| Re: you have to be kidding
I took the bike in once a year for a full tune-up to the shop in question.
They also did all of the maintenance and repairs on the bike over the last 6
years.
"RonSonic" <ronsonic@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
news:1u3a21hpgfro26vrr388nck04chv65obf5@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 18:18:59 -0500, "psycholist" <technico@wctel.net>
> wrote:
>
>>"Mary" <Sharkm@netcarrier.com> wrote in message
>>news:4224ea05$0$165$ad3619e8@news.netcarrier.net ...
>>> six years ago I bought a Trek 1200. I love the bike and have put about
>>> 4500 miles a year on it. I took it in for a tune-up last week and to
>>> have
>>> the chain and chain ring in the back replaced. I just got a call from
>>> the
>>> mechanic. He said that the front ring is worn out and that total cost
>>> of
>>> replacing everything that needs to be replaced will be about $300. He
>>> also said that many of the parts on the bike have become obsolete and
>>> that
>>> in 6 months it will be hard to find parts for the bike. He recommended
>>> I
>>> come in and look at a new bike in the 600 to 700 $$ range.
>>> I thought this was the last bike I would have to buy. Didn't bikes use
>>> to
>>> last like forever? Your opinion...should I fix the bike I have now for
>>> 300$ and buy new when I come to that bridge or purchase new now? Any
>>> thoughts would be appreciated. I ride daily when the temperature is
>>> over
>>> 40 f. Longest ride each year is a century with 20 mile rides each night
>>> and many 30 to 40 mile rides on the weekends.
>>
>>No reputable or knowledgeable bike dealer would try that load of garbage.
>>That's what it is.
>>
>>If you're riding 4,500 miles a year, you should probably be changing your
>>chain once or twice a year. Your rear cassette may need to be replaced
>>every year, too. Your front chainrings should be checked out, but they
>>may
>>be OK for another six months to a year.
>
> Mostly this is true.
>
>>Those items can easily be replaced, and I'd bet you could do it through
>>internet shopping for $100 or less. It shouldn't take a decent bike shop
>>mechanic more than 15 to 20 minutes to replace all that. So maybe it will
>>cost you for 1/3 of their hourly rate on top of the $100 (though my LBS
>>will
>>install about any part you buy from him for free).
>
> WHOA!
>
> We've got a bike with 27,000 miles on it and we don't know a damn thing
> about
> its maintenance history. Do you really think that any bike with that kind
> of
> mileage is going to get fixed in twenty freeking minutes? Especially since
> the
> owner doesn't seem to have any perspective on replacing cogs or chains.
>
> One of the shops in my area is advertising their overhaul which they
> recommend
> for any bike over two years old at $192.
>
> Now maybe you think that's too much, I don't want to pay it, but sometimes
> it
> costs a lot to have someone else do the things you should learn to do for
> yourself. Whether that's a lot or not, that is what people are charging
> for this
> kind of work nowadays. I'm not going to begrudge them.
>
>>Don't tolerate this rip-off. Don't tolerate ANY rip-off. It will only
>>encourage the theif to continue in his wicked ways. Take your business
>>elsewhere!
>
> I think the sales pitch especially on the future availability of parts
> rings
> badly. That is not the same as a rip-off.
>
> If it turns out that this bike has been well maintained with annual
> repacks and
> chains and the cogs were replaced every other year, then the price starts
> looking excessive. But if, as is certainly possible given the description,
> the
> bike has been riden enough miles as to circle the globe without frequent
> maintenance, the bill may be very reasonable. What would you charge to
> spend a
> day with this bike?
>
> This group is full of bitching about how there are so few real,
> professional
> bike mechanics, and bitching about how much the shops charge. Gee, do you
> think
> there's a relationship there.
>
> Ron
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