Service Full Service Pricing Ripoff?

[Andreas_187]

It may or may not be on the expensive side but I would hardly call it a rip off.

Considering you can't do it yourself it's almost quite cheeky to call more than 4 hours labour for R1700 a rip off.

[wessie12]

I am fortunate enough to service my own bikes after learning from an experienced mechanic and investing in tools. Bike servicing is extremely time consuming if it's a major service with front and rear suspensions. I have completely stopped doing favors to friends and family because they just dont appreciate the effort it takes to service a mtb properly. Personally I think a good mechanic is worth every penny

[FirstV8]

You are obviously new to cycling and have not got the experience to do your own servicing .MTB services will always be pricey because of the nature of the beast , pivot bearings , shocks front and back , dropper posts ( If you have ) hydraulic brakes , disc pads , quick shift levers  the list goes on . If you ride your bike daily off road through sand , streams , puddles and rough bumpy terrain your bike would need regular service for it to function the way YOU expect it to . Smooth gear changes , absorbing the rough terrain , giving you confidence to go off a big drop off without the shocks bottoming out , quiet frame movement when bombing along farm roads ( pivot bearings working ) etc . So unless you can control all these items functioning 100% its a costly affair . Dont compare online prices of unbranded spares to the OEM spares that the LBS SHOULD be using . I do all my road and MTB maintenance myself and enjoy it but have cut short doing a shock service myself .I will identify the fault , take the shock or fork off and take it to an experienced mechanic to service and or replace seals etc  If you have a technical acumen invest in the tools as you find fault with a specific part and yes GOOGLE is your friend to learn the tricks of the trade .  . Bike maintenance takes time and for that you need to pay the LBS for what they know and do best . 

 

 

 

 

[Hairy]

Please also bear in mind that the hourly rate covers the mechies salary, the person booking your bike in and following up with you, the owner who would also need some money in his/her pocket, the workshop floor space rental, water, electricity, etc.

 

AND if any of you riff raff dare to take a dirt and mud splattered bike to your LBS for a service, you also deserve to pay double.

[MC23]

Yip I suspected some crazy costs like this to come in so I told them to message me, tell me what they were doing before I give the green light.

Look on the bright side ... it sounds like they have quoted you on the works prior to starting on it!

 

Some shops just do the work and fit the parts, then give you a nice surprise later down the road.

[LazyTrailRider]

Finding the right mechanic is like finding the right barber, when you do it's heaven. 

 

Yup. For fear of him being overrun, I'm not telling who my guy is, even though he works for a prominent concept store... 

[Hairy]

Yip I suspected some crazy costs like this to come in so I told them to message me, tell me what they were doing before I give the green light.

I hope you come right and that they treat you well ... nothing like finding a good bike shop and forming a good relationship with them

[ChrisF]

Jip, this is the cost of our sport ....

 

 

 

The only "gripe" you may have is that they only quoted on the labour.  They really could have quoted on most of that pre-service, or at least given you an idea of what those would cost if repair or replacement was required.

 

 

I do minor servicing myself.  Once a year I book the bike in for:

- shock service

- fork service

- replacement of inner and outer gear cable

- and then a full check of the rest .... make no mistake, is is one thing to fiddle in the garage, another being an experienced bike mechanic that KNOWS the niggles of the new products on the market ....  For type of service I take my bike to MARK's Workshop !!  I know him and trust him.  Sadly struggling to get the same level of confidence in the typical bike shop workshop ....

[Wayne pudding Mol]

My mech is certified with the UCI and worked for a team in Italy for a few years. He now runs a shop out of his garage servicing for the rich.

 

I am by no means rich but he costs me the equivalent of R4000 annually and I wouldn't go to anyone else. My bike is solid for about 4-6 months of hard riding unless I crash and he doesn't charge for minor sh*t like a tune up. It only gets pricey when starts greasing or replacing bearings. After a winter here the salt needs to be cleaning out.

 

When I was living is SA I paid about R1500 annually and was also very happy with the servicing.

 

Finding the right mechanic is like finding the right barber, when you do it's heaven.

If my mechanic moves so does my family - if he moves to Siberia then so are we Edited September 30, 2020 by Waynemol

[Oufy MTB (Roadie)]

Guys, yes doing itself is ideal, but not everyone is mechanically inclined.

So the only thing we need to consider is it a "rip off" my answer is no. I had all those things done and more, but not in one go. So if the bike really needs those things then it is time to pay. Other shops might be cheaper here and there. The benefit of getting a lbs to do it is if you not happy, you can take it back. What I would suggest is do what you can and have your bike regularly checked. Service things as needed. Everything in one go is eina.

[MC23]

So when last were all these things done on your bike and how old is it?

2011 trek ex 8,  not sure it but went for a small service about a year ago and i remember they did somthing with the fork. Its been sitting in my parents garage, hasn't been riden much until this year.

[Lance Stephenson]

Bikes are expensive to ride and parts are pricey to replace. Mostly if you had done more regular service services your overall price of parts may have been staggered over a more palatable time period.  Honestly bikes wear and parts don't last forever.  Suspension parts are worth spending good money on to service and keep in good shape because parts are MOER expensive when having to replace worn out bits.  As a bike geek, I often get asked how much a full service costs.  I have to tell you that Unless I know your bike history intimately that is not an answer I would give without giving the bike a tertiary inspection, and even then I would prepare you for "incidentals" because some parts you only know have to be replaced when they are stripped down.  So the shop is right in their labour charge, and they are also right in giving you the quote once they really see what the issue is.  Not charging you oil or consumables, that's a fight or argument you can have.  I think they have been quite thorough with their assessment and they are trying to make sure that once they do the job that they don't have a "come back" because they didn't replace an iffy or "so so" part which would be really bad.  I think a conversation in person with them is necessary for you to get to the bottom of this.

[Edereese]

From what I can tell, they most likely did an inspection and told you of everything that needs attention and gave you a price. Based on your small service and standing in a garage, I would assume that they are not wrong. In the end, you get what you pay for. I would be upset if I pay that price and get a bike that is not 100% perfect. Or tell them to charge you less and do a minor service and ignore the rest until the end. No point in paying that if it's going to be parked.

[Psyrax]

You not happy, get a second opinion. I am not defending them, but shops put a markup on parts. They need to make a profit to stay in business. You pay a price for them to do the work if you can't do it yourself. Its the same in my plumbing business - you pay me to get the correct parts and to fit it.

 

When a client insist to buy the parts, they normally buy the incorrect parts.

 

So take your bike to another shop. Chances are you going to find it cheaper elsewhere, but you probably have to spend more on fuel money to get the bike there.

 

Good luck.

[betaboy]

Service costs have gone up... but can't help thinking some take advantage, recently got charged R250 just to swop out a BB. All in all about 5 minutes. Thats almost at Doctor room rates, but the mech didn't study for 8 years...

[Andreas_187]

Service costs have gone up... but can't help thinking some take advantage, recently got charged R250 just to swop out a BB. All in all about 5 minutes. Thats almost at Doctor room rates, but the mech didn't study for 8 years...

So why didn't you do this 5 minute job yourself?