LBS just quoted £30 to true 2 wheels

[dodgy]

Well perhaps it would help if the OP clarified what work is required. I'd agree that £30 is waaaay too much for a simple twiddle with a spoke key for 2 wheels, but if all the nipples are corroded (oo-err), a simple trueing job turns far more expensive.

 

[peanut]

Hang on a minute, name and shame? For what? The OP hasn't even said how badly the wheels are out of true, it could be a complete rebuild, in which case the price is roughly right.

you can buy a complete new set of wheels for £40.00 why would you charge £30 for truing ?

 

[dodgy]

you can buy a complete new set of wheels for £40.00 why would you charge £30 for truing ?

Because a set of £40 wheels are built on a machine and do not have to contend with corroded parts. Remember (before this thread starts to make out that I support an LBS that charges £30 for a simple job), we don't know what the job entails.

 

[gratts]

you can buy a complete new set of wheels for £40.00 why would you charge £30 for truing ?

You can get a brand new bike for £50. May as well just buy another instead of a service, eh?

 

[Smokin Joe]

you can buy a complete new set of wheels for £40.00 why would you charge £30 for truing ?

Thirty quid for truing a pair of wheels is high compared to what most bike shops charge, but it is realistic from a business point of view. Try getting plumber to change a tap washer for that.

I dare say you can buy a set of wheels for £40, but I wouldn't like to ride them.

 

[Steve Austin]

The wheels might have cost £500. £30 to true them might not be that bad

I thinks its bad value, as i true my own, and it rarely takes more than five minutes. £15 for five minutes work is not good.
What are going to get for £15 pounds? respoke? bearings replaced and greased? complete clean and polish?
If its just twiddling a half dozen spokes its a complete con. but then if the extras are in there, then its not so bad.

Everyone should learn how to true wheels. its invaluable

 

[marinyork]

Well perhaps it would help if the OP clarified what work is required. I'd agree that £30 is waaaay too much for a simple twiddle with a spoke key for 2 wheels, but if all the nipples are corroded (oo-err), a simple trueing job turns far more expensive.

Indeed, although having read truing threads on here I gather most probs are the odd spoke going and I seem to be a freak of nature at breaking the things .

 

[dodgy]

I'd rebuild a mate's wheels for free (assuming no parts needed), but then I have zero overheads and I'm not paying rent on a shop or wages for staff. I'm sure this kind of concept has been discussed on here before the last time someone questioned the cost of having something done in a bike shop.

 

[Steve Austin]

Funnily enough Dodgy it was about this exact same subject. I think it was about replacing a spoke. Some said it was fine for shops to charge near £20 to replace a spoke. Ime itsa complete ripoff

 

[dodgy]

I'd agree that £20 to change a spoke is expensive, particularly if it's non drive side

 

[peanut]

Thirty quid for truing a pair of wheels is high compared to what most bike shops charge, but it is realistic from a business point of view. Try getting plumber to change a tap washer for that.

I dare say you can buy a set of wheels for £40, but I wouldn't like to ride them.

I agree its one of them jobs you'll never make much profit on .Its more a question of customer service . You make a small loss but make your customer happy hoping they will return.
Plumber is not a very good analogy really because a plumber has the cost of drive time to and from the job to cost in.
I have never heard of wheel builders making emergency house calls

 

[dodgy]

A plumber may have callout travel costs, but he might not be running a rental property.

 

[kyuss]

A few months back I had a problem with a pair of wheels constantly going out of true. Just couldn't get them to stay straight. Put them into the shop to have them slackened off, re-tensioned and a broken spoke nipple replaced. £10 the pair. They've been straight as an arrow since.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

this is biketrax in brentwood...expensive area and these guys are primarily a spesh pusher...my wheels arnt all that bad at all really...just not bang on...the thing is I dont know another LBS who actually has a decent mechanic in there locally.

 

[Smokin Joe]

this is biketrax in brentwood...expensive area and these guys are primarily a spesh pusher...my wheels arnt all that bad at all really...just not bang on...the thing is I dont know another LBS who actually has a decent mechanic in there locally.

You'd probably be able to drive from Brentwood to Cyclos Uno in Hainault in half an hour.

Unless they've gone downhill in the past few years they had an excellent reputation.