supergoose
Gold Trader
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My LBS wanted £40 just to remove a 1" threaded headset and a cup & cone BB!
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My LBS isn't strictly into retro, but he knows what he's doing and likes the bikes and bits I take in from time to time. He even pulls old headsets and BBs out for free (and they're always the stuck ones, I take the easy ones out myself!). I always ask how much, but he never charges - I think he just gets a kick out of working on a 'proper' bike, instead of modern full sussers 
He's also good at ordering me spokes at not much more than cost, letting me build the wheels, then him doing the final tensioning for a fiver a wheel!
And when he knows he can't get something that I need, or that it will cost way too much time/money/effort for him to get it, he suggests I buy it online...
He's also good at ordering me spokes at not much more than cost, letting me build the wheels, then him doing the final tensioning for a fiver a wheel!
And when he knows he can't get something that I need, or that it will cost way too much time/money/effort for him to get it, he suggests I buy it online...
justbackdated
Retrobike Rider
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Interesting one this, comes up on a fairly regular basis.
On the subject of knowledge
Training is all very well in my opinion, be it Cytech or whatever, but in my opinion ability and experience actually gets the job done. Nobody can claim to know everything about every bike/part/component, but a basic mechanical adeptness is a good founding for the ability to carry out most jobs.......and the correct tools of course
Generally the older the LBS owner/mechanic is, then the more experience they will have had on older tech.........but, also, they will probably have been brought up in the 'Meccano' age rather than the 'Playstation' and will have a good basis of technical ability. Some folk are good with sums, others are good with their hands. I consider myself fairly good on the mechanical side of things, but try me with woodworking and I lose the plot, and interest, pretty quickly. Strangely my training was in building and construction and I worked as an architectural technician for 20 odd years until getting the job at the bike shop and then Pace. However I have spent my lifes worth of spare time messing with all things mechanical from Meccano to RCcars to bikes, cars etc etc. My ability to do anything has been built up from the knowledge I have gained, either by being directly taught [wheelbuilding for eg] or just by experience and 'fettling', they don't give you a qualification or certificate for that, and yes I did start with Airfix and Meccano!!
It upsets me that so many folk seem to be employed doing things that they are not good at or have any interest in!!
Hey ho
On the subject of knowledge
Training is all very well in my opinion, be it Cytech or whatever, but in my opinion ability and experience actually gets the job done. Nobody can claim to know everything about every bike/part/component, but a basic mechanical adeptness is a good founding for the ability to carry out most jobs.......and the correct tools of course
Generally the older the LBS owner/mechanic is, then the more experience they will have had on older tech.........but, also, they will probably have been brought up in the 'Meccano' age rather than the 'Playstation' and will have a good basis of technical ability. Some folk are good with sums, others are good with their hands. I consider myself fairly good on the mechanical side of things, but try me with woodworking and I lose the plot, and interest, pretty quickly. Strangely my training was in building and construction and I worked as an architectural technician for 20 odd years until getting the job at the bike shop and then Pace. However I have spent my lifes worth of spare time messing with all things mechanical from Meccano to RCcars to bikes, cars etc etc. My ability to do anything has been built up from the knowledge I have gained, either by being directly taught [wheelbuilding for eg] or just by experience and 'fettling', they don't give you a qualification or certificate for that, and yes I did start with Airfix and Meccano!!
It upsets me that so many folk seem to be employed doing things that they are not good at or have any interest in!!
Hey ho
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the two guys I worked with were not cyclists. I could no comprehend why they were in a job they didnt have any passion for.
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Scotts cycles Birmingham i would trust to do any job at all, really know their retro stuff too.
charge me £10 to true a wheel, but then only £12 to replace 7 spokes with sapim ones and then true, which seems a bit bonkers.
peter the son of the original owner was born and raised in the bike shop, his son is now there every saturday covered in grease,
born and raised to it they are in the scott family, the older brother owns another scotts out by Lickey End
charge me £10 to true a wheel, but then only £12 to replace 7 spokes with sapim ones and then true, which seems a bit bonkers.
peter the son of the original owner was born and raised in the bike shop, his son is now there every saturday covered in grease,
born and raised to it they are in the scott family, the older brother owns another scotts out by Lickey End
Iwasgoodonce
Old School Grand Master
Charlieboy28":1nm7w35p said:
That is remarkably good. I will look them up. What part of Brum are they in?
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Hall green they come under. But its the main stratford road from solihull. Few miles off m42 and m5. They are busy at the mo due to wiggins. Get them chatting and you may get let in the back. Some beautiful parts and bikes. One of the mechanic wayne is a crazy hoarder. Has bags of nos xtr. Keeps sayinng he wants to sell stuff but never does he just teases.
Re: No wonder I don't use local bike shops
Bikes are simple inventions which most people can do the basics on.
A bike mechanic that doesn't know the basics is just not a bike mechanic. maybe not even a person, maybe an alien.
Yes but as a career they don't have to learn as much as say a proper vehicle mechanic.legrandefromage":10n9vrus said:
Bikes are simple inventions which most people can do the basics on.
A bike mechanic that doesn't know the basics is just not a bike mechanic. maybe not even a person, maybe an alien.
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I can still hear the sneers from the other shop staff as I pulled up on some old bike and then proceeded to offer a repair to a customer with an equally old bike..
Oh the pain... the pain of it all.
Oh the pain... the pain of it all.
RadNomad
Senior Retro Guru
SNAKEBITER":lb6us7rz said:
Customer: Here's my MK2 Escort, could you check the points please, that the dwell angle is within spec.
Modern Mechanic: Eh?
C: Then strobe her for centrifugal and vacuum advance.
MM: Erm...
C: Maybe do the valve clearances and then balance the carbs while you're at it.
MM: My Mum tells me to balance my carbs by eating more pasta.
C: Oh er, OK tell you what, just check the float needle valves and the mixture please.
MM: Not sure mate but i can chip tune your ECU if you want.
C: EC-what?
MM: Yeah we can tweak your rail pressure, injector duty cycle and secondary KV mapping.
C: Who owns this workshop? :facepalm:
MM: The Boss. Old bloke. Bald head. He's on holiday, back tomorrow.
C: Thanks. See you tomorrow, bye.
