The stupidest thing you've heard at a bike shop...

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

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Butcher
Shop Owner
Posts: 1917
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:58 am

by Butcher

As an auto mechanic, I can say there are very few professionals out there. Out of the hundreds I have ever work with/hired, there are only about 5 that I would say are professionals. The last thing I need to hear from anyone is a client telling me what to do. As many of you that complain about the mechanic, I always wonder, if you know more, why are you there?

I understand the topic but I can say, rarely is there a job I sublet, that I can do myself. I just get disappointed in the results. Knowing that, I blame myself everytime I allow someone else to touch my/clients stuff.

by Weenie


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tymon_tm
Posts: 3651
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:35 pm

by tymon_tm

working as a mechanic at a LBS is not the best paid job, and therefore often attracts random people who either have the skills or learn them through the process... or don't, and make more mess than a half brained regular joe. this topic is about the latter, not about discussing the general state of customer service because there's even no such thing as some set standard, is there. you can have a brilliant mechanic working from his garage, and you can have a rookie harming your 15k bike in the fanciest LBS possible.

same thing with sellers - there are these fancy Trek stores now, and after visiting two of them i can easily say i know more about those bikes than they do.. imagine offering a 10-20k bike not knowing what components it comes with or their respectable weight. i don't expect them to weight all the damn bolts but if a dude doesn't now which exactly wheelset is on a bike and therefore how much does it weght... man that's just straight pathetic
kkibbler wrote: WW remembers.

s3si1u
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2022 8:12 am

by s3si1u

One off the top of my head....

I took my road bike into a local shop for a quick front derailleur adjustment. Got the bike back about two days later, paying $40 or so for a front derailleur adjustment that was shit and a new cable that didn't need to be replaced. That cage was rubbing all over the place. I was told that was the best they could do because SRAM (11 speed) groupsets are not compatible with Shimano (105) cranksets...I needed to buy a SRAM Red 22 crankset if I wanted it to shift properly.

I just didn't feel like doing it myself...I needed co2 canisters anyway, I have to go to the shop...may as well let them get the rub out of the FD, it'll be quicker if I have the LBS do it...Sigh.

maxim809
Administrator
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Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 6:28 am

by maxim809

"There is no difference between GP5k's and Gatorskins"

Tifosiphil
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 11:09 pm

by Tifosiphil

Working in a bike shop when I was younger a guy asked about different wheel choices (handbuilt alloy, handbuilt carbon, stock on both) as he was wanting a wheel for the Alps. He was a big chap I'd say 5' 9" and 120kg+. I recommended alloy because carbon wouldn't be as suitable for him and his response was "can you go and fetch someone older to help me?"

Fortunately our head mechanic came to the desk and he asked his question and the mechanic called me over to help him as I was the most knowledgable on that in the shop ha!

TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12444
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

Tifosiphil wrote:
Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:16 pm
Working in a bike shop when I was younger a guy asked about different wheel choices (handbuilt alloy, handbuilt carbon, stock on both) as he was wanting a wheel for the Alps. He was a big chap I'd say 5' 9" and 120kg+. I recommended alloy because carbon wouldn't be as suitable for him and his response was "can you go and fetch someone older to help me?"

Fortunately our head mechanic came to the desk and he asked his question and the mechanic called me over to help him as I was the most knowledgable on that in the shop ha!

120kg, alps, presumably rim-brake…probably a “cautious” descender (read: brake dragger)…

Can you say catastrophic carbon delamination / exploding wheels?

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ultimobici
in the industry
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Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 2:45 pm
Location: Trento, Italia
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by ultimobici

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Sat Feb 18, 2023 9:05 am
120kg, alps, presumably rim-brake…probably a “cautious” descender (read: brake dragger)…

Can you say catastrophic carbon delamination / exploding wheels?
A Darwin Award in the making!

Tifosiphil
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 11:09 pm

by Tifosiphil

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Sat Feb 18, 2023 9:05 am
Tifosiphil wrote:
Fri Feb 17, 2023 1:16 pm
Working in a bike shop when I was younger a guy asked about different wheel choices (handbuilt alloy, handbuilt carbon, stock on both) as he was wanting a wheel for the Alps. He was a big chap I'd say 5' 9" and 120kg+. I recommended alloy because carbon wouldn't be as suitable for him and his response was "can you go and fetch someone older to help me?"

Fortunately our head mechanic came to the desk and he asked his question and the mechanic called me over to help him as I was the most knowledgable on that in the shop ha!

120kg, alps, presumably rim-brake…probably a “cautious” descender (read: brake dragger)…

Can you say catastrophic carbon delamination / exploding wheels?
Exactly, especially considering this would have been around 2010-11 so the brake surface tech was nowhere near where we are now

CyclingGiraffe
Posts: 328
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2020 10:04 pm

by CyclingGiraffe

tymon_tm wrote:
Sat Feb 11, 2023 5:58 pm
working as a mechanic at a LBS is not the best paid job, and therefore often attracts random people who either have the skills or learn them through the process... or don't, and make more mess than a half brained regular joe. this topic is about the latter, not about discussing the general state of customer service because there's even no such thing as some set standard, is there. you can have a brilliant mechanic working from his garage, and you can have a rookie harming your 15k bike in the fanciest LBS possible.

same thing with sellers - there are these fancy Trek stores now, and after visiting two of them i can easily say i know more about those bikes than they do.. imagine offering a 10-20k bike not knowing what components it comes with or their respectable weight. i don't expect them to weight all the damn bolts but if a dude doesn't now which exactly wheelset is on a bike and therefore how much does it weght... man that's just straight pathetic
Salespeople! I've discussed pretty expensive sports/sporty cars (new) from dealers whose sales people don't even know what engine is in them.

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wheelsONfire
Posts: 6280
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:15 am
Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

I got my first ti/barbon bike and had never done much wrenching. After 2 month i went up to the bike shop and asked how things went.
They should only install DA 9000.
The mech complained on the FD and suddenly he got a phone call and went out. When he came bike i was testing the mech (which i had fiddled with).
He looked at it and me, and asked, why are you here, you obviously managed this better than me.
I paid about 240 USD for this job. After that i decided i should give it a try myself.

Worst thing i've heard, hm, that must be a local bike shop who always seem to say that these DA, RED etc groupsets are for people who just like to brag.
Well, a degree vanity perhaps, i don't know.
Looking at msrp these days i start to wonder what the hell is going on.

I contacted XXX brand regarding an xdr freehub conversion, it made me a bit happy when they told me it was smarter to fix a proper fine working rim brake bike than going forward with a disc brake bike :-)
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

Nejmann
Posts: 635
Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 6:25 pm

by Nejmann

10 years ago a salesman at a Specialized/Cannondale LBS told me and my two other friends that Canyon didn't have any engineers.. (guess they were afraid of there good prices)

We laughed so hard when we got it..

And to this day everytime someone wins on a Canyon we text it to each other :D :D Happens alot thanks to MDVP..

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tymon_tm
Posts: 3651
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:35 pm

by tymon_tm

so it turns out my daughter maybe wants to start riding a road bike ;D ;D ;D

when i joined this board i was practically a kid myself, but that's another story.. one at hand is i was visting some shops to see what they might have in stock, perhaps some 'old' bikes in smaller sizes etc.

here's what i've independently learned at some of the joints - first of all a 'startng bike' should be a pricy carbon thingy (dude was pointing at an ultegra equipped giant tcr; maybe my fault as i was very over dressed that day) cause it's lighter, thus easier to maneuver. secondly it's gotta have rim brakes as discs are too dangerous for beginners. third piece of advice is to go with electronic shifting because if you shift when you're not supposed to with 'cables' you might harm your drivetrain or even break it.

seems even a perfect rookie bike exists only between salespeople individual imaginations
kkibbler wrote: WW remembers.

Butcher
Shop Owner
Posts: 1917
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:58 am

by Butcher

What is the right thing to do? Buy several bikes to get to the best one or buy the best one from the get go?

FYI, there is no right answer but buying several bikes only to get what your really wanted does cost more. For me, what I want usually is not cheap and if I bought something that did not satisfy the urge, I will end up buying it some day.

Sales people do just that. Sell you something. Does anyone ever expect them to know what they are selling? I suspect the best sales person can 'size you up' quickly and figure out the sales pitch before he says 'Hi'. Does not matter if it's a car, bike, house, computer, life insurance, etc.

TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12444
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

If I want to hear stupid things from a bike shop, I just load up GC Performance, Mapdec or George Vargas on YouTube.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



sevencyclist
Posts: 92
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2021 6:36 am

by sevencyclist

"RIM BRAKE FRAMES = OBSOLETE!" :)

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