Best bike-shop for a Service - Southside!*

Iron Enthusiast

I'm just about to drop my bike in for a service before IM in 3 weeks and I was wondering what peoples opinions are on the best bike shop on the South-side for a service / value?
I know the LBS will do a decent job but I'd like to drop it in and know that its getting a really quality once over.

I want to get my chain and cassettes etc all cleaned along with a couple of spokes straightened, brake cables tightened etc.. along with the usual stuff.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!:pac:

oflahero

Recommend ThinkBike in Rathmines. Always a great job done in there. Also because they're not Irish in the workshop, so you actually get politeness and service.

kenmc

oflahero wrote: »

Recommend ThinkBike in Rathmines. Always a great job done in there. Also because they're not Irish in the workshop, so you actually get politeness and service.

Meow!

Joe Dalys in Dundrum gets good reviews, and they ARE (at least some of them) Irish.

tunney

Iron Enthusiast wrote: »

I'm just about to drop my bike in for a service before IM in 3 weeks and I was wondering what peoples opinions are on the best bike shop on the South-side for a service / value?
I know the LBS will do a decent job but I'd like to drop it in and know that its getting a really quality once over.

I want to get my chain and cassettes etc all cleaned along with a couple of spokes straightened, brake cables tightened etc.. along with the usual stuff.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!:pac:

Honestly? No bike shop will do a full and proper race prep.

Odds are a new chain and cassette is required.

Iron Enthusiast

Cheers for the responses!

I guess the next question is:

Would a new Cassette and chain be a sensible investment before IM?. i.e: Would the benefit (speed) that would be derived from a new cassette and chain be worth the cost of labour & materials involved? (i'm making the rookie assumption that I can use an average cassette and chain to go with the Shimano 105 set up i'm using?)

The current chain and cassette are a year old but i've put fair amount of miles on the bike since I got it (prob between 500/900kish a month? )and although i've tried to keep them clean, they definitely look alot darker and more greasy then the day I got them (I can still remember when they were shiny!)

As always any advice would be very much appreciated!:pac:

funkyjebus

a year with that use its probably time, best to check chain stretch. google it for details and how to check.

ckeego

I know it's a 50 odd minute drive, but don't waste your time on the Southside!
I am in North Wicklow and I will always take the time out to go and see Mr. Skeffington..
Best value BAR NONE and you learn a heap load whilst you are there too...

I don't believe in paying through the nose AND get added attitude from some of the LBS guys..

Fixed price 95 euro service? Get off Da Stage! It's a bike not a car!

dom17

2nd that bite the bullet and go northside you cant go wrong with skeff

delta_bravo

Wolfe cycles on Sundrive Road is very good i think.

blorg

On the southside Joe Daly's is the shop I generally go to; they are very good. Think Bike in Rathmines are also a very good shop. Mr Skeffington is also excellent and reasonably priced and bigger jobs I have often been going to him recently.

Regarding the chain you need to measure it for stretch. You should be able to get any chain sparkly if you are cleaning it properly so that you don't suggests to me you haven't been. If you haven't looked after it well and it has stretched a lot you may need to replace the cassette as well or you would have it skip. You really should learn how to clean your bike and do this sort of basic maintenance. 105 cassette and chain will be fine.

If we take the median between your monthly figures of 700km that gives you a year total of 8,400km which rule of thumb you almost certainly have left the chain too long especially if not keeping it very clean- probably long enough you will need a new cassette. But it is impossible to tell without looking at the bike and maybe even trying a new chain and seeing if it skips. If it does replace the cassette.

Iron Enthusiast

Cheers for that, just PM'd Mr Skeff for info!

Blorg I hear you on the maintenance side of things and agree with you. I think i'm like alot of people who are happy to take care of the regular jobs on the bike but when it comes to messing around with cassettes and putting pins back in chains it all gets a bit messy. More than anything its down to the fact that the only cassette and chain i could have experiemented with is the one on my bike - which increased the level of risk dramatically! After this service i'll be hanging onto the old chain and cassette and will pick them apart to see how their put together and have a go at cleaning them. Even if I never use them again i'll have had my chance to learn!!:)

blorg

I'm not saying you need to learn how to everything maintenance-wise although to be honest cassettes and chains are simple enough.

I am talking more about the cleaning! This is probably the most important part of maintenance, if you keep the bike clean and lubed it will run well for so much longer. Most important is the drivetrain of which the most important component is the chain.

Clean the chain regularly (twice a month is probably OK but depends on the weather) using degreaser in a chain cleaner and it will come out sparkling and shiny. Then relube the chain by dropping wet lube (in this country) onto each roller and then wipe off the excess. You will end up with a clean, lubed chain.

Some people take the chain off for cleaning but personally I think this entirely unnecessary and Shimano specifically advise against it.

Clean the bike overall using whatever paying particular attention to cleaning the derailleurs and jockey wheels. Again, you can get brushes for this.

Regarding the cassette, this is not half as important but you can clean it very thoroughly using a cassette brush and degreaser, or even a toothbrush. Take off the wheel and have at it, no need to remove the cassette (although for perfect cleanliness or if it is really filthy you can do this and it is not difficult, the things only go on one way.)

Note most bike shops don't routinely clean the bike as part of any repairs, you would have to ask for this specifically. And it is IMO the most important thing.

ray o

i'll give my node to Joe Dalys. Was on the way from Clonskeagh to Dundrum this afternoon when one of the the screws holding my rack and mudguards came loose and fell out. I rattled my way to Joe Dalys and they kindly replaced the screw for nothing. I know its not a big deal but fair play to them.

ckeego

D1gger wrote: »

i'll give my node to Joe Dalys. Was on the way from Clonskeagh to Dundrum this afternoon when one of the the screws holding my rack and mudguards came loose and fell out. I rattled my way to Joe Dalys and they kindly replaced the screw for nothing. I know its not a big deal but fair play to them.

I think it is always nice to hear those stories..I remember reading some horror stories about guys asking for a pump in certain LBS' and being told to go for a hike...

I have seen other bad press about the guys in Cycle Surgery, but they have been very generous to me over the last couple of years!

We really should stop plugging Skeff!!...He is increasingly busy and hard to see! But what a gent to boot..Patience of a saint too:)

I'd +1 what Blorg said about the basic bike cleaning and lube-It really amuses me to see the state of some bikes and the rider usually getting quite irate when the chain flies off or a cable sticks after months of rusting in our "temperate" climate!