motomike said:
Whats the problem with bike shops!
- Thread starter brokeONE
- Start date
It's the diagnosing of problems with them that is the hardest. Did you know that there are 2 types of Shimano Dura-Ace 10 Speed chains that are not compatible? How do you know one from the other? Not many people do. You'd be surprised. This has been a big discussion between the mechanics in our shop lately. I had a customer come in yesterday that rebuilds Porche race cars and couldn't figure out how to adjust his rear derailleur. This is going to be a no-win argument for either side anyways...BurlyShirley said:
mike way to stick up for the shop goonies. im with ya 110% its not as easy as it looks.
F' Sponsorhouse. Why should I pay someone else to do what I can do?
Not trying to have an "e-battle", flame war or anything close. I have a great deal of respect for you and what you have contributed to our local cycling scene.dhbuilder said:
I guess by different era you mean last Wednesday, because that's the last time I saw you using their equipment.dhbuilder said:
I guess I feel the same way.dhbuilder said:
It's 50 bucks year.profro said:
Point 1.Sending out resumes costs like 10 to 20 bucks, so you end up really paying like 30 more then usual.
Point 2. A ton of sponsors use it, and some use it exclusively.
3. No sending back and forth contracts, they use digital signature.
4. It makes ordering and getting in contact with people so easy. They have a list of your sponsor; each listing has all contact info, contract info, etc. But the best feature is how easy it is to order stuff, just log in, order what you want and wait for it to be shipped.
For lazy people like me its great!
Thats a tire.jmtf40 said:
Plus for me, who already has sponsors who don't use Sponsorhouse, its sucks to sign up for the service for only some of my sponsors. If all of them were on there then maybe.... but to spend an EXTRA $50 for 1 or 2 sponsors when I already have to spend money for paper sponsorship packets for the rest of my sponsors, its pretty lame. :mumble:
Some of last years sponsors which didn't use Sponosorhouse now are and its putting a lot of us in a bind.
seabass you are now making a complete joke out of yourself and every thing that you've opined in this thread. i haven't done buisness with the harpers shop in a couple of years now. i don't know who you saw in there last wed. but it damn sure wasn't me. this has the potential to get rather ugly, there is a lot of dirty laundry here that was buried long ago, and it is all of our best interest that it stays just that,BURIED. i know their take on this and they know mine. it's a bed that we've both made for ourselves. it's a shame that things evolved the way they did, but that's just the way it goes. like i said a few posts back, there's sooooo much you don't know.
Whoa, big guy. Please go back and reread this thread. I didn't mention Harpers anywhere. You said you don't want to pay for services and I responded that I thought that was funny, as you use the bike shops tools FOR FREE. If you weren't in the Bike Zoo Wednesday before last with your Yeti in their stand using their tools, then my apologies.dhbuilder said:
I have to disagree with you on that. I know some people that are "mechanically chalenged", and could never work on bikes well. I also know some mechs that can do work on forks.BurlyShirley said:
I have also heard/been on both sides of the mech and coustomer problems, and most coustomers usually are ignorant, like wanting to buy a whole new bike because of something rubbing or wanting wider tires/rims. So there is some stuff like that and that is what is annoying to mechs.
Personally I wouldn't really trust dropping my DH bike off at a bike shop, and luckily for me I know how do do my own work and my best freind has been working at a bike shop for 2 or 3 years. And supporting bike shops is all about pricce, if I can get a deal online or from a frend I go to the lowest price since I am poor anyway.
my bad. but the bike zoo is not the shop in question here. i bought a head set from them and was using the only tool i don't have. a head set press. steve bacon is also my wheelbuilder. he does an outstanding job. but i pay full retail in there as do you and just about eveyone else who walks through the door. they have never made false claims of support nor have they ridden to glory on the backs of others hard work. and they are the best bike wrenches in town. they are just not geared toward d.h.riding and i understand why. the original spew came from a minion of another shop. i owe you an apology(something i don't do very often. but you deserve it). any one who knows me knows i can be the biggest @$$hole you'd ever want to meet, and i'm not afraid to dive into a headbutting contest. maybe not personality traits to be proud of , but hey we are what we are.
Apology accepted. I didn't realize Harpers was the subject matter, so, I supose I owe you an apology as well. Regardless, thanks for giving something to do at work today.dhbuilder said:
Also keep me in your prayers as I attempt the 12 hour race Saturday. 12 hours of singlespeed pain.
So what are you saying, Joey? You have bodies buried at WR? I've used stuff as big as refrigerators for filler before but never gone that far! (mental note: never cross a man with a moustache and power tools. mental note II: don't look closely at filler in dubs after the Bulkhead). :evil:dhbuilder said:
5/8" all thread rod, two blocks of wood, some big washers, two nuts, and patience. Works like a champ!dhbuilder said:
I agree with the fact that many bike shops are clueless to why business is slow or why they have a weak local customer base. I managed a shop in Gainesville, FL for 3 years and know a good bit about how tough it is to run a shop.
I recently moved to a small town in North Atlanta and ran into a similar situation. I was so surprised that this small shop (Outspokin Bikes) charged me $70 to straighten my hanger, replace the SS cable, and housing for the rear der. cable (yeah, ouch!). I gave the owner a chance to adjust his price by politely asking if a hanger straightening included read der adjustment (an additional $14 charge). He said no the price listed is what I needed to pay, and that's the last they'll ever see of my business.
It's sad that they charge such exorbitant prices. I am lazy enough to pay someone to fix my bike even though I can easily do it myself, but overcharging like that is just a quick way to alienate customers.
I recently moved to a small town in North Atlanta and ran into a similar situation. I was so surprised that this small shop (Outspokin Bikes) charged me $70 to straighten my hanger, replace the SS cable, and housing for the rear der. cable (yeah, ouch!). I gave the owner a chance to adjust his price by politely asking if a hanger straightening included read der adjustment (an additional $14 charge). He said no the price listed is what I needed to pay, and that's the last they'll ever see of my business.
It's sad that they charge such exorbitant prices. I am lazy enough to pay someone to fix my bike even though I can easily do it myself, but overcharging like that is just a quick way to alienate customers.
I can defintely relate to encountering bad shops but it usually only takes one encounter & most of the time you can tell once you walk in & talk a little whether they have a clue or not. That's why I drive hour to Paul's in Winston to have my junk tuned. Mike & Zack actually ride bikes other than xc or road. Given shops with XC mech's maybe ok but thats not the type of mech I want tuning on my stuff because odds are your bike maybe the first big bike they have worked on. What I'm trying to say is check out the shop which is as simple as going in, looking around & talking with the guys. Find one that has your same interest & then you can feel assured that your stuff will be taken care of.
Regarding price, once you have id a shop with similar interest start building that relationship, heck tell them your looking for a shop to do continued business with & give them some information about yourself & your riding. I'm sure they'll work with you & cut you some deals. Think about it a shop is in business to make money so you should expect most things to be marked at retail but that doesn't mean there not open to working with you...hell you can cut a deal at Wal-mart if you are serious about it! And yeah the mail order do have killer prices but don't forget to factor in shipping & if you need a mech to put it on for you then factor in that cost...so the killer price might not be that killer.
Your easy solution is to just move close to Winston & go to Paul's & see Mike or Zack...problem solved...good deals & killer mech's!
Regarding price, once you have id a shop with similar interest start building that relationship, heck tell them your looking for a shop to do continued business with & give them some information about yourself & your riding. I'm sure they'll work with you & cut you some deals. Think about it a shop is in business to make money so you should expect most things to be marked at retail but that doesn't mean there not open to working with you...hell you can cut a deal at Wal-mart if you are serious about it! And yeah the mail order do have killer prices but don't forget to factor in shipping & if you need a mech to put it on for you then factor in that cost...so the killer price might not be that killer.
Your easy solution is to just move close to Winston & go to Paul's & see Mike or Zack...problem solved...good deals & killer mech's!
Sponsorhouse has their act together. I see your point, and I'm not trying to say 50 or 30 bucks is nothing. For those getting into the sport or were like me, and just starting to apply for sponsorship, sponsorhouse is appealing, and definately saves time. One more plus is that sponsors look through the sponsorhouse system to send out offers(basicly a database for them to scout out). I would re-new for next year, but I am probably not racing for a little while.profro said:
Yea, I did even worse than you, I dated a politician (chick) for awhile. Got tired of trying to hide everything from everyone.d.e.f. said:HELL NO!
I dated a 'political' chick for a while and got to meet some of those 'insider' cats. I don't want to associate with people like that!
wow...worthless thread....lots of windblowing.
To the guy who said Jenson and Pricepoint are honest and handy and local shops charging retail are ripping people off...wow, you are pretty dumb for making that statement.
To the guy who said Jenson and Pricepoint are honest and handy and local shops charging retail are ripping people off...wow, you are pretty dumb for making that statement.
here is a word of advice from your friendly local shop patron.
if you get work done on your bike, inspect the work before paying for it. if there is a ghetto spacer or old ring or something and you would like it done a different way then let them do it again until it is right. It is difficult here in the asheville area now that we dont have the Fred/Joe mo team around. Those 2 and one other are the only people i would let touch my bikes. As far as parts go well, go mail order if thats what ya need to do but dont bitch when your local shop wont install it for free.
if you get work done on your bike, inspect the work before paying for it. if there is a ghetto spacer or old ring or something and you would like it done a different way then let them do it again until it is right. It is difficult here in the asheville area now that we dont have the Fred/Joe mo team around. Those 2 and one other are the only people i would let touch my bikes. As far as parts go well, go mail order if thats what ya need to do but dont bitch when your local shop wont install it for free.
I did inspect most of it. They told me I could have the teeth ground down on the outer ring and use it for a bash guard. It was not Marshall that worked on it , I think it was Alex or something like that.
Epic cycles Is a good bike shop for complete bikes., I don't know how there mechanics are ,but I haven't heard anything bad about them.
Epic cycles Is a good bike shop for complete bikes., I don't know how there mechanics are ,but I haven't heard anything bad about them.
The part about the 8speed/9speed is silly, you lost me there. I would never do something like that just like I wouldn't put a supermonster on road bike. I understand your frustration but you're not handling it very well. Sounds like you went to a bad shop, try another and see how it pans out for ya.brokeONE said:
i have never had an issue with marshall working on my bike. he is a good mechanic and has been turning wrenches for a long time. you should discuss the issue with marty. as far as alex goes, i dont know him and therefore would not let him touch my bike.brokeONE said:
The guys at epic are good guys. I have had some minor emergency work done there and they got right to it while i waited and the job was done right.
The reason I wanted a 9speed shifter was, because I'm planning on switching the bike over to a 9 spped at a later time. The only cassette I had laying around was a 8 speed. A 9 speed shifter will work just fine on a 8 speed drive terrain. I've used the setup before.
The spacing between gears on an 8 and 9 speed driveTRAIN are different and therefore the shifting will NEVER work right. You can get one gear to work and a few other gears to ALMOST hit but you will never get it to actually work as intended or even close. That was my point, if you are uneducated (as far as bike mechainics go) enough to ask a mechanic to do something like that then your opinion of a mechanic's abilities and technical knowledge means very little to me.
broken one; aside from what someone recently posted about this thread being worthless. it obviously struck a nerve with a lot of people on both sides of the workbench. just the number of posts shows that. shops that do responsible work have been given recognition, and the others have been outed for future customers to be wary of. (and i learned how to rig a headset press.) hopefully those who aren't so mechanically inclined will do a little asking around before just dropping off their bike at any shop. and shop that are less than professional will get their act together. we're lucky here in knoxville the two main shops in our area aren't "rip offs". but in other regions it sound like the old saying "let the buyer beware" still holds true.
I got out of one of the 'rip off shops'. Its hard being an honest mechanic/salesman and having to deal w/ the guilt by association, both in the shop as well as on the trail. It is kind of funny to have everyone I run into now say they are glad I got out of there. Although not having parts at cost is starting to suck.dhbuilder said:
Joey, I've also heard of building a homemade headset press like the other doug recommends, but I was always skeptical, espically with a nice frame. I've installed one w/ a hardbound book and a hammer.....but that was an entry level bike when I was in highschool. I guess I'll have to try it when/if I get a new frame.
There is nothing wrong with the homemade headset press. Works just like the "real" thing just not as slick. To make the whole job easier put the cups in the freezer for a couple hours before installation and they will fall right in.d.e.f. said:
be very careful when "rigging" a headset press. Make sure that you press both of the cups in at the SAME TIME. They aren't really designed to have high loads on the outer lip of the cups, just the bearings inside which they house. That is one of the reasons why they make headset presses and the fittings which they use. It really isn't that hard to deform a headset cup(like a Chris King, etc.). If it works, awesome, but damm it would suck if it didn't...
Joey, believe me....I'm itchin'!dhbuilder said:
I started w/ cross country and thats still as fun as ever and my fitness is getting back to where it was a few years ago. But I really do miss testing my skills and progressing as much as I did on a big bike. Its been a blast taking the skills and riding style I developed over those 3 years up there and transfering it to the xc world. Taking a 4" travel bike to and past its limits has been pretty damn fun. I do miss riding a dh bike, and hopefully soon I can afford one again. But I'm still enjoying myself riding what I've got...just got back from a nice little slippery night ride w/a big sh_t eating grin on my face.
d.e.f. said:
to many jokes in that quote regarding std's
.anyway i know what you mean Doug,i have been thinking i would like to get back on a big bike but just don't see it happening
I've installed Kings and Woodman headsets with my home made press in high dollar frames. Using wood as the pressing surface helps to even the load across the bearings and as long as you take your time and even with an extra set of hands it works like a champ. But take your time and don't hesitate to start over and over until the cups seat straight.motomike said:
doug; the next time i'm killin time in my shop, i'm going to make some oaK "inserts" that can be bonded to the washers that will spread the loading force down into the bearing area of the headset. i have an old cane creek h.s. race to fit it to. if i can make it fit i'll make some extras for you.
dhbuilder said: