So I was tightening up my saddle when...

[Deleted member 20519]

Booked my bike into my LBS 10 minutes ago. He's going to true the wheels and adjust the brakes and I can pick it up at around 4 pm today, he's quoted £15 but I suspect he'll replace the brake pads so that'll be another £5.

 

[Night Train]

It is still worth learning how to true the wheels and adjust the brake yourself. Saves paying out each time.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

It is still worth learning how to true the wheels and adjust the brake yourself. Saves paying out each time.

I've got a rough idea how to true the wheels but I don't have a spoke key. I know how to do the brakes but it's a hassle doing them by yourself. This is just a one off, promise

I'm buying some City Jets from http://cyclechat.net/members/andrew_culture.21241/, hopefully today

 

[Night Train]

You could buy a spoke key when you pick up your bike....

 

[Deleted member 20519]

You could buy a spoke key when you pick up your bike....

Will do.

 

[uphillstruggler]

You could buy a spoke key when you pick up your bike....

or you could ask them to throw one in on the price of the work they are doing. you never know

Edit: great thread and replies, good on all who have replied!

 

[Archie_tect]

Throw one in? ...that'll cause a load more damage.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

Just back from my LBS to pick up my bike. He charged me £15 for the wheel truing and the brakes being adjusted. I bought a nice, white Claud Butler water bottle cage for a fiver.

So I headed out, pleased with the bike and went to Morrisons. On the way up, I noticed a clunk every time I pedalled. The back wheel is whacking against the brake pads - obviously not true. So I went back down to my LBS and told the guy about it, he explained that it was fine when I left and that it's not a very good wheel. I asked him how much a new wheel was, he told me £20. He refunded me for the work that he did so I'm basically getting a wheel for a fiver. Fine.

He told me that the brakes won't ever be great as the calipers and brake levers are made of plastic so there's a bit of give in them and they won't be very powerful. Is it possible to fit some old metal ones I have lying around to it instead of the plastic ones (brake levers, that is).

Just leaving now with my back wheel, he's going to fit the new rim to it for nothing. Nice guy.

 

[Arch]

He told me that the brakes won't ever be great as the calipers and brake levers are made of plastic so there's a bit of give in them and they won't be very powerful. Is it possible to fit some old metal ones I have lying around to it instead of the plastic ones (brake levers, that is).

Depends - do you know what sort of brakes the old levers came off? Looking a the picture, I think you have cantilever brakes. I'm not sure v-brake levers would have enough pull (I think it's that way round). If the old levers are off canti brakes, you'll be fine.

Not completely sure how you'd tell - I think V-brake levers tend to have shorter levers than cantis.

 

[Night Train]

From the photo in the other thread they are canti brakes.

It would be worth looking for a set of V brakes and levers, in real metal, to replace them as they will work more effectively.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

My LBS is selling a set of, Shimano I believe, metal v-brakes for around £30.

 

[Night Train]

If you can only afford one set at a time replace the front ones as they do most of the braking.

 

[Peteaud]

My advice - save your money.

Any bike with plastic brakes is a complete waste of time to spend money on imho.

For what you will pay for a set of brakes and pads etc you could probably get a decent but older bike from preloved or fleabay etc.

Ride the bike and learn the maintenance tricks, but save you hard earned for something better.

£20 at the lbs + £30 for some brakes = £50

Have a look through fleabay at some older raleigh , trek and peugeot bikes, you will be amazed at what is about for less than £80.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

My advice - save your money.

Any bike with plastic brakes is a complete waste of time to spend money on imho.

How can you judge a bike by it's brakes? Things can be upgraded.

 

[Peteaud]

How can you judge a bike by it's brakes? Things can be upgraded.

Simple, it was built to a price.

Yes you upgrade, and do so if you wish, but look, the bolts are of poor quality, the brakes are plastic, the wheels are probably not the best etc etc.

There is a point where you are wasting your money, that would be better spent on an older, but better quality bike.

You can buy a brand new bike from sports direct for £59.00, would you then spend another £50 upgrading it?

As i say, its your money....