Originally Posted by
Dan The Man
Let's see, the first shop, I went in with my bike and said that I needed a replacement front derailleur cable clamp. I pointed to where the old one had fallen out. The tech tried a nut that was too big for the recess, and then went back and found a nut that fit, and then put a bolt and a washer on it.
The second shop, I brought in two bearings, and I said I need 18 of this size bearing and 20 of this bearing. The kid (didn't know much about bikes) put the bearings through a bearing size gauge and went and got them. I then gave him a broken brake tensioner and said I need a replacement brake tensioner. It should look like this and it should thread onto this. I also gave him the collar that it threads into. He went back into the brake parts bin and came back with a brake cable tensioner.
A small nut bolt and washer purchased at a hardware store is typically about 25 cents. So at $10, that is a mark up of well over 3000%. 38 bearings cost $10. That's 38 cents a bearing. From what I have read in this thread, a bag of 100 bearings can be bought at retail for around $5. So that's 5 cents a bearing marked up to 38 cents, a mark up of 600%. A brake tensioner, I have no idea how much it costs, but I know that it's less than $4.
Well Dan the Man - tell you exactly what I got from your posting:
You went to three different shops on three different ocassions and each time it was for an extremely minor purchase. The staff at each of these shops was - in your opinion - incompetant and charged more than you thought the parts were worth as well - but you paid it anyway.
And for some reason you also seem to feel entitled to a volume price for a part even though you aren`t buying in volume. Seems you think shipping is also free on the Internet. It is on some sites - but only for purchases over $100 or so.
So since you`re obviously too hard up for money to send your bike in to have the work done at a shop, and since you feel more competant than any of the staff at those three shops - suggest you apply for a job there.
Posting threads like this basicly means you have time to burn so do something constructive with the situation. Otherwise I`d have to say your real problem is just being `cheap`.