boo LBS

[aicabsolut]

Need to rant.

So I take my bike in for its free 20hr tuneup. Some of the shifting had gotten a tad rattly, and I wanted them to give my first chain clean/lube attempt a once-over as well.

Wellll..on the trainer it seems ok. I was trying out new bars and a new saddle too. But I take my bike out today and when I try to get into the lowest 3 gears in traffic, up a hill, the chain slips all over the place in the rear. This is when I"m in the smaller of the big rings. In the bigger big ring, it seems ok but makes a sound like it's freewheeling or something. So my plan to warmup on the flatter trail and move to the hilly one was cut short after the flat one ended (I don't have a granny ring so I need those low gears!). It takes me a good 45 min or so to drive out to my LBS... I could take one trail that's got a slow incline most of the way there but the last couple miles are gravel and who knows what else--no good for my road bike. I was tempted to just ride on up there today. But no, I get to drive probably in rush hour again tomorrow.

boo

[mimitabby]

I can really identify with this, this has happened to us many times too.
Here, they say; and they adjust the bike. THis should do it!


So you profusely thank them, and ... 20 minutes later, on the road it's

WTF??? this thing isn't shifting *

grr
grr
grr
wah!
boo



*note; Mimi never says this out loud

[aicabsolut]

The only thing that gave me a chuckle about this otherwise horrible morning was that my iPod wearing cycling buddy (usually it just insults me a bit but whatever, it's her life) was 30 min late AGAIN..and btw, it's damn COLD, and couldn't hear me when I tried to tell her which forks to take on a trail. But when I thought, hey, let's just stick with some big gears and try out the drops of these new bars, I dropped her. Fast. It was an accident. I swear. Must've been karma.

[DebW]

Yeah, boo. Let me try to explain the problem, and then I'll tell you that you can fix it yourself. Have you read the thread on cross-chaining (under Maintenance, I believe)? When you are on a given cog in the rear, your chain will be at a different angle depending on which chainring you are on. The derailleur should actually be at a slightly different place to center the chain on a rear cog depending on which chainring you are on. For a friction shift derailleur, it's no problem, you just move the lever very slightly and you get the perfect adjustment. With indexed shifting, you can't do that. Apparently what your LBS did was adjust the rear derailleur so all rear shifts align on your large chainring. But using the inner rear cogs with the large chairing is cross-chaining and should be avoided. The adjustments need to be set for the gear combinations you will actually use, ie. small chainring with those 3 inner cogs. Go to the Park Tool website and read up on derailleur adjustments http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=64. Then put your bike on a workstand or trainer, start pedaling, and adjust your gears properly using the barrel adjuster. You've saved yourself a trip to the LBS, and now you can keep those gears adjusted properly by yourself.

[aicabsolut]

Thanks. I think that's exactly what the shop did.

I thought I could maybe figure it out with my trainer (no work stand). But I also kind of want the satisfaction of going in there and pointing out how they messed up and make them do the work. The shifting was a little sticky under some load when I took it in on a gear or two. But now it's totally messed up.

No patience right now to work on it. I'll mull it over.

Thanks for the link. It'll definitely help me prolong the next tuneup.

[CyclChyk]

This must be the standard for LBS's. Once they got your money, they just want you gone. At least 1 or 2 of them around where I live has this attitude. (The 3rd LBS' jury is still in deliberation).

First it takes me having to leave my bike overnight and I MIGHT get it back the next day. Then, when I do get it back, it never shifts much better than when I took it in.

I'm with Mimi on this one...GGRRRRR..........

[hiker chick]

May I ask which LBS this was in the DC area? I'd like to avoid it.

[mary9761]

I consider myself BLESSED with my LBS.. Jimmy at The Bike Line is one of my biggest fans and does everything he can to keep me on the bike. They've always tweeked my bike here and there and I stop in at one point during most of my rides sometimes just to hang out too.
Sorry the rest of you have a problem with yours...

[Triskeliongirl]

I thought I could maybe figure it out with my trainer (no work stand). But I also kind of want the satisfaction of going in there and pointing out how they messed up and make them do the work.

I think this is the wrong way to think about it. A bike is like a stringed instruments. You wouldn't imagine bringing a violin to a music shope to be 'tuned' on a regular basis, so why a bike? Strings stretch, stuff gets bumped and moved. Even if the LBS adjusts in perfectly, it can be out of adjustment for your next ride. Only when you learn to take responsiblity for you own bike will you be able to make it sing at will.

[aicabsolut]

If the LBS had adjusted it perfectly, then I would've been able to shift into those gears in the first 2 minutes of my next ride. This wasn't the case. I am very careful with how I move, handle, and store my bike. The shifting problem didn't occur until it went in for maintenance. The service was part of the package they throw in with a purchase--they check it after the first 20hrs of riding or 30 days to see what's moved around in the initial breaking in period. If the wire tension had been my fault or part of the normal course of wear, I'd be ok with it. I did ask them for some help in figuring out how to adjust it myself. But it's just like my car: when it goes in for a checkup and comes out with new problems, I get upset. If it develops new problems due to no fault of the mechanics, then that's just life with a vehicle or instrument or whatever. If it's their bad, they should fix it. It's their job.

[Triskeliongirl]

Please don't take this the wrong way. I am not saying its your fault. Of course its their fault, and their responsiblity to fix it. BUT, what I am saying is that THIS IS HOW IT IS. So, in my experience, I got sick and tired of the wasted time and money I spent bringing my bike in for service and having problems persist, so I decided to learn to do it myself. Its just something to consider.