[bluebug32]

So, I figured when I dropped my bike off for a much-needed tune-up yesterday that it would only be a day until I got him back. But no...Mon. probably. WTF?? I tried to explain that this was the death knell for my weekend and he said it might be done by tomorrow instead of Mon. Granted, the weather is kind of crappy, but how does the average bike-less American spend a weekend? Suggestions? I'm tempted to sneak up behind the kids in my neighborhood who ride around on their full-suspension Huffys and swipe 'em. Ooh, that's a phrase I never thought I'd mutter...

Beth

 

[rpk1988]

Best idea for this never to happen again...have a back up bike. There is no law on how many bikes you can have.

 

[MikeD]

Plus, you can learn to tune the bike up yourself. They're not doing anything you couldn't do with a $5 set of allen keys and a few screwdrivers. And maybe a $5 spoke wrench.

I feel your pain, though. I killed my fork yesterday, so no DHing for me this weekend. Luckily, I have another bike!

MD

 

[lovebunny]

yeah mike. you HACK! what did you do to it? did oyu take it apart to find out? that was a pretty crazy hit

 

[ioscope]

Yeah, working on your won bike is easy. I know for a fact I can wrench bette rthan the kids that work at my LBS. I am always doing things for them when I'm in there. "Can you get this bead on the rim?" "What's a bearing race?" etc.

 

[MikeD]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1884737994/qid=1118522345/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/102-1003995-0367322?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

All you'll need to start with.

And lovebunny, I think I twisted the lowers, or possibly bent a stanchion. When you put the axle in, you can see that the axle clamps aren't properly aligned anymore. Just going to have to send it to Marzo and see what they say. I see a very expensive repair bill in my future.

 

[downhillzeypher]

I can't true wheels to save my life.

or even tune a derailleur for that matter.

 

[Geoff G.]

yeah, truening wheels is the only hard thing.

The trick to speedy service, is to go to the smallest shop you can find. They will usually have a faster turn around time.

For repair work that I have all the parts for I got to my small neighborhood LBS, and the guy is really good at wrenching, and the wait is never more than a day, but if I need small parts for mtb's I need to go to the bigger bike shop, because he stocks nothing.

 

[bluebug32]

I can't true wheels to save my life.

or even tune a derailleur for that matter.

Yeah, I totally agree. This was actually my free tune-up (I bought the bike a month ago). I have Zinn and it's a cool book; it's taught me how to repair some things on my own.

Beth

 

[Bicyclist]

Plus, you can learn to tune the bike up yourself. They're not doing anything you couldn't do with a $5 set of allen keys and a few screwdrivers. And maybe a $5 spoke wrench.

At the shop I work at, we use a lot more tools than that. We adjust hubs, straighten hangers, and do a whole lotta other stuff that requires a big tool kit. Maybe that's all they'll do at a crappy shop like Supergo, but at a good LBS, a lot more is done to your bike.

 

[lanman]

dude you are the people that bike shops dread, yes we understand you want your bike back, but so do 60 other people, and people just don't seem to understand that there are a lot of other people wanting their bike back as soon as possible, as said before, drop the dough on a book and some tools and fiddle with your bike for a while, it definitely pays off!!

 

[Bicyclist]

Well said!

 

[MikeD]

At the shop I work at, we use a lot more tools than that. We adjust hubs, straighten hangers, and do a whole lotta other stuff that requires a big tool kit. Maybe that's all they'll do at a crappy shop like Supergo, but at a good LBS, a lot more is done to your bike.

True, but for the 'tune up' she's getting, I doubt they're repacking every bearing (if there aren't cartridge bearings everywhere anyhow...), and if the hanger is screwed, well, a big crescent does just fine with that...or a new bolt-on.

Maybe a $20 cable cutter should have been included in my list, but still, man, we're not talking about reaming tubes or anything really exotic here. A set of cone wrenches doesn't even cost that much.

But for most people, a tune up is really just getting your drivetrain running smoothly...cleaning/lubing/replacing cables and housing, adjusting the tension, maybe a spot-truing on the wheels. Anything more than that, yeah, a shop can help, but most people can and should do the basics yourself. It takes less time than even just going to the shop.

MD

 

[Bicyclist]

Good point.