pelirary

My one and only bike is a 1997 Trek 1220 road bike. I went on vacation for ten days and thought it a good time for my bike to go in for a tuneup. They looked the bike over and said in addition to an advanced tuneup I would need a new rear cassette, new chain and a new crankset. I said fine and went on vacation. I got back and waited a couple days so it was two weeks since dropping it off. The bike was not ready. They are having trouble getting the crankset for the bike, saying they have been trying to locate one. My understanding of the mechanics and specs of these things is limited but was told because the bike is old the parts can't be found. On bikepedia.com I found the specs for my bike and the crank is Shimano RSX, 26/36/46 teeth with rear cogs 7-speed, 11 - 24 teeth. What I need t know is whether they are telling me the truth, or is there some substitute that would be compatible and work.

Of course with my luck they might be on this forum and see this, which wouldn't be to my benefit. :-)

Thanks for any input.

Bill Kapaun

They probably can't find a crank/cassette with those specific tooth counts.

It shouldn't be that big of a problem to find something within a couple teeth for the rings. 28-38-48 was /is? common for hybrids.You will probably have to settle for a different cassette, such as a 12-28 or 13-26 or what you can find. You probably don't use the 11T much anyway?

Were there shifting/skipping issues with the rings/cassette/chain that was on it? If not, you might want to tell to skip that part so you can ride.
They can search for parts or you look elsewhere in the meantime.

rccardr 

Cranksets don’t wear out, chain rings wear out. There are plenty of chainrings out there in the correct BCD to replace the ones on your bike. Same with bottom brackets if yours is worn. Any 6-8 speed chainset will work with your bike. 7 speed cassettes are not exactly all over the place, but not too hard to locate. If the6 are trying to buy stuff thru QBP or a dealer website, that’s the problem.

Ask them if you can buy the parts and have them installed. If so, get back to is with more information like whether you need a BB and the BCD of your chainrings.
And pictures loaded to your gallery.

pelirary

Thanks for the input. I will call them and ask them about going with a different number of teeth on the rings and a different cassette. If they balk at that I'll tell them I would like them to let me have the bike with the old crank while they look for a replacement. And yes the shifting wasn't smooth, sometimes I would have to back off on the shift to get it to set in right. But I can live with that while they look for a new part as long as I am riding again.

pelirary

I am going to go with Bill Kapaun's suggestion first. I'll keep your chain ring info in mind if I need to ask them to do something in that direction. As for pics, that would be difficult since the bike is in their shop. And I am not sure what BB and BCD refer to.

VegasTriker

I will no comment on the honesty of your bike shop but I do read some things that would make me think twice. First, going into a bike shop and asking for a "tune up" is an invitation for them to empty your wallet. I haven't a clue what an "advanced tune-up is and I worked in a bike shop. Did they explain in advance what they are going to do with the bike and how much it would cost? At 26 years (2023-1997) I would clean and re-grease anything with a bearing such as the hubs on the wheel. I could see replacing the chain and cassette as those are fairly cheap. A 7 speed chain is only $12 to $18 depending upon who made it. example https://www.ebay.com/itm/334295173471 and a cassette is around $30 https://www.ebay.com/itm/282510851252 I'll bet your bike shop wants far more than the online prices. I do my own repairs but if I had to go to a bike shop for some work, I would specify what needs to be done rather than ask for such a general repair.

I'd be surprised if you really needed to replace the chainrings on the crank. I'm at 14,000 miles on my recumbent trike and the OEM front changer still works perfectly. I've replaced the chain and cassette once. Unless you damaged the chainrings by bashing them with something, I'd say that replacing the crank and chainrings is unnecessary. I own two regular bikes far older than the one you are riding and have never replaced a chainring or crank. Do you have a whole lot of miles on the bike? I replace chains and the rear cassette when worn without needing to replace the cranks. You should be able to find similar chainrings without replacing the whole crank.

There are lots of sources for how to maintain a bike such as the tutorials at the Park Tool site and at Sheldonbrown.com. Even more at YouTube. Buy yourself a basic set of bike tools. One like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/175149429479 has most of the tools you will need to maintain your bike. The advantage of doing your own work is you can do a little at a time and change only those things that need changing like the rubber parts (brake pads, grips, and tires if they are the original tires)

BB stands for bottom bracket and that is what the cranks are connected to. BCD is a way of specifying the spacing between the bolts on your chainrings. When you go to buy individual chainrings you need to get the same spacing between bolts as on the original crank.

veganbikes

Not always true but yes typically it is the chainrings that are worn out but sometimes it is much less cost effective to buy individual chainrings than it is to buy a new crank.

Going back to the OP the shop may not be giving you the run around. Parts might be tougher to find or finding those exact ratios. Some mechanics want to stick with the same ratio because they have had enough customers complain and some will just change it because they think it is fine and in some cases it is and sometimes it isn't. If you are cool with a slightly different ratio let them know and they can try and find something different that will work.

pelirary

The estimate they gave me is:
TUNE UP - Advanced - $129.99
SRAM PG-730 Cassette - 7 Speed, 12-32t, Silver - $39.99
Chain pc-830 6,7,8 speed - $24.99
3 x 7 Crankset - $59.99

The Advanced Tune Up includes front and rear brake adjustments, front and rear derailleur adjustments, oiling, alignment, air, complete cleaning, head set adjustment, bottom bracket adjustment, hub adjustment, remove drivetrain (cranks derailleur, chain, cassette, and clean thoroughly).

As for how many miles? It is around 45,000 miles. The rear cassette I know has been replaced at least twice, but to my best recollection the front crank and chain rings are still original.

shelbyfv

That doesn't sound out of line for shop prices. It wouldn't be unusual for them to have delays sourcing parts.

FBinNY 

IME it's incredibly difficult to wear out chainrings on the road. Unless you've put in plenty of miles off road in tough conditions, ie muddy or sandy, I suspect that your current crank is very functional.

By reference, my older road bike with 50k miles has had countless chains and freewheel, but still the original crankset. It is VERY worn, but still 100% functional.

Unless your bottom bracket is worn out, and nonr matching your cranks is available, I suggest you let the shop finish the job, keeping your chainset as is.

maddog34

the chainrings on an RSX triple crank are easily located and replaced.

Is there some other problem with the RSX crankset? Bad pedal threads? a wobbly square taper hole?
No? then tell them to put your RSX crankset back on, pay the shop for whatever work they've completed......
And then Get out of there and don't return any time soon

PS.. Ebay has a few DOZEN options for Crank Assemblies with the exact gear counts mentioned... and i just finished installing a 48/38/26 on a diamondback insight... the one just installed was used, but in "Nearly New" condition... the old crankset had a stripped out pedal thread, and was a heavy piece of junk even when new.

I own a small Co-op bike shop... see if you can find a similar business near you.

i'd tell you how much i billed for the diamondback Insight work, including parts and installing a used rear rack, replacing a broken spoke nipple, and a drivetrain tune( all four limit screws had been messed with!), but you'd cry out in pain and might get violent when you went to retrieve your bike from that shop.... the entire repair and install took less than one hour. I was just happy to sell an old crankset that i have about a DOZEN of, in stock.

KCT1986

The RSX triple crank is unusual for Shimano. It uses a 110mm BCD with 5 arm and 74mm BCD for inner ring, that size was rarely used by Shimano for road bikes. Older Shimano MTB/touring cranks use that BCD but became less common when they went to 104BCD 4 arm in the 1990s.

The ring sizes that you have is also unusual. Older MTB/touring cranks used 48/38/28 or so, more commonly. Not sure who still makes these combos. Other companies' rings are probably available, but may not shift as well as Shimano's.

RSX was not a high end product so the quality of the outer ring may not be of really high grade aluminum, middle and small ring were steel (quality unknown). With your mileage, it is possible that the rings are worn.

FYI, the standard bottom bracket for the RSX triple is 118mm.

Edit: forgot to mention, what rear derailleur are you using? The original RSX RD is not rated for a 32T cassette, since it's a road RD, it probably is 28T max sprocket, maybe pushed a couple of teeth.

soyabean

There are shops in my town that specialize in reparing and refurbishing vintage unicorns for owners that will pay $$$ .

They know how to keep inventory in demand, so both the shop and the owner never has to hunt on "auction" websites.

Don't walk into this shop with a curb find and think they will help you get your bike going on the cheap to save money.

The shop's clientele are those that don't want a new bike, and will PAY whatever it takes to get theirs in perfect performance.

A modern bike shop with new Liv and Giant electric bikes on the floor will only fix a bike with parts they can order from their regular supply chain. They will NEVER resort to browse "auction" websites or search and deal with Craigslist/facebook hustlers.

Having said that, I'm with the OP's shop on this one. They're having a tough time to find parts for a thousand year old bike, and I doubt they can complete the work.

It was a mistake on their part to accept the bike from the OP, when it should have been an instant decline.

OP should take the bike back, and let it be the OP's problem. Maybe they can get someone on BF to fix it for them.

Local bike shops care little about anything where they have to spend a whole lot of time to make a little bit of money.

SurferRosa

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275892375225

Buy a few tools and do all the work yourself. It's not rocket science.

shelbyfv

That a normal bike shop doesn't have the same multitude of parts sources we have is a good point. Also, we don't know the general condition of OP's bike. For the small $ he's been quoted, I don't see any effort by the shop to take him for a ride. Patience.

maddog34

SRAM pg730 Cassette, 11-32, 7 speed... $20, shipped to your door... Etc...

and the shop specified the 11-32 for his Trek 1220 that,,apparently, the Owner has put a LOT of miles on....

the shop quoted a $59.99 price on a crankset they now claim to be struggling to just find..... Now... considering that price, and the shop's trends in pricing.. the crank they quoted would either be used, or be a Super-Low budget, Massive downgrade to the Trek 1220.

any more bad assumptions anyone wants to make to defend the shop in question?

shelbyfv

I get the impression OP isn't interested in DIY.

soyabean

Lots of smart folks aren't interested DIY: bikes, auto mechanics, plumbing, roofing, outdoor decking, babysitting. This is an endless list of labor professions.

People don't work for peanuts.

They want make money and lots of it.

When you call the air conditioner guy to re-gas your heat pump, it will cost you $100 per pound of Freon R22 that only costs them (less than) $10 from their supplier.

Tell them you don't want to pay that, they won't even bother to argue with a counteroffer. They'll just block your number.

So when a smart cyclist doesn't like a shop, they should take their bike back so the shop can go back to making real money.

mitchmellow62

I agree with the comments about chainrings vs full crankset replacement. If you decide to have the crankset replaced I'd ask about the quality of the $59.99 crankset. That seems kinda low. I'd want replaceable chainrings, not riveted. For comparison, a Claris triple crankset is around $100 online. I'd expect it to be more at a LBS. Claris is the bottom end of Shimano road components.

As an aside, I was recently looking for a 36 tooth chainring for the inner on a 110 bcd double. I was surprised how little was available at a decent price. Lots of narrow wide rings available. I settle for a FSA inner ring (not narrow wide) for $36.xx.

Russ Roth

Hard to know, prices can vary but for prices around me that seems about right. When I've just needed a part for a kid's bike that's about what I've paid for entry level chains and cassettes at the LBS, so I try to have spares on hand that I buy online since I do my own work. I'm assuming they told you the advance tune up because they're not charging you for the install of the parts? Like others, I'd wonder what the crankset is, as it is a bit of a cheap price, wouldn't be surprised if a BB was suddenly added when the mechanic discovers that the BB spindle isn't the right length for the new crank.
Despite what others are saying, I've seen plenty of worn out chainrings and often found it cheaper to replace low end cranks rather than the rings.
Surprised no one has suggested this yet, but a 26yo trek 1220 isn't the most exciting bike to ride, maybe its time to put the cost towards an upgrade to something that'll ride nicer and more enjoyably.

Fail to see how you've made a case against them. The RSX group could have almost been a gravel group as it offered a long cage rear der that would handle a wider range cassette that could work on a hybrid. Its why the crankset isn't a typical road triple of the time which would have been a 52 or 53t large ring. RSX also wasn't a high end group, I'd agree the crank is quite possibly a downgrade but the original isn't anything special, without knowing the brand who can say, but FSA has new stuff that falls in that range even if their parts suck at every price point. The parts pricing is typical to a shop and the tune up cost is about what you'd expect for a full overhaul. Around here a tune is 75.00-80 and wouldn't include installing all the parts, add in the labor for that purpose and it'd get you about the cost of the advance tune, which means get the tune and everything installed and adjusted. There's plenty of companies that buy in bulk to sell volume so you can save some bucks on parts as a DIYer, you can't reasonably expect a shop to match that and still make budget, they're in business to provide a service and you pay for that service and all it entails when you use them. Even when I could buy things wholesale with zero markup working in a shop, I still bought some parts online because it was cheaper than I could buy it direct from the distributors. Sucks but that's the way it is.

smd4

Most of the repair work you cite is highly specialized; screw up on your DIY roof repair, and your house is ruined after the first rain. Screw up on your plumbing, your house is flooded. Screw up your car repair, your brakes fail.

Do you hire someone to change the light bulbs in your house? Do you hire someone to pour Drano down your clogged sink? Patch the holes and touch up the paint in the living room? Tighten the loose table leg?

I don't blame the shop for wanting to make a buck, and if the repair was successful, then it's a win-win. But I do think cyclists should be able to do a lot of the easier repair work themselves on their bikes, just like we can do a lot of the easier repair on our homes. It's part and parcel of owning such things.

2old

My wife's bike had a shifting problem caused by something bending the rear derailleur and hanger; the shop said she needed a new cassette, rings, derailleur (and suggested she change from 11s to 12s. They wouldn't even try to repair the problem. I fixed it by straightening the system and the bike shifts fine now.Your shop is scamming you IMO since (as I'm sure someone has said) cranks don't wear out, and for me, I wouldn't replace a bottom bracket that rotated smoothly without being noisy.

curbtender

I find cranksets usually just need one overworked chainring replaced.

Kai Winters

A 26 year old bike that has seen a lot of miles and perhaps hard miles may need a new set of chain rings. I've seen some that look like nails they've lost so much of their original shape. A badly worn chain ring will skip with a new chain/cassette/freewheel.
It is also likely that original spec parts are not available and the shop will have to get something close but that is easy enough.
While it is true that only the chain rings need replacing it is also difficult to find the correct chain rings...bolt pattern, etc. may just not be available any more and if they are they are often just as expensive as buying a completely new crankset.
While you're at it you should replace the bottom bracket while it is all apart and you will have a near new drivetrain.
There aren't as many wholesale providers to shops as there are retail providers to retail customers and I have found I can get some parts at Nashbar that aren't available at my usual wholesale providers. This was true when buying some wiring for my Di2 upgrade. My usual wholesale source had no wires even close to the lengths I needed neither did they have any 12 speed Shimano chains of any kind. But Nashbar had the exact length of wires and a choice of chains. The prices weren't too far off from wholesale so it was an easy purchase to make especially since I wanted a bike to ride lol.

bboy314

What motivation would the shop have for being dishonest about sourcing the new chainrings?

Ask if you can buy some on your own and bring them to the shop to install. Make sure you get the right ones.