| Re: you have to be kidding
RonSonic wrote:
>
> 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.
WHOA, yourself! That is a total ripoff. $192 for what? What's the point
in repacking bearings that don't need it? What does "2 years" mean? A
fixed price "tune-up" is a sure sign of a scam. More than likely most
bikes are going to get much more work than they need -- or at least
charged for it...
The truth is that some components are consumables, and that LBS parts
prices are about 3X what the equivalent is when bundled in a new bike.
Put in labor, and the "throw away threshold" gets closer to periodic
maintenance costs. At the same time, components are generally of a
higher quality and longer lasting. I can't think of how I could spend
$200 on a 2 year old bike, even a heavily ridden one.
Stuff should be replaced as it wears out, bearings only need repack if
contaminated. LBS should fix what's broken and just charge for that.
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