The wheel of my Airnimal Chameleon was making a little "tinking" noise on the way to work. I usually fix my bikes myself but, for several reasons, I decided to let the bike shop at my bike.
I picked the bike up, the mechanic said there were some loose spokes in the wheel and he had tightened them up.
I got about four miles away from the shop when the wheel starting 'bumping' - like when you refit a tyre but don't do the valve properly. I stopped, the brake shoes had rubbed part of the tyre wall away and the (high) pressure in the tube was bulging the tyre. I limped to the nearest station, got the train, got home.
I have complained to Bikefix. I have told them they have created a flat spot in my rim which has caused the brakes to rub the tyre. They deny any and all responsibility. They claim that it is pure coincidence that four miles after they had worked on my wheel it developed a fault.
I suggested that they supply me with a rim at normal price and go halfers with me on a new tyre. No dice. They are not negotiating at all on this, sticking to "Nothing to do with us". They think it's my fault somehow for only having 20 spokes in my wheels.
I thought you all might like to have this information for next time you are considering a shop in London to do your repairs.
Are bike shops really doing so well that they can afford such poor customer service?
I'd suggest you email them a link to this thread and point out how much business they could loose if they don't fix the problem they created.
You could easily have flatspotted the wheel, thus loosening the spokes, before taking the bike in. Sounds a plausible explanation to them I'm sure
If so, they should've spotted it at the time though
I've never had much luck with the so-called posh parts of London's bike shops. Too many pompous gits working there (are they actually working?). Much prefer Condor or Cycle Surgery at Camden.
Regarding the bike shop you mention, just never go back there again, see if there is a Facebook page dedicated to crap LBS's, if not consider setting such up.
They must be thin tyres if it only took 4 miles to rub through them... We see a lot of badly set up brakes on commuter bikes. In fact one chap had been riding round for months every day with an incorrect front caliper (too short) so he was using half the rim and half the tyre to brake on.
The tyre was wearing but still in one piece after all that time (pretty lucky!)
A dead spot big enough to cause the brake pad to be hitting the tyre must have been quite big. Are you sure the pads are aligned properly etc?
And no, sadly, bad customer service is the most burdenous cost on a bike shop.
Good luck resolving it.
sounds like the bike was not correctly checked/trestridden before it left the workshop.
I suspect that, unless you checked the condition of the bike before leaving the shop, you don't have a legal leg to stand on and the shop would be within their rights to request STW to remove the thread on potential libel grounds.
crazy legs - its certainly the OPs word against the shops and I think they have little case but this thread is not libel in any way. Its fair comment even if its wrong
I posted because I am simply staggered by the off-hand manner and bad service you get in some bike shops.
Think about it - I offered to buy a new rim and go halfers on the tyre. That means they would have made a profit on the rim and lost little or no money on the tyre. So it would have cost them a tiny amount of (or no) money to have said "Wow, yes, forgot to check it properly - sorry".
Now, I will never go back. Also, the bike is an Airnimal Chameleon, in yellow. Lots of people ask me where I got it and I used to say "I bought it direct from Airnimal, but you can get them from Bikefix". Now I will say "I bought it direct ... but you can get them from [u]Condor Cycles in Gray's Inn Road[/u]".
Scaredypants
Yes, I fully accept that I damaged the wheel, thus loosening the spokes.
But they should have checked that what they did had not created a flat spot and that the brakes were ok.
They were (supposed to be) the experts in this transaction.
I'm surprised about bikefix, as they seem pretty passionate about bikes.
I am surprised too - I know Steve a little bit and I got the impression they weren't doing terribly well. I too thought they were passionate about bikes.
Oh, and for those who remember the bus incident, I was very polite and reasonable!
>Steve
Stuart ?
If that were me and I was sure I was right and not just convinced myself I was right, then I would walk in and take goods of that value. Yes i know that's theft but I hate companies who treat the small man with disrespect.
Also 😯
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I am mildly amazed by this. I have never thought of Bikefix as the sort of shop where one might buy bicycles or indeed have them mended.
I have never thought of Bikefix as the sort of shop where one might buy bicycles or indeed have them mended.
...best LBS put-down ever 🙂
I bought an Airnimal from Bikefix and whilst they were nice as pie when I handed over my cash, their mechanics were properly surly when it came to the free service - implying that I was riding it too much.
I wasn't (in my opinion of course) and besides, if I've spent the best part of a grand in your shop I'd appreciate some courtesy and a pain free (and cost free) first service.
+1 here for being treated crap by bikefix when I had a brompton. Surly is the right word.
My only experience of Bike Fix was when I bought some 29er inner tubes and a Rohloff oil change kit from them. No complaints, but the place did seem a bit run down.
Hairychested, I got my Chameleon built up at Cycle Surgey at Camden. To be honest I thought the place was much better when the Canadian Manager Eryka was there.
Wear some skinny jeans, they will treat you better then. To be fair most of their clients don't have brakes, so maybe they've forgotten what they are....
jond
Is it Stuart rather than Steve? He was introduced to me a very long time ago. A pleasant looking man with dark hair and a nice but rare smile, I feel for him, he often looks weighed down by his troubles.
tails
I won't do as you suggest, even though I went into the bike shop with a damaged rim and an ok tyre, and left the bike shop with a damaged rim and a soon-to-be-damaged tyre. I shall simply switch to buying as much as possible mail order and doing as many of my own repairs as possible. Another nail in the coffin of the lbs.
Chunky MTB
Skinny jeans? Oh, for a skinny body to put them on 😆
I suppose I [u]am[/u] wierd by their standards - I have gears AND brakes on my bikes
I suspect that, unless you checked the condition of the bike before leaving the shop, you don't have a legal leg to stand on and the shop would be within their rights to request STW to remove the thread on potential libel grounds.
isn't that a recommendation of despair? - you take your bike to a bike shop and all the responsibility for knowing if the work has been done correctly rests with you ? Now if it was a chip shop that would be credible...
their mechanics were properly surly when it came to the free service - implying that I was riding it too much.
priceless :o)
>Is it Stuart rather than Steve?
If it's the same guy - I *think* Stuart's the manager/head honcho - description would fit tho' ISR his hair's pretty cropped. Also known in recumbent circles as 'Darth Stuart', since recumbents are the *other* Darkside..
>I suppose I am wierd by their standards - I have gears AND brakes on my bikes
Nah, it's just 'cos you're not lying down on it 😉
I'm found 'em ok but a bit too busy/thinly spread. I bought a recumbent from 'em but haven't been back for the free service - not much I'd want 'em to check really, vs the hassle/cost of getting in there in the week - unless I rode it in 16+ miles though S London on a w/e. Only time I've used the workshop was a *very* long time ago..
their mechanics were properly surly when it came to the free service - implying that I was riding it too much.
Awesome.
I also like the implication that being geared (ho hum) towards the fakenger set they haven't quite got the hang of proper bikes. How I miss Londinium.
Sorry to hear about your experiences but once you find a decent LBS you'll be glad.