Am I expecting too much...?

[Li Mu Bai]

My rant for the day.

Took my mtb in for a major service to a nearby reputable bike shop. Its been a year of hard racing, 2 big mud races too, so it was high time to get my steed groomed.

Got the bike back 3 and a half days later - It hadn't even been washed! I took it in fairly clean but Asishove mud was still on the bike and wheels together with added greasy finger marks, and my chain hadn't even been lubed.

Is this fairly normal, I asked myself on Saturday afternoon as I cleaned away the grime and washed the tyres back to its sparkly show room self?

R280 to squeeze some grease into my BB, fork, and tighten one spoke...

 

time I learn't how to do my own servicing... any teachers out there?

[Sammajoor]

Name of the Shop???????????

[Windbreaker]

been there, done that (twice), service my bikes myself now.

[Sammajoor]

been there' date=' done that (twice), service my bikes myself now. [/quote']

 

Take my bike to Karstens get good service and good prices.  And a chirp now and then

[Johan Bornman]

My rant for the day.

Took my mtb in for a major service to a nearby reputable bike shop. Its been a year of hard racing' date=' 2 big mud races too, so it was high time to get my...

 

Cut cut cut

 

...away the grime and washed the tyres back to its sparkly show room self?

R280 to squeeze some grease into my BB, fork, and tighten one spoke...

 

time I learn't how to do my own servicing... any teachers out there?

[/quote']

 

I don't think you're expecting too much, but I do think you're underestimating what it takes to do a good service on a bike. It is a bit more than squeezing some grease in there.

 

Since I'm fastidious when it comes to clean bikes, I'll also rather they don't bother to half-wash the bike and charge me for that. I'll rather do the job properly myself.

 

I feel one can't do a proper service if the bike isn't clean, so yes, they did do a crappy job.

 

Want to learn how to do it yourself?

 

Go to my website, you'll find something under the SuperCyling Articles section.

 

Regards

JB

 

 

[Li Mu Bai]

Thanks JB, that should be really useful.

D

 

btw, any spots on your course for this coming weekend still available? if not, whens the next one going to be?

Rude2007-10-29 10:11:29

[Guest colonel]

There was a dvd on Supercycling some time back showign you how to service your own bike. Is it available yet and if so where to get it??

[steve]

servicing a bike isn't difficult if you have a slightly technical aptitude and patience for the trial and error learning curve. The problem coms  in getting the right tools for the job.

 

You need a tool for the BB, cranks, cassete and other specific tools for headset etc.

 

The tools are pricey and by the time you've bought them (and cable cutters) then sourced the spares you need, you'll find you've paid for a good number of services.

[PokerFace]

Sounds like a very crappy job! After my bike has been serviced it looks like new and rides like a dream. I found that servicing my own bike and cleaning it properly takes time AND I can't do it aswell as my bike maintenance centre

[Johan Bornman]

servicing a bike isn't difficult if you have a slightly technical aptitude and patience for the trial and error learning curve. The problem coms  in getting the right tools for the job.

 

You need a tool for the BB' date=' cranks, cassete and other specific tools for headset etc.

 

The tools are pricey and by the time you've bought them (and cable cutters) then sourced the spares you need, you'll find you've paid for a good number of services.

[/quote']

 

C'mon Steve, there needn't be any trial and error. It is quite easy to get it right first time. There are plenty of books on the subject, lots of Internet pages, courses and even DVDs.

 

Further, tools are not pricey. For R1 000 you can buy all the tools to service a modern bike. If your bike has an old-fashioned threaded headset and old-style BB, you need two more tools that won't set you back more than another R400. But modern bikes require less tools, especially on the headset, it just needs an allen key.

 

Sourcing the parts doesn't come into the equation since you would have had to buy them in anyway.

 

Servicing your own bike is no harder than changing the oil and filters on a car and even though it sounds complicated, it is not.

 

One can cut a cable with almost any cutter if you take care in removing the burr.

 

The trouble of taking your bike to the shop and collecting it with an uncertain result, is far more than doing it yourself.

 

Anyone can learn how to service and repair bikes and I believe learning that just adds to your pleasure of owning one of man's most elegant inventions.

 

JB

 

[Tumbleweed]

rude, you're not expecting too much. on the other hand, having seen the state of some people's bikes when they're brought into the shop for a service. you see the mud flying off the tyres as the customer wheels it across the shop floor. it's a pet hate of a mechanic i know.

 

everyone should at least hose down their bike after a muddy ride, instead of just leaving it caked in the garage, then taking it to the bike shop as is.

 

 

[Tumbleweed]

Further' date=' tools are not pricey. For R1 000 you can buy all the tools to service a modern bike. If your bike has an old-fashioned threaded headset and old-style BB, you need two more tools that won't set you back more than another R400. But modern bikes require less tools, especially on the headset, it just needs an allen key.

 

[/quote']

and this outlay pays for itself in no time.

 

i would work more on my own bike, but, i'm lucky: i nearly always ride up to work in the shop every saturday, so paul usually tinkers with my bikes for me.

[Reg Lizard]

Got the same service from Toyota, Cape Town.

 

Took my wife's Verso in for its 1500km service (basically entails an oil change) . At 7 in the morning when I booked in was 3rd in the que. Wanted the car by 3 the afternoon. Was told no problem. Got there at 3 and the car had not even been washed. Now you tell me that they could only finish 2 cars before 3, I doubt. Won't be going back there soon.

 

I think you got a raw deal and man if it was me, I wouldnot be going back to that lbs soon.

[ewep]

Rude, no you're not.  Problem is that you'll have to go to quite a few bike shops before you find "the one".  I'm lucky and have found a bike shop that I trust to service my bikes.  They do a flipping good job and the owner really looks at all the details.  Another thing I really like about him is that he's not a snivling (sp?) little sh$t that laughs at person 1 with a Raleigh RC2000 and kisses the feet of person 2 with a Pinarello Prince.  To him, if you ride, you're KING!!!  He also gives sound advice and is willing to listen, whether your ideas stink or not.

 

As for servicing yourself, been there done that.  A VERY gratifying experience, BUT, it takes time, time that I could've spent doing something else.  And then, I'm getting lazy!  I'm really  not in the mood to service my bike after a 5-6 hour ride!  I'll rather pay someone a few bucks and have it done.

 

Finally, listen to JB about the tools.  I bought a toolkit (Solomon's and CWC was/is advertising a basic kit) and added a BB and cluster tool for my FSA BB and Campag cluster and a cable cutter.  Easy peasy.

 

As for books, I found Zinn and the art of XXXXX bike maintenance (replace XXXX with MTB or road) does it for me.  He really makes it seem easy (even to me!!)

 

As for washing your bike, listen to HR.  I wipe down all the bikes every Sunday, or if they're dirty (mud, etc.) directly after the ride, else the afternoon.

 

[AndreZA]

I stopped looking for a bike shop where "I'm king". Now I do it myself (up to a certain level). The nice part about that is that you don't have to do everything in one go. Do the BB tonight and headset tomorrow evening and so on. By the weekend, everything is done. It even helps if you buy certain things, like cables and housing in bulk for incase or other people ask you to help.

 

[scotty]

JB i think you lumping all cycle shops into one junk pool, there are bike shops that have a passion in their work and others that are just in it for the money.