[Barbaton]

So I replaced my shoes recently since my old ones were all torn up and my feet were moving around. Turns out the shop wants an additional $30 to transfer my cleats to the new shoes. I know most s would just do it yourselves, but I've got interesting knees so getting them set by the machine is a good idea.

I was quite shocked at the cost to do that, thinking that it would be reasonable for moving the cleats to be part of the shoe purchase. Is it standard practice to charge extra like this or is this shop just greedy?

 

[riderx]

- Was the machine given to them for free?
- How much time will their employee need to spend with you to get you set up right?

 

[jacksonpt]

My lbs would probably do it for free... but at most they'd only charge a few bucks.

 

[Echo]

I think shops around here charge about $15 for that. However if you buy shoes they usually include that service. I'd call them out on it.

 

[I Are Baboon]

$15-$30 to change cleats? Yowsers. That basically doubles the price of the new cleats.

 

[Barbaton]

I did. Apparently it's $50 regularly. Discounted to $30 with purchase. Where I come from the shops offer lifetime free tune-ups with bike purchase and such, and it's been surprising how much nickel and diming the shops here seem to get away with. Yuppy east-coasters. :mumble:

 

[riderx]

Notice it's not just changing cleats, which I imagine they would do for free, but it is also fitting/setup.

 

[Barbaton]

Oh, and let us not forget that this is the shop with the best knowledge/price that I've found here. The closer one to me charges $60/hr labor, and wanted to charge me $90 to change a shifter cable once (the one where I got the shoes spent 10 minutes showing me how to do it and charged me $3 for the cable). That's a higher hourly rate than my dad pays at the Lexus dealer.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Being as they sold you the shoes, it's an arrant rip-off.

 

[motomike]

yeah, I bet it would be free if they just switched out the cleats, but you asked to have the cleats fitted to the shoes with a special machine which they probably paid quite a bit of money for.

 

[riderx]

Oh, and let us not forget that this is the shop with the best knowledge/price that I've found here. The closer one to me charges $60/hr labor, and wanted to charge me $90 to change a shifter cable once (the one where I got the shoes spent 10 minutes showing me how to do it and charged me $3 for the cable). That's a higher hourly rate than my dad pays at the Lexus dealer.

Well, you have a choice for all of these services: do it yourself.

If they are using the Fit Kit System, they are in line with what others are charging, do a search.

 

[Smelly]

yeah, I bet it would be free if they just switched out the cleats, but you asked to have the cleats fitted to the shoes with a special machine which they probably paid quite a bit of money for.

 

[LordOpie]

- Was the machine given to them for free?
- How much time will their employee need to spend with you to get you set up right?

Notice it's not just changing cleats, which I imagine they would do for free, but it is also fitting/setup.

Well, you have a choice for all of these services: do it yourself.

If they are using the Fit Kit System, they are in line with what others are charging, do a search.

hmm, I'm not quite sure what you're saying here


To answer OP's question... I'm not surprised that any shop would charge something. $30 tho is quite a bit and I'd think that'd including analyzing you for LeMond Wedges or similar type of fine-tuning system, not just cleat placement. Tho the wedges themselves are extra, if needed. I'd think cleat fit would be free with the purchase of a complete bike. If you bought the bike there, I'd complain.

As for not doing it yourself. I hear what you're saying -- and I'm not familiar with the machine you mentioned -- but it seems to me that you should do it yourself BECAUSE of your knees. And you should make very minor adjustments over the course of some weeks to get it exactly where you need.

 

[Bikebro]

Wonder if this is my shop. Is it in Belmont MA? We don't change over cleats with out a cleat fitting(fit kit) cause of lawsuit happy morons. We normally explain to customers that there is no way of insuring the cleats are in the proper position with out a fitting but that they can install the cleats themselves. Just throwing cleats on a pair of shoes is a great way to cause knee problems. Any shop that does that might as well sell huffy's in the box. If you are a professional shop your customers will pay for professional service. Most people won't have a problem with the fee once they know what its for. Our fittings are also done by the same people that do hundreds of custom fittings and a few are also trainers.

 

[LordOpie]

We don't change over cleats with out a cleat fitting(fit kit) cause of lawsuit happy morons.

I'm not litigious, but in this case, I do think LBSs should be held legally responsible for a lot of stuff, including educating their clients about cleats. It's way too easy for a novice -- who should not be expected to know anything -- to mess up their knees.

Good for your shop for being pro-active.

 

[Bikebro]

but it seems to me that you should do it yourself BECAUSE of your knees. And you should make very minor adjustments over the course of some weeks to get it exactly where you need.

So you go for a ride and whens its done you got a twinge just behind your knee cap. Which way are you going to rotate the cleat? What experience do you have to base your decision on? I'm not getting on you personally but just trying to make a point.

 

[Barbaton]

Wonder if this is my shop. Is it in Belmont MA? We don't change over cleats with out a cleat fitting(fit kit) cause of lawsuit happy morons. We normally explain to customers that there is no way of insuring the cleats are in the proper position with out a fitting but that they can install the cleats themselves. Just throwing cleats on a pair of shoes is a great way to cause knee problems. Any shop that does that might as well sell huffy's in the box. If you are a professional shop your customers will pay for professional service. Most people won't have a problem with the fee once they know what its for. Our fittings are also done by the same people that do hundreds of custom fittings and a few are also trainers.

I suspect that it just might be.

In truth, I've been pretty happy with you guys and have spent mucho moolah there (2 bikes + assorted crap). I got the shoes during the recent sale so plus the fitting cost we're still under what I'd budgted. I was just curious what people in other places thought of the pricing. I've found that service prices here are out of scale to what we had at home by 150-200%. For instance, a tune-up that costs $30 there costs $50-60 here. I guess that's why people here do so much more of their own work.

It also seems that there's a market opportunity here for someone to open a shop that charges reasonable prices for service assuming that the current high prices are set by convention that folks here are willing to pay them and not a result of the cost of doing business in MA, which is entirely possible.

 

[LordOpie]

So you go for a ride and whens its done you got a twinge just behind your knee cap. Which way are you going to rotate the cleat? What experience do you have to base your decision on? I'm not getting on you personally but just trying to make a point.

no no, you're absolutely right.

Mine are very close to comfortable with much experimenting, guessing and intuition... and some pain and frustration.

If someone knows a shop like yours, absolutely pay to have it done.

 

[BigMike]

Weird, I've never heard of a machine that adjusts cleats

If its just putting on cleats, if they dont do it for free, that a bunch of crap. But this machine you speak of........... what does it do? how does it work?

 

[Echo]

Weird, I've never heard of a machine that adjusts cleats

If its just putting on cleats, if they dont do it for free, that a bunch of crap. But this machine you speak of........... what does it do? how does it work?

I'm pretty sure there's a link in this very thread.

 

[golgiaparatus]

You mean you paid the LBS to change your cleats? Wait wait... they charged you?! AND they used a machine?! Whatever happened to the old 2 bolts and an allen wrench? Thats the 2nd LBS threada today that has me wondering WTF is going on with LBS's today, are they that desperate that they have to upcharge a cleat change, and whine at their customers that find better prices elsewhere.

Shop guy: WE had to charge you an extra $30 to change your cleats.
ME: Say what?! Why did you charge me?
Shop dude: We have a special machine that puts them on perfectly fr us?
ME: Are you that godanm lazy? Tell that machine to take them the hell off and keep your ugly plastic shoes.

 

[riderx]

Shop guy: WE had to charge you an extra $30 to change your cleats.
ME: Say what?! Why did you charge me?
Shop dude: We have a special machine that puts them on perfectly fr us?
ME: Are you that godanm lazy? Tell that machine to take them the hell off and keep your ugly plastic shoes.

Someone is

 

[golgiaparatus]

Someone is

No, I was just being sarcastic(sp).

Seriously though, I have been riding with clipless shoes since about 97-98, I have put every pair of cleat on and adjusted them myself, even my first pair... its so simple. I just cant fathom paying $5 let alone $30 to have them put on, aligned, fitted... etc. Its 2 allen bolts for god's sake, forward back, left right. Its not like a wheel alignment on your car... which BTW cost just $10 more than this "cleat alignment" and is done with a friggin laser and involves a hell of a lot more than 2 allen bolts and 2 cleats that only move forward, back , and twist side to side.

 

[Bikebro]

Your in a big east cost city. Try charging less and being able to pay for the shops rent and paying your mechanics enough to pay rent and be happy. Health insurance and matching 401k aren't cheap. Also business almost comes to a halt for a few months every winter. Its a huge cash drain to keep the core group paid when there is so little money coming in. This winter was really bad with all the snow we got. So most of the cost has to do with the high cost of living and overhead in the state. No one is leaving that shop in a fancy car and going to their house on Beacon Hill or Lexington.

Okay next time I should read the whole message before replying. You got it right that its mainly just the cost of doing business in the area. Everything would be or at least should be cheaper 100 miles west.

 

[riderx]

I just cant fathom paying $5 let alone $30 to have them put on, aligned, fitted... etc.

Neither can I. But then again the guy who started the thread had them install a shifter cable...

 

[Barbaton]

Your in a big east cost city. Try charging less and being able to pay for the shops rent and paying your mechanics enough to pay rent and be happy. Health insurance and matching 401k aren't cheap. Also business almost comes to a halt for a few months every winter. Its a huge cash drain to keep the core group paid when there is so little money coming in. This winter was really bad with all the snow we got. So most of the cost has to do with the high cost of living and overhead in the state. No one is leaving that shop in a fancy car and going to their house on Beacon Hill or Lexington.

Well, Santa Fe is also an absurdly expensive place to live, with housing prices that are equivalent if not higher than Cambridge, not to mention Belmont/Arlington. In addition, there's a very snowy winter there so shops suffer from the weather just as much. So aside from those two arguments, that the shops there suffer just like the ones here, what is it that drives the costs up so much here. There must be something else if it's not just an excuse. Maybe the cost of keeping so much inventory in such a big shop? Places at home are smaller operators.

 

[golgiaparatus]

Neither can I. But then again the guy who started the thread had them install a shifter cable...

Yeah, I know. Shifter cable can look like a bit more work if you dont understand how to adjust the Der which SO MANY people cant.

But a cleat adjustment? Thats about as hard as hanging a picture on the wall.

 

[Barbaton]

Neither can I. But then again the guy who started the thread had them install a shifter cable...

nope. reread. i didn't let the shop that wanted to install it do it, but bought the cable from the one I liked and did it myself.

 

[LordOpie]

Well, Santa Fe is also an absurdly expensive place to live...

hey, I'm gonna be in SF May 14-17 for the SF Century Got any recommendations of stuff to do/see?

But a cleat adjustment? Thats about as hard as hanging a picture on the wall.

come on man, we're talking about the health of knees here. It's not that simple.

 

[Echo]

Your in a big east cost city. Try charging less and being able to pay for the shops rent and paying your mechanics enough to pay rent and be happy. Health insurance and matching 401k aren't cheap. Also business almost comes to a halt for a few months every winter. Its a huge cash drain to keep the core group paid when there is so little money coming in. This winter was really bad with all the snow we got. So most of the cost has to do with the high cost of living and overhead in the state. No one is leaving that shop in a fancy car and going to their house on Beacon Hill or Lexington.

I'm with ya man and I totally understand... but arguing about that stuff with the people here is a waste of life.

 

[golgiaparatus]

come on man, we're talking about the health of knees here. It's not that simple.

But were also talking about 2 bolts and an allen wrench and about 5 minutes of time.

 

[LordOpie]

But were also talking about 2 bolts and an allen wrench and about 5 minutes of time.

Guess were talking about the difference between dropping your load on a chick you'll never see again and wanting to satisfy her so thoroughly that not only is she begging for it again the next day, but bringing beer and pizza with her.

 

[Bikebro]

But were also talking about 2 bolts and an allen wrench and about 5 minutes of time.

And surgery is just a sharp knife and some bandages.

 

[Ridemonkey]

Bike shops can never catch a break (and in general I'm no LBS fan). This is a business folks. People depend on these dollars to make a living. If you go to any other kind of store and buy shoes, they will put them in a bag for you. But the LBS has to transfer your cleats AND work with you on proper alignment? And that IS what we are talking about here - not just bolting on cleats but using specialized equipment and time to ensure the proper fit. My time is worth money, I would hope yours is too.

Reason # 1234324 I would never own a shop.

 

[riderx]

Guess were talking about the difference between dropping your load on a chick you'll never see again and wanting to satisfy her so thoroughly that not only is she begging for it again the next day, but bringing beer and pizza with her.

Post of the day!

 

[Barbaton]

hey, I'm gonna be in SF May 14-17 for the SF Century Got any recommendations of stuff to do/see?


come on man, we're talking about the health of knees here. It's not that simple.

Well let's see. Local paper has an events calendar for that weekend. Looks like you could see Kool and the Gang. You going to be up for more riding that weekend? There's lots of good trails around town... What are you interested in? Art? Spanish/Indian culture?

 

[golgiaparatus]

Guess were talking about the difference between dropping your load on a chick you'll never see again and wanting to satisfy her so thoroughly that not only is she begging for it again the next day, but bringing beer and pizza with her.

So basically your saying that in order for you to get it right on this chick you need to hire help with expensive special machinery?

Personally Idont need a special machine to get it right and I like to do it myself thanks.

 

[Ridemonkey]

But a cleat adjustment? Thats about as hard as hanging a picture on the wall.

You are wrong. I can adjust my cleats. You can adjust yours. Some people - like people with bad knees or people that are interested in a proper setup but without the knowledge to do so can take a more scientific approach. If they want that service - then there is nothing wrong with selling it to them. $30 to simply bolt on cleats is excessive, but that is not what we are talking about here.

If you are really so convinced that everything should be free, I'd like you to come over and mow my lawn. Please bring your mower, mine sucks.

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

Bike shops can never catch a break (and in general I'm no LBS fan). This is a business folks. People depend on these dollars to make a living.

Same thread, different service found 143412 x's on every MTB forum.

Its about the relationship you have with your LBS. If they are charging you, then well... there is your relationship.

My LBS rarely charges me for labor on small things, but I regularly bring beer to the shop. I also dont expect a discount when buying a $5-20 part. Hell they can even round up to the nearest dollar if they want. When I bought my whole bike, damn straight they hooked it up. Same thing when I went in to do about $1000 in upgrades at the beggining of the year. But when I needed a set of brake pads for my trip to NC, I didnt even blink twice when I was charged MSRP.

 

[golgiaparatus]

Some people - like people with bad knees or people that are interested in a proper setup but without the knowledge to do so can take a more scientific approach. If they want that service - then there is nothing wrong with selling it to them. $30 to simply bolt on cleats is excessive, but that is not what we are talking about here.

If you are really so convinced that everything should be free, I'd like you to come over and mow my lawn. Please bring your mower, mine sucks.

Sorry man, I have to heavily disagree... I HAVE a bad knee, pretty bad injury from swimming way too much breaststroke that will affect me for the rest of my life. Took about 2 rides to get my cleats right on my first pair of SPD's.

I am not at all convinced that everything should be free... But I am convinced that people should do their own basic work on their bike... its a simple mechanical device... sit down with it, play with it, its really simple.

As for cleats... that FAR more simple, but you can make it as complicated as you want.