J
Jim
Guest
My wife's friend decided to get into cycling and brought up her trusty
21 speed bike from the basement, where it had been gathering dust.
It's a low-end bike shop bike. First thing she did was take it to a
local shop (Fairport, NY) for the $129.99 + 8.25% sales tax tune up
"special". Here's what they did:
The tires were old and cracking. They put on a cheap new set + tubes.
So far so good.
It was dusty from sitting. They took a power washer (!!!) to it. She
has no details on spraying the hub areas, bottom bracket or headset.
Adjusted the cables, they stretch, you know. I'll buy that.
What they didn't do:
Clean the filthy and now rusting chain. Didn't lubricate, either. It
squeaked quite loudly. It was an old-style chain, too wide for a
removable link and I replaced it with a SRAM chain + removable link.
Clean the caked-on dirt from the jockey pulleys, chainring and
cluster. No comment needed.
True the wheels. The rear wheel has a bad case of wobble and bobble.
Even the front wheel was out of true. I'll let them take care of
that.
They messed up on both derailleur limit screws. In the back the chain
could be shifted between the cluster and spokes. In the front it was
difficult to get on the large chainring and the chain continuously
rubbed on it.
Now I'm afraid of what else will turn up. I am picturing opening up a
wheel hub and finding dried-out grease and rusty ball bearings. Bottom
bracket and headset, too. Aren't pressure washers wonderful things?
Now that I'm done venting, what does the R.B.T. gang think. Meethinks
she got ripped off. How often does this kind of nonsense happen?
Ciao,
Jim
21 speed bike from the basement, where it had been gathering dust.
It's a low-end bike shop bike. First thing she did was take it to a
local shop (Fairport, NY) for the $129.99 + 8.25% sales tax tune up
"special". Here's what they did:
The tires were old and cracking. They put on a cheap new set + tubes.
So far so good.
It was dusty from sitting. They took a power washer (!!!) to it. She
has no details on spraying the hub areas, bottom bracket or headset.
Adjusted the cables, they stretch, you know. I'll buy that.
What they didn't do:
Clean the filthy and now rusting chain. Didn't lubricate, either. It
squeaked quite loudly. It was an old-style chain, too wide for a
removable link and I replaced it with a SRAM chain + removable link.
Clean the caked-on dirt from the jockey pulleys, chainring and
cluster. No comment needed.
True the wheels. The rear wheel has a bad case of wobble and bobble.
Even the front wheel was out of true. I'll let them take care of
that.
They messed up on both derailleur limit screws. In the back the chain
could be shifted between the cluster and spokes. In the front it was
difficult to get on the large chainring and the chain continuously
rubbed on it.
Now I'm afraid of what else will turn up. I am picturing opening up a
wheel hub and finding dried-out grease and rusty ball bearings. Bottom
bracket and headset, too. Aren't pressure washers wonderful things?
Now that I'm done venting, what does the R.B.T. gang think. Meethinks
she got ripped off. How often does this kind of nonsense happen?
Ciao,
Jim