Labor charge on headset install

[A. Antonovitz]

What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
appreciated.

Tony A.

 

[Bluenose]

I just recently purchased a new threadless fork (on eBay) which req'd a new headset which I bought
at my LBS. They gave me a 20% discount on the headset and charged me AUS$5.00 to fit the new fork
and headset. They also did this while I waited. They look after me very well.

Cheers

"A. Antonovitz" wrote:
>
> What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
> quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
> appreciated.
>
> Tony A.

 

[Bruce Lange]

Depends - it could be reasonable - are they facing or reaming the headtube? I assume they have to
set the crown race, that would be part of it. Are they removing a crown race from the old fork?
Adjusting the headset or just seating the cups? They may be thinking about more things than you are
- double check.

-Bruce-

"A. Antonovitz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:050220042223365722%[email protected]...
> What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
> quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
> appreciated.
>
> Tony A.

 

[S. Anderson]

"A. Antonovitz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:050220042223365722%[email protected]...
> What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
> quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
> appreciated.
>
> Tony A.

Seems high to me. Is this top quality stuff?? If it's average quality stuff, I'd say $20 would be
more typical. If you've got quality stuff and it's a good shop, $40 might be worth it.

Cheers,

Scott..

 

[R15757]

Tony,

IMO, that is a ludicrous price [1]. The going rate is about 20$, and even that is an ass-ream if you
think about it too hard. Likely this is an employee who thinks you might be an easy mark and hopes
to make a wad of twenties on the side, or else the price-gouge is the work of a shop owner who,
hoping most everyone will be easy marks, ups the ante on the prices for elementary repairs and
everything else in the shop to ass-ream levels in a futile attempt to pay rent. In any case, you
don't have to take this shite. In fact, please don't, despite those who insist we should just bend
over for the local lbs (lest there come a day when we won't be able to get bent over by them any
more). Punish this vendor by fashioning your own headset press from a few dollars worth of parts
from a hardware store. A recent thread described how to do it and exactly what parts to shoplift
from Home Depot.[2] Or buy a "real" headset press for about 100$, it will pay for itself over the
years. Headsets ain't rocket science. Or just go to another shop.

Robert

[1] Well, maybe the frame needed some prep or it was some kind of alien headset that required
bizarre incantations.

[2] (smiley.)

 

[Werehatrack]

On Thu, 05 Feb 2004 22:23:36 -0500, "A. Antonovitz"
<[email protected]> may have said:

>What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
>quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
>appreciated.

If that's for installation of the headset and fork, on a virgin frame which should have the head
tube faced first, then I would not consider it out of line at all.

If that's just to press the cups into the head tube with no other work, on a frame whose fork will
be out when the job is brought in, I'd call it high.

To really give an accurate answer would need a bit more information, and even then it's the shop
owner's choice to decide how much needs to be charged in order to be profitable, and the customer's
decision as to whether to accept that price and pay it...or go elsewhere, or do the job at home.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Yes, I have a killfile. If I don't respond to something,
it's also possible that I'm busy.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

 

[A Muzi]

A. Antonovitz wrote:
> What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
> quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
> appreciated.

That's a bit high for: measure with Campagnolo gauges, press, measure and cut fork, lube and install
. But it's cheap for mill three faces plus the above.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[W A S A T C H]

"R15757" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tony, ......Punish this vendor by fashioning your own headset press from a few dollars worth of
> parts from a hardware store.....

This might help-

http://www.mindspring.com/~d.g1/headset.html

-Nate

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

Tony-<< What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I
was quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. >><BR><BR>

Need to face the headtube and fork crown race?

If yes, a wee bit high, but the tools to do the above properly, including the HS press don't
come cheap.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

r15757-<< IMO, that is a ludicrous price [1]. The going rate is about 20$, and even that is an ass-
ream if you think about it too hard. >><BR><BR> << Punish this vendor by fashioning your own headset
press from a few dollars worth of parts from a hardware store. >><BR><BR>

Be sure to get the proper tool to fashion your own head tube facer and fork crown race facer as well
or get a supply of HS, cuz yer gonna need them.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Kyle.B.H]

"A. Antonovitz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:050220042223365722%[email protected]...
> What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
> quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
> appreciated.
>
> Tony A.

Keep in mind, this price includes insurance, whereas doing it your self doesn't. If they wreck your
frame or your headset, they're replacing it. Not true if you f it up.

Kyle

 

[Kinky Cowboy]

On Thu, 05 Feb 2004 22:23:36 -0500, "A. Antonovitz"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
>quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
>appreciated.
>
>Tony A.

Depends how much the headset costs, and how much your frame is worth. My shop fitted a Chris King
into my bare frame and cut the steerer on my new fork to suit my requirements, and phoned me first
from the workshop to double check that I really did want no spacers, for the price of the headset
plus £15 GBP, and they also charged £15 more for the headset than the best online price. On a cheap
headset where there is no chance to make more than a couple of dollars profit, maybe they would
charge more. Bearing in mind that frame+fork+headset amounted to over £1200 worth of kit, I was
happy to pay a £30 premium over DIY, even though I already own a headset press and crown race
setter. If I'd been putting a $10 headset into my old beat up road bike, I'd have done it myself,
and bodged together a headset press from hardware store supplies if necessary.

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included May contain traces of nuts Your milage may vary

 

[Andre]

Here's my DIY method.

1. buy one of those huge long bolts from an industrial nut and bolt shop that is about an inch
longer than your headtube. Get the matching nut. Also get washers that fit over the top and
bottom of the headtube.
2. The above serves as the cup press. Hand press the cups into the headtube top and bottom. Slide
the bolt through, securing the washers against the cups top and bottom using the nut.
3. Using two large (12 inch) adjustable wrenches, carefully torque against the bolt and nut to press
the cups into the headtube. Make sure the cups are sliding in square. Due to the amount of torque
being applied, if the cups go off-square, you could ruin them.
4. If you have to install the fork race, here's a cheap (dangerous) solution. Use an old frame with
cups installed. Slide the race onto the new fork. Carefully slide the steerer of the new fork
through the old frame headtube. Wail on the race as precisely as you can, using the frame.
Assuming the race is steel, it can take the beating. Of course, make sure the cup in the old
frame is not contacting the bearing surface. You will have to apply a huge amount of force for
this to work, as the frame lacks the mass of a dedicated tool for this task. As it is an
interference fit, you will have to be patient, precise, and strong.

The above is only cost effective if you will be installing several headsets yourself over the years.
Also, I'm a DIY guy anyway.

--
--------------------------
Andre Charlebois BPE, MCSE4.0, CNA, A+ webmaster for Triathlon New Brunswick www.TriNB.com "A.
Antonovitz" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:050220042223365722%[email protected]...
> What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
> quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
> appreciated.
>
> Tony A.

 

[Tom Paterson]

>From: [email protected]

(attributed to "r15757"): << IMO, that is a ludicrous price [1]. The <<going rate is about 20$, and
<<even that is an ass-ream if you think about it too hard.>>

(Possibly continuing, unsure of att. pls forgive grevious error):

<< Punish this vendor by fashioning your own headset pressfrom a few dollars
>worth of parts from a hardware store. >>

(Vecchio responded):
>Be sure to get the proper tool to fashion your own head tube facer and forkcrown race facer as well
>or get a supply of HS, cuz yer gonna need them.

>Be sure to get the proper tool to fashion your own head tube facer and forkcrown race facer as well
>or get a >supply of HS, cuz yer gonna need them.

Too-shay. Forty bucks to "make it work" and guarantee the job is lunch money, especially on "strange
stuff" brought into a shop. Plumbers, electricians, auto repair: priced any of that lately? (Look
further into the Yellow Pages, past Ass Ream: you know-- a,b,c,d, etc.etc.) --TP

 

[Alex Rodriguez]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>"A. Antonovitz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:050220042223365722%[email protected]...
>> What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
>> quoted$40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
>> appreciated. Tony A.
>Seems high to me. Is this top quality stuff?? If it's average quality stuff, I'd say $20 would be
>more typical. If you've got quality stuff and it's a good shop, $40 might be worth it.

I don't see why having quality stuff would up the cost. If anything, I would think it would be
cheaper since quality stuff is expected to fit better as well as work better. So less work should be
needed to get it in the frame properly.
-------------
Alex

 

[Tom Paterson]

>From: [email protected] (Tom Paterson)

My text was not purified. I have wasted electrons. I will clean my reading glasses and allow no
further interruptions. --TP

 

[Jim Beam]

on the cheap tool theme, a headset remover can be made out of 1" steel conduit. use condit because
it's not too thick. hacksaw two slots into one end like you see on the shop tool headset removers.
then spread the ends so they will fit snugly inside the head tube. 8' for ~$2.

W A S A T C H wrote:
> "R15757" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>>Tony, ......Punish this vendor by fashioning your own headset press from a few dollars worth of
>>parts from a hardware store.....
>
>
> This might help-
>
> http://www.mindspring.com/~d.g1/headset.html
>
> -Nate

 

[Mike Krueger]

<< What is a reasonable charge to install a headset on a frame/fork with no headset present? I was
quoted $40 at a local LBS- not including the headset. Seems high to me. Any comment would be
appreciated. Tony A. >>

What's $40 on a bike that costs over $1000? If this job is not done correctly, you can ruin a new
headset pretty quickly. I'm quite self-sufficient with bike mainenence, but I also know when to
defer to an expert. My LBS is always there when I have a problem I can't resolve myself. He is also
a one-man operation with a lease, overhead, and a family to feed. He charges $40 to face a head
tube, cut the fork steerer, and install a new headset. Seems reasonable to me.

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Bruce Lange wrote:

> Depends - it could be reasonable - are they facing or reaming the headtube? I assume they have to
> set the crown race, that would be part of it. Are they removing a crown race from the old fork?
> Adjusting the headset or just seating the cups? They may be thinking about more things than you
> are - double check.

Seconded. Brand new frames need facing, if only to remove paint from the top and bottom of the head
tube. Some are wildly out of parallel and need a lot of facing - I once had a frame where it was
impossible to tighten the headset without it binding up, and it constantly unscrewed itself when
riding. I had the head tube faced by a decent LBS and it never gave any further trouble.

 

[David Reuteler]

Mike Krueger <[email protected]> wrote:
: What's $40 on a bike that costs over $1000? If this job is not done correctly,

it really does come down to whether they'll do the job correctly and well enuf to warrant $40.

i know a lot of shops that'll do a shitty job AND take your $40.

we don't have enuf context to answer the OP's question. the price isn't so high as to never be
warranted but it is high enuf to raise flags so it depends largely on what they're charging you for
everything else you've ever had 'em do. if they're taking care of you .. it's no big deal.

(i just love walking into threads and saying the obvious)
--
david reuteler [email protected]