How long do most bike shops spend assembling new full sus bikes? Or any other bike for that matter. Are the torque settings checked? Are the bikes completely stripped down and re-assembled as biketreks claim to do?
I was in an LBS recently and they claimed to assmeble a bike in an hour or so. Is this reasonable? Will there be grease in all the correct places?
Thanks
Matthew
Are the torque settings checked
I LOL'd
Whats so funny about the checking of torque settings? I check mine on a regular basis and would expect any good shop to do the same!
they all do the worst job possible to maximise the warranty work they have to do for free later on.
Well judging by the only new bike I have had no. I would always strip and rebuild it myself and will be doing so with Mrs TJs new CTW bike.
Mine had one side of the BB dry, one grease. various other dry bolts,some tight some slack
Only one mechanic I trust - me
1hr was fine especially with torque and safety checks but this was yrs ago.
Takes longer if customers chat to you.
Sometimes shorter is bike is partially setup from factory...
Takes ages if work collegues never return tools!
To assemble a new bike in an hour is not impossible and especially when they are new....because everything fits (usually!) I tend to take a little more time (2hrs) as I am particularly fussy about cable ties being cut in the right places and all that 'stuff' - and yes I always check torque settings and apply thread lock on the appropriate places.
Whats funny about checking torque settings - a total waste of time doing so on a cycle. Any half way decent mechanic does not need to do so.
Its not accurate unless you have specialised gear at the low torque for most cycle fasteners - and do you have the figures for dry . lubed or locktited bolts?
Thats why you do cytech and get in touch with the supplier for torque figures.
You have a torque wrench that will do HT11 bbs then? You really are trying to tell me you use a regularly calibrated torque wrench fo all bolts - even stuff like steerer? Do you use oil, anti seize or grease on threads? Or dry? Different torque values for each
torque wrench ...load of bollox , you feel how far you should go over time .... yes , 1 hour at speed is doable without personal settings
Depends on the shop (obviously). I know a few where the bike is likely to be assembled by the "Saturday lad".
Of course, many Saturday lads are better than the full time staff 🙂
I think when they said an hour, they just wanted to sell you a bike and would have said anything...
If its out a box semi built then between 1 & 2 hours...
When it is from a frame up with cutting and bleeding brakes and a couple of hand built wheels...1-3 bikes per day...
TandemJeremy - Member
You have a torque wrench that will do HT11 bbs then? You really are trying to tell me you use a regularly calibrated torque wrench fo all bolts - even stuff like steerer? Do you use oil, anti seize or grease on threads? Or dry? Different torque values for each
I have torque wrench fittings for HT2 to 3/8" drive-quick and easy.
I use one larger range for 40+Nm for bike and motorbike and use 0-15Nm on carbon parts.
I'm quite detailed especially on all my bikes but for other people I'm sure I could get away with that feels alright but not if I am responsible for paying out for damage.
I had a prob with Straitline pedals once as I used their 'dry advice' and I used a torque wrench calibrated from engineering dept and the threads went in two studs. They told me I over tightened but I asked them to test it themselves and 2 weeks later-parcel from Canada with new pedals and they changed their advice. (Top folks at Straitline too!)
I think you can get away with things by guessing but I would rather do it the slow boring right way.
I'm not saying use a torque wrench-just do the best you can by hand if you wish and I will do the best I can using the best tools I have which may take longer etc but I'm satisfied everything is 90% min fine with 10% error.
Torque wrench? Nah.
Just tighten up 'till it snaps,then back it off 1/4 of a turn... 😉
My lbs gave me a lecture about over tightning my quick release .I just said ok then on the same i was out riding my bike when the rear brake started making funny noise as the same shop hadn`t tightened the bolts holding on the caliper one bolt fell off somewhere
Zaskar -so when did you last have your torque wrench calibrated?
Its not about guessing - its about developing feel and sympathy.
Its also about not blindly trusting tools.
Its not about guessing - its about developing feel and sympathy.
huh!!, its not about guessing, its about developing feel - i.e. guessing
I would expect a competent mechanics to build up a bike in less than one hour.
Unless it's carbon or SSC stuff (and even so) you don't need a torque wrench.
Basically most of the interface will be aluminium VS steel, when the thread on the aluminium will oxidise the bolt won't move easily.
Plus you want your shifters and brake levers to be as loose as possible (being able to move them by hand)..;
Been building bikes for years - never used a torque wrench. Waste of time on a bicycle.
Depends on the bike really, some bikes take longer and some manufacturers set up bikes well and some don't. An hour isn't unreasonable though as most bikes come nearly fully assembled and it's mostly checking and adjusting.
Things like fitting bar tape or having to bleed brakes obviously slow things down though.
Raddogair - its not a guess. with experience you can feel when a bolt is tight enough. Still - I have only been stripping and rebuilding motorcycles and bicycles for 35 yrs - what do I know.
so when did you last have your torque wrench calibrated?
I've never had mine calibrated, but still sure they're more accurate than "feel and sympathy".
As an LBS mechanic I would say it depends on how impatient the customer is to the OPs original question 😉
In reality it depends on the manufacturer tbh, if it's a Pashley it would take minutes, if it's a Universal, weeks.
Torque wrench only really comes out for higher end builds or any carbon in reality.
For once I can also agree with TJ, an experienced mechanic does develop feel without doubt.
Suggesting you need your brake levers being as loose as possible is plain daft.
You can generally determine the correct torque with experience, but I'd suggest you'd have to start with a calibrated wrench in the first place. I have a wrench that does 0-12Nm as the small stuff is generally a lot lighter than the car bits I normally do by hand. One problem with the "by hand" guessing method is if you change physically you can massively underestimate your applied torque. My "hand tight" at 15 was significantly lower than my hand tight after 4 years in the gym at 19, so it's good to keep an eye on your torques.
agree with tj on this.
My manly engineeringy mechanicy self would love to say I could get it by hand, after nearly 2 decades of doing it. But in reality I know that anything I consider sensitive to torque (clamp bolts, fork crown clamp bolts, crank pulley bolts, head bolts on cars etc) I do with a wrench as it's too easy to make a mistake for the sake of not using a tool I already own. If I were doing it for other people (as I have) I'd use the wrench. When I worked in a bike shop I chose by the bolt - front mech clamp bolts - by wrench, rear mech mount bolt by hand. Stem clamp bolts by hand generally. Stuff like that.
2 hours if it's a CracknFail or a Shyte.
Plus you want your shifters and brake levers to be as loose as possible (being able to move them by hand)..;
dunno about you but I don't want my shifters twisting or my levers moving unerring hard braking or shifting! Little bit tighter than that...
Can't say I use a torque wrench much on a bike but then again we don't own any carbon stems, posts etc.
Having said that, it is a good job TJ doesen't do work on modern cars with single use torque to yield bolts all over the suspension. Then again, I'm not sure many car mechanics understand about this one either....
I think one hour is reasonable to assemble a bike, Most bikes only need front wheel, handlebars and pedals fitting, then a few tweeks.
I very much doubt any bike shop does any more than that. ie strip it completly and grease everything and check torque. Its not practical or cost effective.
Depends if it's a bike build/assembly or a pdi.
Most production bikes come built & require a pdi, not building. In which case around 20-30 mins if it's something reasonable.
If assembling & checkering correctly, including checking the torque on HT2 cranks, stems bars etc. then an hour is doable, but would be a bit of a rush.
Not going to get into an argument amount torque wrenches, just answering the question.
I'd ALWAYS use a torque wrench on lightweight bars, stems, seatposts, HT2 cranks etc. just in case-as much as anything to keep the insurance company happy IF anything happened (which it never did in the eight years I was there)
Depends on the bike. As mentioned above, most off-the-peg bikes come built and just require a pdi - pedals & bars on, check it's all tight, check the gears and brakes work, inflate tyres, put on shop floor. Some companies are better than others at supplying bikes like this, I've had ones that took 20 mins and ones that took an hour.
If it's a full custom build with a brand new frame and brand new boxed parts then at least half a day - firstly that sort of thing is likely to be the more expensive end of the market and secondly customers who ask for such things are usually quite picky about the set-up. Plus things like steerers, brake hoses etc need cutting to length, brakes need bleeding and setting up.
As for torque settings, it depends what I'm doing. Usually no, if I'm doing anything with suspension then yes.
20m from a box, 1 hour if it's a custom build, 2.5 hrs if you have to do the wheels also (bit more if they are ust)
Don't see a need for a torque wernch except maybe for superlight stuff. But what do I know, I only used to earn a living doing this stuff.