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Unhappy with "team" shop's work on bike - go back or find a new shop

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Unhappy with "team" shop's work on bike - go back or find a new shop

Old 05-06-10, 07:51 PM
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Unhappy with "team" shop's work on bike - go back or find a new shop

Well I try to use the team shop as much as possible for support. They sponsor us, I'll help them out. Seems fair. However, I dropped the new ride off Sunday for deraileur and brake adjustments. New gruppo and poor mechanical skills mean I don't touch the stuff. So i bring it in for 3 things - cut steerer, tune deraileurs, adjust brakes.

I get it on Tuesday and whoever did the fork didn't bother to do two things:
1. Align the stem with the front wheel so it was straight (it was WAY off, not just a little)
2. Tighten the stem to the steerer in a manner that would be rideable

Today, I ride the bike into work to test it out. Ghost shifting everywhere. When I want it to shift there's nothing and when I don't want it to it shifts. Granted, it's the Forte gruppo however I don't even think they touched the thing. Feels like it would when you cable it without adjustments.

In addition, the brakes are jacked. I have about 2 pieces of paper width between brake and rim and they are all out of whack. I know brakes aren't rocket science but these were giving me some trouble so I asked them (and paid them) to make the proper adjustments for me. I have rub on both front and rear wheels.

So the question is, do I go back tomorrow after attempting some minor tweaks tonight (training ride in the AM) and see if they'll make it right?

OR

Do I just find a different local shop with better mechanics?

FWIW I'm racing this bike Saturday at 11 so it's gotta at least be raceable. Additionally, I'm a lousy home mechanic, I have no work stand, and I do work/school full-time and prefer to pay people to do things for me.

Thanks for the advice.

Rob

Mods - posted in racing due to the team shop element. And I thing the responses here will be more genuine.
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Old 05-06-10, 07:54 PM
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I'm sponsored by a shop and get free repairs. I pay someone to work on my bikes.
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Old 05-06-10, 07:55 PM
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Since they are your team sponsor, I would say go back, point out the problems and see what the do. It could have been a mixup where the mech didn't quite finish your bike, and the owner thought he had, etc. If it becomes a trend, find a new shop.
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Old 05-06-10, 07:56 PM
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I had a similar expirence, brought my bike in to have rd adjusted. Guy 'fixes' it and I leave. Take it for a ride and its even worse than before! Granted, they were a little busy and I just walked in, but still its a rd. I don't know if Im going to go back or not. Not the first bad expirence I've had with that lbs.
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Old 05-06-10, 07:57 PM
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^^ go with a mechanic you trust, not a shop. Though I might try to find someone at that shop that knows what they are doing and fix it or get your money back so you go somewhere else.
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Old 05-06-10, 07:58 PM
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The ultimate is to learn to work on your own bikes...
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Old 05-06-10, 08:03 PM
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Originally Posted by gsteinb
I'm sponsored by a shop and get free repairs. I pay someone to work on my bikes.
Oh I paid for it.

Originally Posted by mike868y
Since they are your team sponsor, I would say go back, point out the problems and see what the do. It could have been a mixup where the mech didn't quite finish your bike, and the owner thought he had, etc. If it becomes a trend, find a new shop.
Probably what I'll do. Drop it off around opening tomorrow with intent to pick it up before close.

Originally Posted by Caad 8
I had a similar expirence, brought my bike in to have rd adjusted. Guy 'fixes' it and I leave. Take it for a ride and its even worse than before! Granted, they were a little busy and I just walked in, but still its a rd. I don't know if Im going to go back or not. Not the first bad expirence I've had with that lbs.
Yeah this isn't my first bad experience with them. However, I never told them about the first so I'm treating it as the first.
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Old 05-06-10, 10:05 PM
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This is always a sticky situation, here's how I'd handle it.

1) go buy a 6-pack of some decent beer.
2) bring bike back to shop
3) APOLOGIZE for taking up more of their time. (even though it's their fault).
4) calmly and carefully explain what was wrong and what you expect.
5) wait for them to at least re-adjust the RD.
6) give mechanic beer.
7) Tell them you go for a test ride
8) Go test ride
9) Is it OK?

10) If you've recently changed the cables it's pretty common to get shifting issues for the next ~5-6 rides I'd say.
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Old 05-06-10, 10:19 PM
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This is always a sticky situation, here's how I'd handle it.

1) go buy a 6-pack of some decent beer.
2) Drink the 6 pack
3) bring bike back to shop
4) angrily and violently explain what was wrong, make sure they know it's their fault.
5) wait for them to at least re-adjust the RD.
6) impatiently watch mechanic fix the RD, making comments second guessing his actions every few minutes.
7) Tell them you go for a test ride
8) Go test ride
9) Is it OK?

10) If not go back to step 4, repeat.
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Old 05-06-10, 10:27 PM
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^^^^

I know not everyone is comfortable wrenching their own bike, but it really makes things simpler.
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Old 05-06-10, 10:34 PM
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Whatever you do, don't go whining about it on a public space...

Sponsors don't tend to like that

Edit: I'm not saying that's what you are doing.
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Old 05-06-10, 10:50 PM
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Originally Posted by waterrockets
it really makes things simpler.
Yup...
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Old 05-06-10, 11:12 PM
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if you work/school full time I take it you're not on a trust fund or already making "good" money?

you STILL prefer to pay people to do things for you? Take this in the spirit in which it's intended, but I don't think we could hang out.

I also think you misunderstood gsteinb's comment. He's saying there's a place he can go and get free repairs. He chooses to take his bike somewhere else and pay someone to do it right.
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Old 05-06-10, 11:17 PM
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Originally Posted by kudude
Take this in the spirit in which it's intended, but I don't think we could hang out.

??? don't be so dramatic. If you've spent a bunch of money on a bike, you don't want to cut a fork wrong, might as well hand over $10 rather than risk a $2000 frame... And believe it or not, there is a point at which you save money by paying someone else to do work you could do yourself.
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Old 05-06-10, 11:23 PM
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Originally Posted by johnybutts
??? don't be so dramatic. If you've spent a bunch of money on a bike, you don't want to cut a fork wrong, might as well hand over $10 rather than risk a $2000 frame... And believe it or not, there is a point at which you save money by paying someone else to do work you could do yourself.
did I hit a nerve? no drama intended, really. Think of me sitting outside on a sunny summer day, sipping a beer and mentioning that as I reached back to scratch my ass.

there is that point where you save money -- I was inferring that rob might _not_quite_ be there. Not really meant to be super judgmental. Feel free to judge me for taking every mechanical problem as an excuse to buy more tools.

one final point, because you overreacted: since when does ****ing up a fork (which is admittedly annoying) ruin a frame?



to get the thread back on track, if the shop knew the OP was a race team member, they might have assumed that things like brake rub were something he could figure out himself. They might have also taken no time with it b/c they're lazy. And, to really be a dick, they might have looked at the forte shifters (which from what I hear are very nice and function well) and rolled their eyes before being lazy and doing nothing. On average, I'm not impressed with the local 19 yr old shop rat, but it'd be interested to see what the OP might have received for service at a different shop.
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Old 05-07-10, 07:12 AM
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Holy drama itt haha.

Originally Posted by waterrockets
^^^^

I know not everyone is comfortable wrenching their own bike, but it really makes things simpler.
Agreed. I really just don't have the time to do it right now. Easier to just drop it off ont he way into work and pick it up on the way home.

Originally Posted by umd
Whatever you do, don't go whining about it on a public space...

Sponsors don't tend to like that

Edit: I'm not saying that's what you are doing.
Thanks Steve. I agree which is why I withheld the shop name. I wanted to do the right thing. I still plan to spend most of my $$$ there maybe just not on the service.

Originally Posted by kudude
if you work/school full time I take it you're not on a trust fund or already making "good" money?

you STILL prefer to pay people to do things for you? Take this in the spirit in which it's intended, but I don't think we could hang out.

I also think you misunderstood gsteinb's comment. He's saying there's a place he can go and get free repairs. He chooses to take his bike somewhere else and pay someone to do it right.
Wat?!?! No trust fund and I actually do make good money. Just finishing the undergrad after a 10 year hiatus. I also like to pay someone to do the work so I think you misunderstood me.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. I'm gonna figure it out today.
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Old 05-07-10, 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Caad 8
This is always a sticky situation, here's how I'd handle it.

1) go buy a 6-pack of some decent beer.
2) Drink the 6 pack
3) bring bike back to shop
4) angrily and violently explain what was wrong, make sure they know it's their fault.
5) wait for them to at least re-adjust the RD.
6) impatiently watch mechanic fix the RD, making comments second guessing his actions every few minutes.
7) Tell them you go for a test ride
8) Go test ride
9) Is it OK?

10) If not go back to step 4, repeat.
This is freaking hilarious!

Your best post yet.
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Old 05-07-10, 09:12 AM
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Take it back and let them make it right. If they fail, then tell the manager they've failed you and you're going elsewhere.

The beer thing is a nice gesture, but rewarding somebody for incompetence doesn't seem like the right answer. I've taken beer to the shop before, but it's always been immediately prior to me asking for them to go out of their way and/or immediately following them going out of their way.

Thankfully, my LBS and team sponsor has several excellent full-time, long-term mechanics. Makes life easy.
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Old 05-07-10, 09:28 AM
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The point of the beer isn't to reward them. It's to create a memory. If you explain to them what you expect, and give them a tip, they will remember it and specifically YOU. Every subsequent trip in there, they'll know you won't accept half-ass work and they'll do it right - and probably take some pleasure out of helping out a "friend".
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Old 05-07-10, 10:56 AM
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That reminds me that I need to pick up 2 good 6 packs and drop them off at the LBS. I haven't been in there for a while, but they always hooked me up even when I didn't have enough money for everything.
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Old 05-07-10, 11:03 AM
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Good reminder. I have to swing by our shop tonight to pick up a cassette. I'll bring beer.
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Old 05-07-10, 11:46 AM
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Bike shop mechanics take money? I always pay mine in beer. I still owe him a good six, but that's only when he gives me my front wheel back.
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