deco101

When I was taking parts off of my old frame and throwing it on my new frame, It took me about 30-60 min to do everything. It was my first time and I learned everything in the process. The cheapest quote I got from an LBS to do the same thing for me was $175. Lawyers and Doctors charge less.

deco101

Not to mention I bought all the tools I need for all future repairs for less then 50 bucks.

DieselDan

Experience isn't cheap, troll.

Banzai

My LBS wouldn't charge nearly that much.

What's wrong with yours?

Since you could do the work yourself, it obviously wasn't a problem...

ShadowGray

Because these people know what they're doing, are fast and good at it, and will return a bike to you in better shape than you gave it to them?

deco101

why the insults? Its a fair question?

deco101

and experince of what? flippin nuts and bolts? I don't think you need a masters degree to unscrew bottom brackets.

Obviously someone is cashing out big time and it's obviously not the bike mechanics cause from what I've seen so far they don't make more than 12 bucks/hr. Good business.

deco101

I suppose people are like this about everything. Say for example gas. Or ****ty overpriced american gas guzzlers.

Arrowtalon

For some LBS this is true...

To the OP: I just posted about this in a different thread. Knowledge is expensive, and LBS charge for convenience. If it's not worth it to you to have them worry about it, do what you did. Learn to DIY and save the cash.

Buying a junker bike and repairing the hell out of it is the cheapest education you can give yourself.

Feathers

you purchased a full bicycle toolkit (including a headset installation tool) for less than $50.00?

dcbikeguy

Arrowtalon mixing it up with Shadowgray? What is this, the World of Warcraft forum?

deco101

No just a wrench to remove the bottom bracket. hex wrench tool and a chain tool. Didn't need anything else. I removed the pedals with the wrench that I had laying around in the garage

twahl

Did you face the bottom bracket and the head tubes?

Sure, anyone can swap parts, but I'm pretty sure you didn't do the job properly if you bought all the tools you needed for $50.

Richard_Rides

So, the LBS gets their shop space rent free? They also have a myriad of overhead expenses and labor burden costs. Just because a little snot bubbler like you can rebuild a bike on your kitchen table for pocket change, doesn't mean you could stay in business very long if you charged kitchen table prices.

If you can do without the LBS fine, I'm sure they can do without you.

Asian Sensation

Why do people pay money to keep their cars in tune? because they don't have the knowledge or want to take the risk.

Bike shops have to make payments for lease, insurance, employees, etc. And because you have to make payments of your own, you opted not to go through them, wise choice indeed.

As for more expensive than a doctor, what's more important, your health? or your bikes? thought so.
Lawyers, will be lawyers, you get what you pay for.

Red Rider

Cheaper than college tuition, too.

If the LBS didn't have to make a living and deal with increased shipping, food, fuel, parts, and labor costs, I'm sure they'd have done your work for half that amount.

I don't mind paying someone for their expertise, be it the LBS, my accountant, whomever. If the cost is worth it to me I'll budget the money for the expense. But don't begrudge knowledgeable, skilled people for charging what they're worth. It's good business practice.

Percist

Bike shop mechs can charge that much because they will be able to fix the creaking bb and all the other lovely surprises waiting your new build.

Do you have any idea what a torque wrench costs, can you feel how much to tighten a ti bolt holding a carbon seat tube, do you know what bb tool to use for every brand bike (including big box junkers) produced since 1952 (or earlier)?

Why not open your own shop and show those guys how it's done?

Kelly.Fisher

For mine it sure is. A few years ago I took a bike of mine in for a "special $30 spring tuneup". The bike needed to have the chain cleaned and lubed and the front and rear mechs were just *slightly* out of whack due to cable stretch. Two weeks later, I get the bike back. The chain wasn't clean, they just put oil right on top of the old gunk, and the bike shifted ten times worse than it did when I dropped it off. They couldn't have spent more than 30 seconds on my bike.

On another visit to the same shop, I sign up for their "professional bike fit" service. $125 upfront fee. They put me on a trainer, had me pedal for a few minutes, take a couple of measurements (plumb-bob, knee angle) and spent all of 10 minutes with me then pushed me out the door. I paid $125 for someone to raise my seat 1cm. Of course when I had a *real* fitting done this spring, I needed the seat moved forward a tad, the stem length and position changed, my cleats repositioned and a few other tweaks.

Recently, my girlfriend had her new bike "tuned up" by another local shop before she moved to Washington state. She kept complaining to me how her bike wasn't shifting right, so when i was last up there I noticed that the rear derailleur appeared to be twisted. Upon further inspection, I realized the a-hole at the shop had cross threaded the derailleur bolt into the hanger. I mean, come on. These are the two largest shops near where I live. This is total crap.

Not to mention every shop in town wants double for merchandise compared to what I can get it for from a catalog/online. I'm very willing to pay 15-20% more for an item locally, but I'm not stupid enough to pay double for something just for their supposed "service"..

deco101

that's what I plan on doing. People in the US love to overpay for everything it seems. Look at the real estate market. With attitudes like these, no wonder marketing companies are so successful. Peoples negotiation skills and use of their brains has become a thing of the past. Look deny it all you want, it is what it is and you're prolly getting fooled if your paying $180 bucks an hour for a bike repair. It costs less to repair my Mercedes than a god damn bike. And I don't understand why you people are jumping on me, do you really love to waste your money? don't you have to work for you money? I'm sure no one just gave it to you for nothin unless you won a lotto

deco101

I'm just not the type of a guy who bends over takes it in the rear hole and says thank you afterwards cause the price was so great. I guess I came to the wrong forum.

Slackerprince

Wrong forum.

Richard_Rides

Incorrect

spry

........without the courtesy of a reacharound.

Arrowtalon

That costume pwns you.

Cyclist0383

The little machine shop that my LBS has is invaluable. More often than not parts that I bring in aren't *exactly* to spec, but they are when I leave.