Alan K

I ride my bicycles everywhere.
In areas where bikes are at a higher risk of being nicked, such as downtown area, I take an old cheapie that no one would want. 😉

urbanknight

I was just going to say the OP should have left it on permanently for that exact reason.

dsbrantjr

I had a SoCAL buddy who would whack a new surfboard against the corner of the house to get the first ding over with.

wheelreason

I have a sign on my stand that reads "Satisfaction not Guaranteed". Nope, not working on that bike, or something similar, owner will never be happy, and will always find something not right, and yes, we don't love bikes, anymore than a tech loves your HVAC, fridge, washing machine, or garage door....

Andrew R Stewart 

While I agree with the assertion that some customers will never happy with what others do for them, and become the time sink I tried to say in my first reply, I do take issue with claiming all shop people only look at your bike as a job. Those potential LBS wrenches don't tend to last long in the shop world. The pay is too low and the demands too high, for those who have no passion, to continue. Besides those wrenches are not who I want to work with and their lack of investment is easily seen soon enough.

One of the skills that is learned over time is when to say "no". Avoiding trouble is a good way to stay focused on those who allow a win-win to happen. Andy

wheelreason

I don't neccessarily disagree, but for me, and I'm sure for others, the passion is about getting it right and understanding how things work (and OCD), bikes or not.

Andrew R Stewart 

Getting the bike right should be the easy part of the LBS work. I find it's the customer interaction that is going down a path that has no solution/end point that I really dislike. As to the staff, I've worked in a number of shops (including my own) and interviewed, hired, trained (or tried to...), managed (and sometimes fired) dozens of people and find that it's the potential employee's mindset that generally determines how they will work out. Andy

EverRed

You could get the shop to put some of that clear plastic frame protector on it. I know they make it for mountain bikes so hopefully its available for road bikes. You could tell them that your bike doesn't have any marks on it and you want to keep it that way. That may then lead to an inspection while you're there to be sure there are no marks on it. I don't think this would be offensive to anyone and you would end up with a bike that should sty flawless for longer. It might be pricey though.

Bluejohn

Honestly it makes it seem like you might be likely to want to make a claim if there's any hint of a mark on the bike - if I were on the receiving end I'd even wonder if the tape is hiding blemishes with an intent to make a claim for them later.

Not suggesting this is your intent, just how it could be interpreted - there's a lot of dodgy types without a conscience out there and if you deal with the public long enough, you get to meet them.

Alan K

So you let a bunch of strangers on internet change your decision. 😉

choddo

That happens on a regular basis. I’ve learned a lot from internet strangers.

SurferRosa

Take heart that you're not anywhere near as anal as I am about my bikes. No way in hell I would allow anyone else to wrench on them unless I could monitor everything.

macstuff 

Yeah, I would think you're nuts. And we'd all talk about you when you're gone.
we'd say stuff like;
Was that painters tape he was wearing?
maybe he could find whomever first assembled it, he accepted their work.
Maybe he should learn how to do simple things himself...
Stuff like that.
That's too over the top.
I wouldn't work on it. It's a set-up for failure.

Alan K

Reminds me of a sign I saw at an airport burger joint (can’t remember which airport it was but I loved the sense of humor):
Guaranteed Fast Service, No Matter How Long it Takes.

wheelreason

Don't leave open drinks unattended?...

choddo

No but seriously, on almost any topic, there is someone out there who knows more about it than me.

Chuck M 

Is there not a difference between learning from trusted online sources and changing behavior based on opinions of strangers on a forum or social media platform?

choddo

Yeah but you can apply judgement. It’s usually detectable when someone’s ********ting. And in this example, the OP was seeking gut feelings anyway.

oldbobcat

As long as you don't feel insulted when they laugh as soon as your back is turned.

Bike Gremlin

This is important piece of information (lacking in the original post). Context matters.

My 2c (my opinion, each mechanic is different):

I appreciate it when customers wrap their bar tape (or flat bar handlebars) and saddle with some nylon wrap. Saves me the time and hassle.

Wrapping the frame means extra work, as I would not sleep well before at least visually inspecting it for some cracks, which would require removing all the tape.

That is exactly how I'd explain it to you when you bring the bike in.

Wouldn't take it as offence - but as you trying to help keep your bike's paint in mint conditions...
...and definitely not having unreasonable expectations about my bike handling and storage practice (joking ).

Relja BetterSafeThanSorry Novović

deacon mark

To me it is just a bike not a put away collectors item. They get scratched and fall over, and sometimes we ride in the rain and mess. This does not include the hopefull few crashes. Bikes are simply not meant to stay pristine and in new condition. I do not personally abuse them and maintain them but this is way over the top.

raceboy

This why I rarely buy a brand new bike or car. Knowing that it already has that first scratch has spared me many hours of self-induced misery when the inevitable happens.

wheelreason

It never fails, every time the wife gets a new car someone dings the door within a couple of weeks.

Camilo

Not a mechanic, but I would think that the shop would want to see the entire frame when it's checked in to make sure that they could note any scratches, etc. before working on it. It's been a long time since I had a bike worked on in a shop, but I seem to recall they pointed out imperfections when they checked it in.

PeteHski

I like to take care of my bikes, but this is taking it too far. If you are that worried about the bike then you are probably not going to enjoy riding it.

I used to be a bit anal about new things getting slightly dinged. But then I got married and had kids. Now I’m pretty chilled about minor cosmetic damage.