you have to be kidding - Page 5 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

03-01-2005, 08:49 PM

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 23:18:50 -0500, "Mary" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>I am the original poster. The shop wants $300 to replace the chainring,
>chain and cassette. That's all folks. As I stated in a second post. I
>took this bike to the shop for a full tune-up every year. I have had
>general maintenance and some components replaced as needed. The kicker to
>my conversation with the mechanic was that it would be more cost effective
>to buy a new bike than fix the one I had. That is what really threw me for
>a loop. I can't believe that a 7 year old bike is obsolete but he said it
>was and that bikes are now built to become obsolete after a few years. He
>said in 6 months there would be no parts available for the bike
>I think he saw a middle aged woman and figured I was an easy mark. Will
>pick my bike up tomorrow. Have found a shop who is sure they have the parts
>and can do the work for a resonable price.

Okay, If that's it, no other maintenance involved then pick it up unrepaired.
That's a "go to hell" price from someone who doesn't want to be in the repair
business.

I expect a bike that goes as far as yours to need a fair amount of work done and
a $300 bill every couple or three years is reasonable. That would be a lot more
work than what you describe.

The fashions now change faster than ever before, but the need to replace a bike
hasn't changed much.

Ron

> Thanks to all for the help.
>.
>"RonSonic" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com> wrote in message
>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].. .
>> On Wed, 02 Mar 2005 02:45:17 +0000, Ken <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>>
>>>RonSonic <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com> wrote in
>>>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] :
>>>> One of the shops in my area is advertising their overhaul which they
>>>> recommend for any bike over two years old at $192.
>>>
>>>An overhaul includes replacing and repacking all your bearings. This is a
>>>fairly labor intensive operation, so $200 isn't totally out-of-line.
>>>The original poster was talking about 3 easy-to-replace parts, so labor
>>>should
>>>be a lot less.
>>
>> Add those three easy to replace parts to the $200 and what do you get?
>>
>> The original post says: "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."
>>
>> I don't know enough to say this is a rip off. Yet.
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>

03-01-2005, 09:02 PM

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 23:43:43 -0500, "Mary" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>
>"RonSonic" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com> wrote in message
>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].. .
>> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 20:37:41 -0500, "Mary" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>>
>>>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.
>>
>> Okay, we know it's been maintained. Let's look at this a little deeper
>> then.
>> What are your typical annual repair needs and bills like? Has the bike had
>> a
>> complete overhaul, all bearings replaced and repacked, cables, pads, tuned
>> and
>> tightened recently? Or is that all part of this $300 service package? If
>> so,
>> then this is not a bad thing or a bad deal. Especially if it's been a few
>> years
>> since a full overhaul.
>>
>> Bikes do last pretty well forever and the replacement parts are not
>> usually real
>> expensive but can add up. Labor is fairly extensive and increasingly
>> expensive
>> for them. I wouldn't worry about anything on that bike becoming obsolete.
>> In the
>> future those part might not be under the counter, but they will be
>> available. I
>> just overhauled my bikes, one from 1988 the other a 1990 with no parts
>> problems.
>> I do not like that guy's line about impending obsolescence but don't know
>> what
>> it's based on, sales spiffs, his sense that this bike might be needing a
>> lot
>> soon, something his boss tells him to say, or and as likely as anything
>> else a
>> tendency toward trendiness that afflicts this hobby. A lot of people are
>> happy
>> to have an excuse to buy a new bike, not disappointed at the need.
>>
>> The more involved you are in the maintenance and repair of your bike the
>> less it
>> will cost. That's the one thing I'm sure of. That's true of everything.
>> The most
>> expensive maintenance program for any object is to make it someone else's
>> problem and just sign the checks. It is also among the surest ways of
>> ensuring
>> reliability as well.
>>
>> Anyway, let's see what he's proposing to do to the bike and what's been
>> done in
>> the last couple years and see if it adds up.
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>>
>>>"RonSonic" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com> wrote in message
>>>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] ...
>>>> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 18:18:59 -0500, "psycholist" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
>>>> wrote:
>
>When I spoke with the mechanic he said the bearings were fine and I had the
>pads and cables replaced end of last year. He said it was just the
>cassette, chain and chainring. Everything else looked fine. I also planed
>to buy 2 new tires but that was not in the price.

Hell no. Just "Hell" and "No."

Go ahead and rack him in the yarbles with the front tire on the way out the
door. It's a guy thing we're never supposed to recommend that sort of behavior
except in extreme cases of a schmuck making the rest of us look bad. This guy
qualifies.

Good luck and just for grins let us know what your new shop finds and charges.

Ron

03-01-2005, 09:02 PM

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 23:43:43 -0500, "Mary" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>
>"RonSonic" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com> wrote in message
>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].. .
>> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 20:37:41 -0500, "Mary" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>>
>>>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.
>>
>> Okay, we know it's been maintained. Let's look at this a little deeper
>> then.
>> What are your typical annual repair needs and bills like? Has the bike had
>> a
>> complete overhaul, all bearings replaced and repacked, cables, pads, tuned
>> and
>> tightened recently? Or is that all part of this $300 service package? If
>> so,
>> then this is not a bad thing or a bad deal. Especially if it's been a few
>> years
>> since a full overhaul.
>>
>> Bikes do last pretty well forever and the replacement parts are not
>> usually real
>> expensive but can add up. Labor is fairly extensive and increasingly
>> expensive
>> for them. I wouldn't worry about anything on that bike becoming obsolete.
>> In the
>> future those part might not be under the counter, but they will be
>> available. I
>> just overhauled my bikes, one from 1988 the other a 1990 with no parts
>> problems.
>> I do not like that guy's line about impending obsolescence but don't know
>> what
>> it's based on, sales spiffs, his sense that this bike might be needing a
>> lot
>> soon, something his boss tells him to say, or and as likely as anything
>> else a
>> tendency toward trendiness that afflicts this hobby. A lot of people are
>> happy
>> to have an excuse to buy a new bike, not disappointed at the need.
>>
>> The more involved you are in the maintenance and repair of your bike the
>> less it
>> will cost. That's the one thing I'm sure of. That's true of everything.
>> The most
>> expensive maintenance program for any object is to make it someone else's
>> problem and just sign the checks. It is also among the surest ways of
>> ensuring
>> reliability as well.
>>
>> Anyway, let's see what he's proposing to do to the bike and what's been
>> done in
>> the last couple years and see if it adds up.
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>>
>>>"RonSonic" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com> wrote in message
>>>news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] ...
>>>> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 18:18:59 -0500, "psycholist" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
>>>> wrote:
>
>When I spoke with the mechanic he said the bearings were fine and I had the
>pads and cables replaced end of last year. He said it was just the
>cassette, chain and chainring. Everything else looked fine. I also planed
>to buy 2 new tires but that was not in the price.

Hell no. Just "Hell" and "No."

Go ahead and rack him in the yarbles with the front tire on the way out the
door. It's a guy thing we're never supposed to recommend that sort of behavior
except in extreme cases of a schmuck making the rest of us look bad. This guy
qualifies.

Good luck and just for grins let us know what your new shop finds and charges.

Ron

03-01-2005, 10:22 PM

Mary wrote:
> "RonSonic" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com> wrote

>> Anyway, let's see what he's proposing to do to the bike and what's
>> been done in
>> the last couple years and see if it adds up.

> When I spoke with the mechanic he said the bearings were fine and I
> had the pads and cables replaced end of last year. He said it was
> just the cassette, chain and chainring. Everything else looked fine.
> I also planed to buy 2 new tires but that was not in the price.

OK, that /definitely/ doesn't add up. Even a DA/Record chainring, chain and
cassette wouldn't... well... hmmm.

What level components are we talking about here?

You sure it's just ONE chainring? Whole new crankset perhaps? Bottom
bracket OK?

Something's either missing or fishy here.

Bill S.

03-01-2005, 10:22 PM

Mary wrote:
> "RonSonic" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com> wrote

>> Anyway, let's see what he's proposing to do to the bike and what's
>> been done in
>> the last couple years and see if it adds up.

> When I spoke with the mechanic he said the bearings were fine and I
> had the pads and cables replaced end of last year. He said it was
> just the cassette, chain and chainring. Everything else looked fine.
> I also planed to buy 2 new tires but that was not in the price.

OK, that /definitely/ doesn't add up. Even a DA/Record chainring, chain and
cassette wouldn't... well... hmmm.

What level components are we talking about here?

You sure it's just ONE chainring? Whole new crankset perhaps? Bottom
bracket OK?

Something's either missing or fishy here.

Bill S.

03-01-2005, 10:22 PM

>I am the original poster. The shop wants $300 to replace the chainring,
>chain and cassette. That's all folks. As I stated in a second post. I
>took this bike to the shop for a full tune-up every year. I have had
>general maintenance and some components replaced as needed. The kicker to
>my conversation with the mechanic was that it would be more cost effective
>to buy a new bike than fix the one I had. That is what really threw me for
>a loop. I can't believe that a 7 year old bike is obsolete but he said it
>was and that bikes are now built to become obsolete after a few years. He
>said in 6 months there would be no parts available for the bike
> I think he saw a middle aged woman and figured I was an easy mark. Will
> pick my bike up tomorrow. Have found a shop who is sure they have the
> parts and can do the work for a resonable price.
>
> Thanks to all for the help.

Something really doesn't add up here. I think you need to have a
conversation with the owner of the shop, rather than spend time going over
things here. $300 for just a chain, chainrings and cassette defies logic. On
the other hand, at 27,000 miles, quite a number of parts on your bike must
be nearing the end of their lifespan; indeed, it would be difficult to
imagine an early Sora or RSX shifter lasting that long, and a pair of those
alone runs to $200. That's why, even though you've stated very clearly that
the $300 is just for chain, chainrings and cassette, some of us wonder if
there might be a communications problem.

In any event, sounds like you've been happy with the service there before,
but most certainly aren't now. Your choices boil down to just two- either
talk with the owner of the store and find out what's really going on, or
take it to another shop. There's no point debating anything else. I, for
one, would very much like to know the result of talking with the owner (if
you do so).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

03-01-2005, 10:22 PM

>I am the original poster. The shop wants $300 to replace the chainring,
>chain and cassette. That's all folks. As I stated in a second post. I
>took this bike to the shop for a full tune-up every year. I have had
>general maintenance and some components replaced as needed. The kicker to
>my conversation with the mechanic was that it would be more cost effective
>to buy a new bike than fix the one I had. That is what really threw me for
>a loop. I can't believe that a 7 year old bike is obsolete but he said it
>was and that bikes are now built to become obsolete after a few years. He
>said in 6 months there would be no parts available for the bike
> I think he saw a middle aged woman and figured I was an easy mark. Will
> pick my bike up tomorrow. Have found a shop who is sure they have the
> parts and can do the work for a resonable price.
>
> Thanks to all for the help.

Something really doesn't add up here. I think you need to have a
conversation with the owner of the shop, rather than spend time going over
things here. $300 for just a chain, chainrings and cassette defies logic. On
the other hand, at 27,000 miles, quite a number of parts on your bike must
be nearing the end of their lifespan; indeed, it would be difficult to
imagine an early Sora or RSX shifter lasting that long, and a pair of those
alone runs to $200. That's why, even though you've stated very clearly that
the $300 is just for chain, chainrings and cassette, some of us wonder if
there might be a communications problem.

In any event, sounds like you've been happy with the service there before,
but most certainly aren't now. Your choices boil down to just two- either
talk with the owner of the store and find out what's really going on, or
take it to another shop. There's no point debating anything else. I, for
one, would very much like to know the result of talking with the owner (if
you do so).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

03-01-2005, 10:48 PM

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 23:28:23 -0500, Mary wrote:

> I am the original poster. The shop wants $300 to replace the chainring,
> chain and cassette. That's all folks.

That is too high, if that is it.

> The kicker to my conversation with the mechanic was that it would be more
> cost effective
> to buy a new bike than fix the one I had. That is what really threw me for
> a loop. I can't believe that a 7 year old bike is obsolete but he said it
> was and that bikes are now built to become obsolete after a few years.

Well, on the one hand a Trek 1200, costing originally ??, has certainly
done more than most to have racked up the mileage you have.

> He
> said in 6 months there would be no parts available for the bike I think
> he saw a middle aged woman and figured I was an easy mark.

Probably.

> Will pick my
> bike up tomorrow. Have found a shop who is sure they have the parts and
> can do the work for a resonable price.

Good. You are right to walk away from that shop. There are other places
to spend your money.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a
_`\(,_ | conclusion. -- George Bernard Shaw
(_)/ (_) |

03-01-2005, 10:48 PM

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 23:28:23 -0500, Mary wrote:

> I am the original poster. The shop wants $300 to replace the chainring,
> chain and cassette. That's all folks.

That is too high, if that is it.

> The kicker to my conversation with the mechanic was that it would be more
> cost effective
> to buy a new bike than fix the one I had. That is what really threw me for
> a loop. I can't believe that a 7 year old bike is obsolete but he said it
> was and that bikes are now built to become obsolete after a few years.

Well, on the one hand a Trek 1200, costing originally ??, has certainly
done more than most to have racked up the mileage you have.

> He
> said in 6 months there would be no parts available for the bike I think
> he saw a middle aged woman and figured I was an easy mark.

Probably.

> Will pick my
> bike up tomorrow. Have found a shop who is sure they have the parts and
> can do the work for a resonable price.

Good. You are right to walk away from that shop. There are other places
to spend your money.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a
_`\(,_ | conclusion. -- George Bernard Shaw
(_)/ (_) |

03-02-2005, 12:15 AM

Wed, 02 Mar 2005 04:30:08 GMT,
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> scud jockey, RonSonic
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com> wrote, in part:

>likely as anything else a
>tendency toward trendiness that afflicts this hobby.

Shove you "hobby" deeply into the darkest recesses of your posterior!

Cycling is LIFE!

Hobbyists are pretend bikers. Go, get back on your FMUP where
hobbyists belong.
--
zk