Can you fix your bike?

Wilkie wrote (see)

 

Every time I encounter Evans staff, I come away less impressed.

That doesn't surprise me.  I've had a handful of fairly neutral experiences in there, but the one time I dared to ask for an innertube with a valve size that they didn't actually stock, the guy looked at me as if I was from another planet.  A planet full of people who are quite happy to be patronised by the sales person who obviously knows more about innertube valve sizes than you.  Except he doesn't.

you're always best ime to use a local LBS rather than any big chain as you're likley to get a more personal service from someone with way more experience than the spotty yoofs in Evans or Halfrauds and who will cherish your business.  use them regulalry and you're likely to get discount as well for loyalty.

I think I've been into an Evans twice and walked out in disgust on both occasions as the person who came to deal with me was fecking useless.   

I've just found a shop which is both more local, and hopefully more competently staffed.

I shall not have to darken Evans's door again, with a bit of luck

Well, I might carry on buying clothes from their website when they are in the sale

fb - I thought I was on safe ground, popping in on the way home from work for a simple innertube, but no - they managed to piss me off! 

The last time I used my LBS was when they did a complete bike build for me.  It was a while-u-wait service on the bar tape so I had a nice cuppa and 3, possibly 4, chocolate digestive biscuits whilst ogling shiny things.  Proper service!

The opening hours of this potential LBS are less than great - not open on Sundays - but I'm going to give them a try.

buy saying all that about using your LBS, just make sure they are helpful.  where I used to live the owner of the LBS was a right miserable git who made you feel very unwelcome by just looking at you when you walked in.  his son was OK when he was there at weekends but that wasn't always the case as he was in the fire service.

I wouldnt right off Evans completly as it does depend on where you are. Some areas have lots of cyclists so the staff have to be on the ball. There is a great shop near Holborn station where the staff are good in no small part due to the fact that from 8am to 8pm they have what looks like the entire cycling population of North and East London go past their shop.

Chain stores for specialist stuff on the whole, LBS for generic bits and bobs, a washer here a nut there.

wilkie.a lot of LBS close on a sunday as the staff are all cycling or racing

i can change an innertube now but it does take me about 20 mins of tears whilst doing it.......can't do anything else

Tom77 wrote (see)

I've got Marathon Plus tyres on my bike, they claim you can run over drawing pins with them.

Not much of a claim, is it? You can do that with any tyre.

 HAHA 

The guy in my LBS who serviced my bike is an ex-evans mechanic and he said if he were me, wouldnt step a foot in the store as most of them are just kids that know one or two things but usually screw up the rest. He said he would have helped me to learn maintenance etc if he wasnt sp busy all the time, but to check back later. I might do another course I've seen in an independent bike shop a bit further from me, but with better reputation.

Checked few youtube videos, got some tools and I'll try to take out my inner tube and put it back in.... Probably on a day when I'm not supposed use it for going to work the next day...

Took it for a spin today after work just to see how it feels after new gear cables fit in etc and it's great!!  I am in love with my bike!! I think I'll be sticking more to cycling next year and do shorter distance in running. No marathons for me next year. Just anything from 5K to half marathons. And lots and lots of cycling.

I just need a mountain bike now too. Want to get off road and something to use in the winter for commuting. I've seen one but it costs more than I've budgeted for! Checking ebay for used ones... Can't decide!

I do most of what is needed on my bikes - barring wheel-building/trueing
My -now- work bike is 18 years old (Dyna-Tech 755Ti) & had the wheels (Ultegra hubs/Mavic Open 4CD rims) retensioned a 100 miles or so after purchase, & they're still run perfectly, & seem immune to potholes after all that time!


In the 90's I had a Pace Research RC100 as my MTB, & that was slightly odd (or... ahead of its time)
1. Hydraulic (sealed system) brakes. they were Magura that acted on the rim though, not discs

2. Their own stem, which was possibly copied to become the 'Aheadset' (the ubiquitous type used now, where the steerer-tube has the stem clamped to it
Except Pace had it upsidedown, & the stem doubled as the steerer-tube

3. Bullseye cranks. the Bottom-bracket axle was part of the chainset spider, & clamped via a 3/16" allen-bolt & mutli-splines

4.  Separate fork-blades, with a bolt-together crown (if a blade was damaged, you could replace juse one side. Or... later on, in production, replace the blades with (their own) suspension forks

5. The oddest thing about visually was the square profile frame tubings, with external buttings/millings

Wish I'd still go it!!

It looked like this  http://retro-pace-mtb.wetpaint.com/

I visited the LBS today (maybe that should stand for Little Bike Shop in this case).

The bloke was very welcoming, said he would look at why my wheel was rubbing on something (and that it was a tiny bit buckled), and that it wouldn't cost much to fix, maybe nothing at all!

He also said my bike was very pretty.... so he CLEARLY knows his stuff