Low down, no good LBS blues

There are good reasons to patronize one's LBS. But are they good enough? The foolishness I've seen and heard lately has me thinking I need to patronize someone else's.

A year ago, I had a shop in Berkeley build up my new Rambouillet because their wheelbuilder was recommended by a well informed contributor on this forum. The brand new bike came back to me with a nice set of wheels and a seat tube decal torn though the clearcoat. Now I didn't see it happen, but that tells me somebody got lazy and put the repair stand clamp on the frame instead of installing a seatpost and clamping that. That's just stupid.

We have four shops here in Davis. For years, I knew and trusted the head mech at the high-end shop. His work was always excellent. Then a couple years ago, the shop changed hands, and the new racer/owner sent my man away and brought in a former team wrench. Nothing against him, but since I wouldn't know what I was getting anyway, I decided to give some business to another shop that leads the way here in supporting the local cycling community (century and double sponsor, club sponsor, etc.). The results were satisfactory until one day a few weeks ago I saw through the shop window that they had a bike clamped to a repair stand by the frame. Trust shot, I resolved to go elsewhere.

So on Monday, I was dropping my Hor's Categorie off at a third shop in town. The two mechanics working at the time couldn't tell me whether the bearings in my 2001 Record bottom bracket are replaceable. When I explained why I was changing shops, one of them said they sometimes "have to" clamp the frame. Nonsense.

Neither of them had seen a DKS rear triangle before. One of them, whom the other later told me builds frames, said it would surely fail. I told him I was sure he is right -- after all, frame building is just a hobby at Serotta, so they probably have never heard of metal fatigue before.

Then one of them proposed to "nick" my seatpost with a knife to mark its height, and wanted to do it in the front, where stress is greatest. I told him I had done that myself before, on the side of an alloy post, but thought it was a bad idea given how thin the tube of my Chorus ti post is. He was unpersuaded, so I walked my bike out the door and back over to the high-end shop I used to use.

Some time last summer, the new owner moved to Bend and sold that shop. His team mech was gone, too, and there stood two strangers in shop aprons. After some fudging, one of them hazarded an obvious guess that my bottom bracket is a cartridge with non-replaceable bearings. At that point, I realized that in all of Davis, there is not one mechanic competent to replace or overhaul my bb. So I scratched that off the list of things to be done and wrote up a work order for some minor stuff. Before leaving, I asked, "You won't clamp the frame tubes, will you?" As one of them answered, "not unless you tell us to," I looked over and saw a CIII on one of the repair stands, clamped, of course, to the top tube.

I tried to patronize my LBS, really I did. Not anymore.

[saab2000]

.....are not uncommon. I have seen horrible things done to expensive bikes during my days and I have seen really know-nothing "mechanics" working on $5,000 bikes.

I would recommend the following. Get yourself a good stand, some of the tools and a book on wrenching and start doing some of the things yourself. You will find that it really is not that hard and is FAR more satisfying.

Good bikes are a pleasure to work on and you will really know your bike nicely.

A really good LBS is hard to find.

[eddief]

DTS,

Just curious which shop marred up your Rambouillet. As a local, I would appreciate knowing who to add to the list. If you are reluctant to say here on the list, just shoot me an email.

[bostondrunk]

In general, I find -most- bike shops suck for service. Just plain suck. For some reason the employees feel they need to be snots, and are usually not the least bit helpful, often have very little product knowledge even of the stuff they have in stock.
Learn to fix your own bike and use mailorder.

[djg]

So this was the "why use a harmless fine-point felt tipped marker or a piece of tape when you can score the tubing" school of thought?

[kestrel]

I understand, and have seen first hand the problems you have encountered. Because of this, I did my own repairs and upkeep to my bikes, until time became a problem. I found a not-so-LBS in Mooresville, NC that has the kind of service most bike owners wish for. They remember my name, always greet me (and other patrons) with a cheery smile and hello, whether from behind the counter or through the repair area window/doorway. I drive 50 miles one way to visit this shop with my biking needs. Well worth the trip to get that kind of service. I pass 3 or 4 other shops on the way that deliver the kind of non-caring service you speak about.

[William]

Ditto.

I posted on this a while back, but I'll pass up the shop near my home and drive a half hour to go to a shop with the same type of service Kestrel mentioned. Good service and good prices are worth the drive to me.

SCORE MY SEAT POST WITH A KNIFE???

I'd show him what to do with that knife!!


William

[coylifut]

That's big population base to not to have a reliable wrench. Are these shops clamping your tubes because there is not enough seat post to fit into the clamp? I just mark it with tape and slide the post out. Besides chasing and facing, I do all of my own work. However, when I'm stumped, I have a wrench that greets me by first name and moves my stuff to the front of the cue. It has everyting to do with the fact that I tip him. Even the best home mechanic can use a set of expert eyes from time to time.

Yes, it is a big population base, with a University racing team, a club racing team, several professional triathletes and (so the City claims, as if anyone really knows) the highest number of bikes per capita in the US. We had a fine mechanic here not that long ago, but I can't find one for the life of me now.

I do most of my own work, but not headsets and bottom brackets. Next time I need that, I'm going to Steve Rex's frame shop in Sacramento. Hopefully, a custom builder's mechanic would know how to treat a fine frame.

Then again, after what I've seen this week, I fear laziness may rule the day everywhere. It can't be that they don't know better. Even I know better.

[bulliedawg]

[QUOTE=kestrel] I found a not-so-LBS in Mooresville, NC that has the kind of service most bike owners wish for.QUOTE]

First Flight?

[kestrel]

[QUOTE=bulliedawg]

Originally Posted by kestrel

I found a not-so-LBS in Mooresville, NC that has the kind of service most bike owners wish for.QUOTE]

First Flight?

Nah! Cool Breeze Cycle Shop! First Flight's might be in Statesville, NC. I heard they're pretty good also.

I think the key is to get to know a sales person or just buy a load of $tuff at the shop so they give you a little TLC. Wheatridge has always been helpful and Excel sports also has excellent mechanics. I think longevity of the owners and staff make a big difference. how do you clamp a bike with a carbon seat post?

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Todd Owen

... how do you clamp a bike with a carbon seat post?

Well, first I use a knife to nick the carbon post so I can clamp it back in the bike at the same height. I like to put an old metal one in while I'm wrenching.

Heh heh.

[William]

how do you clamp a bike with a carbon seat post?

Pull it out and put in a metal one.


William

[gasman]

The LBS I use has been great. I have used them for years and bought several bikes from them. They have done a good job wrenching my bikes when I don't have the time. Recently I decided to start doing more of my own work again,I got some great advice from the forumites here and good help from the shop. In fact, at Bill Bove's suggestion I asked if there were any mechanic courses that I could take to update my knowledge, they just said ,"Bring your bike on down and we can show you how to install your new BB and cranks." I did it and it was way easier than repacking two cups of breaings.I also did some other work and brought down one of my other bikes and did some work to fix a "tick". I am going to order a few tools from them that don't have and use my stand at home from now on.
So how's that for service !

BTW- I never clamp a carbon seat tube, I pull it out and put in an old alloy seat tube.