All I want is a DECENT Bike Shop!!!!!
 

I went to the bike shop on base today...
The same one who wont sell me spokes for a wheel, I had to bring my wheel to them and have them "fix the wheel" (all they did was screw them in... they didnt true or tension anything... I could tighten the spoke with my fingers....)
I went there for a new chain... they wont sell me a chain either, I have to bring my bike in there for them to "install it"
so i told them hell no. Last time they had my bike, it was almost 4 weeks.... and they didn't fix a damn thing.


So I'm going off base, there's this little bike shop in Landstuhl, that the owner apparently speaks decent English and deals with us Yanks on a regular basis..... Time to get some Euro... ouch this exchange rate...... 50 Euros, 75 dollars............
Problem is he has crazy hours. So I never have any idea of when he's open.

I WANT TO RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!
=(
Sorry, Just had to rant, because this is ridiculous, who doesn't sell chains?!?!? WTF! that is.... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrr

Finding a good LBS is hard sometimes. I bought my bike from one of these fancy boutique types places with the video scan computer fitting thing. They have this 20ish mechanic who has all the right clothes and tatts but can't fix a bike to save his ass. Three times I had the bike back in there and three times it wasn't resolved. Took it to another LBS to have the wheel trued. $10; cool! He did a **** job so I took it to another LBS and had it done right for $45. Was in love with LBS #3 but when it came to ordering parts I would be waiting a month.

For xmas I got mechanics books and tools. Screw the LBS.

The only work I DON'T do on my rig is wheel/spoke work. I repair and adjust everything else. I'm running MAVIC Crossmaxx wheels, so they never need work anyway.

Hey, my cousin was just stationed at Landstuhl for the last 3 months (I think he may have rotated out just before Xmas), but I know he rented an MTB while he was there. I'll find out which shop, if you like. Also, having lived in Germany (non-military) myself for several years, rest assured that most Germans (under 50 yrs old) are happy to speak English and learned it in school, but they like it when you make an effort to at least say hi and thanks in German. So brush up your "Guten Morgen" and "Vielen Dank" and "Ich brauche eine neue Kette fuer mein Fahrrad." (I need a new chain for my bike) and you'll be fine. When in doubt, speak slowly.

Good luck (which has a weird idiom in German--"Ich druecke dir die Daumen"--translates as "I'll squeeze my thumbs for you").

My only knowledge of German, 'Scheißen, mein flugelhorn is kaput!', never gets me anywhere.
I must be mispronouncing it.

Yea could you find out which shop?
I swung by Wolfs today, but it being Sunday, it's closed. I'm going to go again tomorrow. I am done with the outdoor Rec on base...... They wouldn't even sell my shifter cables or housing either.... cause apparently no one in the world knows how to cut and size the cables, so you have to drop your bike off for them...
IDK.
I just looked at them.. I was like... I raced back in the states, I was my own mechanic, I never had many MAJOR issues......
I got a bike repair book and some tools for xmas as well.

All I need is shifter cables and housing, and a 9 speed SRAM chain (every shimano chain I've ever had broke....) along with a few other items I am bringing the trek back from the dead..... I got a LX FD for 6 bucks during black friday off Jenson, so I put it on there, going to be a 2x8 setup, beater bike. (i'm debating putting the Deore from the dawg on the Trek, and the New LX from the trek on the Dawg, any opinions?)


I broke in the dremel tool today, fab'd something to help with my chain suck issue on the Dawg... ill post pics when it's on the bike...

I just really hope that the German bike shop is an actual store, and will sell me parts........


Yea, I always make an effort to say Guten Morgan, or Hallow, Dankeshen, bitteshen "Chuce" (Spelling?") etc etc etc. It's the least I can do, I mean, heck they learned English, I should be able to learn some Duetch.

Oh on a side note, I tested my Tension meter thing today... The rear wheel that was wrecked on the trek.. Mein Gott... it's bad.
Tension on the spokes range from 3, 5, and 7, to 26...
I have a LOT of work to do... lol.

I compared the average tension that is on the front tire, I'm going to rebuild the rear and try and match the AVG front..
(cant remember what it was)

I've got to give you alot of credit, you've come along way.

I would definitely avoid the shop on base from the way it sounds.

Went off base the other day to a small little bike shop, Wolfs. They didn't have a huge selection, it was just a real small room with bike stuff in it, but they had a chain in the back for me. It's a Shimano... (GRRR it seems that's all they use around here.....) but it's an Ultegra. Paid 25,00 Euros for it (it was marked 28,00. I guess the lady had some sympathy for our exchange rate lol)
That equates to about $42.00-$45.00 , does that seem right?

My dad also ordered me a SRAM PC-991 (non hollow pin version) chain off the internet for me, so I'd have a backup.

now all I need is shifter cables and housing (the bikeshop off base didn't have any for sale either) I've caught wind of another shop in a nearby town, so I might go there.... the Internets looking even friendlier right now.

Thanks Jenson USA, Pricepoint, and Amazon (lol) for supporting the Military and DOD employees and shipping to APO boxes!




Oh, on a side note, I got Accepted into Duquesne University School of Nursing, with an Annual $8,500 scholarship. Now to hear from the other 3 I applied to, and my ROTC Scholarship, lol.

Why don't you shop online? This place has low prices, a great selection, and very cheap shipping.

http://bike-components.de

Thanks I didn't know of that site.
Problem is, 20 euros for shifter cables, equates to about 35 dollars.
The exchange rate makes this to costly,

Pricepoint has some killer sales right now, that end... TODAY,
So I got a set of 5 brake cables, and 5 shifter cables, coated/galvenized with housings for no more than 6 bucks each set, bought a set of 5 tubes, cassette tool, cable/housing cutter, knee warmers, head/ear warmers, and got some sick looking Fox and oakley shorts, both 16 bucks each. I also picked up some other odds and ends, all for 130 something with shipping.
fun fun....

You live in Europe, so you'll have to deal with it. Seriously the world isn't America.

That being said I pay about 5 euro for cables at my LBS.

I wasn't complaining, I pay in Euro's all the time man, I was just stating that 20 euros for cables is kinda steep.
Especially when I can get a set of 5 for 6 bucks...

I never implied that the world revolves around America, in fact this thread was originally about how the American Bike Shop around here sucks...

With that being said, I'm celebrating New Years Eve at an Italian Restaurant in Germany =) Owner is super nice, recognizes our last name as Italian, we always get free bottles of Italian wine and stuff.

There are cables for 3 and 4 euro on the site I gave you a link to.

:twitchy: Wha . . .?? Why wasn't I informed of this until now?

Hahahaha Dminor, thats funny.

Happy New Years!!!
Its Officially almost 2 hours into 2010 here...


been rather lame...
Hope y'alls is better than mine lol
BTW- Germans are firework maniacs LOL, it was like a battlefield out there, cause the base is surrounded by different towns in all directions, our sky was lit and air was full of booms.