bicycle tuneup costs

[[email protected]]

I'm just a casual rider, I don't think I had my bicycle out more than a
dozen times last year. I like to take care of my things however and I
think my bike is worth taking care of, it's a 2000 Specialized Allez
Elite Triple. I had it out for the first time this year and ran over
some glass and got a flat, so I figured while I have the flat changed,
I'd have a tuneup done.

Every place in this area wants $50-$60 for a tuneup plus parts. I
can't imagine that a tuneup takes more than 20 minutes for guys that do
this day in and day out, and when I lived on Cape Cod, the shops there
did it for around $20. Does this pricing seem reasonable these days?
I'm on the coast in MA on the NH border. Any recommendations for shops
in this area that have better pricing? Thanks!

 

[Ken]

[email protected] wrote in news:1113848358.510221.281190
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:
> Every place in this area wants $50-$60 for a tuneup plus parts.

What is included in this "tuneup"?
Adjusting the brakes and derailleurs?
Cleaning/lubing the chain?
Truing the wheels?
Relubing the brearings in the hubs, bottom bracket and headset?

Depending on what is included in the package, $60 could be reasonable. If
you only need a few services, ask for them specifically and see if the price
goes down.

 

[Bill Sornson]

[email protected] wrote:
> I'm just a casual rider, I don't think I had my bicycle out more than
> a dozen times last year. I like to take care of my things however
> and I think my bike is worth taking care of, it's a 2000 Specialized
> Allez Elite Triple. I had it out for the first time this year and
> ran over some glass and got a flat, so I figured while I have the
> flat changed, I'd have a tuneup done.
>
> Every place in this area wants $50-$60 for a tuneup plus parts. I
> can't imagine that a tuneup takes more than 20 minutes for guys that
> do this day in and day out, and when I lived on Cape Cod, the shops
> there did it for around $20. Does this pricing seem reasonable these
> days? I'm on the coast in MA on the NH border. Any recommendations
> for shops in this area that have better pricing? Thanks!

Well first of all the fact that "every place" quotes you a similar price
range indicates that it's fairly reasonable (market driven).

A far better course of action IMO would be to learn how to change (and
patch) a tube, lube a chain and cables, and make minor adjustments (brakes,
derailleurs, etc.) yourself. Won't cost you a penny, and you might actually
enjoy riding your bike a bit more.

Two Cents Please, Bill

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 11:19:18 -0700, rrothberg wrote:


> Every place in this area wants $50-$60 for a tuneup plus parts. I
> can't imagine that a tuneup takes more than 20 minutes for guys that do
> this day in and day out, and when I lived on Cape Cod, the shops there
> did it for around $20. Does this pricing seem reasonable these days?

It depends on what is meant by a "tune-up". I would assume that it would
include: truing both wheels, as needed, checking all cables and
replacing as needed (I would just replace them all), cleaning or replacing
chain, checking brake pads and replacing as needed, cleaning up and
re-lubing derailleurs, inspecting all bearings and replacing/repacking
where needed.

This seems to me to be more than $20 worth. Of course, the requirements
would change depending on the bike; for a coaster-brake cruiser the
charges would hopefully be a lot less than for a road bike; maybe a
dual-sus mountain bike would need even more attention. But for a road
bike, this will all be needed, and if something on that list were omitted,
I would not consider the bike ready to ride.

Some of these checks are quick (you check wheel bearings by spinning the
wheel (and feel for roughness), then see whether there is any play in the
hub), but it can't be done in 20 minutes.


--

David L. Johnson

__o | And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
_`\(,_ | mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
(_)/ (_) | that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. [1 Corinth. 13:2]

 

[gds]

[email protected] wrote:
> I'm just a casual rider, I don't think I had my bicycle out more than
a
> dozen times last year. I like to take care of my things however and
I
> think my bike is worth taking care of, it's a 2000 Specialized Allez
> Elite Triple. I had it out for the first time this year and ran over
> some glass and got a flat, so I figured while I have the flat
changed,
> I'd have a tuneup done.
>
> Every place in this area wants $50-$60 for a tuneup plus parts. I
> can't imagine that a tuneup takes more than 20 minutes for guys that
do
> this day in and day out, and when I lived on Cape Cod, the shops
there
> did it for around $20. Does this pricing seem reasonable these days?
> I'm on the coast in MA on the NH border. Any recommendations for
shops
> in this area that have better pricing? Thanks!


Of course another question is why you would need a tune-up if you ride
it 12 times a year. If you are keeping it at all protected/clean then
I'd guess you have another 20 years to go before you would need much
work done. Seriously, most folks can get literally a couple of thousand
miles between servicings/adjustments/check-ups.(Assuming you maintain
your tires and lube the drive train) So, at the rate you're riding that
would be how long?

 

[Fritz M]

BS wrote:
> Well first of all the fact that "every place" quotes you a similar
price
> range indicates that it's fairly reasonable (market driven).

Also, it's spring; everybody are bringing their bikes in to get tuned
up right now. My local bike shops are charging about $60 for a tuneup
AND there's a two-week wait before they get to your bike. I got my bike
tuned up in January for half price.

RFM

 

[RonSonic]

On 18 Apr 2005 11:19:18 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>I'm just a casual rider, I don't think I had my bicycle out more than a
>dozen times last year. I like to take care of my things however and I
>think my bike is worth taking care of, it's a 2000 Specialized Allez
>Elite Triple. I had it out for the first time this year and ran over
>some glass and got a flat, so I figured while I have the flat changed,
>I'd have a tuneup done.
>
>Every place in this area wants $50-$60 for a tuneup plus parts. I
>can't imagine that a tuneup takes more than 20 minutes for guys that do
>this day in and day out, and when I lived on Cape Cod, the shops there
>did it for around $20. Does this pricing seem reasonable these days?
>I'm on the coast in MA on the NH border. Any recommendations for shops
>in this area that have better pricing? Thanks!

Everything involving skilled labor costs more now. I don't know if they're
starting to pay the mechanics what they should but the shops are sure charging
like it.

For the amount of skilled hand work involved, yeah, that's reasonable.

In a mature economy you have to bid for a worker's skills and offer more than
his collection of tools, skills and aptitudes could get him doing something
else, like AC repair, plumbing or auto body work.

Ron

 

[Pat]

: >
: Why is it that you guys don't do your own work? Most of us take at least
: enough tools to change a flat, and with a few more you can do almost,
: read (almost) anything they can do at a shop? Even if you live in an
: apartment you can fiddle with the bike in the living room as I have done
: on certain occasions. Just spread some newspaper to catch any dirt and
: have at it.
: It works for me, even though my wife hates it.
: Bill Baka

Then use an old shower curtain or get a tarp. You know the newspaper doesn't
really catch all the dirt....

Pat in TX

 

[RonSonic]

On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 19:56:43 -0700, bbaka <[email protected]> wrote:

>RonSonic wrote:
>> On 18 Apr 2005 11:19:18 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I'm just a casual rider, I don't think I had my bicycle out more than a
>>>dozen times last year. I like to take care of my things however and I
>>>think my bike is worth taking care of, it's a 2000 Specialized Allez
>>>Elite Triple. I had it out for the first time this year and ran over
>>>some glass and got a flat, so I figured while I have the flat changed,
>>>I'd have a tuneup done.
>>>
>>>Every place in this area wants $50-$60 for a tuneup plus parts. I
>>>can't imagine that a tuneup takes more than 20 minutes for guys that do
>>>this day in and day out, and when I lived on Cape Cod, the shops there
>>>did it for around $20. Does this pricing seem reasonable these days?
>>>I'm on the coast in MA on the NH border. Any recommendations for shops
>>>in this area that have better pricing? Thanks!
>>
>>
>> Everything involving skilled labor costs more now. I don't know if they're
>> starting to pay the mechanics what they should but the shops are sure charging
>> like it.
>>
>> For the amount of skilled hand work involved, yeah, that's reasonable.
>>
>> In a mature economy you have to bid for a worker's skills and offer more than
>> his collection of tools, skills and aptitudes could get him doing something
>> else, like AC repair, plumbing or auto body work.
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>Why is it that you guys don't do your own work?

Who is this "you guys" you're blithering about. I do everything from the bottom
bracket up, including the work stand.

Ron

>Most of us take at least
>enough tools to change a flat, and with a few more you can do almost,
>read (almost) anything they can do at a shop? Even if you live in an
>apartment you can fiddle with the bike in the living room as I have done
>on certain occasions. Just spread some newspaper to catch any dirt and
>have at it.
>It works for me, even though my wife hates it.
>Bill Baka

 

[Dane Jackson]

Fritz M <[email protected]> wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>> Why is it that you guys don't do your own work?
>
> Some people get satisfaction out of working with their hands, some
> don't. I'm capable of mechanical work but I don't get any particular
> joy out of it. I'd rather pay somebody else to do the work, I can
> afford to do so, and I personally get satisfaction in paying somebody
> for good work.

I don't mind having other people do the work. My problem is my bike
would be out of commission for multiple days. That's not acceptable,
so I've learned to do just about everything on mine. I do enjoy doing
some of the tasks, though other's are just boring/tedious. Oh, plus
I'm very cheap^H^H^H^H^H frugal, so I prefer to save the money I would
give the mechanics and spend it on other things.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
A computer scientist is someone who fixes things that aren't broken.

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 12:44:05 -0700, Dane Jackson wrote:

> Oh, plus
> I'm very cheap^H^H^H^H^H frugal,

This particular bit of stuff belongs on the bikes-and-unix thread.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | A mathematician is a machine for turning coffee into theorems.
_`\(,_ | -- Paul Erdos
(_)/ (_) |

 

[bbaka]

Pat wrote:
> : >
> : Why is it that you guys don't do your own work? Most of us take at least
> : enough tools to change a flat, and with a few more you can do almost,
> : read (almost) anything they can do at a shop? Even if you live in an
> : apartment you can fiddle with the bike in the living room as I have done
> : on certain occasions. Just spread some newspaper to catch any dirt and
> : have at it.
> : It works for me, even though my wife hates it.
> : Bill Baka
>
> Then use an old shower curtain or get a tarp. You know the newspaper doesn't
> really catch all the dirt....
>
> Pat in TX
>
>
Good idea for the next rainy day.
Thanks.
Bill Baka

 

[bbaka]

Fritz M wrote:
> Bill Baka wrote:
>
>>Why is it that you guys don't do your own work?
>
>
> Some people get satisfaction out of working with their hands, some
> don't. I'm capable of mechanical work but I don't get any particular
> joy out of it. I'd rather pay somebody else to do the work, I can
> afford to do so, and I personally get satisfaction in paying somebody
> for good work.
>
> RFM
>
I won't argue the point there but it is relaxing for me after some days
of dealing with other things in life. There are 2 LBS's in my area, one
is a crook (ex-Schwinn dealer) and the other is only mediocre. I do
learn a little bit more about bikes every time I work on one and my
latest peeve is seat posts being all slightly different diameters. My
micrometer verified that, 3 bikes and 3 different sizes.
If I had gone to a shop for a seat change I would not have learned that
(probably useless) tidbit.
Bill Baka

 

[bbaka]

Dane Jackson wrote:
> Fritz M <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Bill Baka wrote:
>>
>>>Why is it that you guys don't do your own work?
>>
>>Some people get satisfaction out of working with their hands, some
>>don't. I'm capable of mechanical work but I don't get any particular
>>joy out of it. I'd rather pay somebody else to do the work, I can
>>afford to do so, and I personally get satisfaction in paying somebody
>>for good work.
>
>
> I don't mind having other people do the work. My problem is my bike
> would be out of commission for multiple days. That's not acceptable,
> so I've learned to do just about everything on mine. I do enjoy doing
> some of the tasks, though other's are just boring/tedious. Oh, plus
> I'm very cheap^H^H^H^H^H frugal, so I prefer to save the money I would
> give the mechanics and spend it on other things.
>
Very true. I get the Jones's for a ride when I don't have the bike
available. Funny how that works.
Bill Baka

 

[Fritz M]

> Very true. I get the Jones's for a ride when I don't have the bike
> available. Funny how that works.

That's why I own four bikes and it's why I ride year-round.

RFM

 

[Dane Jackson]

David L. Johnson <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 12:44:05 -0700, Dane Jackson wrote:
>
>> Oh, plus
>> I'm very cheap^H^H^H^H^H frugal,
>
> This particular bit of stuff belongs on the bikes-and-unix thread.



>User-Agent: Pan/0.14.2.91 (As She Crawled Across the Table (Debian GNU/Linux))

I don't think I'm the only one drinking the kool-aid here.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
"He who laughs last probably made a back-up"
-Murphy's Laws of Computing #7