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Now's the time - bike repair or upgrade?

(23 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by LaidBack
  • Latest reply from ruggtomcat

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  1. LaidBack
    Member

    Here's a general point. I reckon all bike repair shops will be down a bit with bad weather last week.

    So if you do have something then give your LBC a look in. Chances are you'll get it done same day at eg The Bicycle Works (I declare an interest here). (They're happy to fit parts you may already have too).

    But each to their own choice of shop - The Bike Chain, Leith Cycles etc. They are usually busy but it seems things have gone very quiet (away from this forum).

    Look at it as an investment in the future as we are lucky to have so many shops here - plus new one has just opened.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. spitfire
    Member

    Taking the hybrid in for a new back wheel before it collapses, after pay day though ;)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. wee folding bike
    Member

    I was in Glasgow on Saturday and got a couple of bits in Dales. I was amazed how quiet they were this close to Christmas. I thought traditional bike shops did a thick percentage of their trade at this time of year.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    " I thought traditional bike shops did a thick percentage of their trade at this time of year."

    Think the 'Christmas rush' stopped the year skateboards were the 'must have' present. Since then there have been a million varieties of electronic gadgets to keep kids indoors in the winter.

    Not to mention Halfords, ASDA et al at the lower end of the market.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Took the back wheel of the tourer in to TBW because the spokes felt a bit off and it was slightly untrue. They offered a true and tension within 2 hours.

    Really glad I did take it in as whey I popped back in, they pointed out 4 points on the rim where it's beginning to crack. We peeled back the rim tape to find that despite it coming off Ridgeback's "top of the line" tourer it's actually a rather lightly built wheel for the job, with particularly weak spoke holes.

    Offered me a new wheel (none in stock) or to rebuild the existing one with new spokes and rim the same day. Alas they didn't have a 36-hole touring rim. No problem said he, "I'll check round some of the other shops in town for you tomorrow and see if they'll do me trade price".

    That's the sort of service you don't get on Wiggle. Fingers crossed they find one, I really want my x32 Marathon Plusses and solid steel frame back before the weather turns again.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    "High street set to profit from meltdown of web shopping"

    http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/topstories/High-street-set-to-profit.6659707.jp

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. LaidBack
    Member

    "High street set to profit from meltdown of web shopping"

    For a week or two. Then the 'onliners' be back with a vengence.

    The masses 'trust' these organisations and will be subjected to an advertising blitz to re-enforce it.

    According to radio this morning some places haven't had post for 10 days

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. kaputnik
    Moderator

    According to radio this morning some places haven't had post for 10 days

    I shoudl be so lucky - got a credit card statement, my Mum's chistmas CD from Amazon and yet another threatening letter demanding I "take action immediately" about a licence for the TV that I don't have.

    My new glasses to replace the ones that dissapeared in a midnight snowball fight in the meadows have yet to pop through my letterbox though :(

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. spitfire
    Member

    "High street set to profit from meltdown of web shopping"
    Comments from public say "no s*** sherlock"

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. Numptie
    Member

    I had to use the services of my LBS yesterday, the Bike Shed in Newtongrange. He was very quiet, did the job there and then. Always great service from them, even been told after a repair to take the bike away and see how it feels then pop in and pay the following day.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. Dave
    Member

    I spent a chunk of cash (more than I should have, with xmas and a wedding coming up) at the Bicycle Chain on a pair of shoes and pedals. It felt good to support a real business, rather than getting everything from Wiggle & CRC (and wasn't any more expensive because of their ludicrously good deals - 25% off the shoes and 33% off the pedals).

    Sometimes I feel guilty for doing most of my own wrenching. The only things I've really had done in the last couple of years are disc brake mount facing and headset work.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    "Sometimes I feel guilty for doing most of my own wrenching."

    Well you shouldn't!

    If you've got the skills (and tools) keep using them.

    While there can be arguments about 'shop local or on-line', paying people to do what you have the skills and time to do, shouldn't really trouble you.

    Of course knowing your limits is useful. If you take something to bits it can be very inconvenient/expensive to get someone else to put it back together!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. kaputnik
    Moderator

    If you take something to bits it can be very inconvenient/expensive to get someone else to put it back together

    I'd wager that bike repair makes a reasonable deal of business from the over-confident who wheel the steed in with a headset on upside down and spinning a yarn about how "it came like this, honest"

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. Dave
    Member

    I wired up SWMBO's commuter with brake outers on the gear cables, or something.

    EBC pointed it out to her on the all-day maintenance course but she still made me fix it :)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. chdot
    Admin

    "she still made me fix it"

    Isn't it nice she still had confidence in you(?)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Dave
    Member

    That's one way of looking at it...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. spytefear
    Member

    Chap in Freewheelin had run out of chain degreaser as the delivery had been delays due to the bad weather so he loaned me his shop bottle which I will return this evening.
    Being a regular customer rules!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    " I thought traditional bike shops did a thick percentage of their trade at this time of year."

    "
    Pity the young children of Britain who, according to retailer Halfords, had fewer bicycles bought for them this Christmas.

    A rebellion against the two (and three) wheelers perhaps?

    Not according to the retailer who insist it is just a blip - and that the only reason they have been saddled with more bikes on their shop floors is that people were put off buying them by the snow. Not much of a gift if there is a chance you cannot play with it on Christmas morning, one supposes.
    "

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12179890

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. ruggtomcat
    Member

    might be just the time to get a hack bike...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Some might see fewer Halfords bicycles being bought as not necessarily a bad thing...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. kaputnik
    Moderator

    might be just the time to get a hack bike...

    No need to put another BSO on the market, just buy an old rattler from TBS.

    I speak from the unfortuante experience of owning a Halfords Carerra "Crossfire" (basically, the Subway but with a "suspension" fork and Vee-brakes). Where would you like me to begin my rant? :P

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. chdot
    Admin

    "A good secondhand bike is often better value than a cheap new one."

    http://bikebase.wordpress.com/basic-basics/beginners-guide-to-living-with-a-bike

    BS Sat queue or try -

    http://eastsidebikes.wordpress.com

    Or ebay if you can do basic fixing.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Last night I had second thoughts about my post, Im very lucky to have a great bike, and the one I linked too would be an amazing bike for many people and still much more than they would/could afford. sorry.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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