sometimes i wonder if LBS actually want business

General Pub
1

I got a new bike a little while ago, as mine was totalled in a car accident. I still ride my brothers as he’s overseas, so it wasnt a biggy.
My first ride on this new bike I break the chain…

I’m a little annoyed, as it’s the first ride; and on returning it I was told that if I wanted my chain of choice (kmc white 1/8) I would have to wait 2-3 days, which wasnt an issue… Then comes the 1 week call saying: so… 3 days have passed, where’s my chain - to be greeted with… end of the month (~3 weeks for a replacement)

So the chain comes with a black link which was a bit annoying, and I asked the selling lbs (brunswick st bsc) for a 1/8 pin so I dont have a random black link on my white chain.
The guy disappears out the back, returns with 2 pins; I go home and put my new chain on… The pin ‘feels’ a little small, but I’m not a mechanic in a bike store right?

On my way to work this morning, I hear a THUNK every 2s or so, and I think I’ve not got my chainline right or something… Of course I’ve weighted this thread so you all know: it’s not my chainline, it’s the pin. I was given a 3/32 pin for my 1/8 chain.

So I don’t want to fuck my chain, so I go into the nearest bike store - literally 100m away, and was told that a replacement link could be put on by the end of the day for $20;
I go: uh ok… the end of the day? right… I’ll get back to you
Bike store at uni, same deal…

So I rode home, bending the complete shit out of both the links, which means I now need to put 2 links in my chain (as I now need to lengthen it with another piece of chain)

Both have said to me: 1/8 pins are not available, they just are not sold - which seems kinda odd, as surely pins are useful things to have; as well as re-breakable links.

Anyways now I have 2 non-white links (black and silver) in my otherwise white chain. It looks pretty odd… like I fucked something up (which would be true I guess)

gives me the shits that lbs just seem to want to siphon money/time from customers, as if they will then return again to the store to support their business

/sigh
/rant.
tbh I just wanted to moan because I hate poor service, and seems I got it multiple times over, on a relatively simple item.

2

To play the devil’s advocate…

It’s likely not your LBS’s fault that the KMC chain took a long time to come in. If the wholesaler has no stock, the bike shop is at their mercy.

The 1/8th pin issue is a bit annoying, but I don’t imagine many shops would keep 1/8th replacement pins in stock. I personally haven’t come across them, but that ain’t saying much.

Did you install the chain yourself? Did you get left with a few spare links? Seems odd (or convenient) that the chain was a perfect fit first time.

The $20 charge for a new pin does seem a little steep, but the timeframe doesn’t. Bike shops can be busy places, and if you spend all day doing small jobs immediately for people coming in off the street, you don’t get your bigger repairs done. You may have been after a $20 pin, but maybe they had a set of $1000 wheels that needed to be built first?

So yeah, could be worth taking a few things into account before you get into too much of a stink about it. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

3

seems odd that they would say no one makes 1 1/8 masterlinks as an excuse… kind of sounds like they didn’t have stock and put your questions in the too hard basket.

cant paint all LBS’ with the same brush though.

P.S. Just run a silver one in your white chain, it’s all going to get dirty anyway and you’ll hardly notice.

4

There’s your problem…

5

Melbourne uni? I fuckin hate that guy so much.

I bought a couple of 1/8th links from abbottsford the other day, $4 each but theyre black. They’ve got kmc coloured chains though for 15

6

agreed@the guy at melbourne uni, he’s bitter and rarely helpful. I only go in there if I’m desperate, and have yet to be satisfied with the outcome

agreed@bsc.
to clarify:im not blaming them for the 3 wk wait, but bsc do have other stores, one of them surely has a white chain that I could have. I’m not asking for a rarely used colour or something. the option to refund my money, replace elsewhere etc wouldve been nice as would an apology for the wait :wink:

they sold me a 3/32 pin, not a 1/8 pin

i do have enough spare links to make the chain work, but as it now needs to be extended I need 2 joining links at either end of an inner link, as the 3/32 pin ruined both the inner and outer link that it was going through.

i wouldve put the link in myself if i couldve borrowed a chainbreaker and a pair of pliers; i guess that negates the need for a bike mechanic… as it was riding it home popped the roller and bent the 2 links at that join, so i needed more than 1 link by the time i was in a position to fix it myself.

not in so much of a stink, i just thought it was shitservice

7

That guy is a dickwad. I misheard what he said one time and he tried to make me feel so stupid. No one should make me feel stupid. If I was desperate for a tube or patch kit, or to borrow a pump or tool, I’d walk to the next closest bike shop. Which come to think of it are incredibly overpriced, they tried to charge me $15 for a tube. Along with many others, all my pleasant shopping experiences are on the internet these days which is going to make it really hard for small businesses to survive.

8

I hope this thread doesn’t turn everyone to look straight for the internet when you need parts, it’s really worth finding a LBS that works well for you and where the staff are helpful.

9

Yeah, true that - I highly recommend the Melbourne Bicycle Centre in on Queens Parade in Clifton Hill… The dudes there are legends.

10
  • a bajillion… there are a lot of things the internet cant do half as well (or as quickly) as a good mechanic
11

Ditto on the Clifton Hill shop. Or Abbotsford Cycles as well.
Should have just asked here. I have a stack of 1/8 joining links from leftover chains (as would most guys here). You could have had one for nix.

12

In my experience, there are two types of bike shops- repair/commuter shops, and posuer/racing shops. The posuer racing shops are the ones that won’t want to touch your custom second-hand fixie, let alone know how to fix it.

Go to the repair orientated bike shops like Abbotsford, iRide etc and you’ll be alright. They’ll be able to take the initiative and find you a spare 1/8 link sitting on the floor or something…

13

yea, i’ve always had fantastic service at abbotsford. Sound advice that doesnt come from a guy with a silver spoon up his arse on a high horse. Great guys.

14

agree. Old school bike guys that are more than happy to help with advice/ service.
I have had several pleasant transactions there, as well as replacing a chain i bought that was too short without a receipt, which alot of places would refuse.

15

With this looming, they better get their shit together!

[i]“On this move, we feel the Australian dollar could reach 92.5 US cents, although risk does remain for an equity market correction before year end, which could apply the brakes,” said HiFX senior consultant Thomas Averill.

“We envisage north of parity potential as soon as the first quarter next year, and ultimately wouldn’t rule out $1.20 US cents later in 2010,” he said[/i].

I, for one, will be buying up big time over the net when that happens! Sweet!!

16

Has this ever happened before?!

But in regards to teh original poster. coloured chains are horrible.
Shouldve just got a nice silver one and be done with it.
Sounds like way too much drama for a chain which is going to turn black eventually anyway.

17

parity predictions were made maybe 18 months ago, then the arse fell out of the aussie dollar. it’s pretty strong at the moment, though.

18

But the reasons for the predictions are different now, and the fall out of the AUD wasn’t due to ‘fundamentals’.

19

I just acquired ‘cough’ something for the ghettocross ‘cough’ and paid GBP - the exchange rate was about 55c to the pound - unbelieveable…

SW :smiley:

20

yeh, very different economic climate at the moment. The US wants their dollar worth less to get their exports pumping, so they’re basically printing money to devalue the currency. Or something.