Servicing

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Drago

Legendary Member
Or you could drop it off before/on your way to work and pick it up on your way home.You can actually pay someone to do a job for you as people sometimes pay me to do a job for them.Sometimes John you have to spend some money,keep it local and keep someone in buisness.Hes a excellent mechanic aswell.
PM me if you want his number :rolleyes:
... and still end up taking longer.

Like I say, I've no problem with it, people do so for a multitude of genuine reasons, but the time saving excuse smells fishier than @SkipdiverJohn home made apple pie.
 

Adam4868

Legendary Member
... and still end up taking longer.

Like I say, I've no problem with it, people do so for a multitude of genuine reasons, but the time saving excuse smells fishier than @SkipdiverJohn home made apple pie.
Hold on a minute...dropping a bike of on my way to work and picking it up on my way home.Besides having a chat about the weather and bikes where's the "taking longer" ? Besides who mentioned saving time ? If I was bothered it actually saves me time and that's why I sometimes choose to use and pay a mechanic.
Glad that's cleared up 👍
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Hold on a minute...dropping a bike of on my way to work and picking it up on my way home.Besides having a chat about the weather and bikes where's the "taking longer" ? Besides who mentioned saving time ? If I was bothered it actually saves me time and that's why I sometimes choose to use and pay a mechanic.
Glad that's cleared up 👍
Saving time has been mentioned before and elsewhere by other forum members, and comprehensively laughed out of court.

Aside from wheelhuilding, dropping it off and explaining the problem, then picking it up and paying are activities that take as long as pretty much any job.

If you simply can't be bothered, or like dropping in for a chat and eyeing up the new bikes and perhaps a quick Americano, then theres nothing wrong with that at all - that makes you an honest person.
 

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
I am thinking of getting the touring bike serviced.
I'm thinking of getting a full service I.E complete strip down to the frame.
Does anyone else get this done and do you do it yourself or get the LBS

Years ago my local Specialized dealer did this with my S Works Epic mountain bike. It was around £180, it came back nice and clean and with everything adjusted and lubricated but I didn’t notice a lot of difference. I’ve serviced it myself ever since and never felt the need to fully strip it.
 

Adam4868

Legendary Member
Saving time has been mentioned before and elsewhere by other forum members, and comprehensively laughed out of court.

Aside from wheelhuilding, dropping it off and explaining the problem, then picking it up and paying are activities that take as long as pretty much any job.

If you simply can't be bothered, or like dropping in for a chat and eyeing up the new bikes and perhaps a quick Americano, then theres nothing wrong with that at all - that makes you an honest person.
Nothing about saving time,doesn't serve coffee or sell bikes.Strictly fixes only.Chat is optional ^_^
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
I do have issues with people coming out with guff like "saving time" to justify taking it to the shop. Unless you live in the flat above the shop you won't save a second, and even then its marginal by the time you've lugged the thing down the stairs.
I arrange the job by email/phone. My wife drops the bike off at the shop when she goes out for a walk at lunchtime. Same arrangement for pick up, or I pick it up Saturday morning on my way out to ride it. Apart from the time spent emailing it's time neutral :smile: Certainly quicker than the hours of bodging that even a simple job takes me.

I do my own small jobs like chain, brake block and cable replacement and wheel bearing greasing. BBs and headset jobs go to the shop cos they are too complex for my little brane, ditto anything to do with the black arts of wheel building/truing. And the more extra jobs I can offload onto the shop all in one go the better.
 
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Adam4868

Legendary Member
I arrange the job by email/phone. My wife drops the bike off at the shop when she goes out for a walk at lunchtime. Same arrangement for pick up, or I pick it up Saturday morning on my way out to ride it. Apart from the time spent emailing it's time neutral :smile: Certainly quicker than the hours of bodging that even a simple job takes me.

I do my own small jobs like chain, brake block and cable replacement and wheel bearing greasing. BBs and headset jobs go to the shop cos they are too complex for my little brane, ditto anything to do with the black arts of wheel building/truing. And the more extra jobs I can offload onto the shop all in one go the better.
The added bonus of keeping someone local in a job maybe.
 

PaulSB

Squire
My LBS provide a wealth of information and advice along with spectacular service, coffee, shooting the breeze and great workmanship on my bikes.

I'm buying a new bike in August. Between now and then we will spend hours discussing the best option for ME.

I have no mechanical knowledge or interest. The obvious thing for me to do is to pay for servicing safe in the knowledge I get the best available and don't have to worry if my bikes are in a safe and efficient condition.

Frankly I'd rather be riding than fiddling around in my garage. Life is too short. Ultimately that's why I use my LBS.
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
Exactly. You've got to drop it at the LBS, get home again, do without it for however long it takes them to get around to it, go back and pick it up, then get home again. All that messing around could easily add up to a good half a day or more, in which time you could have done the job yourself at home, at a time convenient to you rather than convenient to the LBS - and pre-ordered any stuff online that you knew you were likely to need.

No, you're simply blindly applying your own circumstances to an issue, and ignoring everyone else's circumstances, no matter how common the circumstances may be.

My LBS is near a train station into London, the vast majority of his customers ride in from villages a few miles away, specify the repair, and go off to work in town on the train. When they come back at about 5pm it's done and they can ride home with a fully functional bike. Lots of time saved there, every day, by many, many customers.
 
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SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
I have no mechanical knowledge or interest. The obvious thing for me to do is to pay for servicing safe in the knowledge I get the best available and don't have to worry if my bikes are in a safe and efficient condition..

So what happens if you are out somewhere a fair few miles from home and you encounter some sort of problem? Stand there staring at your bike thinking "oh shoot, this isn't good - what do I do now"? Or get on the phone and try and drag someone out in a car to come and recover you? Mechanical familiarity plus a few basic tools means it's highly unlikely I will be walking home or having to put a bike in the back of a car to retrieve it.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
It is very satisfying to sort a mechanical problem - other than a puncture - at the roadside.

But it's surprising the number of cyclists who don't even carry a puncture repair kit, let alone any tools.

I would say most of the customers of my local bike shop fall into that category.

A typical cycle to work new bike sale customer might ask for a helmet, but will vary rarely inquire about a spare tube, pump, puncture repair kit, or tools.
 

PaulSB

Squire
So what happens if you are out somewhere a fair few miles from home and you encounter some sort of problem? Stand there staring at your bike thinking "oh shoot, this isn't good - what do I do now"? Or get on the phone and try and drag someone out in a car to come and recover you? Mechanical familiarity plus a few basic tools means it's highly unlikely I will be walking home or having to put a bike in the back of a car to retrieve it.
I'm now going to tempt fate. In all my years of cycling - that's 40+ - I have never experienced a mechanical failure which needed rescue or roadside repair.

I find it difficult to imagine what could go wrong which could be fixed by the roadside. I realise some cyclists like to carry tools, spokes, cables, zip ties etc. Personally all I feel a need for is a multi-tool, quick link, two tubes, two tyre levers, a puncture kit, which I've used once, and zip ties. I also carry a couple of SPD cleat screws as I have a tendency to lose these

95% of my riding is with groups. Between us we are probably 100,000+ miles a year. Apart from the occasional blown out tyre or rim no one has mechanicals that we have to stop and fix or get rescued. In my club we are probably covering 350-400,000 miles pa. I don't know anyone who fixes bikes at the roadside - it's not needed.

For my personal needs my bikes are professionally maintained by the LBS I've used for 20+ years. If I have a problem I pop in and it's fixed in 10-20 minutes either for free or for the cost of parts. There is no point in investing a lot of money in tools, spending hours self-teaching and still probably getting it wrong requiring an LBS visit.

If I needed picking up I'm covered by Lexham Insurance which for £15 pa will collect me anywhere in the country and deliver me home, mileage dependent, to a LBS or railway station. I've never used this.

I know from your posts you like to build and maintain your bikes. That's great we all need hobbies and interests. Cycle maintenance is not something I enjoy or can do. I have other hobbies which take my time, my week is always full and so I don't have time for this.

Works for me. Your solution works for you.
 
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PaulSB

Squire
A typical cycle to work new bike sale customer might ask for a helmet, but will vary rarely inquire about a spare tube, pump, puncture repair kit, or tools.

I think you mean someone new to cycling? It's a little ambiguous. If new to cycling I would argue they probably lack the experience or knowledge to consider these items.

Someone posted on CC recently about starting commuting. The list of items to buy included a helmet for £11.99. I was horrified someone could feel an item which at best cost £4 to produce is worth putting on one's head. It's knowledge and experience which is sadly lacking in some people.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I think you mean someone new to cycling? It's a little ambiguous. If new to cycling I would argue they probably lack the experience or knowledge to consider these items.

Either new to cycling or someone who cycles regularly but is not interested in the nuts and bolts of it.

Put another way, there aren't many cyclists who share the in depth interest in bikes and cycling that most members on here, including me, have.

I do a few casual shifts in my local bike shop and I often see customers who call in to have the tyres pumped up.

They've been using the bike on and off for a few months, and when the tyres get a bit soft they eventually get round to visiting the shop to borrow the track pump.

No interest in buying a pump, and if they want a new tyre they just want something that's round and black and not too expensive.
 
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