Service needing parts, 115eur, just give the ok?

cormie

Hey folks,
I just got a voicemail from a place I dropped my bike in to for a service. I can't ring them to discuss at the moment where I am so I thought I'd post here.


These are the prices I got:
general service 40eur
brake pads front and back 10
block and chain, chain worn out, replace cassette, 65eur fitted

headset isn't 100% but will be fine for another while but would be €50 to replace if I wanted.

It's a Giant SCR 3.0

I'm just wondering, is there a big difference between the quality of parts that would be generally used in servicing like this or are these parts of no real consequence? I just don't want them needing to be replaced again soon, but €115 doesn't sound crazy bad I guess?

Luxman

What groupset is on it? The higher up you go the more expensive the parts.

alexinkildare

Is the big cost labour because a certain bike store on Ayrton Road wanted to charge me 90 quid for a first service that was supposed to be free on a bike i bought from them. My local bike store gave it the once over while I waited and didn't charge me. So might be worth your while to price around. Can also be a big difference on the price of parts.

easygoing39

block and chain for €65 fitted seems very good value.

cormie

It's Mikes Bikes in Dun Laoghaire.

To be honest, the price doesn't seem bad for what they would be doing to it. I'm more just curious as to whether there's a big difference in quality for parts like this as I'm not too clued in with bike parts. Like how a car mechanic might suggest €30 Chinese tyres as they'll get you past the NCT and will do the job, but will have **** handling and degrade quicker compared to say Goodyear, might be grand for someone doing 5-10k a year city driving but not for someone driving for a living.

Ironically, I don't do huge distance on the bike so what they would be fitting is probably fine for me. Just in general I prefer my money to get me something that will last as long as possible

robyntmorton

The guys in Mike's Bikes are good at what they do. It doesn't sound like a crazy price from them.

Del2005

cormie wrote: »

It's Mikes Bikes in Dun Laoghaire.

To be honest, the price doesn't seem bad for what they would be doing to it. I'm more just curious as to whether there's a big difference in quality for parts like this as I'm not too clued in with bike parts. Like how a car mechanic might suggest €30 Chinese tyres as they'll get you past the NCT and will do the job, but will have **** handling and degrade quicker compared to say Goodyear, might be grand for someone doing 5-10k a year city driving but not for someone driving for a living.

Ironically, I don't do huge distance on the bike so what they would be fitting is probably fine for me. Just in general I prefer my money to get me something that will last as long as possible

The cheap Chinese tyres comparison is wrong they'll outlast 2 or 3 sets of quality tyres, they have hard cheap rubber which doesn't grip so doesn't wear.

cython

Realistically the only part in your list that's apt to vary in quality that much, IMHO at least, is the brake pads. Chain and cassette, once they are the right speed-compatibility, will be pretty similar across the board, with the main variation in the more expensive being that they're a bit lighter. Some people find certain brands wear better, in particular with chains, but probably maintenance impacts that more. Cheap brake pads may last a surprisingly long time, but the braking may be crap and they may be harsher on your rims which are a more expensive replacement, but without knowing what they're putting on it's not really possible to comment, and the pricing seems pretty average, to be honest.

cormie

Thanks a lot folks, I'll just give them the go ahead once they open in the morning so. No point faffing about if it's not going to make any real difference

Del2005, ah I remember reading about that alright, I knew there was something wrong with what I was saying when I wrote that post above :pac:

dunworth1

Just curious what is people's average cost of getting a bike serviced?

loudymacloud

Had mine serviced recently. new brake pads, new BB, new bar tape. €65. I thought that was pretty decent.

cormie

Hey again,
Collected the bike and only noticed the difference in the headset after I got home. See the way the handlebar is connected to the main frame in the after pic compared to the before? The handlebar connector piece seems lower and has about 3-4cm of the headset sticking out above it?

Also, the guys noticed that my handlebars were angled badly (see before picture) so angled them the way they usually are on road bikes (see after), but this feels really weird to me now, it seems awkward to reach the brakes/gear and seems I can't rest on them as easy as I could before. I said maybe they just sunk over time without me knowing but he said they were too tight and they must have been put at that angle on purpose (I bought the bike second hand and it was my first road bike so never knew anything different), but the new (proper) angle just seems really weird to me now

ballydavid10

loudymacloud wrote: »

Had mine serviced recently. new brake pads, new BB, new bar tape. €65. I thought that was pretty decent.

got my headset serviced and new bar tape a few weeks back - €110 thought it was expensive (€60 labour in that)

robyntmorton

cormie wrote: »

Hey again,
Collected the bike and only noticed the difference in the headset after I got home. See the way the handlebar is connected to the main frame in the after pic compared to the before? The handlebar connector piece seems lower and has about 3-4cm of the headset sticking out above it?

Also, the guys noticed that my handlebars were angled badly (see before picture) so angled them the way they usually are on road bikes (see after), but this feels really weird to me now, it seems awkward to reach the brakes/gear and seems I can't rest on them as easy as I could before. I said maybe they just sunk over time without me knowing but he said they were too tight and they must have been put at that angle on purpose (I bought the bike second hand and it was my first road bike so never knew anything different), but the new (proper) angle just seems really weird to me now

Handlebars will be mounted parallel to the ground or angled slightly upward. While they may never be pointed down at all, they may be angled up slightly; allowed handlebar tilt is to be between 180 and 175 degrees with respect to the level road. The brake levers will preferably be mounted such that the end of the brake lever is even with the bottom of the bar. Modern bars, however, dictate that this may not always be possible, so tolerances are permitted within reason. Brake hoods should not approach anything near 45 degrees, as some riders with poor taste have been insisting on doing.

How the Velominati say handlebars should be

In your before pic, IMHO the handlebars just look... wrong. You might find it more comfortable, but the mechanic just put it back to where it generally is for everyone. It is a case of loosening a couple of bolts if you want to reset them to your preference.

Similarly with the headset, he has just dropped the handlebar height on it, but it is again adjustable to your own preference.

tuxy

How did you cycle with the before setup? AWere you in the drops all the time? I can't see how the hoods are usable in that position.
Are you trying to use the drops all the time with the new setup?
You should be on the hoods the majority of the time for comfort.

cormie

Thanks for the replies. I was on the drops most of the time before yeah, and then I'd just cruise on the part where you see the clear tape (actually I taped over it as the red stuff was getting worn from cruising there so much). So I'd never actually be resting on the hoods the way the guy is doing so here at 24-27 seconds in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GUamoTMZi8

It seemed a lot easier to use the brakes before as the curve would hold my weight and I'd be gripping here when doing standing and cycling and generally doing faster and more intense cycling so the brakes would be more important here. Then I'd just rest on the tape when cruising with no real need for brakes.

It just seems very weird now and kinda difficult to get at the brakes.

I'll probably adjust the headset back too, but just not sure if they put it like that for a reason?!

tuxy

Well this is the recommended way to ride.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28ADO9pC1BY

I guess once you are sure you are not causing an injury use whatever works for you but I'd recommend giving the standard positions a proper go to see if it might grow on you. I can't imagine going long distance with your original setup but maybe it works ok for short spins.

cormie

Thanks a lot, had a look, I'll give it a go for a while, but the way it was suited quite well for city riding, maybe I just need to get used to the "proper" way.

The guy in the shop said my back must be in bits, I do remember the first few spins I took on the bike, my neck felt a bit stiff after, but I seem to have gotten used to it