Cycle Lab - Bad customer service

[(Deon)]

Three clicks on a derailleur is only around 3-4mm of actual cable pull. Less than 1% of the length of a 1.5m cable. A 0.5mm change in radius in a large cable loop during bedding down would easily produce this much change in length,

 

I'd say new cable in old is not bedding in, but the cable actually moving within the housing. 1.8mm ID housing worn to 2mm ID or more gives 0.2mm of play. Easily enough to produce 3-4mm of change in effective length. This is also highly variable over time - one of the reasons why it's better to replace housings and cables together.

 

You accommodate the bedding down while installing the new cable by shifting into the lowest gear with the shift (so that the shift mechanism is resting on the stops, rather than the ratchet), then pulling on the cable to manually shift to the highest gear (so the derailleur is pulling against its limit screws). You then pull hard on the cable to stress it and bed it down. Then take up the slack by undoing the cable pinch bolt on the derailleur and tightening the cable. Repeat a couple of times.

 

If you don't do the pre-stressing step, all the slack comes out while you're riding and shifting, resulting in a return trip to the shop to reset the gears.

 

Thanks, but this is a new bike. When it stops working the way it should what are you supposed to do?

 

Imagine you have been told for years that a new cable stretches, now the sales guy tells you it is not the problem, the problem is somewhere else and it will take longer than 5mins. Yet another shop fixes the problem by taking slack out of the cable and the bike starts to work as it should. Sounds like stretch to me.

 

I am no engineer, you could be correct in your explanation.

[Minion]

This is not possible with internal cables

I thought you were supposed to use Di2 with those .

 

I reckon you could still make a reasonable attempt at it with one of those fourth-hand tools.

[Iwan Kemp]

It would also be eliminated by proper pre-stressing of the cable system during installation.

 

Yes.

[Sammajoor]

I just think he stated what everybody on here always say about good service. If you spend alot of money at a shop, you build a reputation/connection and the people jump to your beck and call. So what's the point to try and build a relationship with a shop if they still not come to the party.

 

 

Mams Andre, I also buy @ the Lab, I do not spend a tenth of what lord tantrum does, but, Andrew always comes and says hallo and ASKS if I have been helped.

 

This story has more to it than we are being led to believe. What also gets me is that everyone is posting behind an alias, Why not come out and say what your name is and what your beef is with the Lab.

[TNT1]

Thanks, but this is a new bike. When it stops working the way it should what are you supposed to do?

 

 

Take it back to the shop you bought it from?

[Minion]

Thanks, but this is a new bike. When it stops working the way it should what are you supposed to do?

Take to the shop for them to fix, of course.

 

I am an engineer. This makes me pedantic. The term 'stretch' used here irritates me since it's mostly wrong. Even though everyone knows what it means.

 

With proper care it is possible to eliminate the problem before the first ride (this I what I did with all my bikes), but lots of shops don't seem to do this.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Edman

[AndreZA]

If it was bought after April you can take it back for a refund as it is not performing as it should.

[(Deon)]

Take it back to the shop you bought it from?

 

Or, can you choose who you go to based on the relationship you have formed. Well, what you thought was a relationship.

 

Why does it seem those in favour of the Lab are calling names? Where is the Lab in all this, it feels like a response is taking forever and I am getting cramp in me fingers.

 

Can't, keep, typing, until... response.

[GLuvsMtb]

Let me say upfront, I will never support Cycle Lab again.

 

Here is the story. I walked into Cycle Lab Fourways at 4:30pm last Friday with a brand new road bike that has done less than 100km. I asked the sales agent (he said his name is Ben) if someone can please assist me quickly as the cable (for my jockey) has stretched and I just need it to be adjusted, it should only take a few minutes. Ben told me that they cannot help me at that time since it would not take 5 minutes as my hanger is most probably bent and needs to be fixed which would take a long time to fix. I again explained to him that it is a new bike and that if the chance of it being cable stretch is 99%. I also explained to him that it is urgent as I was on my way out of town for a race on the weekend.

 

Ben told me that they will not assist me and should take it back to the shop where I bought the bike. Granted, I did not buy the bike at Cycle Lab but I could not take the bike back to the shop where I bought it as it is a couple of hours drive from Fourways and I needed urgent assistance. Ben just told me rudely that they will not assist me and that I can take my business somewhere else. I then told Ben, based on his rudeness and his recommendation, that I would in fact take my business elsewhere and that I would not support them again, to which he responded “thank you, please don’t come back again”.

 

Again, granted, I did not buy the bike from Cycle Lab. The sad thing is, I did however buy my Mountain Bike from cycle lab only a few months ago. In fact, I have spent somewhere between R70 000 to R80 000 over the last 6 months at Cycle lab. I visited their store at least once a week and all the staff there know that I am a regular customer (even Ben). So is this how cycle lab treat their regular customers? And BTW, I am also a member of their cycle club. Sure I guess my spend is only a drop in the ocean to them but frankly I expected more. I did not ask them to do it free of charge, I just needed someone to urgently assist me and I was more than willing to pay for the service.

 

I ended up driving through to Dunkeld Cycles at the last minute and they assisted me straight away (and I’ve never supported them before). And guess what, it took them less than 5 minutes to fix the cable stretch! Thanks Dunkeld Cycles for the friendly service, you will surely see me again.

 

Cycle Lab is obviously not dependable so I won’t waste my time there again.

You could have done a couple of things to get Ben to assist you.

- ask nicely and appologise for not having an appointment.

- a quick phone call on your way to the Lab to ask if they could quickly help you with this because your multi-tool was out of order at that moment.

- grow a pair of t!ts, pretend to be clueless, bat your eyelids at him and show off some leg. If you were a pretty blonde poppie the other salesmen would have beaten Ben to death to get to you first.

 

A full-of-himself (rhymes with) brick <assumption as I haven't met you, but throwing numbers around numbers on the OP is a clue> demanding immediate service without an appointment would definately get you thrown out of most cycling shops.

[TNT1]

 

 

I am an engineer. This makes me pedantic.

 

I'm not, so what makes me pedantic?

[LeTurbo]

The OP thinks he has problems? I bought a tube from a well-known bike shop and it went flat! Granted, it was only at the bottom, but I took my bike back to the shop anyway and showed it to the sales-type-of-chap. He said, "Did you try blowing it up again? Were you carrying a bomb?" Where's he get off, accusing me of terrorism? I won't take my business back to them, I tell you!

[TNT1]

Or, can you choose who you go to based on the relationship you have formed. Well, what you thought was a relationship.

 

 

I told him to go to Cajees.

[rouxtjie]

Mams Andre, I also buy @ the Lab, I do not spend a tenth of what lord tantrum does, but, Andrew always comes and says hallo and ASKS if I have been helped.This story has more to it than we are being led to believe. What also gets me is that everyone is posting behind an alias, Why not come out and say what your name is and what your beef is with the Lab.

Yes, its like every Jannie and Sannie wants to have a dig at the lab on a public platform but never faces Andrew with their issues. Why come to the hub and play "Hello Peter" anonymously. He isn't unreasonable

 

Take it back to the shop you bought it from?

Logic prevails

[Iwan Kemp]

Take it back to the shop you bought it from?

 

Come on! Really? If we should go to Andrew and ask him if they'd like to work on bikes exclusively sold by CL, do you think he will say yes? In this day and age you should be thankful for new, old or any business and polish it's marbles till you can clean your teeth in the shine. And if you can't help a customer, kindly explain why. If he gets irate - stay calm. If that doesn't help, then escalate it to your manager who can then chase him away.

 

No, I don't know the other side, but let's use some common sense here.

Edited November 8, 2011 by The Crow

[Iwan Kemp]

Why not come out and say what your name is and what your beef is with the Lab.

 

Hi, my name is Iwan Coenraad Kemp and my beef is I don't have enough money to buy all the shiny things my heart lusts after.

[TNT1]

The OP thinks he has problems? I bought a tube from a well-known bike shop and it went flat! Granted, it was only at the bottom, but I took my bike back to the shop anyway and showed it to the sales-type-of-chap. He said, "Did you try blowing it up again? Were you carrying a bomb?" Where's he get off, accusing me of terrorism? I won't take my business back to them, I tell you!

 

I bet this was at that new "mega" store you okes in the cape got.