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User16625

Guest
Sounds like this guy..

comic-book-guy-the-simpsons.jpg

Lol he looked like that guy, not that this was relevant. Just felt like being disrespectful as he was with me. The part he was complaining that was dirty was the rear cassette which wasnt too bad. It wasnt perfect either but it wasnt as if it was plastered in mud. Such parts are typically oily. What really done my head in was that he didnt even mention he would charge a bit more for it, and that he reckons my worn out big chainring was still fine. More his loss than mine so im not really that bothered, just thought it was worth mentioning.
 

Nick Stone

Well-Known Member
I think a good LBS is good to know, I've been in to mine a few times recently for tubes and little bits as you do. Buggered my back wheel on ride so I nipped whelk in on way home from work and instead of the you need to book it in you get at some places, they had a look, leave it with us and should be ready end of the week, good result I think.

I try and spanner myself, with you tube and forums can pretty much do most things now, except wheels..... I had removed cassette and given a wipe over as well before I took in, don't know if that impressed them (not bad for a fat bloke with a few tools :smile: )
 

biggs682

Itching to get back on my bike's
Location
Northamptonshire
my lbs is run by a father & son , who are great and very helpful . i dont always agree with what they tell me but there reasoning is always backed up with years of experience .

8 times out of 10 there bill is rounded down to the nearest full pound or further if paying cash rather than plastic ,

i also find that there tyre prices are normally very close to internet ones .

so my lbs get my vote shame they only sell new BSO'S .

shop name provided if asked , but please note these are only my findings
 

lpretro1

Guest
Most bike shops will usually ask you to bring bike in reasonably clean and it is not unreasonable. You cannot work on dirty components without cleaning them - this takes time and the customer is paying for that time. We charge an additional fee is a bike comes in dirty and we have to clean it to work on it. The workshop floor gets filthy - as well as the poor mechanic and their tools and you don't want to get all that crap over other people's bikes. If a bike is muddy the content of that mud can be all sorts of unpleasant stuff including poo (of various sorts) and you have to think of the mechanics well-being having to handle that. I turned a bike away once because it was absolutely covered in bird poo - no way am I risking my health dealing with that lot. So yes please have a bit of respect for the bike shop and their staff and give it a bit of a clean off before hand - we don't expect it to be pristine just not covered in crud!!
 

Chris Norton

Well-Known Member
Location
Boston, Lincs
Would you consider a typically oily chain, cassette and gear system to be acceptable prior to working on the bike or do you need to clean those parts?

I keep both bikes quite clean but the drive system is always going to be oily. I do need to remove the chains and give it all a good clean at some stage though.

Just wondered on how clean is clean from a mechanics view.
 

Nick Stone

Well-Known Member
From previous post my LBS sorted my snagged wheel and gave me call day early to say ready, can't get better than that really.

Keep em clean should be the mantra... Wife goes nuts if they muck up her dining room aka my bike store cum workshop.... Even worse if the little one decides he wants to play with my babies. I've told him to stay away and when he can walk, talk and pedal he can have a cool bike like daddies
 

Herzog

Swinglish Mountain Goat
Most bike shops will usually ask you to bring bike in reasonably clean and it is not unreasonable. You cannot work on dirty components without cleaning them - this takes time and the customer is paying for that time. We charge an additional fee is a bike comes in dirty and we have to clean it to work on it. The workshop floor gets filthy - as well as the poor mechanic and their tools and you don't want to get all that crap over other people's bikes. If a bike is muddy the content of that mud can be all sorts of unpleasant stuff including poo (of various sorts) and you have to think of the mechanics well-being having to handle that. I turned a bike away once because it was absolutely covered in bird poo - no way am I risking my health dealing with that lot. So yes please have a bit of respect for the bike shop and their staff and give it a bit of a clean off before hand - we don't expect it to be pristine just not covered in crud!!

This is entirely reasonable; I do a lot of bike repairs in my spare time and always request that they are delivered in a reasonably clean state.
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
Would you consider a typically oily chain, cassette and gear system to be acceptable prior to working on the bike or do you need to clean those parts?

I keep both bikes quite clean but the drive system is always going to be oily. I do need to remove the chains and give it all a good clean at some stage though.

Just wondered on how clean is clean from a mechanics view.

It shouldn't be!
 

festival

Über Member
Any good bike shop should have a parts cleaning bath, the customer pays for a professional job and everyone is happy
 
Good thing you are not working on cars or motorbikes :smile:
From my days working in a garage, if a car come in too muddy or claggy, it got a good dose of High pressure cleaning before it was put on the ramp, which was charged to the customer. Most respectable garage will not work on filthy vehicles until they have been cleaned.
 

dasy2k1

Member
When I lived in manchester I used to use 3 different LBS plus one chain bricks and mortar,
One was a very old school shop, one man band, great at repairing almost anything and the only shop willing to service cup and cone bottom brackets rather than just replace them with sealed units. Most of his custom is old cheap mounting bikes that need fixing up for minimum price-
"I found this in the back of the garage, how much would it cost to get it usable again?"

one was a fixie centric culture focused shop who I used for less mainstream parts, (I normally ride 27x1¼ wheeled 80s road frames) also the best one at wrapping bar tape!
the other was the place for second hand bikes, quick repairs while at uni, and where I actually got one of my two current road frames from

the chain (Edinburgh bike co-op) was what I used for general consumables and accessories.


all had very good customer services although the expectations of each were very different,
As for cleaning a bike before dropping it in, I would expect to hoze the mud off. more than that no.... If im paying for a brakes and drivetrain service, A full degrease and relube should be included in the price
 
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