Fifty Plus (50+) - First Dnvr, now I'm BUMMED at my LBS

I took my "new" '89 Trek 1500 to the LBS nearly two weeks ago. I asked them to raise the handlebars level with the saddle, and to install bar-end shifters. Of course, they'd have to retape the bars, etc.

When I came home a week later from a business trip, they weren't even started. Said they'd be ready on last Tuesday. I went out of town again and returned to the LBS this afternoon and they were JUST THEN working on the bike. Ok, no big deal.

The wrench who took my request and wrote it all down had passed it along to another guy; he either misunderstood or the first guy wrote it down wrong, but he didn't replace the stem, he merely raised it about a quarter inch (all it would go). Then he did all the other work and some things I hadn't asked for (but was glad he'd done), such as replacing a faulty chain, straightening out the deraileur hanger, and (to some extent) truing the front wheel.

The new shifters look (and operate) cool. Everything is good -- but when I got home, I realized that the bars were still WAY too low for me. The first wrench had talked about ordering a new stem, so somehow when the second wrench told me he had raised it as far as it would go, I didn't question that. And someone in the LBS the bike looked okay, I don't know, I was excited to get it and not paying THAT much attention. My bad on that.

The bill was nearly $200; the estimate had been $100 or so, plus a promise of a phone call if anything was out of sync. Granted, they did some things I would have approved, and I didn't pay for a new stem, but that stung a little.

So I get home and take the bike out for a spin, and I'm bummed because the bars are still too low, and I know me, and I know I won't ride this bike very much if it's not comfortable.

So now I have to do "deal" with the LBS, and that's disappointing. I want them to fix it right, and I don't want them to get a chip on their shoulder about me since I bring all my work to them, and now it has to go back again, and BIG SIGH.

Why couldn't it just have been fixed right in the first place?

Thanks for letting me vent.

EDIT: I can't explain how I managed to look at the bike in the LBS and NOT notice that the very thing I brought it in for wasn't really adjusted. I should have said something immediately, but I was so excited to be getting the bike that I didn't even notice it. This blows my mind.

I wouldn't feel bad about not noticing it - bar height is a hard one to judge by eye. My bars are currently 2" below the seat but from most angles, they look the same height ... and yes, you do notice it on the road (got a thread running about it).

Funny, when a workshop (of any sort) gets it wrong, they always stuff up the main reason you took it in there in the first place, never one of the peripheral problems. Sort of a mechanic's version of Murphy's Law.

Richard

Don't blame yourself too much, after that much time I would have even forgot what I took the bike in for in the first place. If you are a regular, they can't say, or should not say, too much either...is not the customer always right.
hope you can feel right about the bike and get it done right...the bike should be ridden.

So get them to put a stem riser on it - takes about 5 minutes - and you're good to go. Usually I'll ride my bike to the LBS and tell them I'll wait since I don't have another way to leave ;)

Do not despair, do not moan, DO ride the bike back to them...

I feel for you. If I expected to pay around $125'ish, then got hit for nearly $200. Only to find out that the #1 thing I took it in for hadn't been done, I would not be happy at all.

So now you are still looking at the cost of buying a new stem, having it installed and replacing all of the cables?

I've said it before and I'll say it again..unless you are a wrench yourself, used bikes aren't the quick, easy, cheap solution they appear to be!

Hey DG just get the riser and put it on yourself. $25 for riser and about $10 for allen wrenchs. If you can open a door you can put a riser on.If you do screw up then you can take it to them.I really don't think you'll screw up.

I can't explain how I managed to look at the bike in the LBS and NOT notice that the very thing I brought it in for wasn't really adjusted. I should have said something immediately, but I was so excited to be getting the bike that I didn't even notice it. This blows my mind.

Totally understandable from my point of view. I very nearly did the exact same thing yesterday, and the only reason I didn't is because the mechanic asked me if I wanted to take it for a spin before paying for it.

I had brought my dear, trusty old friend (8-year-old Hard Rock) in there for some work. The years of bike commuting finally wore her out, but I couldn't see trading her in for a younger, sexier thing after she had been my loyal companion for this long. So she was scheduled for a new rear wheel, freewheel (to replace the worn-out cassette), crank and chain.

On the parking lot ride I discovered she wouldn't drop down into the smallest chainring. Long story short, the new crank was offset differently than the original. The solution was either a spacer between crank and bottom bracket, or installing a new bottom bracket to match the new crank. I opted for the latter. They are sucking up the labor and only charging me for the part, and it should be ready today. [Edit: I picked her up and she rides like a dream. These guys did right by me and deserve a plug - Natomas Bike Shop on Truxel in Sacramento. It's my 3rd visit to them and they haven't let me down. They've been fair and more than reasonable each time I've dealt with them. Highly recommended.]

I'd say take your bike back and tell them your concerns. If they value your business they'll make it right without giving you any grief about it. It's also a little troubling that they essentially doubled the bill without a phone call to you. That would tick me off a little. And $200 sounds like a lot for what you described - maybe there's more to it than what you'd mentioned, I don't know.

I forgot DG that you have a threaded stem, I think, more tools, better take it in. I'd buy the tools because I like playing with that stuff, but I remember you don't. Good luck.

DG............go online and buy a Nitto Technomic stem for around $40 to $50, or less at eBay maybe-- you can get the forward extension length by measuring center of stem clamp to center of stem expander bolt. (REmember, the higher the stem goes, the closer the handlebars come in toward you because of the backwards angle of the headtube. The Technomic should give you plenty of bar raise-- that's what it's meant to do.) Take your lovely bike down to the shop, shove the Technomic across the counter, and tell 'em to put it on. Don't feel guilty because you didn't order the stem thru them...they blew any felt "obligation" you might have had by poor service.

If you're really steamed, pick up your own wrench at home. Unwrap the bar tape, loosen the brake levers from the bars, slide them off. You'll need to first cut the shifter cables at the derailleur end and remove the shifters-- usually with the D-ring or a flat head screw driver for the shift levers and hex wrench for the shifter pods that go into the ends of the bars. The brakes levers can simply be pushed back on the bars later no need for any adjustments or fooling with the brake cables. Loosen the stem's bar clamp and slide the bar out of the old stem. Loosen the stem's expander bolt and remove the old stem . Put a little grease on your new stem's quill, put it in, tighten it when at the correct height. Slide your bars back into the stem clamp and tighten--your bars are very probably the same diameter as the Technomic clamp. Put the brakes back on. Put the shift levers back on simply by reversing the way you removed them. You can do this in almost less time than I take keyboarding it here. Re-wrap the bars when you get the bike back.

Take the bike down and have them cable up the shifters and adjust the indexing-- which won't cost much (by rights they should do it no charge). And have them show you how to switch to friction so you can try that out sometime whenever you want.

Should be kind of fun, and if you get a little "misconfused", you can't hurt anything that can't be easily fixed-- even by those turkeys at your LBS.



You'll have fun and feel competent about wrenching your own bike and dealing with less than perfect tradesmen.

First, learn to do your own wrenching. You'll have to buy tools, but you will save money in the long run and get better work. Second, recognize that this is what you get when you have a shop try to rehab old stuff on the cheap. The only way to come out ahead on old stuff is to do the work yourself. Or, get used to estimates being way too low. bk

A.E. Bike has the Nitto Technomic stem for 30.99 if you decide to order one. I think It's hard to beat that price.

http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=list&Category=149&brand=267&modelid=4304&type=T

Gary,
Order a stem extension from Nashbum,I think its for a 11/8,for older bikes.We will talk you through it and you,ll gain a new found sense of assertive confidence.As a vintage roadie,I do not wish to see you abandon the Diego and revert to the Monkey bike.


.

Take a look at http://www.yellowjersey.org/stemz.html
They will fix you up with any stem you can think of......

I didn't know Yellow Jersey sold on the internet. They're about a half-mile from my office.

I'm going to take it back tomorrow and see what they can / will do. I am not going to try to repair it myself; I do not like, nor am I any good at mechanical things. I ALWAYS mess them up worse than before, no matter how patient the teacher, how simple the diagram, how easy the repair would be to others. I do appreciate the offers of help but they are misplaced. I am a complete, and total knucklehead with a mechnical problems. The only positive about all that is I know my limitations!

And I realize I'm trying to save a few bucks and I'm still ahead, IF the bars can be raised to the right level. Even a $300 bike is cheaper than a $1,000 bike, IF I end up riding it. And if I don't, because I just can't get used to or enjoy road bikes, then I've learned a $300 lesson, not a $1,000 lesson.

I will take it back to the LBS and see what they say. If they won't make it right, I'll be looking for another LBS for future work.

DG........Okay, Okay! :) There are definitely stems available whether Technomic, gooseneck, or even 90degree (for threaded) road stems that will provide the "uplift" men our age need. Getting the bars up is not a problem. Getting your LBS's attention to your desires is more the problem. So, wear your new tennies and that yellow rain shell thing and your pointy headed hair do...

Enough,










Enough,I,ve got Angelo and Guido from Youngstown flying in to chat with those San Diego Dandies at the LBS.We need closure on this road bike thing.

This thread is a good example of how you have to take advice from forums with a grain of salt. Even after someone corrected their own mistake, others were still suggesting solutions that were not applicable to Gary's bike (i.e. stem riser - won't work on a threaded fork).

Gary, even good shops make mistakes. How they fix the problem will determine how good a shop they are. Be sure to ask specifically about a Nitto Technomic stem. To my knowledge, that is the only stem on the market that will give you the rise you need and the period correct flat top extension to make your bike look right. That said, on my Fuji I use a Nitto Dirt Drop stem which does not have the flat extension. It looks fine with the mustache bars I'm using on that bike.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/th_RibbyLarge.jpg (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/RB-1/RibbyLarge.jpg)
Technomic Deluxe

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/Uncle%20Duke/th_DSCF2177.jpg (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d195/GonzoDawg/bicycles/Uncle%20Duke/DSCF2177.jpg)
Dirt Drop

I ALWAYS mess them up worse than before, no matter how patient the teacher, how simple the diagram, how easy the repair would be to others.

Oh, sure there are simple diagrams. Well, I guess there are. Somehow, they always seem to be slightly different that the hardware I have to work on, though.

My Technomic stem puts the bars right where I need them and looks purty too. :D

Darn it, I read through his thread and was trying to think of simple solutions for the Diego, but decision is made and I'm late to the party again. Was going to offer to give you a Nashbar stem I had to raise your bars, but then realized my stem is for 25.4mm mountain bar. You need the 30.5mm road bar. Unfortunately even if it did fit, you would still have to dismantle just about everything to get the old bar out of the stem. I've read enough of your posts to know you were not going to do that. Was thinking briefly you could hack saw off top of stem that wraps around bar, then you would not have to dismantle levers and cables, but on second thought that would be quite tricky and you risk cutting your road bar.

The newer bikes with the 1 1/8 stems and face plates to attach bars do not have this problem. As some have suggested, but will not work in your case, is attaching a stem riser. But they are not made for the one piece quill stem. I put a stem riser on all three of my bikes. When I added one to my first road bike, the Trek 1000, I ran into a problem you may still have. When I attempted to raise my bars the shifter and front brake cables were not long enough. I could only go a little over an inch higher. Since this was the first time I had to recable, I let the LBS do it. I believe I was over charged at $150. That charge was enough for me to try it myself next time. But I've always been mechanically inclined.

Anyway +1 on the LBS, you best bet, but be aware they may have to lengthen cables, for more $$$.

There are people who should not be allowed to have tools. Maybe DG is one of them. We should lay off. bk

I don't use any stem that isn't adjustable. I know the adjustable ones are heavier, don't maintain the original look, and are looked down upon by many cyclists. But they let me easily tweak the settings to find one that is more comfortable. An increasing number of road bikes, usually referred to as "road comfort bikes", are now coming with adjustable stems as standard equipment.

I'm not recommending anything, just passing along my opinion on a topic that I'm not qualified to speak on.

Gary,

Is the LBS in question Adams???

Gary,

Is the LBS Adams???

I don't want to say until the matter is resolved, one way or the other, in fairness to the LBS, which might pleasantly surprise me. Make sense?

There are people who should not be allowed to have tools. Maybe DG is one of them. We should lay off. bk

Having poked a hole in a car battery in the dead of winter in Cleveland, trying to extract it from the car, and having destroyed a refrigerator by poking a hole in IT trying to defrost it faster with a screwdriver, thus setting loose all the freon, and having doubled the cost of a repair to my kitchen sink by trying to do it myself and having to call the plumber with water up to my ankles, to site just three examples, I think bkaapcke is on to something.

Oh, and there was the time I had a radial arm saw, and tried to feed something backwards without realizing it, causing the wood to shoot backwards, break the cast iron guard, which then zoomed past my head, missing me by less than an inch.

DG + Tools = Disaster. :(

And now you see why my favorite tool to repair a flat is my cell phone.

I beg to differ with some of the others who have posted to this thread. Gary does have tools and a masterful ability to use them. That is, his wit, humor (often a little self-depreciating), knowledge of his limitations, etc. All of these can be used to cajole the LBS into doing the right thing. Gary, good luck with your return visit to the LBS. As you know, with each visit you are building a relationship. The nature of the relationship is a two-way street.

Woohoo!

Just got back from the LBS. Spoke with the original wrench who took the order, explained that it felt awkward, that the wrench who did the actual work did excellent work, but that there was some kind of communication breakdown because I didn't get a new stem that would raise the handlebars. He was under the impression he was supposed to raise the existing stem as far as he safely could (which turned out to be 1/4 inch -- and I need about 1.5 inches of rise).

He IMMEDIATELY took responsibility, said it was all his fault, and offered to make it right, for free. I still have to pay for the new stem riser of course (Nitto Technomic, of course) but that was to be expected. The labor to make it right will be no charge.

He's going to order the stem today, and I'll get it fixed next week. (This is what was supposed to happen when I was out of town, but ... that's part of this miscommunication).

Anyway, it looks like once again, the Fine Folks at Adams Avenue Cycles prove to be really stand up guys.

And...I'll probably bring a six pack as well to show my apprecation when I get the work done. For some reason, these guys NEVER turn down free beer. Fat Tire beer, of course.

So we got all worked up for nothin'? They were, like, nice guys? Well, at least we got to ride around on a high horse (one without his stem extended) for a while. ;)

Glad it all turned out (so far) well, DG.

There are people who should not be allowed to have tools. Maybe DG is one of them. We should lay off. bk

+1

DG and I at least share this characteristic. And, besides, my wife doesn't like to hear me swearing.

You wrenches out there, come and join my a capella singing group, and see how you do. We all have different talents!

Of course, there is always going to be the clown in here who sings AND wrenches.:D

Of course, there is always going to be the clown in here who sings AND wrenches.:D

Somebody call me? :p

Actually, my singing is pretty wrenching.

Since repair was made right, just some more info on tall stems for those who have "cheap" genes: When stem shifters were popular, SunTour made some very long "power shifters" and they were usually paired with a tall SR stem. If you have a source for used bike parts(like REcycled Cycles in Seattle), these stems are almost as good as a Technomic for raising the bars & usually go for $2-$5. I don't seem to have a pic of the powershifters but here is a bike with one of those tall SR stems. Don

Love those Suntour Power Shifters on my 83 Detel.Puts that junk from Shimano to shame during that time in history.Very smooth shifting and a thumb away from the handlebars.Why did they stop using stem shifters on bikes?

Why did they stop using stem shifters on bikes?

Didn't they sort of disappear the same time brake lever extensions were discontinued for safety reasons?
I recall stem shifters were used best when sitting fairly upright, but were awkward while riding on the drops or even the hoods. Bar tops were probably best for them.

I used SunTour power ratchet bar ends for years. Recently switched to Shimano D/A barcons and, friction or indexed, they work equally well for me.