In-Complete cyclist service

[nickelass]

agree totally with maintaining your own bike,realised I learn this skill after two breakdowns,which need not have happened,invest money in tools, and even if you do have a breakdown,most likely you can make a plan,also save you a lot of your hard earned cash.

[American Flyers]

I also had same problems and back and forward to workshop - not happy with service and waste my time. Why pay for *** service? Lots of bike shops use cheap unqualified mechanics. I had to go the hard way and work on my own bikes now. I buy tools a piece a time.

[Garfield2010]

My bike has been running for 2 years now without a service......... Why pay R450 if it comes back gears messed up etc?

[AndreZA]

I also had same problems and back and forward to workshop - not happy with service and waste my time. Why pay for *** service? Lots of bike shops use cheap unqualified mechanics. I had to go the hard way and work on my own bikes now. I buy tools a piece a time.

 

What do you have to do to "qualify" as a bike mechanic? It's not a science. You don't need special diagnostic equipmet to find faults. And if they are qualified, who is gonna pay R800 for a basic service?

[reteid]

i bought a maintanance book for dummies,upgraded to the BBBB of maintanance broke a few parts on my son's old bike,missed a few crappy rugby games on saturdays,but in the end doing own maitanance on my bikes.The only thing i do not do is stuff like my suspension,and truing of wheels.as for the rest i can only blame myself if bolts were not fastened or bad gear indexing etc.o and is rather fulfilling on a personal level as well to fix something yourself.I have been going to the same bike mechanic for all other stuff(to buy or suspension services) for the last 8 years)

 

As for your problem i still think that it is the responsibility of the LBS who worked on the bike to ensure that the bike is ready for riding when you get it back.Having said that i would still recommend a quick check before leaving the shop just to see if everything is ok.

[NotSoBigBen]

I assume that Complete Cyclist have been contacted, what was there response? Did they offer to rectify/compensate in some way?

 

#justwondering

[Thomo]

I assume that Complete Cyclist have been contacted, what was there response? Did they offer to rectify/compensate in some way?

 

#justwondering

 

If they weren't, they should certainly know about the problem now.!

 

Does however appear as if they were afforded the opportuity to rectify:

 

"Took it back again and in nearly 2 days they still couldnt get round to sorting it out."

 

Opening their doors in Hout Bay CPT soon ... here's hoping for better service.

[(Deon)]

Hout Bay will need to depend on it, being located in a valley where traveling over a mountain on either side is necessary for patronage. I expect they have considered this.. and their shop looks pretty decked out in terms of workshop!

[Big H*]

What do you have to do to "qualify" as a bike mechanic? It's not a science. You don't need special diagnostic equipmet to find faults. And if they are qualified, who is gonna pay R800 for a basic service?

 

Exactly, a bike is not a car where qualified, or at least trained mechanics, do the service. It is a well known that most bike shops work on bicycles. a bicycle is a primitive piece of equipment and those who compare it to a car or even the service of a bike to a car service needs their heads read.

 

A cardinal rule is that you do a basic check on your bike BEFORE every ride. Not doing that you will put your own life at risk or at the least DNQ for a race.

[some random VELO guy]

I assume that Complete Cyclist have been contacted, what was there response? Did they offer to rectify/compensate in some way?

 

#justwondering

 

No compensation or apology offered as manager of the shop looked on when I complained bitterly the first time. As for checking my bike, I think that because I had been told that (in addition to new cluster with new chain) each of the front chain rings needed to be replaced because of slight chain suck on test rides I assumed that all was in order and done properly. R3k later. My mistake! Still, I can teach them a thing or two about joining a new chain and securing disc calipers.

[scotty]

Exactly, a bike is not a car where qualified, or at least trained mechanics, do the service. It is a well known that most bike shops work on bicycles. a bicycle is a primitive piece of equipment and those who compare it to a car or even the service of a bike to a car service needs their heads read.

 

A cardinal rule is that you do a basic check on your bike BEFORE every ride. Not doing that you will put your own life at risk or at the least DNQ for a race.

I would agree and disagree, you have to understand your bike and part sizes (seatpost, stem, bars, 8,9,10 spd, Shimano, SRAM, Campagnoala and what is compatable to what, low rise, high rise, top pull, bottom pull, different BB's, wheel hubs, triple crank, double crank, shifters, clusters (min and max) derailers (long, medium, short) just to mention some

 

Once you mastered all that and have the right tools its a breeze.

Edited September 1, 2011 by scotty

[Slowbee]

I would agree and disagree, you have to understand your bike and part sizes (seatpost, stem, bars, 8,9,10 spd, Shimano, SRAM, Campagnoala and what is compatable to what, low rise, high rise, top pull, bottom pull, different BB's, wheel hubs, triple crank, double crank, shifters, clusters (min and max) derailers (long, medium, short) just to mention some

 

Once you mastered all that and have the right tools its a breeze.

 

then there is the fanatic - that can list each item from the latest catelogue, till an era BC, when they still used rocks as catelogues.

 

 

Some people just dont want to be that involved with their bikes. They want to take it to someone - let them sort it out, service, fix etc. And thats why bike shops exist. This idea of being able to service your own bike is not for everybody. (it feels like I just rambled ramble)

[AndreZA]

Some people just dont want to be that involved with their bikes. They want to take it to someone - let them sort it out, service, fix etc. And thats why bike shops exist. This idea of being able to service your own bike is not for everybody. (it feels like I just rambled ramble)

 

Those people need to find a hobby like stamp collecting or ant farming. There's more to cycling then just riding a bike.

[Big H*]

then there is the fanatic - that can list each item from the latest catelogue, till an era BC, when they still used rocks as catelogues.

 

 

Some people just dont want to be that involved with their bikes. They want to take it to someone - let them sort it out, service, fix etc. And thats why bike shops exist. This idea of being able to service your own bike is not for everybody. (it feels like I just rambled ramble)

 

I wonder if those people feel the same about a car not properly serviced, buying rotten meat at a supermarket, a cellphone that keeps on breaking, bad service from service providers. If they do not want to learn something low-tech and keep on being bitten by the same problem they must eat vrot meat. No sympathy at all.

[Slowbee]

Some people really just like to get on their bikes and ride. They dont mind paying for other people servicing their bikes. But they expect good service. Just like a car. And if the same mistake happens all the time - it means the people doing the service dont know what they are doing.

[scotty]

then there is the fanatic - that can list each item from the latest catelogue, till an era BC, when they still used rocks as catelogues.

 

 

Some people just dont want to be that involved with their bikes. They want to take it to someone - let them sort it out, service, fix etc. And thats why bike shops exist. This idea of being able to service your own bike is not for everybody. (it feels like I just rambled ramble)

 

I'm one of them. I have bike maintenance books and DVD's, borrowing tools I've stripped a road and MTB bike down to minimum and put it together again so i know what goes where and why but 1 can think of better things to do but at least i know how to if i have to. I have a LBS that does a full strip service for R250 which is far less than a good quality single tool i would need .