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

03-01-2005, 02:17 PM

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.

03-01-2005, 02:21 PM

He's trying to screw you.

Call him up... tell him to take his ****ing hands off of your bike and
take it to a reputable shop....

Or... honestly, changing a chainring, a cassette, and a chain is NOT
that hard. Hell, I'll talk you through it over the phone.

I imagine you have an older 8 speed drivetrain. You can find parts for
that easily for less than $100. That guy should at least buy you
dinner before he tries to **** you.

03-01-2005, 02:21 PM

He's trying to screw you.

Call him up... tell him to take his ****ing hands off of your bike and
take it to a reputable shop....

Or... honestly, changing a chainring, a cassette, and a chain is NOT
that hard. Hell, I'll talk you through it over the phone.

I imagine you have an older 8 speed drivetrain. You can find parts for
that easily for less than $100. That guy should at least buy you
dinner before he tries to **** you.

03-01-2005, 02:48 PM

Mary wrote:
> 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.

I agree with VeloPsycho, although I wouldn't express it as brutally as
him. Chainrings (the gears in front) and cassettes (the cogs in back)
plus a chain can be purchased for $100 or so. And the part about these
things becoming obsolete is simply not true. (New drivetrain parts are
still being made for 30 year old bikes with 5 speed freewheels).

Once you do get your bike repaired (by a reputable shop or by yourself)
you should replace the chain more often. Your chainrings and cogs will
then last for a long long long time.

Tom

03-01-2005, 02:48 PM

Mary wrote:
> 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.

I agree with VeloPsycho, although I wouldn't express it as brutally as
him. Chainrings (the gears in front) and cassettes (the cogs in back)
plus a chain can be purchased for $100 or so. And the part about these
things becoming obsolete is simply not true. (New drivetrain parts are
still being made for 30 year old bikes with 5 speed freewheels).

Once you do get your bike repaired (by a reputable shop or by yourself)
you should replace the chain more often. Your chainrings and cogs will
then last for a long long long time.

Tom

03-01-2005, 03:14 PM

Mary wrote:
> 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.
>
>
Stay far, far away from that bike shop as he is obviously trying to get
more money out of you for a new bike and then will probably try to sell
the old bike. People like that should 'hopefully' be out of business
very soon. If he is an old timer that just attests to the amount of
stupid people with money.
Bill Baka
Still riding an old Huffy with over 10,000 miles and a Wal-mart Mongoose
aproaching 5,000 with less total investment than your 'tune up'.

03-01-2005, 03:14 PM

Mary wrote:
> 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.
>
>
Stay far, far away from that bike shop as he is obviously trying to get
more money out of you for a new bike and then will probably try to sell
the old bike. People like that should 'hopefully' be out of business
very soon. If he is an old timer that just attests to the amount of
stupid people with money.
Bill Baka
Still riding an old Huffy with over 10,000 miles and a Wal-mart Mongoose
aproaching 5,000 with less total investment than your 'tune up'.

03-01-2005, 03:18 PM

"Mary" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:4224ea05$0$165$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].. .
> 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.

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).

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!
--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

03-01-2005, 03:18 PM

"Mary" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:4224ea05$0$165$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].. .
> 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.

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).

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!
--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

03-01-2005, 03:26 PM

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 17:17:58 -0500, "Mary" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote in message <4224ea05$0$165$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>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.

The authentic ring of bull****. I know people who are riding bikes
forty and fifty years old - when parts wear out (which, amazingly,
they rarely do - cassettes with a service life measured in yards seem
to be a recent innovation) you can get parts from eBay, St John Street
Cycles, Harris or many other fine emporia.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

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