Why you need to be careful who repairs your bike.

[Hip Priest]

Bikes are easy to work on - not exactly complicated. But many folk can't change a tube.

True story.

A mate of mine bought a second hand Ridgeback MTB for about £50. Took it to his LBS for a once over, and ended up spending on some Continental slicks, hand pump, bottle cage & bottle, bell...etc..etc Rode it to work for a few weeks, then stopped riding. A few months later I asked him what had happened to the bike. He said 'Well I was really enjoying riding to work, but then I accidentally rode over some glass and the tyre went flat.' The bike stayed in the shed after that.

 

[Scoosh]

True story.

A mate of mine bought a second hand Ridgeback MTB for about £50. Took it to his LBS for a once over, and ended up spending on some Continental slicks, hand pump, bottle cage & bottle, bell...etc..etc Rode it to work for a few weeks, then stopped riding. A few months later I asked him what had happened to the bike. He said 'Well I was really enjoying riding to work, but then I accidentally rode over some glass and the tyre went flat.' The bike stayed in the shed after that.

OT - but I wonder how many cars he must have in his garage

 

[IanT]

I picked up a new TDF from Halfrauds last week. I love the quality of the bike - but can only say that I wish the quality of the build / setup echoed this.

Alarms bells started ringing when the guy went to set the seat height and shouted at a colleague, "have you got a multi-tool". Maybe it's just me, but if a component is stamped '5NM' then you set it with a torque wrench; not a multi-tool.

I actually told him to leave the setup - and I would do it at home. With the bike perched on a stand in the garage, I went around it to see what was what. Among other things (such as the handlebars set with the drops angled upwards at about 45 degrees - and a front mech cable end touching a chain ring) I discovered that two of the front stem bolts were only finger tight - again, a component marked '5NM'.

I'm not naive - and I know that many professional mechanics - from all disciplines - are able to tell by experience what a given torque setting feels like without using a torque wrench. Notwithstanding this, on this occasion, this was clearly not the case. The fact that this guy had put his signature to a safety inspection form (with all boxes ticked) spoke volumes about (at best) a lack of training or (at worst) a lack of dilligence.

I'm not tarring all large-store (or even LBS) mechanics with the same brush - and there are undoubtedly some very trustworthy ones out there. It's just that you may not know you have found a bad one until it all ends up with you flat on your back. This is the reason I have always (and will continue to) do my own maintenance. There's nothing that focusses the mind better than knowing it's your own backside on the line if you didn't do a job properly.

 

[Scoosh]

I picked up a new TDF from Halfrauds last week. I love the quality of the bike - but can only say that I wish the quality of the build / setup echoed this.

Alarms bells started ringing when the guy went to set the seat height and shouted at a colleague, "have you got a multi-tool". Maybe it's just me, but if a component is stamped '5NM' then you set it with a torque wrench; not a multi-tool.

I actually told him to leave the setup - and I would do it at home. With the bike perched on a stand in the garage, I went around it to see what was what. Among other things (such as the handlebars set with the drops angled upwards at about 45 degrees - and a front mech cable end touching a chain ring) I discovered that two of the front stem bolts were only finger tight - again, a component marked '5NM'.

I'm not naive - and I know that many professional mechanics - from all disciplines - are able to tell by experience what a given torque setting feels like without using a torque wrench. Notwithstanding this, on this occasion, this was clearly not the case. The fact that this guy had put his signature to a safety inspection form (with all boxes ticked) spoke volumes about (at best) a lack of training or (at worst) a lack of dilligence.

I'm not tarring all large-store (or even LBS) mechanics with the same brush - and there are undoubtedly some very trustworthy ones out there. It's just that you may not know you have found a bad one until it all ends up with you flat on your back. This is the reason I have always (and will continue to) do my own maintenance. There's nothing that focusses the mind better than knowing it's your own backside on the line if you didn't do a job properly.

Have you sent a copy of your findings to the Manager of the store ?

 

[IanT]

To be honest, Scoosh, I had not thought of doing that.

I think that somewhere deep within my sub-conscious, I was almost expecting it!!!

But, with hindsight, it could do no harm - and in fact could probably do some good. I'm quite mechanical savvy - but I suspect a lot of their customers are not. If this bike had been ridden, there could have been real safety issues.

Think I will drop them a line.

Cheers.

 

[I like Skol]

Similar experience here. I recently bought a £900 road bike and from comments that slipped out during the transaction got the idea that the weekend lad had had a hand in building the bike up. I did ask who had done the pdi and the shop owner assured me he personally did the final set-up and checks on all the bikes sold, especially such a high end bike.

I always do my own pdi (post del insp.) on any bike I buy whether its expensive or not or for me or the kids and went through this one with a fine toothecomb. To be fair, the set-up was spot on other than adjustment to the position that would be specific to any owner (and they had even got that pretty damn close) but there was one glaringingly obvious ommision. The brake blocks were set at all angles and while they were lined up with the braking area of the rim they were no where near parallel to the rim with some toed in while others toed out quite badly. Dissapointed but not surprised it left the factory like that but it really was so bad it should have been spotted in the shop.

I do have the option of a free inspection/service at 6 weeks and 6 months but to be honest for someone as mechanically savvy and hands on as me I am not sure of the value of this?

 

[Globalti]

My new bikes came pretty well set up apart from a slightly slack headset but I certainly won't be taking it back for a "free service". What's the point? If anything needs adjusting, I adjust it. I wouldn't ride around on a bike with something going out of adjustment and wait for the shop to fix it!

 

[Davidc]

I was sticking a rather expensive bike together at the age of 19/20. Started with a fairly expensive bike at the age of 16 (531c and Shimano 600/Ultregra).

Bikes are easy to work on - not exactly complicated. But many folk can't change a tube.

I'm much the same, and have been doing my own maintenance since I was 10 years old - 1962! Learned a lot from two old style LBS owners in my teens which has helped too.

If I haven't done a job before I look up how to do it - very easy now with the web available.

The only job I sometimes take to an LBS is wheelbuilding. I can do it, and can make wheels to a higher standard than the mass produced ones but not quite as well as a good wheelbuilder, but I'm slow and sometimes can't be bothered. (Not sure if it's just that I'm getting older but I did buy mass produced wheels the last two times I needed them )

The worst I've ever come across was a colleague's bike which had been LBS serviced - the brakes didn't work. They'd left the quick release levers in the released position when they returned the bike. Trading standards paid them a visit!

 

[Cyclopathic]

its like all things though. yuo need to learn that skill. I wasn't born being able to walk or talk- I hasd to learn. somethings youmlearn quickly some you learn slowly. Bicycle maintenance is one of them things that has slow and quick learning. I used to fix all my mates bikes as a kid as i had access to my dads toolkit

I grew up with friction shifters on the downtube and only ever needed to adjust the H and L settings after a stripdown. pull the tension tight every so often. ten years ago I bought a new bike with SIS shifting. i was scared as it was all alien to me. in 2010 i spent almost as nmuch as i paid for th bike to be repaired and thought- i can learn to sort bikes again. I read a bit joined a forum or 2 and now i could sort almost any problem out. not replaced aheadset yet but looking forward to when i do have to.

its far easier todya to get the technical manuals than it was when i was a kid in the 80s. they will teach you more than you need to know !

This sounds like a carbon copy of my own bicycle maintanence career, right down to not having done an ahead yet but no doubt will before long. After rekindling my love of bikes after a few years away I too have come to find lots of things unfamiliar but still perfectly understandable with a bit of trial and experimentation and listening to other people. Disc brakes are something I've not had a go at yet and various other things. Comming to these things now reminds me of when I was a young lad and was discovering the joys and frustrations of bike maitanence for the first time. I still really enjoy the whole process.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I'm much the same, and have been doing my own maintenance since I was 10 years old - 1962!

Blimey, you're the same age as me!

I learned to do all my own maintenance because back in the day when I first became serious about cycling and joined a club you could not buy much more than a BSO from most bike shops, racers and tourists used to buy a frame and all the components seperately. Putting a bike together soon became second nature.

Now that race ready bikes can be bought off the shelf those mechanical skills are a dying art. I have seen at least two people in recent years who undid and re-tightened quick release skewers by screwing the lever in and out rather than flicking it open and clamping it shut. You only have to ride one sportive to realise that gear adjustment is a mystery to many riders, the grinding and crunching you hear when riding in a bunch would make your ears ring.

 

[Dan B]

I dropped my wife's car in at the garage this morning for its MOT, and have had a succession of phone calls with them since about lambda sensors, catalytic converters, ECUs and throttle bodies (it's failing the emissions test and they're not sure why). I know nothing about any of these topics other than what I have Googled, and it makes me feel sad and inadequate as a male.

But then I came to this thread, and remembering that I have successfully disassembled and reassembled a Sturmey Archer hub and built my last two bikes from scratch (including the headsets, though fair play, I still hate doing anything to a bike that involves a hacksaw or a hammer), I have cheered up a lot. Obviously I'm not completely rubbish. Thank you all.

 

[yello]

Obviously I'm not completely rubbish. Thank you all.

No problem.... I think?

Tbh, I'm rubbish at most 'bloke' things (pretty good at signing cheques though!), just marginally less rubbish at doing stuff with bikes.

 

[subaqua]

I dropped my wife's car in at the garage this morning for its MOT, and have had a succession of phone calls with them since about lambda sensors, catalytic converters, ECUs and throttle bodies (it's failing the emissions test and they're not sure why). I know nothing about any of these topics other than what I have Googled, and it makes me feel sad and inadequate as a male.

But then I came to this thread, and remembering that I have successfully disassembled and reassembled a Sturmey Archer hub and built my last two bikes from scratch (including the headsets, though fair play, I still hate doing anything to a bike that involves a hacksaw or a hammer), I have cheered up a lot. Obviously I'm not completely rubbish. Thank you all.

EGR filled with soot would be my suggestion. thats what did for ours at last MOT. worth sugesting as its not a expensive part.

 

[Globalti]

That post takes me right back to my opening post - car dealers are the worst for throwing parts at your car at your expense in the hope of fixing the problem rather than trying to diagnose it. Recently my Passat "failed to proceed" so they stuck it on the VAG system and discovered three faults; the camshaft sensor, the clutch master cylinder and something about the boot latch. I had no choice but to allow them to replace the first two but the boot latch was working fine so I told them to leave it - they wanted to replace the whole mechanism!

 

[Globalti]

On bikes though, things have definitely got easier over the years. Setting up headsets used to be a pain with the old lockrings and wheel bearings were the same. Bottom brackets were a nightmare and cotter pins were always stuck and needed beating into submission with a hammer, which always distorted the thread.

When I was about eight I rode my rod brake Raleigh roadster down to the local garage to buy some sweets. I left the bike propped outside and walked home and didn't realise I was missing the bike for a couple of days when my Dad came home and asked me what my bike was doing at the garage! I walked down and the bloke (Mr Parsons) told me "Well, I recognised it as your bike and had a good look over it but couldn't see anything wrong with it!" Those were in the days when the garage did bike repairs and the postman called me "Master".

My school buddy and I fished a baker's delivery bike frame out of the river and sawed of the basket to turn it into a chopper. It had a hole in the chainstay where a slack BB had allowed the crank to wear away the metal so I took it to Mr Parsons and watched in awe as he filled the hole with braze, a skill you wouldn't find nowadays I'm sure.