Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 87 total)
  • Is this bike worth getting repaired ???
  • grannyjone
    Free Member

    I’ve got a Specialized Camber Evo 2015 and when I last took it to the local mechanic he said it is questionable on whether it is worth repairing.

    It needs:
    It desperately needs a repaint (it looks absolutely horrible, it is a bad colour to begin with (yellow) and the paint work is in a bad state) (£100)
    frame bearings (£45)
    bottom bracket (Already got the BB)
    rear brake bleeding (About £10)
    new 10 speed rear mech & shifter ( Unsure of Cost ?)
    Plus about £50 labour for taking everything apart and putting it back together for all this work
    Prices were what were quoted when I last saw him

    The Forks (Rockshox Reba’s) will need replacing sometime soon as well. They have done over 10,000K so knackered as you would expect, the initial compression is stiff, and on the last lower leg service they were apparently full of water so they must have started to let water in.

    Yes it seems the best option to get this repaired as it is a lot cheaper than buying a new one. But the bike mechanic said the frame is getting worn out. One day the pivot bearings won’t be able to be replaced as the threads are getting worn in the frame. The pivot bearings have been in and out twice already, so it is currently on it’s 3rd set, requiring it’s 4th now. I asked how many more times will the frame bearings be able to be replaced, he was unsure as there is one bearing that is usually particularly difficult to get out, and one day it might not be able to be possible to get it out.

    Yes the repaint is not essential and that would save some of the total cost, but then I wouldn’t like to continue throwing money at a bike that looks horrible. I’m usually the last person to worry about what a bike looks like, but this one really looks terrible, like you’d look at it and think “I wouldn’t like to be on that”. The bright yellow colour really shows up the mud, the paint is missing completely on the chainstays and the rest of the frame is full of scratches and missing patches of pain where rocks and stuff have hit it over the last 10,000K Plus

    tthew
    Full Member

    Sound’s like a load of tosh to me. Excluding the paint, (which is only cosmetic) that’s about £170 quid’s worth of work against a replacement price of £2k ish? Threads don’t get knackered after three or four uses, I’d say your mechanic is taking the piss.

    Id wager the forks can be serviced and repaired too. New seals should sort out the water problem – that’s what they do, (unless you can see that the legs are badly work because all the anodising is worn off).

    smell_it
    Free Member

    2015? so 2/3 years old. Seems odd it’s on it’s last legs unless you have been giving it a total beasting.
    I wouldn’t worry about the paint, wanted add for mechs etc and just get him to sort frame bearings.
    I would be disappointed if a bike only last me 2/3 years including the fork, I expect wear and tear but total bike death seems odd unless it’s been properly neglected. It does sound like your mechanic is trying to give you a right bumming.

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    tomhoward
    Full Member

    £170 quid’s worth of work against a replacement price of £2k ish?

    2k isn’t far off what the OP has spent, rightly or wrongly, ‘maintaining’ that bike…

    Simon
    Full Member
    jonnyboi
    Full Member

    Deja vu, Deja vu everywhere

    Damnit, 6 seconds too slow

    onandon
    Free Member

    Thought it sounded familiar.

    Still the same mechanic taking the piss ?

    grannyjone
    Free Member

    Yes it would be disappointing if the bike is a write off already, it has 13 frame bearings but there is one that the bike mech says it’s really hard to get it out and one day it might not be possible without damaging the threads in the frame.

    I’m in a difficult situation with the repaint, it is not essential but the other issue is that it looks horrible and I don’t want to keep throwing money at a bike that looks horrible. However if I have the repaint done then the bike only lasts another 10 months or so before the frame is a write off (due to the threads possibly being damaged next time the pivot bearings need replacing) then it would be a bad idea.

    I’m just surprised to hear how easily the frame on a FS can get damaged when replacing worn out pivot bearings.

    smell_it
    Free Member

    2k isn’t far off what the OP has spent, rightly or wrongly, ‘maintaining’ that bike…

    Oh, it’s that camber and that mechanic……

    Buy a new one then!!

    ctk
    Free Member

    Maybe consider a rigid 29er singlespeed? or Rohloff?

    grannyjone
    Free Member

    Yes it is a similar situation to the one I was in a year ago but the local mechanic has changed as I have moved from Hag Fold to Hindley.

    2015? so 2/3 years old. Seems odd it’s on it’s last legs unless you have been giving it a total beasting.
    I wouldn’t worry about the paint, wanted add for mechs etc and just get him to sort frame bearings.
    I would be disappointed if a bike only last me 2/3 years including the fork, I expect wear and tear but total bike death seems odd unless it’s been properly neglected.

    OK I think I will get it repaired & repainted then

    I’m not sure if it’s a case of the mechanic not wanted to work on a worn out frame or whether he’s advising me to save me wasting money on something which may result in catastrophic failure.

    Is it normal for threads to start getting worn in the frame for pivot bearings and can it really write a bike off, or is this unusual ?

    taxi25
    Free Member

    I’ll pretend the previous thread didn’t happen 😆 I wouldn’t bother with the repaint, and without that it would certainly be cheaper to repair than replace. But 10,000k+ if all of road is a fair bit of riding, I’m not suprised the bike is a bit tired. I’d buy a new one as I’d be bored with it by now. But you’ve got to make your own mind up. It’s pretty pointless asking the same question over and over.

    aide
    Full Member

    Lets have a picture to see how bad the paint is then. As far as i know frame bearings aren’t screwed in anyway, there is a screw-able top cap but if installed correctly shouldnt be a problem with threads. Are you going to the same LBS as before?

    Edit: just seen its a different mechanic

    grannyjone
    Free Member

    Lets have a picture to see how bad the paint is then. As far as i know frame bearings aren’t screwed in anyway, there is a screw-able top cap but if installed correctly shouldnt be a problem with threads. Are you going to the same LBS as before?

    It is a different local mechanic as during the last 12 months I moved from Hag Fold to Hindley. This mechanic really seems to know what he is doing, as he and his mates go to Whistler every year, and the Alps twice a year, plus UK riding XC & DH, and his DH times are extremely good. Plus he does all the repairs and maintenance for himself and his group.

    The (previous) Hag Fold mechanic seemed to be a bit hit and miss, some jobs he’d fix and other issues I’d be taking back multiple times, but the mechanic in Hindley seems to be good so far.

    I will have to wait until tomorrow before I can get a picture of the bike.

    tomhoward
    Full Member

    This mechanic really seems to know what he is doing, as he and his mates go to Whistler every year, and the Alps twice a year, plus UK riding XC & DH, and his DH times are extremely good

    That’ll be why Lewis Hamilton does all his own spannering then 😉

    docgeoffyjones
    Full Member

    I’m just surprised to hear how easily the frame on a FS can get damaged when replacing worn out pivot bearings.

    I think we are all surprised.

    km79
    Free Member

    Stickers are cheaper than a repaint.

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    I think we are all surprised.

    🙂

    klaus
    Free Member

    How are you clocking up so many miles? What sort of riding are you doing?

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    If the mechanic is doing the job properly with the right tools, there will be no damage when replacing bearings…don’t bother with the paint; get the forks serviced as apart from wear and tear, the bike is not too expensive to fix if that is all it needs – are you sure your mechanic just doens’t want to do the work for you?

    groundskeeperwilly
    Free Member

    OP – if you like the bike then its worth doing the repairs and potentially getting a repaint. If you’re not in love with it you might want to think about something newer.

    TBH it sound like the 2 mechanics you’ve dealt with up to now are taking the mickey a wee bit – not unheard of but also not the norm in my experience.

    If you’re going to do it all then you might want do the repaint first as you might need some wee finishing touches, threads cleaned etc depending on who you use. Then you can get it rebuilt with new bearings, new drivetrain maybe even new folks all properly installed, greased and lubed.

    shermer75
    Free Member

    I have literally never got a frame resprayed.
    When I was on an mtb holiday in Spain the guides replaced their bikes every year, they justified this by saying that their bikes did loooooads of mileage and they were the local distributors for Turner, so the bikes were at cost price.

    grannyjone
    Free Member

    I get the feeling like the mechanic often doesn’t want the work, I get the impression that he has more work than he needs.

    Regarding the damage to the frame.

    How are you clocking up so many miles? What sort of riding are you doing?

    On this bike it has all been typical XC. Never done uplift DH on this bike. Bridleways, footpaths, etc.Red/Black routes at trail centres. All done in the UK. Yes there has been some tarmac linking sections of trail together but this is inevitable unless you ride trail centres 100% of the time.
    10,000k in 2.5 years is only 4000k a year on this bike. 4000k is only 76k a week on average. With 2-4 rides a week in Summer and about 1 ride a week in Winter then its not surprising that it’s had that much mileage

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    This mechanic really seems to know what he is doing, as he and his mates go to Whistler every year, and the Alps twice a year, plus UK riding XC & DH, and his DH times are extremely good. Plus he does all the repairs and maintenance for himself and his group.

    Sounds like he is making a serious amount of money so can be picky about who he does work for – which directs me back to my previous comment about him deciding he doesn’t want to do the work and trying to cost it out of him doing it.

    shermer75
    Free Member

    My advice to you would be to either invest in some tools and learn to do your own spannering, or buy a new bike and console yourself by recognising how much you are contributing to the bike industry

    grannyjone
    Free Member

    Me doing any of these mechanical jobs on a bike will always end in disaster. I think I’d better just get it repaired, it’s not going to worth much if I sell it in that state (mechanical & paintwork), and only 7 months ago I spent £200 on it to give it a Dropper post, and another £200 on a new Wheel with a Hope Hub, so it would be mad to just sell it for very little money after that.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Let’s rewind a second here. Is this really about you wanting a new bike?

    If so, crack on mate – strip the Camber and flog the bits that are still good.

    Someone will have the frame off you for a project and can get it re-painted the colour they want.

    ajantom
    Full Member

    As before this ‘mechanic’ is taking the P.
    Do yourself (and us) a favour and take it to an actual reputable bike shop, one with proper tools and training.

    Frames are designed to have bearings changes, so saying you can’t and/or the frame will get damaged is just a lie. Probably beyond his skill set (and his tools) so he’s just trying to fob you off.

    onandon
    Free Member

    I think it’s probably safe to cut and paste the last third of the first thread and close this one.

    aide
    Full Member

    Rereading through this again i think the 1st boyo might of hacked the jobs he done and turned a bike into a turkey,not cleaning up brake fluid etc could explain flaking paintwork. The 2nd boyo may not want to touch it after such hacks for liability issues

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    Do yourself (and us) a favour and take it to an actual reputable bike shop, one with proper tools and training.

    This ^^ x 1000.

    FS frame bearings come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, some require special drifts to get them in and out, some are proprietary…

    For the love of God, just take it to a proper bike shop, ideally a Specialized dealer. Get it completely stripped down – everything off it, shock and bearings out and then you’ll be in a better place to see about cost, respray etc. If it’s not worth it, sell the decent bits and scrap the rest.

    I had the bearings in my old S-Works FSR and later my Epic replaced a couple of times and it was always relatively painless. There’s no threads, they just press in and out so there shouldn’t be any frame damage from it. Unless your previous “mechanic” spilt brake fluid in there and corroded the crap out of it.

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    grannyjone – Member
    Me doing any of these mechanical jobs on a bike will always end in disaster. I think I’d better just get it repaired

    Find someone who can do a proper job then. Doesn’t matter if they are skilled riders and do fancy trips paid for by the prices they charge for basic servicing. They could have poor servicing, but the stuff they do for themselves gets a lot more attention or more likely they just use the profits to buy themselves replacement parts instead of servicing them.

    The forks don’t need replacing. They just need properly servicing. Lowers isn’t enough for 4k a year. Full of water – seal gone somewhere or failed to replace a seal/washer when servicing. Simple job when pulled apart.

    BB & bearings & brake bleed are simple jobs (betting the brakes probably don’t need a bleed. It’s a default some people will go for to try to fix a problem that’s often something else, even just worn pads!).

    Mech and shifter I bet don’t need doing, though maybe you’ve bent the mech. Unlikely shifter needs replacing. New gear cable, maybe new outer is probably all that’s needed. Unless you’re upgrading. Depends what the problem is they’re trying to fix. Is there even a problem?

    Paint – cosmetic. Up to you. Plenty of places that will do a nice respray. Or just ride it.

    lister
    Full Member

    I don’t know what you are doing to your bike to ruin it so much.
    I suspect the mechanics have seen you coming I’m afraid but you don’t seem to have taken any advice from the previous thread either.
    You don’t need a mechanic for most of those things, it’s that simple.
    Split the bike down, get what you can for it and move on, you’ll never love that bike after the money you’ve ‘had’ to spend on it.
    Keep on top of the new one and don’t spend £££s getting someone else to bleed your brakes or change your pads!

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    The forks don’t need replacing. They just need properly servicing. Lowers isn’t enough for 4k a year. Full of water – seal gone somewhere or failed to replace a seal/washer when servicing. Simple job when pulled apart.

    And if you can’t do it yourself, send it somewhere reputable.

    https://www.tftuned.com/ for example. Yes, more expensive initially but you know they’ve done a proper job with proper tools and spares and they have a proper guarantee to back it all up.

    I used to use them (back in the days when I had RockShox and actually did MTBing!) and they were always superb. Well worth the price over some random back-street mechanic. My forks lasted ages and worked perfectly, TF custom tuned them for me as well.

    jonnyboi
    Full Member

    I suspect the mechanics have seen you coming I’m afraid but you don’t seem to have taken any advice from the previous thread either.

    Basically this.

    grannyjone
    Free Member

    Keep on top of the new one and don’t spend £££s getting someone else to bleed your brakes or change your pads!

    I don’t pay someone to get my pads changed. Not even 2 years ago. I’m not *that* basic!

    The mechanic just gets used for the hard jobs, certainly for the frame bearings, anything to do with hydraulics or suspension internals. Plus the jobs that require loads of expensive tools that I don’t have.

    grannyjone
    Free Member

    I don’t know what you are doing to your bike to ruin it so much.

    North West England. It is muddy as hell. At the moment it has got as bad as it gets, which is probably why a lot of the bike seems to need a big repair every time this time of year comes round.

    Having to replace the frame bearings every 3300K is not unusual around here

    When I ruined my cranks in March the bike mech fitted a Raceface Cinch set of cranks with a Raceface Cinch bottom bracket.
    Unfortunately I later read that the Raceface Cinch bottom brackets are shit and don’t last much longer than a few months of heavy use.
    Since I’ve got the Raceface cranks I’m stuck with this type of bottom bracket now.
    This is another problem with this bike.

    ajantom
    Full Member

    It’s the U.K. it’s muddy everywhere!
    Ongoing maintenance is key, with a bit of tlc you’d spending a lot less money on big jobs.

    I have one bike that is coming up to 5 years old and 4000+ miles. It’s just about to get its first new BB, original headset is still good, wheel bearings all fine, only had one new chain in that time, and it might need a new one soon, but the original cassette is still going strong.
    Now it gets ridden hard, but I check, grease/oil and maintain it regularly.

    My similar aged full sus is still on its original bearings. Not ridden as much, but it gets taken to BPW, FoD, various Welsh trail centres, etc. all places that are hard on kit and bearings. Again I check, maintain, and grease.

    Do yourself a big favour and don’t rely on someone else to do all these things. Save money, save parts, and save time. Then for the big jobs take it to a proper bike shop/mechanic!

    ghostlymachine
    Free Member

    Um, no. It’s primarily a problem with you, followed by a secondary, but much larger problem with your choice of mechanics.

    tomhoward
    Full Member

    Since I’ve got the Raceface cranks I’m stuck with this type of bottom bracket now

    Who told you that? Hope make BBs that fit.

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