I have 3 bike shops near by me, 2 bigger ones, 1 small. Normally do most stuff myself, but sometimes time and patience are limitted.

Biggest shop always has a waiting list that is daft, second biggest one has “one mechanic who is on holiday for a fortnight”….

The smaller one I have had some success with, never had to have anything super complicated, although did snap an axle in a hub that was a tricky one, got that replaced for not a lot of money and was done in a couple of days.

Recently had an issue with a squeek that was doing my nut, thought it was freehub bearings, dropped it in to small shop and got it back yesterday (3 days), was told he couldn’t find the issue. He also found the bushings on the suspension needed replacing.

Managed to spend a bit of time working on the bike last night, the noise was a brake rotor rubbing on the caliper! Just wanted re-alligning.

The bushing was a lose mounting bolt!

Am I being too fussy, surely these should have been found?

I suspect the shop thought that the rotor rubbing simply couldn’t be the noise you were referring to, however the loose bolt may be a reasonable one although the bushes may need replacement as well?

Agreed.

patience is limitted

Yeah that’s my problem too, my favourite LBS is a bit of a monster these days, they seem to expand every other year. I used to wheel the bike in, and they’d virtually take it off me and get the hex keys out. Now it’s “Friday okay?” or worse “sorry, it’s going to be next week” they do constantly remind me I could call, book it in and drop in down the day before or something, but I never do.

My poor bike tends to get neglected… I’ve started to do a bit more now I’ve got some space and time, I tried to my bike of creeks and cracks the other night… 5 of them. Cracked freebody, knackered crank, dry and angry mech clutch, front shock mount and finally, after bouncing up and down on the thing and swearing for 45 mins to an hour… a creaky laminate floor in the workshop.

I was fairly clear on the noise, told them I couldn’t replicate it in a stand, said it only occurred pedalling slowly up hill. Surprised it didn’t exist when freewheeling slowly, but it didn’t. When I got it back I could very easily replicate it.

Bushings might want doing as well, but lifting the bike by the frame was making a clunk, which is now doesn’t when I have tightened mounting bolts. Gonna get some on order (mainly because it’s CCDB and a pig to find right ones), but I think they are fine.