Originally Posted by
Reflector Guy
That's hardly a majority of bicycle repairs, though, I might think. Based on what I see, totally anecdotal of course, most bikes are in the shop for minor repairs and adjustments that any 20-something who watched a few Park Tool videos can do.
People nowadays are programmed to believe that doing manual labor is a bad thing, and as such they have no tools and few if any skills, so they are more than willing to bring their bikes to the shop to fix a flat tire or silence a noisy rear derailleur. My neighbor is one such example; he pays an electrician to come to his house to replace the bulb on his porch every time it burns out.
Originally Posted by
livedarklions
What percentage of the bikes out on the road today have an electronic shifting system? 1%, 2 maybe? And the only alternative is downtube shifters? Seriously? A "layperson" can still work on the vast majority of shifting systems currently in production and use without the need of much of anything in terms of specialized tools.
I don't think there are many repair shops that are going to be able to make it on just servicing elite road bikes, so yes, the shops are competing with DIY to an extent no longer seen in car repair..
Oh, I agree, 95% of bicycle repairs can be done with a little knowledge and some basic tools. Yet, I know some who still can't adjust an indexed shifting system, and some things (like facing headsets, bottom brackets, and disc brake caliper mounts, for instance) require some pretty specialized tools that are expensive, and won't be used often in an individuals toolbox - so it's not worth buying them. Less expensive to take it to the LBS and let them handle it.
I just laugh when people say to open the hood of their modern day car when they have a problem. Heck, I was *THE GUY* in the New England area that got called when a dealership had a technical issue they couldn't seem to solve. I know enough so that, should my car ever just stop running on the road, I don't even bother getting out before calling roadside assistance. If you don't have a laptop and the proper diagnostic software, you're just wasting your time.