bike service - reasonable price? (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyRaz]

whats a reasonable price for a bike service? excluding parts or anything?

going to drop my yoke in - or figure out how to do it myself - depending on answers.

its a complete crock, but still going. just the gears are slipping a bit..

 

[rettucs]

I've used all of the bikeshops mentioned. I liked Little Sport more than City Cycles. The CC lad could get a bit moody at times. I remember being in there once and a lad popped in with a puncture, clearly on his way home from work. Yer man told him to leave in the bike and collect it the next day. I thought that was a bit shitty since it could have been fixed in less than 10 minutes. Little Sport were always very obliging anytime I called in. And Derek in Humphries is the best bike mechanic I've ever dealt with. There's nothing that lad can't do. I usually saved him for my good bikes since its a bit of a trek to Finglas for me.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

yeah, sounds like this is the likeliest cause.

I'd give the limiter screw a little twist too, to see if that lets it pop into the highest chainring.

but it all sounds a bit hacky. Best to get it fixed properly.

hacky is normally the way I'd go - but as there's been so much neglect in this case I'd be inclined to drop it in.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

If your going to drop it in anyway,give it a go yourself first. Might get you started on being able to fix/maintain things like gears and save you in the long run

 

[tommytrousers]

yep- could be anything from dirt, needing the cables tightened to needing a whole new drive train. look up on youtube how to clean your chain and squirt a small bit of wd40 where the cables are exposed to wet/dirt. Personally I find tweaking to get the gears right too finnicky and I'm reasonably experienced at fixing my own bike. The tiny turns needed to tighten the gear cables or derailleurs are surprisingly tricky. There's also the possibility your derailleurs are bent and then you'll be looking at possibly replacing parts.

 

[Deadmanposting]

Left my racer in yesterday cos the chain is coming loose
I need a new wheel - expensive, like 100-120 quid. But I'm kind of excited tbh

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Bike lords of thumped - judge my cogs..

 

[seanc]

I'm surprised you don't know most of the stuff already mentioned, considering you're pretty handy at the guitar building.

Anyway, let me be first to say PIE PLATE.

Also, bike maintenance seems to be a lot cheaper over there than it is here, which is quite odd. I paid £110 sterlings for my last maintenance. I've not ridden a bike in years.

I'd go with Magic's thing of having a play with it yourself if you're set on going to go to a mechanic anyway. It's mechanical, it's not like timber, there's very little you could do that could not be unfucked by a decent mechanic.

 

[Deadmanposting]

Bike lords of thumped - judge my cogs..

Looks grand
I would clean the fuck out of it though

 

[JohnnyRaz]

I'm surprised you don't know most of the stuff already mentioned, considering you're pretty handy at the guitar building.

Anyway, let me be first to say PIE PLATE.

Also, bike maintenance seems to be a lot cheaper over there than it is here, which is quite odd. I paid £110 sterlings for my last maintenance. I've not ridden a bike in years.

I'd go with Magic's thing of having a play with it yourself if you're set on going to go to a mechanic anyway. It's mechanical, it's not like timber, there's very little you could do that could not be unfucked by a decent mechanic.

I didn’t cycle regularly for the best part of 20 years - so I’m relatively new to this.

Cleaning - wd40 followed by 3in1 work ok?

 

[magicbastarder]

might just need a clean and tune up - but if you only ever use that middle ring, it could be worn, but you can't see with the chain on it. i'd say probably replace the chain rather than cleaning it. as mentioned, i have a chain wear checker (but you can do it with a ruler too) - if it's really badly worn, you may as well replace the cassette too.

 

[magicbastarder]

"Another ballpark method for checking chain wear is by measuring it with a ruler. Pick a rivet and line it up at the zero mark. Count 24 more rivets and your last rivet should be at the 12″ mark of your ruler. If it is off by more than 1/16″ your chain is stretched to the point of replacement"

 

[Deadmanposting]

I didn’t cycle regularly for the best part of 20 years - so I’m relatively new to this.

Cleaning - wd40 followed by 3in1 work ok?

I am not an expert, but don't use WD40 to clean
It's for loosening parts and not something I would ever use on a bike of mine - you want a degreaser instead

 

[seanc]

I didn’t cycle regularly for the best part of 20 years - so I’m relatively new to this.

Cleaning - wd40 followed by 3in1 work ok?

One is too viscous, the other is too thick. When I was into this sort of thing, I got some fancy pants stuff from chainreactioncycles. GT85 is what we use at my work for mechanical things. I think WD40, um, dilutes(?) whatever lubricant was put on it already, then you end up with no lube at all. And as we all know, that's no fun.

 

[Deadmanposting]

There's a bunch here - but any of the bike shops in Fairview will sell then also, I am sure

https://www.amazon.co.uk/bike-chain-degreaser/s?k=bike+chain+degreaser

 

[magicbastarder]

One is too viscous, the other is too thick. When I was into this sort of thing, I got some fancy pants stuff from chainreactioncycles. GT85 is what we use at my work for mechanical things. I think WD40, um, dilutes(?) whatever lubricant was put on it already, then you end up with no lube at all. And as we all know, that's no fun.

he did mention it to clean it, rather than lube it though.
for a manky chain, i'd soak it in white spirits or petrol overnight. but that's only if it's worth saving.

 

[seanc]

he did mention it to clean it, rather than lube it though.
for a manky chain, i'd soak it in white spirits or petrol overnight. but that's only if it's worth saving.

Yes, re-reading it, of course you are correct. I apologise.
WD40 is no good as lubricant, on a bike anyway. Not too great for cleaning. I mean, it's great for cleaning, but then you have the clean the WD40 off and put something else on there.

I've never tried petrol, but I found spending a couple of hours scrubbing white spirit soaked gunk off a bike quite satisfying.

Actually, someone mentioned using WD40 on the bits where the brake and gear cables are exposed. That's probably grand. I dunno.

 

[Deadmanposting]

I would like to confuse matters by saying that WD-40 make a degreaser

It's not WD-40 as you know it, but it's still WD-40, if you get me

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Hmm I think I’ll just drop it in.. sounds like I might need a new chain at least? at least then in term of diy maintenance I’ll be starting with a clean slate.

 

[magicbastarder]

if you drop it in, many bike shops would just go to town on it. measure the chain wear first.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

if you drop it in, many bike shops would just go to town on it. measure the chain wear first.

In the absence of the knowledge to fully diy it - I'd be kinda happy for them to go the whole hog.

I'm comfortable learning by working on stuff that's fucked, and trial and error from first principles. or by maintaining stuff that's in good nick already. The mid point is where 'do it yourself' becomes, to quote my mechanic uncle, potentially 'destroy it yourself'..

Also - my limited tinkering time is wholly and totally consumed with making fucking instruments (it's a disease)

I will check the chain though - so I don't sound like a total rube