[jstuhlman]

hah! my rear one will go mushy on me if i flip the bike over to work in it; a few grabs on the lever when it's right side up fixes it. not the front one...prolly just needs some air released and a bit moar fluid.

and yeah...you're gonna want your brakes on farlow!

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

hah! my rear one will go mushy on me if i flip the bike over to work in it; a few grabs on the lever when it's right side up fixes it. not the front one...prolly just needs some air released and a bit moar fluid.

and yeah...you're gonna want your brakes on farlow!

Dude that rear Hope was so screwed that I ran a full bottle of fluid through it and changed the seals, had two other mechanics work on it, sent it back to Hope service center, and still failed.

Riding Farlow with only a front brake is like tying to cut an onion with a table saw. It's doable, but not recommended by anyone with a brainstem.

 

[jdcamb]

It seems brakes that work. are better then ones that don't. Almost unpossible to imageon.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

It seems brakes that work. are better then ones that don't. Almost unpossible to imageon.

Oh just stop it...

 

[jdcamb]

Oh just stop it...

Just a casual obfucksion.

 

[DaveW]

I know this has been beat to death before, but...

I decided that I'd like to replace my HFX brakes with Shimano XT. I have a local bike store that I like to support, so I asked for a parts estimate.

For two BR-785B brakes and a 160 and a 203 mm RT-866 6 bolt Ice-Tech rotor, the estimate (sourcing from QBP, I think) was $560.

JensonUSA price is $306, and stated MSRP per JensonUSA is $390.

So if I purchase through LBS, it would increase my cost by roughly 80%., and I don't understand why their pricing would be 44% over MSRP.

I want to support my LBS, but...

Odd pricing?
In my shop I retail the 785 XT brakes (minus the rotor) at NZD $199.90 per end.... and according to the currency converter
199.90 NZD = 154.01 USD total $308.02
Rotors would bump it up a bit more of course but not another $260US!!!!!

I would have said my shop was average pricewise for an LBS

However that said not all shops get the same wholesale pricing..... could be they are not getting "Shimano service center" pricing (or whatever the local equivalency is) or getting screwed on freight charges? There can be a myriad of reasons why they are that high, it might not just be a case of shop owner greed.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

There can be a myriad of reasons why they are that high, it might not just be a case of shop owner greed.

Magnets

 

[DaveW]

Magnetism you can't explain that.

 

[MMike]

 

[CBJ]

Pinch flat on the way to work so since I do not have the tools at work I dropped off the bike. I also had a creaky bb that needed to be taken out and regreased.

First the sales assistant immediately tried to tell me I needed a new BB.

They just called me to tell me I needed new break pads front and rear which is BS.

For a tube installed and the bb in and out 46 Dollars this is on a 300 Dollar bike.

So much for supporting the LBS.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

Pinch flat on the way to work so since I do not have the tools at work I dropped off the bike. I also had a creaky bb that needed to be taken out and regreased.

First the sales assistant immediately tried to tell me I needed a new BB.

They just called me to tell me I needed new break pads front and rear which is BS.

For a tube installed and the bb in and out 46 Dollars this is on a 300 Dollar bike.

So much for supporting the LBS.

Jeebus that's steep. I had a friend who couldn't work on his 60.00 garage sale, commuter bike so he took it to an LBS and they charged him 350.00 for not a whole lot of work and cheap parts.

 

[4130biker]

Jeebus that's steep. I had a friend who couldn't work on his 60.00 garage sale, commuter bike so he took it to an LBS and they charged him 350.00 for not a whole lot of work and cheap parts.

That's pretty f'd! Hopefully they had a coversation with him about just getting a new bike for the same or less.

 

[vinny4130]

Perhaps when the cheap yard sale bike needs work and you yourself can't do it, the "good deal" bike really wasn't a good deal in the first place. Or maybe your POS bike isn't worth the time and energy to make work/safe, and the shop guy is only trying to say it without saying it.
When someone finds an old car in a: barn, shed, field, garage, you don't drop it off at Jiffy Lube and tell them to "just do a tune up" and expect the next day.
Or maybe the shop guy is a douch. /rant

 

[Da Peach]

I paid my LBS to assemble and install my warranty replacement XTR brakes. I could give rants-a-pleNty about the warranty, but won't...

The ASSEMBLY I paid for (on warranty brakes...) yielded a poorly bled set of the crown jewel of brakes.

I brought it back today to get them re-bled.

Should I bill them for my time and fuel? They charged me shipping, assembly and fluid on brakes that were supposed to be covered under warranty.

Getting close to the cost just buying a replacement XTR trail off chainreaction when it first failed 5 months ago.

"l"BS...

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

I paid my LBS to assemble and install my warranty replacement XTR brakes. I could give rants-a-pleNty about the warranty, but won't...

The ASSEMBLY I paid for (on warranty brakes...) yielded a poorly bled set of the crown jewel of brakes.

I brought it back today to get them re-bled.

Should I bill them for my time and fuel? They charged me shipping, assembly and fluid on brakes that were supposed to be covered under warranty.

Getting close to the cost just buying a replacement XTR trail off chainreaction when it first failed 5 months ago.

"l"BS...

Sounds to me like your socks might be too short.

 

[Jm_]

hah! my rear one will go mushy on me if i flip the bike over to work in it; a few grabs on the lever when it's right side up fixes it. not the front one...prolly just needs some air released and a bit moar fluid.

and yeah...you're gonna want your brakes on farlow!

Yes, I read the instructions for my XTR brakes actually and it says this.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

So now WTF am I going to do with the set of brakes I ordered?

 

[DaveW]

Sell them on craigslist for $40.

 

[stevew]

So now WTF am I going to do with the set of brakes I ordered?

send them back.

 

[Nick]

So now WTF am I going to do with the set of brakes I ordered?

Whatever you get to replace the Heckler, get without brakes.
Use your new brakes.
BOOM goes the dynamite.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Yerp. Looked at used bikes on PinkBike and eBay, everyone seems to be selling off 26ers, no 27.5s, absolutely no idea what I will wind up buying. It'll probably be new.

 

[Westy]

LBS mafia strikes again.

 

[mandown]

Magnets

 

[Da Peach]

So now WTF am I going to do with the set of brakes I ordered?

Sell them to your LBS?

Sounds to me like your socks might be too short.

I get the feeling I'm not getting this...

Perhaps also due to sock length? Shit...

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

I get the feeling I'm not getting this...

Perhaps also due to sock length? Shit...

It's an Enduro thing, you wouldn't understand.

 

[jstuhlman]

Sell them to your LBS?

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

View attachment 119546
I have this set of XT 4 pot brakes. Adapter for the size rotors you want and all. Bled and ready to go. Very powerful. Arguably the best brake set ever made. They are yours if you want them. #Courtesy Phone Failure

After seeing this post I thought of my XT brakes, an even older version than those. I bought them new on closeout five years ago and was gloating to myself a wee bit as to how well they've held up.

A day I later noticed that the rear lever is getting mushy and has a tiny leak. I really like these older XTs, they have long levers and are very simple and easy to work on. Looks like I might have to suck it uo and buy some of those stubby one finger lever brakes. I don't like the idea of only one finger on the rear.

 

[jdcamb]

After seeing this post I thought of my XT brakes, an even older version than those. I bought them new on closeout five years ago and was gloating to myself a wee bit as to how well they've held up.

A day I later noticed that the rear lever is getting mushy and has a tiny leak. I really like these older XTs, they have long levers and are very simple and easy to work on. Looks like I might have to suck it uo and buy some of those stubby one finger lever brakes. I don't like the idea of only one finger on the rear.

Just replace the lever with a SLX one. SLX is cheap and decent enough for most folks....

 

[boostindoubles]

Sorry LBS, just PB'ed a set of xtr cranks

 

[6thElement]

A day I later noticed that the rear lever is getting mushy and has a tiny leak. I really like these older XTs, they have long levers and are very simple and easy to work on. Looks like I might have to suck it uo and buy some of those stubby one finger lever brakes. I don't like the idea of only one finger on the rear.

You can get trekking versions of the newer Shimano brakes that come with longer levers.

 

[CBJ]

Interesting never knew about that option. That is what I would get too if my Formula didn't work really well.

 

[Sandwich]

replace whatever comes on the new bike with the xts...it's worth it. Sometimes I'm shocked that anybody rides anything other than shimano brakes. Dead simple, reliable, and powerful. Very little not to like. Maybe not as robust as a full on set of DH brakes, but no DOT fluid, commonly available...blah blah.

As for the LBS, my most recent experience involved walking into the shop I bought my $3500 specialized from, standing at the counter for 5 minutes, have 6 people ignore me before I finally caught my sales guy and got him to answer my question. This is one of the busiest shops in Boston/New England, and they have no time to help out a paying customer....so fuck 'em, buy the shit online and learn how to do it yourself. The cost of a new tool is pretty similar to the cost of having them service it, and if they don't want to help customers, than I can get that level of service online.

There's a much shittier shop down the street where I go to have work done, buy small parts like cables and housing and tubes and cages...I just don't get the attitude.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Brakes got here today from bike-discount, nine days after order.

 

[Wumpus]

Just curious. Are they in Shimano boxes or plastic bags?

 

[johnbryanpeters]

In boxes. not takeoffs.

More silliness: Needed some gloves, which I bought without looking at price before getting home:.

• LBS tag says price is $29.99.
• Receipt says $26.99, "Total savings $3.00".
• Manufacturer's tag USD $22.95.

I think I must have failed in math or something.

 

[Colonel Angus]

I still buy tubes and stuff from the local shop.

What are these "tubes" you speak of?

 

[6thElement]

Tube socks, for riding in cold weather.

 

[Nick]

I thought it was for "tube TOPS" ... for sexy, tanned shoulders.

 

[Wumpus]

In boxes. not takeoffs.

Didn't figure they were takeoffs, but the OEM stuff I've seen is in bags. More curious if they were getting it straight from Shimano.

 

[Westy]

What are these "tubes" you speak of?

He has a shed for them