Manny87

So as I mentioned on a separate post, I just purchased a used specialized on CL. This is the CL link. https://eugene.craigslist.org/bik/5666125780.html
I took it to a local bike shop for a tuneup. The shop I went to was recommended to me by a friend who does casual cycling. I spoke to the worker there who was am older man and asked about the business. Its locally owned with the owner working in the shop and doing a lot of the tuneups herself. He said labor for a tuneup was $50 plus parts. Said I didn't need parts. So I picked up the bike and noticed a few things. First I noticed my pouch was missing. It goes attached underneath the seat. I had asked him yo swap the seats for me by the way. So then he hands it to me and I asked why he didn't put it on. He said he thought I didn't want it on. Mind you, it was on when I brought the bike in and I said nothing of it. Next price had changed. He told me that no pars were needed. When I showed up he said he replaced the tube because it wasn't holding air. Again, it was inflated when I brought it in. It sat in a garage for years without needing more air. He didn't ask if I approved he just did it. Honestly I would have said yes if he would have called and said my bike needed a new tube or I would have brought my spare tube in. I just feel I would have given him my trust if he would have included me. When I told him I would have appreciated a call and could have brought a spare tube in he said "now you have an extra and trust me, you ate going to use it". No sh** I'm going to eventually use it. Anyhow not a big deal. I notice some grime/build up on the chain, gears, cassette, and so on. Its very evident that a brush was not used to clean the essential parts. I personally believe that he judged me as a student (which most their customers are), I told him I bought a used bike on CL, and I feel he assumed I know nothing about bikes so he essentially just lubed everything up. Those are my thoughts. Also, I pointed out that my front wheel was rubbing was the brake pads. I specifically asked him to make sure they were no longer in contact. He said the wheel needed to be trued. I knew that. I said OK. Guess what? Brakes are still rubbing on wheel.
I have stated I am a newb at cycling.I guess I'm judging this based on what I would have done if I would have charged for a tuneup. Am I being too critical? Am I correct? Did they do a bad job?
I will attach pics from my computer.

RPK79

Holy crap is that one big wall of text.

10 Wheels

Learn to do your own bike cleaning and repairs.

Your post is kinda silly.

cthenn

The tube thing is no big deal. I just took my bike in for service and told them to service the wheels. Turned out I needed a new bearing. Didn't call me just did it. Cost $10 extra. BFD. now if they replaced something and it cost you another $50 then they probably should call first.

The rest of it seems par for the course for many shops. Takes a while to find one that does good work, and conscientious work.

ncbikerdude

I feel like bike shops are "hit and miss" I have had some great experiences and some bad ones as well. I would recommend just going to a different one next time and see how they are. Its disappointing to me that some shops operate there business in such a manner where they don't like repeat business. But thats there choice and it makes it easier for business owners that do great work to continue to grow!! Good luck on finding a new bike shop to have your next service done at.

rmfnla

A good shop will call and advise if you need anything beyond what was quoted...

K.Katso

Sounds like they tried to make a neglected bike rideable and you punished them for it.

ltxi

Yeah. I didn't make it past the second sentence, either.

WhyFi

Well, it's certainly keeping people out, but who's gonna pay for it?

ltxi

...

AlexCyclistRoch

tl;dr

CliffordK

Eugene?

Have you tried the Center for Appropriate Transport?

You can rent shop space by the hour, or get an annual subscription. Then do your own work.

If you ask someone to do a tune-up, make sure you get a list of what they're planning on doing to the bike.

If you take a car in for a tune-up, do they wash and wax the car, and vacuum the interior?

rms13

1. As others said, learn to work on your own bike. Most things are easy to learn and will save a lot of money in the long run ....except for the up front expenses of specialized tools you may need.

2. Most shops where I live charge $50 at minimum for tune up. If a bike has been sitting for several years I would personally recommend changing tubes and cables at the minimum and and maybe cable housings and bar tape.

CliffordK

If it sat in a garage for years, then it needed aired up sometime. It is quite possible the seller blew up the tires before selling it, and you might not have been aware of a slow leak. How long between buying and the tune-up?

I'd be pretty upset if I took a bike in for a tune-up, and it came back with a flat tire.

FullGas

does the word 'paragraph' mean anything to the OP...?

longbeachgary

it's not a matter of being critical it's a matter of being unreasonable. Next time you bring your bike in make sure to take any accessories. Not sure how you know the tube was holding air since you just bought the bike. I know that a craigslist seller would never lie about something like that. Does the shop's tune up service include parts cleaning?

Curious, hHow much did you pay for this service?

banerjek

The experience doesn't sound like things went well. But I would not be comfortable saying the shop is bad since I wasn't there.

Multiple times, I've been in excellent shops with knowledgeable/helpful staff when a customer brought in a bike that had all kinds of things wrong asking for a tuneup or something simple to be fixed.

The bikes often have way more issues than the customers are aware of (or are willing/able to pay for) and everyone knows it. So they try to figure out how to help them out the best they can.

The customers sometimes think the shop is trying to take them for a ride when they're really trying to help. But if you can't see what a bike really needs and aren't aware of what work needs to be done, it's going to sound fishy.

So maybe the shop is fine and maybe it isn't. I can think of legitimate reasons why you still have a brake rub but it's also possible they didn't do a good job. If you don't like how the transaction felt, you should try another.

I seriously doubt they were trying to pull any monkey business with the tube. Most likely, it had a slow leak, or it failed when they tried to inflate it. It would have been good form to call you, especially since you're a new customer, but they could hardly give you a bike with no air in the rear tire. BTW, a bike that's been sitting around for years normally would need stuff replaced. At the very least, I would have changed the cables and housings.

As others have suggested, it's a good idea to learn to work on your bike.

Maelochs

This, in all caps. never get any work done anywhere on anything without a detailed list of Exactly what needs to be done. If the shop goes over and above, you can refuse to pay (and the guy can pull out the old tube and laugh at you) but you will have less reason to complain. Also, if the guy does Not do the job, you have some recourse if yo have a written list.

I'd say the guy was not great at at his job, (and that bit with keeping the saddle bag is Really shady (did you tell him you wanted all the old parts back, or even mention that, btw?) and did the minimum to get an old, out-of-service bike usable.

Did it shift, pedal, and stop on demand? Then he could say he had "tuned it up." Truing a wheel is considerably more time- and labor intensive, so I wouldn't expect that to be thrown in for free with a tune-up ... but since you never specified what a tune-up was int eh first place ... he could have taken out a tuning fork and a pitch pipe and handed the bike back to you mechanically identical to when you brought it in and said "A Sharp" and taken your money.

Did the guy have his heart and his pride in the work? Seems not ... Were you the kind of consumer who made sure to get the right job done right ... obviously not.

Eugene being the cycling hotbed that it is I cannot imagine you and this guy would ever do business again anyway.

pvillemasher

I think so.
He didn't put your saddle bag back on, he replaced a tube that most likely needed replaced, and he didn't clean your bike which is generally not part of a tune up.
I didn't understand the brake rubbing part.

NYMXer

The way I understand it, the brake rubs a little due to an out of true wheel and the OP asked the shop to do the repair and stop the wheel from rubbing on the brake. They didn't do it, and he doesn't feel satisfied.... I wouldn't either!

CliffordK

It sounds like an app for a computerized work order.

Bring the bike in for tune-up.

Check off any that apply (some may be more expensive options).Customer Comments:Then once one is done, one just checks off the stuff that was actually completed. Easy for multiple employees to follow too.

IFPCL

Man I feel like the shop I work in is out of order sometimes but then I see stories like this... Does a tune-up not include wheel truing? Also I understand missing something like the brake rub but not fixing it after a customer points it out? Come on. I don't think there's a conspiracy, more like laziness.

RJM

This. Putting a tube in a tire that needs it when you want a tune up is standard practice.

shelbyfv

I doubt anyone is truing wheels as part of a $50 tune up.

brianmcg123

If you think thats bad. Once I took my bike in before a big Century ride I had been training for for months. I had asked for a tune up. We discussed I would be riding in the century. Half way through the century my rear derailer cable started to unwind and jammed into the shifter. Needless to say my ride was cut short.

When I got home I found the mechanic having sex with my wife. I was like "WTF dude, my rear derailer cable broke half way through my ride" He replied, "Tune-ups don't include new parts". So from now on I always ask to get new cables when asking for a tune up.