IF it was a simple cable replacement then £27 is steep. Most LBS would charge £10-20 at a guess. However, I would expect that the actual work included something else.
However, my issue is the OP has the typical British disease whereby they don't have the balls to complain or negotiate about the price directly to the shop, but retreat to the internet and presumably wish the company to go bust.
However, my issue is the OP has the typical British disease whereby they don't have the balls to complain or negotiate about the price directly to the shop, but retreat to the internet and presumably wish the company to go bust.
I give up - the lack of ability to read and comprehend is depressing.
Was the OP even in the shop? Maybe the person who actually paid the bill was fine with it.
give up - the lack of ability to read and comprehend is depressing.Was the OP even in the shop? Maybe the person who actually paid the bill was fine with it.
Aww, depressed now after joining a debate,want a hug there?
OP was there, if he wasn't involved in the transaction I assume he was there or thereabouts. If the actual person making the transaction was fine with the price it makes the OP even more of a snowflake keyboard warrior.
Did you ask for the cost before the work was carried out? tbh you lost my interest at "badly marked trails" ,says it all to me ...Im out 🙄
Aww, depressed now after joining a debate,want a hug there?
Was not my first contribution - but I would not expect you to have read.
snowflake
The use of the word snowflake puts you in some very fine company.
convert - Member
Aww, depressed now after joining a debate,want a hug there?
Was not my first contribution - but I would not expect you to have read.snowflake
The use of the word snowflake puts you in some very fine company.
Considering your first comment is your second one meant to be ironic? Personally I find this place fairly bulging with people keen to whine about the most minor of things, when they haven't even began to seek redress directly. Having a simple term to define that is fairly handy.
Was the OP even in the shop? Maybe the person who actually paid the bill was fine with it.
This, reckon the BiL said something along the lines of 'yeah, the day would have been ruined but luckily the bike shop managed to sort us out. Only £27 too'
'£27?!? ZOMG!!!11!! I could have sorted that in 2minutes for £18 if you'd driven it over to me, then driven back with it...
At least he wasn't called a ***** ***** as he left....
Cable £3
Cable outer £3
v-brake noodle £3.99
Ferrules 3 x 0.49p
Fray cap 5p
Labour £12
Drop everything and mend bike on the spot to save a kid's day [s]£3.49[/s] priceless
Cycling is more enjoyable if you've got more money to throw at it anyway.
^^^^
Thats sad 🙁
Thats sad
Come on, surely you've been on this forum long enough to spot the trolling from davidtaylforth?
Tbh, a quick repair at the side of the trail while you don't have parts or tools, worth every penny.
Did you drive there? Less of a wasted day.
I'd not trust a bike shop that can fit a new brake cable in five minutes.
On a kid's bike it's a bit more complicated. First you have to pump up the tyres, because they are never pumped up enough. If you don't the rims are so cheap that they go slightly out of true next time the tyre is inflated.
Then you'll replace the cable, which takes five minutes.
Then, because it's a kids bike with cheap rims that's been slammed into everything in sight, you will need to roughly true the wheel so it turns freely.
Finally you'll probably need to lower the bars and seat back below the maximum extension lines, because the parents consider putting their kid at risk more important that spending the money on the next size up "so they can get another six months out of it".
Twenty minutes later you have a safe, working bike with a new cable. This was standard procedure when I was a mechanic, anything less suggests a lack of pride in the job and a lack of care for the customer.
And when I said second biggest city I meant second most important 😉
gear of Glasgow in the west end charge £5 labour for a brake cable, a basic shimano cable is £4.99 retail, cable end 5p (at most). So if it is only a brake cable change then £27 is taking the utter piss
Not sure if the reply stating that the BiL should go in early on Monday mornings for half an hour extra to make 27 quid is genuine trolling or otherwise
I know the shop very well.
As others have said, there are no official trails. The toilets are nothing to do with either the non-existent trail centre, nor the bike shop - they are the Country Park's responsibility, and are currently being renovated. Keith is a capable, thorough and honest mechanic. I suspect he spotted other issues with the bike - notified the owner and repaired at sensible price.
gear of Glasgow in the west end charge £5 labour for a brake cable, a basic shimano cable is £4.99 retail, cable end 5p (at most). So if it is only a brake cable change then £27 is taking the utter piss
Tbh how LBS makes money and a living at these prices is beyond me, I would be charging minimum 1st hour plus parts,if your not happy paying the price then learn to do the job yourself , simples
tjagain - Member
Two ( ?) shop mechanic on this thread saying its a five minute job.
That's why they are mechanics and not i presume the business proprietor.
£20 for the first hour weather it took that long or not, another £20 if it creeps in to a second hour and so forth, this is made clear before work commences round here, then parts which does not seem unreasonable at £7
Tomhoward - Member
Was the OP even in the shop? Maybe the person who actually paid the bill was fine with it.
This, reckon the BiL said something along the lines of 'yeah, the day would have been ruined but luckily the bike shop managed to sort us out. Only £27 too'
'£27?!? ZOMG!!!11!! I could have sorted that in 2minutes for £18 if you'd driven it over to me, then driven back with it...At least he wasn't called a ***** ***** as he left....
🙂
The job wouldn't have been just fit a new cable, tighten the bolt and done, it would have involved a quick inspection of the brake for pad wear, alignment and general condition (and wheel for trueness and rim wear if it's a rim brake). Then it will be strip down and replacement of inner cable plus possibly a new outer, cut to length and new ferrules fitted. You are also paying for the mechanic's time and knowledge and the convenience of having it done on-site. Add in the shop overheads and £27 is not unreasonable for an 'emergency' purchase at all. Don't forget that you'll also have to include a small amount for the shop's insurance to cover them if the brake should fail straight away due to an oversight on their part, they're only human so it's possible. If it was a job left a t a shop for them to do when they can fit it in then it's a little steep but in the circumstances I wouldn't have had any qualms about paying it.
I think it is expensive but not ridiculous. I have worked as a mechanic in the trade. I would suggest the OP/OPs friend needs to learn to fix bikes themselves, or indeed maintain them so they don't fail on a day out.
Wow, I didn't realise there were so many schoolboys posting on STW 😆
Why do I think there is more to this than the OP has chosen to post? That's the problem when you post online slagging off a bike shop or supplier only for the truth to subsequently come out. I know and use Mugdock Country Cycles and they aren't in the business of ripping off customers as the OP explicitly states.
I think I may have to get the Chocolate Digestives out and follow this thread.
Cheers
Sanny
There's also the potential that they're fed up with people asking for a quick fix for free or very cheap, done on the spot when they pop in, so they price accordingly to put you off.
But yeah, £27 is on the high side even with a courtesy check over the bike. Up to them though. They can charge what they like. Charge £270 if they like. So long as that charge is clear up front, they're not ripping you off as you have the option of just saying no.
Whilst at mugdock, did the BIL discover the flooded quarry famously used in Trainspotting?
We had a review of our cableset costs sometime back. At £6 per set we were not making money. It needs to be £8 really if not more. And hourly charging needs to be around £50 if not more.
If they took 15 minutes then it's getting close to being about ok!! If they are at a trail centre they may well be getting screwed for rent and rates above and beyond normal.
And don't forget their trade waste contract
First it being a Childs bike makes no difference at all to the cost.
At work we would only fit cable as part of a brake check/adjustment £15 which inc both front a rear.
Then
£5.00 cable and caseing
£3.00 for noodle (guessing as they are mostly knackered )
And as above mostly end up trueing both wheels a bit for free just to make brake work.
Only need to add a set of pads £5.00 and you get to £28 total.
"Whilst at mugdock, did the BIL discover the flooded quarry famously used in Trainspotting?"
That was Shallow Grave.
check out the trailforks app for the MTB trails, the paths are sign posted and there are maps.
First it being a Childs bike makes no difference at all to the cost.
Exactly. A brake is a brake.
Took it to Mugdock County Cycles and they charged my Brother in Law £27!!
LBS mechanic here.
In our shops pricing that's spot on.
A brake service is £10 per brake labour, but some shops won't just do one so £20 fixed price labour
We're £4.99 for an inner and £2 for outer including all crimps and ferrules
To fit a rear brake cable on a nine year old's bike !!!
Doesn't matter how old the rider is, sorry but it's neither here nor there
A 5 minute job and a £2 or less part!!
It's not a £2 part, it's a £7 part
And if you can do every brake in 5 minutes I'd like to see it.
That is £300 per hour
It's £40-£50 per hour. 10-15 mins per brake average. You should see how much of a faff it can be sometimes where something isn't working exactly as it should.
If you think you're that good, step up and put your money where your mouth is.
I did. 🙂
People are getting confused. They're not making 27. They're taking 27. Take off the VAT assuming they're registered, that's over a fiver gone. Then tax etc. Overheads. You're paying for the conveniece. It's expensive running a business.
People have to make a living.
And besides nothing is ever a 5 minute job, ever.
They have to make money from somewhere given the online retailers have crippled their margins.
At least mots people avoided saying "robbery". But not all. You my regard the price as steep but that doesn't make it a crime. The customer can always take the business else where
To me it seems a trifle steep. But I can see walk up repair at a weekend is going to cost more than booking it in mid week
"Whilst at mugdock, did the BIL discover the flooded quarry famously used in Trainspotting?"
That was Shallow Grave.
Anything with Danny Dyer in it is the same
in my exprience "kids brake cable" usually equates to
rusted solid inner and outer, adjuster on the end of the lever crushed,bent or missing, noodle broken or missing, pads down to backing or totally misaligned possibly both.
and that before the trying to get them to even remotely work as they are on a bag of shit from a supermarket.
Was in earlier and alerted Keith to this thread. He may not have a login here yet, but will get one and give his side of events.
He is an honest hardness working guy and I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation.
The toilets are currently mid refurbishment, in the quite season, and temporary arrangements are in use.
The unmarked trails were riding great this morning 🙂
I made the mistake of fixing a colleague's kids brake cables a couple of years back. By the time I got done with it I'd spent 15e on parts and an hour to fix the other stuff that was dangerously wrong with it. Now, I'm not a pro nor even that enthusiastic an amateur but I'd rather replace the brake cable on an extremely picky roadie's pride and joy than a 50 quid BSO for a 6 year old.
To me it seems a trifle steep. But I can see walk up repair at a weekend is going to cost more than booking it in mid week
I'm wrong. I think Peter made the key point. In reality a bike shop can't just change a cable. The bike has to be returned to the owner with that brake in a fully working
Clearly Keith missed the part in his rental agreement with the site that stated not only did he have to pay rent, he also had to install trail signage and fix the toilets. It's shocking how much these bike shops are trying to get away with.
😆
Glad some common sense came to the thread towards the end.
Surely your BiL said
"How much to fix this now?"
Shop "£27"
Then BiL agreed to have it done. He could have said "no thanks" I'm sure they didn't force him to have it fixed.
Oh and
in my exprience "kids brake cable" usually equates to
rusted solid inner and outer, adjuster on the end of the lever crushed,bent or missing, noodle broken or missing, pads down to backing or totally misaligned possibly both.
and that before the trying to get them to even remotely work as they are on a bag of shit from a supermarket.
100%
Always amazes me when customer walks in with a 20 year old bike still with original parts, worn out shifters & expects them to work like they did the day they bought it after we've replaced the inner cable (they wouldn't stump up for an outer too)
Now, I'm not a pro nor even that enthusiastic an amateur but I'd rather replace the brake cable on an extremely picky roadie's pride and joy than a 50 quid BSO for a 6 year old.
Yup. It's often said anyone can work on expensive bikes, fit XTR and Di2, that's easy-peasy... It's the old, cheap stuff where a mechanic earns his keep.
Most bikes I see are sub-£500 commuter bikes, ridden until something's gone wrong. I like to relax by fitting XT on my own bikes. 🙂
Yeah the five minute jobs are never that, hey mate my gears aren't working. Bike needs new cables, new chain, new chainrings, new cassette and the bb is worn out.
akira - Member
Yeah the five minute jobs are never that, hey mate my gears aren't working. Bike needs new cables, new chain, new chainrings, new cassette and the bb is worn out.
And the hangers bent.