Charging for having tyres pumped up?

[Cyclopathic]

My Dad had a pump on a cable outside his shop for random tyre pumping. It poked through the shutters after closing so people could use it in the evenings and on half days/Sundays etc. It never got nicked - which might have had more to do with the era in which he had a bike shop - and my Dad or Uncle were always happy to pop out and help someone pump their tyres up. I think that the pump got my Dad & Uncle a fair bit of business in the "oh while we are here, we might as well get an innertube/new bell..." sort of way. They never charged to pump a tyre up, they said that it was customer service just like when the man filled your car up with fuel and didn't charge extra for the filling service.

Nice idea but there are at least 10 pubs within a 200 yard radius of where I live and about a million students.

 

[Saluki]

Nice idea but there are at least 10 pubs within a 200 yard radius of where I live and about a million students.

We were in a village called Thorpe St Andrew, about 4 miles out of Norwich and, although there were pubs, no yobs. I'm going back a bit here.

 

[nickyboy]

I forgot this one.....there is an LBS in Buxton that I went into having punctured on the Cat and Fiddle. I bought a replacement tube (so I still had a spare in case I punctured again on the ride home) and asked to borrow their track pump to get my tyre up to full pressure (hand pump only gets me about 70 psi)

Refused

Reason given was that they are a small outfit and the boss says that if they lend it out, they will have to stop working out the back to make sure the track pump is properly used (ie not nicked)

 

[Stephen brown]

Just playing devils advocate here, by supplying a pump are you then not going to be at least partially liable for any injury or damage caused whilst it's in use

I for one have seen a tube explode shredding a tyre, and I'm sure worse has happened

By the way I'm not one of these health and safety an nambie pambie types, I just know that when I worked In a shopping centre the maintainace team would never lend tools, in case we ended up removing an eyeball whilst using a screwdriver...

 

[HLaB]

You'll know your area better than me @Cyclopathic , I wouldn't leave pumps out but if anybody came I'd be more than willing to lend them a track pump.

 

[Saluki]

I forgot this one.....there is an LBS in Buxton that I went into having punctured on the Cat and Fiddle. I bought a replacement tube (so I still had a spare in case I punctured again on the ride home) and asked to borrow their track pump to get my tyre up to full pressure (hand pump only gets me about 70 psi)

Refused

Reason given was that they are a small outfit and the boss says that if they lend it out, they will have to stop working out the back to make sure the track pump is properly used (ie not nicked)

Even though you had made a purchase That not very good customer service. Have they gone under yet due to their attitude?

 

[nickyboy]

Even though you had made a purchase That not very good customer service. Have they gone under yet due to their attitude?

Still there but I won't give them any business.

On a more general note, if I puncture I have to buy a new innertube so as to make sure I have a spare for the rest of the ride as I only carry one spare. So all these folk puncturing and then just going in the LBS to pump up the tube are doing what? Are they chancing getting home without another puncture, repairing the puncture at the roadside or maybe carrying more than one spare tube?

 

[Tim Hall]

I've borrowed LBS track pumps a couple of times like this after puncturing. I can't get more than about 70psi in with my mini pump (use cartridges now) and tend to get pinch punctures if riding at this pressure so I topped up at LBS. I wasn't charged at either shop but felt a bit like a freeloader - I would have preferred to pay a small charge. 4F's voucher idea is a good one.

Alternatively shell out for a pump that actually does the job. (I can't see the point of carrying a pump that can't put enough air in).

 

[Cyclist33]

I forgot this one.....there is an LBS in Buxton that I went into having punctured on the Cat and Fiddle. I bought a replacement tube (so I still had a spare in case I punctured again on the ride home) and asked to borrow their track pump to get my tyre up to full pressure (hand pump only gets me about 70 psi)

Refused

Reason given was that they are a small outfit and the boss says that if they lend it out, they will have to stop working out the back to make sure the track pump is properly used (ie not nicked)

Pricks.

 

[Cyclopathic]

You'll know your area better than me @Cyclopathic , I wouldn't leave pumps out but if anybody came I'd be more than willing to lend them a track pump.

They will be tied to a long piece of something or other to stop casual theft. It will hopefully save me having to put down what I'n doing (Usually right in the middle of adjusting cantilever brake blocks or when I've got my thumb on the link I need to break) to go and pump up some ones tyres. It's worth trying to see how it goes anyway.

 

[jarlrmai]

As about their returns policy, buy a track pump, go outside use it, come back in and return it.

 

[cd365]

I forgot this one.....there is an LBS in Buxton that I went into having punctured on the Cat and Fiddle. I bought a replacement tube (so I still had a spare in case I punctured again on the ride home) and asked to borrow their track pump to get my tyre up to full pressure (hand pump only gets me about 70 psi)

Refused

Reason given was that they are a small outfit and the boss says that if they lend it out, they will have to stop working out the back to make sure the track pump is properly used (ie not nicked)

Name and shame

 

[G3CWI]

Twice I've been into bike shops in France: one did a rebuild of the BB30 bottom bracket while I waited, the other did a repair of a gear shifter and replaced the gear cable, and neither would take any money when offered. I suspect neither did it because they expected to see me again.

Perhaps they wanted to get rid of you quickly?

 

[nickyboy]

Name and shame

There's only one in Buxton; Mark Anthony Cycles

 

[HLaB]

A bit OT, a certain jewler fixed my watch strap for free last month; the other side of the strap failed last week, so I went back to the same jewler for a new watch today. It might have been cheaper but that good service sticks in my mind.