Question for DIY bike mechanics

[Drago]

What's the worst example of workmanship you've ever seen from a professional bike mechanic? (Thats not to say that many are not excellent and even walk on water, but its fair to say there are many from the less competent end of the spectrum.)

Having once been in charge of a fleet of bikes at work and having one particular bike come back from a service with both cranks pointing in the same direction I finally managed to convince the finance dept that the cheapest local option was cheapest for a very good reason.

 

[classic33]

I've seen the wheels mounted the wrong way round. Front on the rear, rear(including chain) fitted to a bike that was being collected that afternoon.

Pointing it out got the reply there's nothing wrong with it. I left them to it.

 

[presta]

When I had the frame on my Horizon replaced under guarantee, the bike shop ruined the threads on all the bolts by forcing them into holes that were choked with paint.

When I had a wheel built, they laced it up with the spoke pattern out of register with the rim, so that the dishing on the spoke holes was pointing the spokes in the wrong direction.

They're about the only occasions I've ever had any work done by someone else. When I needed crash repairs done at the expense of an insurance company I was ready to pay for the damage myself if they'd insisted on it being done by a 'professional'.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Not so much with work done on the bike, but ten years ago on my last trip back to Essex I accompanied a friend to a local "Pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap" outfit who had sold her a cycle computer that did not work.

We were told that it was probably because she was using the wrong type of magnet. A quick tutorial on magnet technology and we were on our way with a refund.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When I first moved up here from North Wales I was looking for a bike shop to fix something on the ebike I had then

I opted for Halfords (yes - I know now but at the time I had not discovered the LBS here)

when I went to pick it up they said that they had not been able to clean the bike properly because they normamly use a pressure washer (!) and they coulnd;t find out how to take the rear wheel off
(not unreasonable - the power cable for the hub motor can only be detached by taking half the motor apart on that model)

anyway - all OK - they had done what I asked


but when I got it out of the shop the pedal assist just didn;t work
the throttle worked but not the pedal assist - which made it rather uselss
(Note - pre 2016 model - so throttle allowed and motor only 180W)

so I took it back and their excuse was
"well Greg wasn't in and he is the only ebike mechanic"

Hmm - well why take it on then??


anyway - I didn;t get it back for 2 WEEKS
apparently Greg didn;t know much either

when I picked it up he apologised and said he had learned a lot from it

when I needed something doing next the bloke in the LBS admitted he was just starting with ebike but was happy to give it a go

his first tasks was to contact Powacycle and get a wiring diagram and ask a friend to look at how it worked
which meant he did everything I asked and halved the price as he learned a lot but it took ages (nowhere near as much as Hallfords!)