I had a nice wheel build by a LBS:
DT Swiss Hugi FR 135 QR
Alpine III Spokes
Brass Nipples
Sun Singletrack Retail (welded and pinned)
This wheel has last a bit and only need to be trued once in the riding I did for most of the season (less rocky area). I moved back to NJ and rode one of my favorite trails in PA which is like 15 miles of rock gardens and got the wheel out of true (only second ride back in the area - both rides were in rocky terrain).
Wheels are about the only things I don't do myself since some people are far better at it than others (I've built one front wheel and rear, but they take me forever).
Anyhow, I took the wheel in to get trued - they true it. I go to take it out of my car when I get home and I notice they cracked the hub shell when they trued it. I might be wrong, but I think I remember there being a problem with some of the hugi hub shells.
The other thing is that the LBS moved and the mechanic I like to use moved to another shop during the move. The new mechanic isn't as good. He seems to do things the easy way when he knows better.
Good example - I bring him a rear hub to build - I've had this shop build 5 singletrack rim wheels in the past few years - every single time they've used the retail (pinned and welded version), so I don't even bother to remind them again. He builds up the wheel with the crap OEM pinned only rim. The mechanic tells me he thought it was weird cause the price was different than what the rim normally cost but tells me its the only rim QBP sell - I call sun and they tell me QBP still sells the retail edition too - the mechanic was making sh*t up...
I talk to the manager and the manager tell me to talk to the mechanic when he comes in. The mechanic tells me he sorry blah blah blah, more excuses and finally says he'll build/sell me the next rim for 10% over cost (which I don't think is that great but agree to it anyways).
Next screwup - I call him up - I have some wheels for him to true. He say bring them in - I do. He trues them but half asses as these are big rims, big tires and he doesn't bother to take off or at least deflate the tires he bitches and whines while doing it cause its a big mtb rim and he's a roadie and hates big tires and 20mm adapters he has to use etc... He was nice enough though and only charges me for truing one rim cause the front isn't that off...
Today - I bring in this wheel pictured (built by a different mechanic from the same shop - which I like much more than this guy). This time he says it would be good to true the wheel without the tire on and inflated - I say no problem - no big deal if you take it off... He's too lazy to take it off and trues it anyways. He notes that the other mechanic built the wheel almost to full lock on the nipples and its really tight. I get home and see the hub is cracked as I go to put it on my bike.
To top it off, I came this afternoon from a job interview - in formal clothes etc - he charges me MORE than the normal wheel charge and this time he had less wheels to true...
I called him about the cracking and all he said is that he can cut the hub out and send it to DT on Monday and I'll have to eat the true cost even though the wheel was never ridden and useless due to him truing it. DT will most likely not pay for a new rim (can't use this old one - not a good idea and the shop won't rebuild a used rim anyways) and my expensive Alpine III spokes - this wheel was probably good for at least a season more and now is toast due to this shops errors. What is reasonable to ask from the shop - what should I tell the manager?
DT Swiss Hugi FR 135 QR
Alpine III Spokes
Brass Nipples
Sun Singletrack Retail (welded and pinned)
This wheel has last a bit and only need to be trued once in the riding I did for most of the season (less rocky area). I moved back to NJ and rode one of my favorite trails in PA which is like 15 miles of rock gardens and got the wheel out of true (only second ride back in the area - both rides were in rocky terrain).
Wheels are about the only things I don't do myself since some people are far better at it than others (I've built one front wheel and rear, but they take me forever).
Anyhow, I took the wheel in to get trued - they true it. I go to take it out of my car when I get home and I notice they cracked the hub shell when they trued it. I might be wrong, but I think I remember there being a problem with some of the hugi hub shells.
The other thing is that the LBS moved and the mechanic I like to use moved to another shop during the move. The new mechanic isn't as good. He seems to do things the easy way when he knows better.
Good example - I bring him a rear hub to build - I've had this shop build 5 singletrack rim wheels in the past few years - every single time they've used the retail (pinned and welded version), so I don't even bother to remind them again. He builds up the wheel with the crap OEM pinned only rim. The mechanic tells me he thought it was weird cause the price was different than what the rim normally cost but tells me its the only rim QBP sell - I call sun and they tell me QBP still sells the retail edition too - the mechanic was making sh*t up...
I talk to the manager and the manager tell me to talk to the mechanic when he comes in. The mechanic tells me he sorry blah blah blah, more excuses and finally says he'll build/sell me the next rim for 10% over cost (which I don't think is that great but agree to it anyways).
Next screwup - I call him up - I have some wheels for him to true. He say bring them in - I do. He trues them but half asses as these are big rims, big tires and he doesn't bother to take off or at least deflate the tires he bitches and whines while doing it cause its a big mtb rim and he's a roadie and hates big tires and 20mm adapters he has to use etc... He was nice enough though and only charges me for truing one rim cause the front isn't that off...
Today - I bring in this wheel pictured (built by a different mechanic from the same shop - which I like much more than this guy). This time he says it would be good to true the wheel without the tire on and inflated - I say no problem - no big deal if you take it off... He's too lazy to take it off and trues it anyways. He notes that the other mechanic built the wheel almost to full lock on the nipples and its really tight. I get home and see the hub is cracked as I go to put it on my bike.
To top it off, I came this afternoon from a job interview - in formal clothes etc - he charges me MORE than the normal wheel charge and this time he had less wheels to true...
I called him about the cracking and all he said is that he can cut the hub out and send it to DT on Monday and I'll have to eat the true cost even though the wheel was never ridden and useless due to him truing it. DT will most likely not pay for a new rim (can't use this old one - not a good idea and the shop won't rebuild a used rim anyways) and my expensive Alpine III spokes - this wheel was probably good for at least a season more and now is toast due to this shops errors. What is reasonable to ask from the shop - what should I tell the manager?
