# Brompton Service Cost?



## The Jogger (20 Oct 2018)

I managed to pump up a tyre without my glasses on and when out on the bike the tyre blew. I'm currently in Spain so I brought it along to my LBS to have what I thought was a tube replacement also to renew the bottom bracket which Brompton posted to me. I received a text from the guy detailing the cost, which I am clueless on but it does sound reasonable and if it is, it will be my go to L B.S..
BB replacement 15.00, brake cable lubrication 8.00, cleaning,lubrication and adjustment of the transmission 30.00 new marathon tyre 40.00 and 3.10 probably tube all in euros. Is this a good price?


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## FolderBeholder (21 Oct 2018)

I would ask him if his stated pricing is “customary” and then see what he says.

It’s a legit question, non-confrontational, and a friendly way to engage in the sometime unpleasant subject...the cost of things.

If nothing else (and my approach would be were I him) it might encourage him to explain to you why these items cost what they do, and as a by-product you may learn something about some of those maintenance functions from his explanations which could prove valuable to you some other time (like in your own garage for instance)

Good luck


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## berlinonaut (21 Oct 2018)

The Jogger said:


> BB replacement 15.00, brake cable lubrication 8.00, cleaning,lubrication and adjustment of the transmission 30.00 new marathon tyre 40.00 and 3.10 probably tube all in euros. Is this a good price?



- 15€ for BB replacement sounds fair, just that in this case it should be free (if the bike ist part of the recall Brompton pays a flat fee for the work, at least they do in Germany)
- 8€ for brake cable lubrication sounds expensive. Depending on what he does exactly it may be justified or not.
- 30€ cleaning,lubrication and adjustment of the transmission: Do you have a problem with the transmission? If not: why should it be adjusted? lubrication is a 5 minute job, cleaning depends from the state of the bike. Sounds like flat fee to me and 30€ clearly on the steep side for a Brompton.
- 40€ marathon tyre: The list price for a M+ in 349 is 39,90€, the list price for a marathon green is 22,90€. Assuming it would be a M+ this price would be ok at a local shop. But keep in mind that online prices are massively lower - i.e. ~22€ for a M+ in 349 and ~15€ for a Marathon green. The question is why you need a new tire anyway if all what has happened was blowing the tube...
- 3,10€ tube: very reasonable price at a local shop, especially if it is a Schwalbe tube (which I would prefer) - same price than at cheaper online-shops and way below the list price. Kendas etc. are cheaper than Schwalbes but do not hold the air as well from my experience, therefor I'd rather avoid them if I had the choice. Still nothing to complain about with the price.

In total you'd end up with 98,10€ and what's still missing is possibly a fee for mounting tire and tube.

The initial problem that you lined out would be a blown tube and a warranty replacement of the bb. So this would be 3,10€ for the tube (taking the price from your offer) plus 10-15€ for the work of replacing it (in Germany, Spain should not be more expensive I assume). Bb would be free. So a total of less than 20€. 

Depending on what you can do yourself and in which state of maintenance your bike is your offer may be expensive or justified. Depends.


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## chriscross1966 (21 Oct 2018)

Assuming there is a new chain and rear sprockets in the transmission service then those prices are lower than i would expect in the uk in pounds


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## berlinonaut (21 Oct 2018)

chriscross1966 said:


> Assuming there is a new chain and rear sprockets in the transmission service then those prices are lower than i would expect in the uk in pounds



What brings you to that assumption? It says "cleaning,lubrication and adjustment of the transmission" - don't see any chains or sprockets changed, let alone included.


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## Drago (21 Oct 2018)

I don't know what the going rate is in Spain, so it's not really possible to day what might be reasonable or otherwise. Were it in the UK, and those prices in sterling, it wouldn't be outrageous.


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## FolderBeholder (21 Oct 2018)

Drago said:


> I don't know what the going rate is in Spain, so it's not really possible to day what might be reasonable or otherwise.


My point exactly. 
It opens a dialogue about what may (or may not) be customary, in Spain vs. elsewhere.


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## The Jogger (21 Oct 2018)

Thanks all for the comments, as i thought it seems a fair price and Spain for a lot of things works out quite a bit more expensive than the UK. You also get some people that have a different price for the foreigner, sad but true. This guy though does seem a really genuine person and not of that type at all. He sent pics of the tyre that got ripped around the outer seam. My own fault really, I need to put my glasses on when I pump up the tyres and read the gauge. Thanks to @berlinonaut for you detailed response, it was very helpful.


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