Mountain Biking - Local Bicycle Shop Nightmare!!!!!!!!!

okay, so i take my 3 year old 2003 giant ds3 mountainbike to the lbs. it needed brake cables , the housing was fine,. the jerk at the lbs says it will cost 90 bucks, and that he wouldnt spend that , because the bike isnt even worth that?? well i rode out of there really fast!!!!!!!!!!

You could probobly find a good cable set for less then $20, and they're easy to install. Just do it yourself :)

Two brake cables should be under $10. How do these shops stay in business?

Same story that you get at all the bike shops, Your bike could be a 2006 model and your standing in the bike store surrounded by 2007 models and all you need is a tire. They will all tell you that the advancements in tire technology have gone so far beyond the technology of last year that you may as well buy new rims and for what that would cost you you may as well buy the whole damn bike. Store I used to go to was that way but the new store I go to is awesome. Adams cyclery on larkfield road in e northport ny :) Happy with the service and the prices...finally a lbs that gets it.

Wow, thats absurd!

90 bucks. Like I always say, "Kick them in the nnnnutz".

I think your mistake was asking them to do a job that's reasonably easy to do yourself. An opportunistic staff assumed from that that you were an easy mark. Don't generalize too much from this - most of us have had plenty of positive experiences at the LBS - but there are always some sharks out there.

I think your mistake was asking them to do a job that's reasonably easy to do yourself. An opportunistic staff assumed from that that you were an easy mark. Don't generalize too much from this - most of us have had plenty of positive experiences at the LBS - but there are always some sharks out there.

I would agree if they were going to charge $20 (still far too much for the job IMO) but $90? Thats just ridiculous. I would have asked to speak to the manager/owner, and if that was who you were dealing with, i would have reported them to the BBB.

I would have asked to speak to the manager/owner, and if that was who you were dealing with, i would have reported them to the BBB.

:rolleyes: The lbs can charge $5000 for break cables if they wish - that is how free-market capitalism works. Of course the beauty is that the customer is not obligated to purchase at that price, which he wisely didn't.

It's not unethical business practice, just stupid.

We never know, but probably the cables were made out of gold!:D

We never know, but probably the cables were made out of gold!:D

You'd have to readjust the cable stretch every time you touch the handle, but hey, if you're that wangster...

We never know, but probably the cables were made out of gold!:D
And encrusted in diamonds (I saw a gold chain at my lbs :D)

:rolleyes: The lbs can charge $5000 for break cables if they wish - that is how free-market capitalism works. Of course the beauty is that the customer is not obligated to purchase at that price, which he wisely didn't.

It's not unethical business practice, just stupid.

what would be an example of unethical practise?

Let's approximate a realistic charge for the work:

2 stainless steel brake cables at 4.50 ea.: 9.00
9 to 12 feet of housing for full length @ 2.00/ft: 18.00 to 24.00
Tax for material:1.89 to 2.38
Labor to install: 10.00 to 15.00

Total estimate: $40 to $50 depending on how much 'actual' housing is used.

That's the way I used to estimate work when I was working in a shop.

My LBS that I work for

cables = $3.95 with or w/ out housing
Labor = $5 per cable

~$19

i went to another lbs. walked out with more cable and housing, than i knew what to do with. later that same night i had front and back brakes on my bike, adjusted just the way i like. all i paid for was the cables and housing. it only took me a few minutes it seems. the first bike shop told me it would be 90 bucks and the middle of next week for pickup. true, the bike wouldnt fetch 90 bucks from a pawn shop, but it sure beats spending 500- 1500 for a brand new one. in fact, i think giant discontinued the 5-600 low end mountainbikes. and my 2003 giant ds3 is a million times better, than any walmart bike.

Just curious, why did the cables need replacing? And if, as you say in your first post, the housings were fine, then why did you replace them?

All LBS are different...some can really rip you on simple labor stuff!l

By the way all cables are not created equal.

Maybe did he suggest a bunch of other things than ALL added up to the $90 quoted? I doubt any shop would quote $90 for brakes. Why don't you twll us the entire story before bad mouthing someone for now reason. I call schenanigans.

On the topic of gold stuff - would it be hard on the chain or a drivetrain if one were to spray paint a chain an odd color? I was just thinking of doing that. That would look crazy.

On the topic of gold stuff - would it be hard on the chain or a drivetrain if one were to spray paint a chain an odd color? I was just thinking of doing that. That would look crazy.

i really dont think the paint would last long..

Spraypaint? Yes. I think there are more professional methods like metal plating that would do less, but spraying paint would interfere with the links I would imagine.

Are chains made of aluminium? If so, just make a chain out of anodized aluminum. You can get a plethora of colors that way, and the color is the aluminium itself.

I'm pretty sure my chain has some Fe in it, because it turns orange when I ride in the sleet in the winter. So I'd say it's steel.

I would think aluminum is too weak for chain material, if I remember correctly my friend had an XTR chain and even that got rusted so if XTR is not the place for aluminum chains, no place is.

It's nearly time for me to buy a whole new drivetrain anyway. I need a chain, cassette, and derailleur. I also need a new rear brake. Time to get a job :rolleyes:

Time to get a job :rolleyes:

Haha, I know what ya mean. I got a job at my lbs last week :) The sad thing is, I'll most likely end up spending the whole paycheck there :(

Let's approximate a realistic charge for the work:

2 stainless steel brake cables at 4.50 ea.: 9.00
9 to 12 feet of housing for full length @ 2.00/ft: 18.00 to 24.00
Tax for material:1.89 to 2.38
Labor to install: 10.00 to 15.00

Total estimate: $40 to $50 depending on how much 'actual' housing is used.

That's the way I used to estimate work when I was working in a shop.
my lbs charged me 20 bucks to change my rear derailler cable and my shifter with the shifter included on the commuter :)

Haha, I know what ya mean. I got a job at my lbs last week :) The sad thing is, I'll most likely end up spending the whole paycheck there :(

Don't get a job at the bike shop thinking that you're going to spend less money! I learned that the hard way :D

Just laugh...laugh some more...laugh some more...and leave.