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you have to be kidding



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 1st 05, 11:17 PM
Mary
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Default you have to be kidding

six years ago I bought a Trek 1200. I love the bike and have put about 4500
miles a year on it. I took it in for a tune-up last week and to have the
chain and chain ring in the back replaced. I just got a call from the
mechanic. He said that the front ring is worn out and that total cost of
replacing everything that needs to be replaced will be about $300. He also
said that many of the parts on the bike have become obsolete and that in 6
months it will be hard to find parts for the bike. He recommended I come in
and look at a new bike in the 600 to 700 $$ range.
I thought this was the last bike I would have to buy. Didn't bikes use to
last like forever? Your opinion...should I fix the bike I have now for 300$
and buy new when I come to that bridge or purchase new now? Any thoughts
would be appreciated. I ride daily when the temperature is over 40 f.
Longest ride each year is a century with 20 mile rides each night and many
30 to 40 mile rides on the weekends.


Ads
  #2  
Old March 1st 05, 11:21 PM
Velo Psycho
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He's trying to screw you.

Call him up... tell him to take his ****ing hands off of your bike and
take it to a reputable shop....

Or... honestly, changing a chainring, a cassette, and a chain is NOT
that hard. Hell, I'll talk you through it over the phone.

I imagine you have an older 8 speed drivetrain. You can find parts for
that easily for less than $100. That guy should at least buy you
dinner before he tries to **** you.

  #3  
Old March 1st 05, 11:48 PM
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Default


Mary wrote:
six years ago I bought a Trek 1200. I love the bike and have put

about 4500
miles a year on it. I took it in for a tune-up last week and to have

the
chain and chain ring in the back replaced. I just got a call from

the
mechanic. He said that the front ring is worn out and that total

cost of
replacing everything that needs to be replaced will be about $300.

He also
said that many of the parts on the bike have become obsolete and that

in 6
months it will be hard to find parts for the bike. He recommended I

come in
and look at a new bike in the 600 to 700 $$ range.
I thought this was the last bike I would have to buy. Didn't bikes

use to
last like forever? Your opinion...should I fix the bike I have now

for 300$
and buy new when I come to that bridge or purchase new now? Any

thoughts
would be appreciated. I ride daily when the temperature is over 40

f.
Longest ride each year is a century with 20 mile rides each night and

many
30 to 40 mile rides on the weekends.


I agree with VeloPsycho, although I wouldn't express it as brutally as
him. Chainrings (the gears in front) and cassettes (the cogs in back)
plus a chain can be purchased for $100 or so. And the part about these
things becoming obsolete is simply not true. (New drivetrain parts are
still being made for 30 year old bikes with 5 speed freewheels).

Once you do get your bike repaired (by a reputable shop or by yourself)
you should replace the chain more often. Your chainrings and cogs will
then last for a long long long time.

Tom

  #4  
Old March 2nd 05, 12:14 AM
b_baka
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Default

Mary wrote:
six years ago I bought a Trek 1200. I love the bike and have put about 4500
miles a year on it. I took it in for a tune-up last week and to have the
chain and chain ring in the back replaced. I just got a call from the
mechanic. He said that the front ring is worn out and that total cost of
replacing everything that needs to be replaced will be about $300. He also
said that many of the parts on the bike have become obsolete and that in 6
months it will be hard to find parts for the bike. He recommended I come in
and look at a new bike in the 600 to 700 $$ range.
I thought this was the last bike I would have to buy. Didn't bikes use to
last like forever? Your opinion...should I fix the bike I have now for 300$
and buy new when I come to that bridge or purchase new now? Any thoughts
would be appreciated. I ride daily when the temperature is over 40 f.
Longest ride each year is a century with 20 mile rides each night and many
30 to 40 mile rides on the weekends.


Stay far, far away from that bike shop as he is obviously trying to get
more money out of you for a new bike and then will probably try to sell
the old bike. People like that should 'hopefully' be out of business
very soon. If he is an old timer that just attests to the amount of
stupid people with money.
Bill Baka
Still riding an old Huffy with over 10,000 miles and a Wal-mart Mongoose
aproaching 5,000 with less total investment than your 'tune up'.
  #5  
Old March 2nd 05, 12:18 AM
psycholist
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Default

"Mary" wrote in message
.. .
six years ago I bought a Trek 1200. I love the bike and have put about
4500 miles a year on it. I took it in for a tune-up last week and to have
the chain and chain ring in the back replaced. I just got a call from the
mechanic. He said that the front ring is worn out and that total cost of
replacing everything that needs to be replaced will be about $300. He
also said that many of the parts on the bike have become obsolete and that
in 6 months it will be hard to find parts for the bike. He recommended I
come in and look at a new bike in the 600 to 700 $$ range.
I thought this was the last bike I would have to buy. Didn't bikes use to
last like forever? Your opinion...should I fix the bike I have now for
300$ and buy new when I come to that bridge or purchase new now? Any
thoughts would be appreciated. I ride daily when the temperature is over
40 f. Longest ride each year is a century with 20 mile rides each night
and many 30 to 40 mile rides on the weekends.


No reputable or knowledgeable bike dealer would try that load of garbage.
That's what it is.

If you're riding 4,500 miles a year, you should probably be changing your
chain once or twice a year. Your rear cassette may need to be replaced
every year, too. Your front chainrings should be checked out, but they may
be OK for another six months to a year.

Those items can easily be replaced, and I'd bet you could do it through
internet shopping for $100 or less. It shouldn't take a decent bike shop
mechanic more than 15 to 20 minutes to replace all that. So maybe it will
cost you for 1/3 of their hourly rate on top of the $100 (though my LBS will
install about any part you buy from him for free).

Don't tolerate this rip-off. Don't tolerate ANY rip-off. It will only
encourage the theif to continue in his wicked ways. Take your business
elsewhere!
--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)


  #6  
Old March 2nd 05, 12:26 AM
Just zis Guy, you know?
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Posts: n/a
Default

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 17:17:58 -0500, "Mary"
wrote in message :

He also
said that many of the parts on the bike have become obsolete and that in 6
months it will be hard to find parts for the bike.


The authentic ring of bull****. I know people who are riding bikes
forty and fifty years old - when parts wear out (which, amazingly,
they rarely do - cassettes with a service life measured in yards seem
to be a recent innovation) you can get parts from eBay, St John Street
Cycles, Harris or many other fine emporia.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound
  #7  
Old March 2nd 05, 01:29 AM
Leo Lichtman
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Default

I think it might be fun to print out this thread and show it to the guy when
you pick up the bike.


  #8  
Old March 2nd 05, 01:57 AM
RonSonic
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Default

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 18:18:59 -0500, "psycholist" wrote:

"Mary" wrote in message
. ..
six years ago I bought a Trek 1200. I love the bike and have put about
4500 miles a year on it. I took it in for a tune-up last week and to have
the chain and chain ring in the back replaced. I just got a call from the
mechanic. He said that the front ring is worn out and that total cost of
replacing everything that needs to be replaced will be about $300. He
also said that many of the parts on the bike have become obsolete and that
in 6 months it will be hard to find parts for the bike. He recommended I
come in and look at a new bike in the 600 to 700 $$ range.
I thought this was the last bike I would have to buy. Didn't bikes use to
last like forever? Your opinion...should I fix the bike I have now for
300$ and buy new when I come to that bridge or purchase new now? Any
thoughts would be appreciated. I ride daily when the temperature is over
40 f. Longest ride each year is a century with 20 mile rides each night
and many 30 to 40 mile rides on the weekends.


No reputable or knowledgeable bike dealer would try that load of garbage.
That's what it is.

If you're riding 4,500 miles a year, you should probably be changing your
chain once or twice a year. Your rear cassette may need to be replaced
every year, too. Your front chainrings should be checked out, but they may
be OK for another six months to a year.


Mostly this is true.

Those items can easily be replaced, and I'd bet you could do it through
internet shopping for $100 or less. It shouldn't take a decent bike shop
mechanic more than 15 to 20 minutes to replace all that. So maybe it will
cost you for 1/3 of their hourly rate on top of the $100 (though my LBS will
install about any part you buy from him for free).


WHOA!

We've got a bike with 27,000 miles on it and we don't know a damn thing about
its maintenance history. Do you really think that any bike with that kind of
mileage is going to get fixed in twenty freeking minutes? Especially since the
owner doesn't seem to have any perspective on replacing cogs or chains.

One of the shops in my area is advertising their overhaul which they recommend
for any bike over two years old at $192.

Now maybe you think that's too much, I don't want to pay it, but sometimes it
costs a lot to have someone else do the things you should learn to do for
yourself. Whether that's a lot or not, that is what people are charging for this
kind of work nowadays. I'm not going to begrudge them.

Don't tolerate this rip-off. Don't tolerate ANY rip-off. It will only
encourage the theif to continue in his wicked ways. Take your business
elsewhere!


I think the sales pitch especially on the future availability of parts rings
badly. That is not the same as a rip-off.

If it turns out that this bike has been well maintained with annual repacks and
chains and the cogs were replaced every other year, then the price starts
looking excessive. But if, as is certainly possible given the description, the
bike has been riden enough miles as to circle the globe without frequent
maintenance, the bill may be very reasonable. What would you charge to spend a
day with this bike?

This group is full of bitching about how there are so few real, professional
bike mechanics, and bitching about how much the shops charge. Gee, do you think
there's a relationship there.

Ron
  #9  
Old March 2nd 05, 02:37 AM
Mary
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I took the bike in once a year for a full tune-up to the shop in question.
They also did all of the maintenance and repairs on the bike over the last 6
years.


"RonSonic" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 18:18:59 -0500, "psycholist"
wrote:

"Mary" wrote in message
...
six years ago I bought a Trek 1200. I love the bike and have put about
4500 miles a year on it. I took it in for a tune-up last week and to
have
the chain and chain ring in the back replaced. I just got a call from
the
mechanic. He said that the front ring is worn out and that total cost
of
replacing everything that needs to be replaced will be about $300. He
also said that many of the parts on the bike have become obsolete and
that
in 6 months it will be hard to find parts for the bike. He recommended
I
come in and look at a new bike in the 600 to 700 $$ range.
I thought this was the last bike I would have to buy. Didn't bikes use
to
last like forever? Your opinion...should I fix the bike I have now for
300$ and buy new when I come to that bridge or purchase new now? Any
thoughts would be appreciated. I ride daily when the temperature is
over
40 f. Longest ride each year is a century with 20 mile rides each night
and many 30 to 40 mile rides on the weekends.


No reputable or knowledgeable bike dealer would try that load of garbage.
That's what it is.

If you're riding 4,500 miles a year, you should probably be changing your
chain once or twice a year. Your rear cassette may need to be replaced
every year, too. Your front chainrings should be checked out, but they
may
be OK for another six months to a year.


Mostly this is true.

Those items can easily be replaced, and I'd bet you could do it through
internet shopping for $100 or less. It shouldn't take a decent bike shop
mechanic more than 15 to 20 minutes to replace all that. So maybe it will
cost you for 1/3 of their hourly rate on top of the $100 (though my LBS
will
install about any part you buy from him for free).


WHOA!

We've got a bike with 27,000 miles on it and we don't know a damn thing
about
its maintenance history. Do you really think that any bike with that kind
of
mileage is going to get fixed in twenty freeking minutes? Especially since
the
owner doesn't seem to have any perspective on replacing cogs or chains.

One of the shops in my area is advertising their overhaul which they
recommend
for any bike over two years old at $192.

Now maybe you think that's too much, I don't want to pay it, but sometimes
it
costs a lot to have someone else do the things you should learn to do for
yourself. Whether that's a lot or not, that is what people are charging
for this
kind of work nowadays. I'm not going to begrudge them.

Don't tolerate this rip-off. Don't tolerate ANY rip-off. It will only
encourage the theif to continue in his wicked ways. Take your business
elsewhere!


I think the sales pitch especially on the future availability of parts
rings
badly. That is not the same as a rip-off.

If it turns out that this bike has been well maintained with annual
repacks and
chains and the cogs were replaced every other year, then the price starts
looking excessive. But if, as is certainly possible given the description,
the
bike has been riden enough miles as to circle the globe without frequent
maintenance, the bill may be very reasonable. What would you charge to
spend a
day with this bike?

This group is full of bitching about how there are so few real,
professional
bike mechanics, and bitching about how much the shops charge. Gee, do you
think
there's a relationship there.

Ron



  #10  
Old March 2nd 05, 03:41 AM
Ken
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Posts: n/a
Default

"Mary" wrote in
:
six years ago I bought a Trek 1200. I love the bike and have put about
4500 miles a year on it. I took it in for a tune-up last week and to
have the chain and chain ring in the back replaced. I just got a call
from the mechanic. He said that the front ring is worn out and that
total cost of replacing everything that needs to be replaced will be
about $300.


Are all your front chainrings worn out or just one?
New chain = $15
New cassette = $30
New chainring = $30
Labor will be less than 30 minutes.
Either you misunderstood or something doesn't add up.
 




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