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Posted

 

 

My bikes go to Summit Cycles. I have more important things to do with my time than fix break stuff on them (Summit repairs what I have fixed). Finish and klaar. As someone more infamous than me once said.

intern2009-05-27 02:35:26

Posted

in my opinion you get a good wrench and really bad ones a good one will work under a reputable name with a lot of experience in the work place and make sure that his work is his own fault if things go wrong

 

 

 

While a really bad wrench is one that will do a sloppy job and blame the user for his mistakes

 

 

 

fair enough you get the odd mistake that is the users and the wrench gets blamed BUT all in all my point is that if you want a good service you will go to a guy who is open and honest about what he will do to your bike from the word go not a guy who works out of a dingy little tool box with no actual word of mouth refferences

 

 

 

in south africa you have guys that have been in the bike industry for years and can actually talk from experience and these guys often are working on bikes well over the R50000 price bracket such as summit cycles and cycle lab but at the end of the day i have heard nothing but good reports from summit and nothing but bad from cycle lab in the end i would rather take my bike blindly to summit because of the reports i have heard on thehub and around cycling circles

 

 

 

in the end you can only take your bmw to a city golf mechanic once because you know for a fact that the car will never be the same again!!!turtlek2009-05-27 02:41:16

Posted
Klapperknop...You make a valid point about buying online. But' date=' from my side I would say most of my purchases have been totally on impulse. I like walking around a shop, looking at all the goodies and fighting temptation to buy anything and everything that appeals to me.

Having said that, the prices and professional service you get from somewhere like CWC or CRC are a big bonus.

 

I have a "local bike shop" in Northcliff Cycles. Alex and his crew are fantastic, always able to help you out and always willing to go the extra mile for you. But, I do travel a helluva long way to get that service...but it is well worth it.

I went into The CycleHub at Rietvlei for the very first time this weekend (which as the crow flies is less than 3km from me) and I was suitably impressed with the shop and some of the prices. The shop is a huge improvement from its old spot at Panorama...and in such a cool setting.

 

I also believe that we are quick to complain about service...but rarely give praise when its due. I agree with Mampara, I also expect the best service no matter where I go...but when its "above and beyond" it also deserves a mention.

 
[/quote']

oh my google .... you also want a moderator spot ??

 

Not for all the money in Zim!!!
Posted
in my opinion you get a good wrench and really bad ones a good one will work under a reputable name with a lot of experience in the work place and make sure that his work is his own fault if things go wrong

While a really bad wrench is one that will do a sloppy job and blame the user for his mistakes

fair enough you get the odd mistake that is the users and the wrench gets blamed BUT all in all my point is that if you want a good service you will go to a guy who is open and honest about what he will do to your bike from the word go not a guy who works out of a dingy little tool box with no actual word of mouth refferences

in south africa you have guys that have been in the bike industry for years and can actually talk from experience and these guys often are working on bikes well over the R50000 price bracket such as summit cycles and cycle lab but at the end of the day i have heard nothing but good reports from summit and nothing but bad from cycle lab in the end i would rather take my bike blindly to summit because of the reports i have heard on thehub and around cycling circles

in the end you can only take your bmw to a city golf mechanic once because you know for a fact that the car will never be the same again!!!

 

turtlek, you really, really gotta learn to use punctuation. my head hurts after reading that.
Posted
 Bicycle repair and maintenance is NOT A DARK ART. If you can fit an electrical wall plug you can repair ANYTHING on your own bicycle. You must just be willing to do it. There are many manual available to do most of the work. I even did a major service on my Marzocchi Bomber Shock on the MTB Tandem (seals' date=' bushings, spring upgrade etc) Why do you need to be accredited to whrench on your own bike. Overtly expensive hype I think.[/quote']

 

Quite touchy hey. If you read what I said, I was giving an answer to Porky's question. Theres no reference to 'dark arts' nor mention of being accredited to wrench on a bike.

Accreditation was in reference to the course itself (a diploma), which is aimed more at the person earning a living as a bike mechanic, not someone working on their own ride.

Speak to Richard at Cycles Africa, he knows more about the content of the actual course. Was very involved and beyond maintenance from what he mentioned.
Guest Big H
Posted
in my opinion you get a good wrench and really bad ones a good one will work under a reputable name with a lot of experience in the work place and make sure that his work is his own fault if things go wrong

While a really bad wrench is one that will do a sloppy job and blame the user for his mistakes

fair enough you get the odd mistake that is the users and the wrench gets blamed BUT all in all my point is that if you want a good service you will go to a guy who is open and honest about what he will do to your bike from the word go not a guy who works out of a dingy little tool box with no actual word of mouth refferences

in south africa you have guys that have been in the bike industry for years and can actually talk from experience and these guys often are working on bikes well over the R50000 price bracket such as summit cycles and cycle lab but at the end of the day i have heard nothing but good reports from summit and nothing but bad from cycle lab in the end i would rather take my bike blindly to summit because of the reports i have heard on thehub and around cycling circles

in the end you can only take your bmw to a city golf mechanic once because you know for a fact that the car will never be the same again!!!

 

I am a GOOD wrench, like everything I do I do it well. I am a bit of a perfectionist. I also have no option, I live in Angola where there are not many bike shops.

 

I repeat, anybody can fix their own bicycle. Mostly people are just too lazy to do it. You do not need much time...... it is normally done with regular inspections and in conjucntion with your bike wash.

 

Surely a cyclist is in touch with his bike, it is a tool he uses every day and if he is a good workman he will know when the tool needs maintenance or repair. Those that do not do this are merely ignorant or lazy.
Posted

 

Klapperknop...You make a valid point about buying online. But' date=' from my side I would say most of my purchases have been totally on impulse. I like walking around a shop, looking at all the goodies and fighting temptation to buy anything and everything that appeals to me.

Having said that, the prices and professional service you get from somewhere like CWC or CRC are a big bonus.

 

I have a "local bike shop" in Northcliff Cycles. Alex and his crew are fantastic, always able to help you out and always willing to go the extra mile for you. But, I do travel a helluva long way to get that service...but it is well worth it.

I went into The CycleHub at Rietvlei for the very first time this weekend (which as the crow flies is less than 3km from me) and I was suitably impressed with the shop and some of the prices. The shop is a huge improvement from its old spot at Panorama...and in such a cool setting.

 

I also believe that we are quick to complain about service...but rarely give praise when its due. I agree with Mampara, I also expect the best service no matter where I go...but when its "above and beyond" it also deserves a mention.

 
[/quote']

 

oh my google .... you also want a moderator spot ??

 

Not for all the money in Zim!!!

 

that about what ... 100bucks?

 

Posted

 

in my opinion you get a good wrench and really bad ones a good one will work under a reputable name with a lot of experience in the work place and make sure that his work is his own fault if things go wrong

 

While a really bad wrench is one that will do a sloppy job and blame the user for his mistakes

 

fair enough you get the odd mistake that is the users and the wrench gets blamed BUT all in all my point is that if you want a good service you will go to a guy who is open and honest about what he will do to your bike from the word go not a guy who works out of a dingy little tool box with no actual word of mouth refferences

 

in south africa you have guys that have been in the bike industry for years and can actually talk from experience and these guys often are working on bikes well over the R50000 price bracket such as summit cycles and cycle lab but at the end of the day i have heard nothing but good reports from summit and nothing but bad from cycle lab in the end i would rather take my bike blindly to summit because of the reports i have heard on thehub and around cycling circles

 

in the end you can only take your bmw to a city golf mechanic once because you know for a fact that the car will never be the same again!!!

 

I am a GOOD wrench' date=' like everything I do I do it well. I am a bit of a perfectionist. I also have no option, I live in Angola where there are not many bike shops.

 

I repeat, anybody can fix their own bicycle. Mostly people are just too lazy to do it. You do not need much time...... it is normally done with regular inspections and in conjucntion with your bike wash.

 

Surely a cyclist is in touch with his bike, it is a tool he uses every day and if he is a good workman he will know when the tool needs maintenance or repair. Those that do not do this are merely ignorant or lazy.
[/quote']

Thumbs%20Up

 

Guest Big H
Posted
in my opinion you get a good wrench and really bad ones a good one will work under a reputable name with a lot of experience in the work place and make sure that his work is his own fault if things go wrong

While a really bad wrench is one that will do a sloppy job and blame the user for his mistakes

fair enough you get the odd mistake that is the users and the wrench gets blamed BUT all in all my point is that if you want a good service you will go to a guy who is open and honest about what he will do to your bike from the word go not a guy who works out of a dingy little tool box with no actual word of mouth refferences

in south africa you have guys that have been in the bike industry for years and can actually talk from experience and these guys often are working on bikes well over the R50000 price bracket such as summit cycles and cycle lab but at the end of the day i have heard nothing but good reports from summit and nothing but bad from cycle lab in the end i would rather take my bike blindly to summit because of the reports i have heard on thehub and around cycling circles

in the end you can only take your bmw to a city golf mechanic once because you know for a fact that the car will never be the same again!!!

 

turtlek' date=' you really, really gotta learn to use punctuation. my head hurts after reading that.
[/quote']

 

Says the man who has CAPITAL letter Dyslexia!!!!!!!
Posted

 

I am a GOOD wrench' date=' like everything I do I do it well. I am a bit of a perfectionist. I also have no option, I live in Angola where there are not many bike shops.

 

?

 

I repeat, anybody can fix their own bicycle. Mostly people are just too lazy to do it. You do not need much time...... it is normally done with regular inspections and in conjucntion with your bike wash.

 

?

 

Surely a cyclist is in touch with his bike, it is a tool he uses every day and if he is a good workman he will know when the tool needs maintenance or repair.?Those that do not do this are merely ignorant or lazy.
[/quote']

 

 

 

you might be a good wrench by your own standards but then if you think about why this thread is actually on here it is not about self maintenance it is about a bicycle shops maintenance and service and if you feel that you are a good enough wrench then so be it

 

 

 

i am also a perfectionist but as most of my friends know, i do know when i am out of my depth and i do know how to ask for help which makes me turn to a bike shop and in my opinion i will never go to a bike shop where if i walk in there the mechanic is busy working on bikes all over the shop floor without a tool box or a workstand

 

 

 

and yes anybody can work on thier bike but it is the level of how well you actually do it that matters

 

 

 

and no it is not a case of being ignorant or lazy not fixing your own bike it is a point of not wanting to bugger it up but instead have it done properly and not having to worry about,

 

1: Was it done properly

 

2: will it cause long term Damage

 

3: will i have to take it in to get it sorted out multiple times before the problem gets sorted out and

 

4: if i use the wrong parts or tools how badly will it affect my ride quality

Posted

 

I repeat' date=' anybody can fix their own bicycle. Mostly people are just too lazy to do it. You do not need much time...... it is normally done with regular inspections and in conjucntion with your bike wash.

 

Surely a cyclist is in touch with his bike, it is a tool he uses every day and if he is a good workman he will know when the tool needs maintenance or repair. Those that do not do this are merely ignorant or lazy.
[/quote']

 

I agree that anyone can work on a bike, and to be honest, I really enjoy it. It relaxes me for some strange reason. Confused

 

 

 

Posted

If I have to work on my own bike it will waste precious riding time.  I work full-time and have a 1 year old to look after, there ain't much spare time.  If I take my bike into a shop it can get serviced during the week.

 

What I hate is when you take a bike that is working perfectly in for a service and you get it back and the gears don't work properly, the back brake needs to be bled etc etc.   My bike is now at a different shop being fixed.

 

 
Posted

It freaks me out when I take my bike to a shop to do something that I can't do - And it comes back in a worse state than it would be if I had attempted the work. And I paid for it!

 

I have been trying to learn to do a few things and buy the associated tools, but a few of the shops I went to, dont/wont stock tools as 'it's kinda shooting themselves in the foot'.
Posted

OK I admit it, I can do everything on a bike myself, except for shox. But I occasionally work and I have 4 bikes (was nearly 3) to maintain, 2 belonging to my GF. And I flippen HATE working on bikes, it blows. But I am very, very fussy, as I know when something is done properly or when it's not.

Hence my finish and klaar. What needs doing gets done, I pay a more than reasonable price and I can be confident that my bike can straight from Summit and hit a race with no wakkas, mate. As the Aussies are wont to say.

And no, despite what BigH might think, that don't make me ignorant or lazy. It makes me smart enough to decide where my time is worth more to me Wink

 

Posted
It freaks me out when I take my bike to a shop to do something that I can't do - And it comes back in a worse state than it would be if I had attempted the work. And I paid for it!

 

I have been trying to learn to do a few things and buy the associated tools' date=' but a few of the shops I went to, dont/wont stock tools as 'it's kinda shooting themselves in the foot'.
[/quote']

 

Also hate it if you take your bike in for skipping gears and when you get it back that it still skips. Then you need to takwe it back again. There is a few shops I know of that after a service you need to get the gears ajusted again as they are not correct.

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