Originally Posted by jemoryl

I doubt the shops in my area (I'm a not so affuent type in a well-off area) will be very helpful. Their goal seems to be to extract maximum $$ from every customer. Looking for a quill stem for an older bike I spotted a pegboard at my LBS with dozens of what look like take-off stems of various sorts. Thinking they might want to sell one at a resonable price, I am told that I can probably have one (throw in a bit of attitude here) for $40 or $50. On the counter sits a bin of the little brass Schrader-presta adapters, labeled $5.95 ea. (we used to give these to customers in the '70s). And lets not talk about the labor charges.....

I'm not really that cheap, but to an old time biker there is something that doesn't seem proper about some of the prices being charged for odds and ends.

Anyway, I've seen two types of these 8mm crank bolts: allen head, chrome plated with plastic dust ring, not to cool looking, probably made in Taiwan but only about $4. The others are the titanium hex head bolts made by Ritchey - seems like these are around for under $10, but I'd really prefer something closer to the campy type with an allen head.