Bike Shop Nightmare
#76
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Location: Minneapols, Minnesota
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Bikes: 89 Raleigh Technium PRE, 92 SP 1000 ti, '09 Team Pro, 72 International, 63 Hercules 3-spd, '81 Vitus 979, 2 Kabuki Submariners, 2 C. Itoh Submariners, Gary Fisher Big Sur, Skyway 3-spd, Robin Hood w/ S-A IGH 5 speed.
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#77
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Minnesota
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Bikes: '09 Trek 2.1 * '75 Sekine * 2010 Raleigh Talus 8.0 * '90 Giant Mtb * Raleigh M20 * Fuji Nevada mtb
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The moral of this abbreviated story is that the special tools are minimal and are pretty much paid for the 1st time you don't use the shop. There are a few tools that are more expensive, but not many.
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FB4K - Every October we wrench on donated bikes. Every December, a few thousand kids get bikes for Christmas. For many, it is their first bike, ever. Every bike, new and used, was donated, built, cleaned and repaired. Check us out on FaceBook: FB4K.
Disclaimer: 99% of what I know about cycling I learned on BF. That would make, ummm, 1% experience. And a lot of posts.
FB4K - Every October we wrench on donated bikes. Every December, a few thousand kids get bikes for Christmas. For many, it is their first bike, ever. Every bike, new and used, was donated, built, cleaned and repaired. Check us out on FaceBook: FB4K.
Disclaimer: 99% of what I know about cycling I learned on BF. That would make, ummm, 1% experience. And a lot of posts.
#78
Senior Member
Bike Shop Nightmare
I thought I was a really good mechanic. Got a job at a bike shop. I didn't know nothin. Learned on the job. Worked at the bike shop for a year. I was purdy good at the end of the year. Now I buy and sell bikes as a way to fund my own bikes. I'm a much better mechanic now than I was while at the bike shop. Good mechanics are few and far between. Takes a long time to become proficient.
#79
Senior Member
Every now and then she would have someone come in practically with sorrow on their heart that they had to bother her with their minimal problem. She threw every discount she could at them for their troubles. Had a guy who was returning something that didn't work for him, buying something to replace it that was more expensive, and buying some other stuff. She gave him the first item for the price of the returned item along with 10% off that plus 10% discount on everything else he bought. He was practically crying to her, why was she doing all this, all he wanted to do was return something that wasn't going to work for him. Told him, "you came in here and was nice to us."
You go back to the store that wronged you to the person that wronged you and you politely explain the situation and ask how it can be rectified. When you get the run-around from that person, that is when you go to the manager or owner and you be nice and polite to them and allow them to rectify the situation. Go in immediately with guns blazing like an *******, don't expect them to want or care to take care of you.
#80
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One thing I do whenever I leave my bike at the shop: put a plastic bag over the saddle. Keeps it free of grease. If you have white handlebar tape, you could even quickly roll wide masking tape around it before dropping it off. Would take 2 minutes.
#81
Fresh Garbage
#82
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I just returned from a visit with the store manager. He said and did all the right things. Now it's just a matter of getting my bike back in prime working order... This is what they have offered as a solution:
Full refund on the cost of new Ultegra front derailleur and labor
New front and rear SRAM Rival derailleurs
New chain
New hanger
New front big chain ring - was apparently previously bent but will be replaced
New lizardskin bar tape
Full tune up
The hanger had to be ordered from Specialized so that delays things a bit but the bike was promised to be complete by Sunday.
Full refund on the cost of new Ultegra front derailleur and labor
New front and rear SRAM Rival derailleurs
New chain
New hanger
New front big chain ring - was apparently previously bent but will be replaced
New lizardskin bar tape
Full tune up
The hanger had to be ordered from Specialized so that delays things a bit but the bike was promised to be complete by Sunday.
#83
We did look at the spokes. The wheel needs to be trued but everything looked OK.
They have gone above and beyond to resolve the situation. The free items would be the front derailleur (which I had just purchased but was refunded in full), the chain and the chain ring. The rest of it us just replacing the damage that occurred after the initial work. The bar tape was certainly still usable but I'm glad they are replacing it as well.
I actually just received a call from the shop with an update that it should be ready to be picked up this evening. Now, I'm just hoping that I receive a dialed in bike. I will likely have it looked over at my LBS as recommended previously.
Thanks for all the input gang! I do have a work stand and have started to do some basic stuff myself but I have a long way to go. I'll update again once I pick up the bike...
They have gone above and beyond to resolve the situation. The free items would be the front derailleur (which I had just purchased but was refunded in full), the chain and the chain ring. The rest of it us just replacing the damage that occurred after the initial work. The bar tape was certainly still usable but I'm glad they are replacing it as well.
I actually just received a call from the shop with an update that it should be ready to be picked up this evening. Now, I'm just hoping that I receive a dialed in bike. I will likely have it looked over at my LBS as recommended previously.
Thanks for all the input gang! I do have a work stand and have started to do some basic stuff myself but I have a long way to go. I'll update again once I pick up the bike...
#85
Beer >> Sanity
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Didn't read all this yet, so not sure where you are in the process, but OP, do you have any recent pics of the bike like the clean bar tape? That might be one way to make that point clear. The rest of the stuff is going to be a "it was like that when we got it" kind of thing. You are likely going to have to be very clear about what you want and what they messed up. Personally, I'd never let performance touch my bike and in this case I'd ask them to put it back to the condition it was when you brought it in, refund your money, and if they can't put it back because they broke it they also put new parts on or better yet just give you the parts and take it to good shop for repair. Easier said than done as they are unlikely to want to give you new parts so be prepared for a lot of hassle. If they do work with you without the hassle then good on them.
#87
Banned.
There's a reason why the cash registers at mcdonald's don't have number or function keys, only buttions with icons. Too bad performance can't replicate that type of formula for bike wrenching, because they need it.
#89
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In my experience they will go out of their way to make things right, but often they lack the know how to actually do that.
Didn't read all this yet, so not sure where you are in the process, but OP, do you have any recent pics of the bike like the clean bar tape? That might be one way to make that point clear. The rest of the stuff is going to be a "it was like that when we got it" kind of thing. You are likely going to have to be very clear about what you want and what they messed up. Personally, I'd never let performance touch my bike and in this case I'd ask them to put it back to the condition it was when you brought it in, refund your money, and if they can't put it back because they broke it they also put new parts on or better yet just give you the parts and take it to good shop for repair. Easier said than done as they are unlikely to want to give you new parts so be prepared for a lot of hassle. If they do work with you without the hassle then good on them.
Didn't read all this yet, so not sure where you are in the process, but OP, do you have any recent pics of the bike like the clean bar tape? That might be one way to make that point clear. The rest of the stuff is going to be a "it was like that when we got it" kind of thing. You are likely going to have to be very clear about what you want and what they messed up. Personally, I'd never let performance touch my bike and in this case I'd ask them to put it back to the condition it was when you brought it in, refund your money, and if they can't put it back because they broke it they also put new parts on or better yet just give you the parts and take it to good shop for repair. Easier said than done as they are unlikely to want to give you new parts so be prepared for a lot of hassle. If they do work with you without the hassle then good on them.
#90
On this saddle lower than the original mark when people go to pick up their bikes... are these bikes carbon or aluminium frames?
Standard shop practice as far as I can tell these days, is to either mount the bike on a workstand using the clamp around the seat post after it has been extended higher to accommodate the clamp , or pulling out the seat post entirely and putting a dummy one in and clamping to that.
Admittedly, it could be argued to be sloppy mechanical work to not mark the original position of the seat post before doing this, but I wonder if the owners would be happier having the seat in the right position and a crushed or dented top tube instead.
Standard shop practice as far as I can tell these days, is to either mount the bike on a workstand using the clamp around the seat post after it has been extended higher to accommodate the clamp , or pulling out the seat post entirely and putting a dummy one in and clamping to that.
Admittedly, it could be argued to be sloppy mechanical work to not mark the original position of the seat post before doing this, but I wonder if the owners would be happier having the seat in the right position and a crushed or dented top tube instead.
#91
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On this saddle lower than the original mark when people go to pick up their bikes... are these bikes carbon or aluminium frames?
Standard shop practice as far as I can tell these days, is to either mount the bike on a workstand using the clamp around the seat post after it has been extended higher to accommodate the clamp , or pulling out the seat post entirely and putting a dummy one in and clamping to that.
Admittedly, it could be argued to be sloppy mechanical work to not mark the original position of the seat post before doing this, but I wonder if the owners would be happier having the seat in the right position and a crushed or dented top tube instead.
Standard shop practice as far as I can tell these days, is to either mount the bike on a workstand using the clamp around the seat post after it has been extended higher to accommodate the clamp , or pulling out the seat post entirely and putting a dummy one in and clamping to that.
Admittedly, it could be argued to be sloppy mechanical work to not mark the original position of the seat post before doing this, but I wonder if the owners would be happier having the seat in the right position and a crushed or dented top tube instead.
I'm pretty tall so I never adjust height for a test ride, but I have needed to move a saddle to place a bike on a stand. It is important to mark the placement that the customer had.
#92
Banned.
On the flip side, anyone can recite a litany of incompetent, rude, and flat out dishonest and corrupt merchants. Some say that 99% of all businesses are dishonest.
#93
We did look at the spokes. The wheel needs to be trued but everything looked OK.
They have gone above and beyond to resolve the situation. The free items would be the front derailleur (which I had just purchased but was refunded in full), the chain and the chain ring. The rest of it us just replacing the damage that occurred after the initial work. The bar tape was certainly still usable but I'm glad they are replacing it as well.
I actually just received a call from the shop with an update that it should be ready to be picked up this evening. Now, I'm just hoping that I receive a dialed in bike. I will likely have it looked over at my LBS as recommended previously.
Thanks for all the input gang! I do have a work stand and have started to do some basic stuff myself but I have a long way to go. I'll update again once I pick up the bike...
They have gone above and beyond to resolve the situation. The free items would be the front derailleur (which I had just purchased but was refunded in full), the chain and the chain ring. The rest of it us just replacing the damage that occurred after the initial work. The bar tape was certainly still usable but I'm glad they are replacing it as well.
I actually just received a call from the shop with an update that it should be ready to be picked up this evening. Now, I'm just hoping that I receive a dialed in bike. I will likely have it looked over at my LBS as recommended previously.
Thanks for all the input gang! I do have a work stand and have started to do some basic stuff myself but I have a long way to go. I'll update again once I pick up the bike...
I hope they fixed the bike right this time. They must have at least one competent mechanic.
#94
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You know much more than me about cycling and the industry, so save yourself the heartbeats you waste reading any of my posts.
Are you aware that the forum has an ignore feature?
#96
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Minneapols, Minnesota
Posts: 538
Bikes: 89 Raleigh Technium PRE, 92 SP 1000 ti, '09 Team Pro, 72 International, 63 Hercules 3-spd, '81 Vitus 979, 2 Kabuki Submariners, 2 C. Itoh Submariners, Gary Fisher Big Sur, Skyway 3-spd, Robin Hood w/ S-A IGH 5 speed.
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#97
C*pt*i* Obvious
TLDR, the whole thread.
Seriously, all this because of a front dérailleur?
No wonder humanity has no future.
Replacement should take between 10 to 30 minutes depending on your skill level.
Perhaps about $20 in tools.
Better yet, find a fellow cyclist who can teach you how to do basic repairs.
Seriously, all this because of a front dérailleur?
No wonder humanity has no future.
Replacement should take between 10 to 30 minutes depending on your skill level.
Perhaps about $20 in tools.
Better yet, find a fellow cyclist who can teach you how to do basic repairs.
#99
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Minnesota
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They have gone above and beyond to resolve the situation...I actually just received a call from the shop with an update that it should be ready to be picked up this evening. Now, I'm just hoping that I receive a dialed in bike. I will likely have it looked over at my LBS as recommended previously... I'll update again once I pick up the bike...
__________________
FB4K - Every October we wrench on donated bikes. Every December, a few thousand kids get bikes for Christmas. For many, it is their first bike, ever. Every bike, new and used, was donated, built, cleaned and repaired. Check us out on FaceBook: FB4K.
Disclaimer: 99% of what I know about cycling I learned on BF. That would make, ummm, 1% experience. And a lot of posts.
FB4K - Every October we wrench on donated bikes. Every December, a few thousand kids get bikes for Christmas. For many, it is their first bike, ever. Every bike, new and used, was donated, built, cleaned and repaired. Check us out on FaceBook: FB4K.
Disclaimer: 99% of what I know about cycling I learned on BF. That would make, ummm, 1% experience. And a lot of posts.
#100
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I'm planning to replace my 105 group for 6800 group at PBike next week. I've purchased many things from there but have not used the workshop. I’m handy with tools but not sure about try to install the “new” 6800. Should I let PBike install it and them learn from there and do my own tune ups?