Fair price for a fixie build?

[Bigsharn]

I know the word fixie makes the majority of folk cringe, but it would actually have been a fixie (fixed gear bike with a minimalist B+W colour scheme, deep dish rims bullhorn bars etc.).


Anyway, I was quoted £50 for a back wheel and cog, £20 for new tyres and tubes (I supplied the rest of the stuff listed above) and it'd be ready in the next week.

It's now been three months, I've been in a few times since (roughly twice a month) and there's been very little progress up to now. I went in today to check up again (not expecting much) and the bloke and myself had words.

Because of "unforseen complications" it'd cost £150 to get it done by Friday. Apparently my bottom bracket was the wrong size (already on the bike) and the original chainring was bent out of shape. They've replaced the 52-16t gear ratio (I can set off without much difficulty on that) with 46-16t and that's all the difference.

To be honest I reckon this is bang out of order. Is it just me or is the bloke the shop being unreasonable?


Thanks in advance
Sharn

 

[Rob3rt]

Its very possible the bottom bracket was the wrong size, if the rear wheel is a fixed/SS wheel it will be dished differently to the road wheel, and thus the chainline might be off with the old bottom bracket so you might have needed a wider or narrower one to ensure a straight chainline.

Regarding the time its taking however, I'd take the parts back from the shop and build it myself!

 

[Radius]

Sounds pretty odd and bad service-like, but I wouldn't ride 52-16 on my first fixed bike. Also £50 for a new, fixed rear wheel and cog seems pretty cheap to me in the first place. If they've put a new chainring on and replaced the bottom bracket, it's highly likely that that is a more realistic price (including the cost of labour) than £70.

 

[Bicycle]

I know the word fixie makes the majority of folk cringe, but it would actually have been a fixie (fixed gear bike with a minimalist B+W colour scheme, deep dish rims bullhorn bars etc.).


Anyway, I was quoted £50 for a back wheel and cog, £20 for new tyres and tubes (I supplied the rest of the stuff listed above) and it'd be ready in the next week.

It's now been three months, I've been in a few times since (roughly twice a month) and there's been very little progress up to now. I went in today to check up again (not expecting much) and the bloke and myself had words.

Because of "unforseen complications" it'd cost £150 to get it done by Friday. Apparently my bottom bracket was the wrong size (already on the bike) and the original chainring was bent out of shape. They've replaced the 52-16t gear ratio (I can set off without much difficulty on that) with 46-16t and that's all the difference.

To be honest I reckon this is bang out of order. Is it just me or is the bloke the shop being unreasonable?


Thanks in advance
Sharn

I'm guessing the original quote was for parts - and it comes to £70.

I've put together a fixie and know some stories from people who've done it for money.

There are simply tons of possible complications with this sort of thing.

£150 sounds reasonable to me. Why would a trader in the depths of a recession skin you for a few quid and lose all that potential good will and future trade?

He may not have been clear about the labour costs at the outset or there may have been some selective hearing (I mean no offence by that - I have it myself).

The time issue sounds a bit rum, but that's the sort of thing it's hard to address in hindsight.

All in all, it sounds OK to me if the fixie's a good 'un.

If it isn't, the best service in the world won't make it alright.

 

[Zoiders]

56-16?

Yes you can set off with no difficulty if you are heavy enough and stand on the pedals in that ratio but can you really spin it sat down?

It's a ludicrous gear inch IMHO.

New BB is maybe £20 at retail price at most, £40 for a chain ring if it's a Goldtec one.

They have done you for a few hours non existent labour, you can get your bike back and do not go back.

 

[Bigsharn]

52-16 sir, it's easy enough for me to set off and spin at that speed

To be honest I doubt I'll be going there again. I'm not going to name and shame them, because Arch is a big fan, but they certainly won't be getting my trade again.

 

[david1701]

not sure where you're coming from Zoiders, 60 quid of parts + 90 quid of labour is 150....

90 quid for a mechanic to build up your bike isn't profiteering its almost 3 hours of skilled time + having the dammed thing hanging around. Bloody reasonable imo

 

[Zoiders]

not sure where you're coming from Zoiders, 60 quid of parts + 90 quid of labour is 150....

90 quid for a mechanic to build up your bike isn't profiteering its almost 3 hours of skilled time + having the dammed thing hanging around. Bloody reasonable imo

3 + hours to swap out a BB and chain ring?

£30 an hour?

No.

 

[zizou]

Never mind the cost for a minute - taking three months to do the job is seriously taking the piss!

 

[david1701]

I read it as building a whole bike up from a box of parts, for bb and chain ring it'd be way less, depends if they run minimum 2 hours labour like a lot of firms do

 

[Bigsharn]

I provided them a working 1980's Raleigh Equipe (I know... Nice bike as it is, but it was free and perfect for a fixie conversion). They needed to fit a new rear wheel with a fixed gear hub and some other parts I provided (bullhorn bars, bar tape, seatpost and seat) and fix a puncture in the front wheel (happened en route to the shop, so I never had my spare with me ).

 

[potsy]

Maybe they are charging you for storage