reason is that I fear when I start to charge a fee for a service I am then liable for that service and any mishap connected to it. I could lose everything through a legal action should something happen to a bike I had worked on. Fortunately long ago I established ground rules with my neighbors and friends about working on their bikes and they have no issues with me answering "No" for a requested service from out of my home.
03-25-24, 02:35 PM
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03-25-24, 08:14 PM
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Having worked in an auto shop, I believe the reason you don't find Alldata or Mitchell for bicycles is it would be a drop in the bucket for the publishers vs what they already get from automotive.
These publishers are really in it for the money, and there are simply just more garages than bike shops.
It takes a ton of r&d and co-op with the manufacturers, at the end, who will actually subscribe to them?
Wrenching labor is also nickels and dimes for bikes. The same work can vary from one shop to another by a great deal, but so what? Whether a same job is $50 or $100 won't make a difference to both client that can afford it or the shop that has too many expenses.
When a client doesn't want to pay a shop for a repair, they are just told to screw off, the shop doesn't need them, doesn't even matter if their rates are above norm.
These publishers are really in it for the money, and there are simply just more garages than bike shops.
It takes a ton of r&d and co-op with the manufacturers, at the end, who will actually subscribe to them?
Wrenching labor is also nickels and dimes for bikes. The same work can vary from one shop to another by a great deal, but so what? Whether a same job is $50 or $100 won't make a difference to both client that can afford it or the shop that has too many expenses.
When a client doesn't want to pay a shop for a repair, they are just told to screw off, the shop doesn't need them, doesn't even matter if their rates are above norm.
03-25-24, 08:26 PM
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Getting to the table late, but there is/was a booklet published about labor rates for bikes. Try searching for James E. Asbury & Richard J. Scales For a book named: Standard Bicycle Repair Rate & Shop Guide. It is old from the 1970's,but still relevant and may give you a template for how to create a newer version that includes things like Sram and DI systems. HTH, Smiles, MH
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