Bike repair dispute and advice

[Drago]

Too many variables to gauge how long a tyre might last.

However, for sake of simplicity, let us presume it would last exactly 1000 miles.

Its a 20 year old bike, so will likely have been through several tyres. The tyre you bought was not a new tyre, but a used one that had clearly already done noteworthy mileage.

So, for sake of example again, the tyre had already covered 900 miles, and you've done another 100. The tyre is now worn out.

You've bought a 2 decade old bike, with varying levels or wear and tear on the different components. If that is problematic then then you might do better next time with a new machine. Even then, without regular minor tweaking and ongoing maintenance, a new machine will start to cry out for attention before long. They aren't like cars which survive being abused from one service to the next without the bonnet being lifted.

 

[roadrash]

@Drago he says TYRE but means WHEEL, he changed to new tyres when the bike was purchased

 

[Drago]

Yeah, wheel. Doh. That's a wheel in lower case letters.

Why buy a 2 decade old bike if 2 decades of wear and tear was not a welcome feature?

 

[Brand X]

I think people are misinterpreting my original post. I'm happy to pay for something that I believe is reasonable.

I'm guessing this is due to my lack of knowledge about bikes, but I thought a serviced bike would mean a rear wheel that lasts longer. I don't expect the chain, brake pads etc to be damage free after use and repaired free or charge. I just thought that regardless of the length of a guarantee, the rear wheel should last a reasonable amount of time and I wasn't sure if the time since it was purchased until it became faulty counted as reasonable.

It's very important to state whether you mean the wheel or the tyre:
Looking at the full-size photo of the bike, I can see that the tyres were close to perished and would need replacing shortly, but if they lasted for 3 months at 10 miles a day, that's acceptable. But if it was the wheel that was knackered, then what I would expect the shop to replace the wheel with a suitable secondhand one for free and charge you for the tyre; with the wheel being off already I'd rather hope they'd only charge you the price of the tyre and no labour on fitting the tyre (I mean come on, it's a 10 minute job) as a goodwill gesture.

In short, the tyre isn't their fault, but the wheel is; the bike was sold as serviced and they hadn't serviced it properly.
The chain, I don't know, anyone's guess.

I suspect really all they did was check that the wheels weren't going to fall off and then stuck a price tag on it.
If I were buying that exact bike elsewhere, I'd be looking to pay around £80 - I could probably bag one for £50 or less with a bit of patience; £140 is what I would pay if the bike had been given a basic service, but they didn't notice that the hub was dry. I would have spotted that.

On the plus side, it is a nice bike and if your sister paid a little too much, it's not a big deal. It's a pretty and practical bike, just needs the back wheel replacing.

 

[leeboy105]

Although I tried to clarify in another post, it seems it's been missed by people on the board so I've edited my original post to state it's the rear WHEEL that needs replacing. The tyres are fine, I changed both of them myself to more puncture resistant ones as my sister seemed to be getting penetration punctures from thorns, glass etc very frequently (not pinch punctures).

 

[Jody]

The bike shop has been reasonable in my eyes. A 3 month warranty is good and beyond most of what you would get on a second hand bike. The bike will have been checked over for obvious operational problems like brakes working, no play in headset/hubs and gears working. The cost of stripping and servicing the kind of parts you are on about before sale hubs, headset and bottom bracket will be similar to to what you have paid for whole bike. I would only have expected those bits to have been checked for operation.

Fit a new wheel with the other things needed, read up or watch some YouTube videos on maintaining your bike which will save money in the long run and keep running the bike as is.

 

[si_c]

That bike is in fine condition. It sounds like the supplier did a basic service (of the kind you'd pay around £40 for in a bike shop) and made sure that it was safe and serviceable.

Unfortunately the back wheel needs replacing. £32 for a wheel is what I would expect to pay online for a cheap wheel to put on the bike, and quite reasonable.

If you are not mechanically inclined, I'd suggest getting the bike serviced annually, and make sure that they also service and regrease all bearings and the hubs.

The bike should outlast both you and your sister.

 

[Tanis8472]

It's very important to state whether you mean the wheel or the tyre:
Looking at the full-size photo of the bike, I can see that the tyres were close to perished and would need replacing shortly, but if they lasted for 3 months at 10 miles a day, that's acceptable. But if it was the wheel that was knackered, then what I would expect the shop to replace the wheel with a suitable secondhand one for free and charge you for the tyre; with the wheel being off already I'd rather hope they'd only charge you the price of the tyre and no labour on fitting the tyre (I mean come on, it's a 10 minute job) as a goodwill gesture.

In short, the tyre isn't their fault, but the wheel is; the bike was sold as serviced and they hadn't serviced it properly.
The chain, I don't know, anyone's guess.

I suspect really all they did was check that the wheels weren't going to fall off and then stuck a price tag on it.
If I were buying that exact bike elsewhere, I'd be looking to pay around £80 - I could probably bag one for £50 or less with a bit of patience; £140 is what I would pay if the bike had been given a basic service, but they didn't notice that the hub was dry. I would have spotted that.

On the plus side, it is a nice bike and if your sister paid a little too much, it's not a big deal. It's a pretty and practical bike, just needs the back wheel replacing.

Why?

 

[Brand X]

Why?

Because the bike was sold as serviced and in "excellent condition".
If you sell me a bike as being in "excellent condition" I would take that to mean there is nothing wrong with the bike. But they were wrong, there was something wrong with the bike. The hub was dry and as a result, it wore out.

I'm sure the shop has a whole rack of secondhand back wheels that cost them nothing, so it's only the labour of finding one to fit (and maybe swapping the cassette over).

 

[Tanis8472]

and 3 months past warranty

 

[Brand X]

and 3 months past warranty

Yes, but if independent bike shops can't be flexible, you might as well go to Halfords. I reckon the hub was starting to grind even before it left the shop, it's just that the lady who bought it didn't notice until after the warranty was expired. The hub was bad the day the shop sold the bike.

I mean really, this is small-change, the least they could do is offer a free wheel even if they won't fit it for free. Those places have always got more secondhand spares than they've got space to store them.

 

[alicat]

independent bike shops

but it's not a bike shop, it's a not for profit social enterprise. Think charity staffed mainly if not exclusively by volunteers.

 

[screenman]

Yes, but if independent bike shops can't be flexible, you might as well go to Halfords. I reckon the hub was starting to grind even before it left the shop, it's just that the lady who bought it didn't notice until after the warranty was expired. The hub was bad the day the shop sold the bike.

I mean really, this is small-change, the least they could do is offer a free wheel even if they won't fit it for free. Those places have always got more secondhand spares than they've got space to store them.

X-ray eye's, how do you know all these things?

I bet some on here are the type of people who want a discount in charity shops. Grrr!

 

[the snail]

not-for-profit isn't the same thing as a charity. Realistically, you can't expect them to completely disassemble a bike, check and replace all the bearings etc. and then sell it for £150. I would expect them to check for play and smoothness of bearings, make sure the brakes and gears worked and pads were good, but on a 30 y. old bike, no guarantee that something won't fail after a few months of commuting. Giving 3 months warranty is probably enough of a risk for the shop really.

 

[Bonacentral]

Apologies to self for reading this.

Thoughts - November - May = over 3 months. Cheap enough repairs at £32

Sorry but, some people......

Not one of my eBay buyers are ya?