Just went to my LBS as a cassette was old stock and cheaper than CRC etc at the mo. I asked if they would Charge for fitting it as I had bought it from them (Only a 2 minute job with a chain wip and lock ring remover). They said oh yes we charge for fitting. So I said OK I’ll cycle home and do it myself. Thought it was a bit stingy?

No, and they never charge me for facing frames I’ve bought from them either.

that’s a bit odd – I thought it was pretty standard to fit stuff free if you’ve bought it from them.

yup that’s what I thought – these little things make you come back 😉

I guess no one buys stuff from their LBS anymore then 😉

i wouldn’t want my lbs to fit anything free or not.

No charge.

If I got it cheaper than CRC, I’d consider I’d done well and be happy with that and cut them some slack for not fitting it for free as well.

Usually charge a couple of quid or so for fitting a cassette.

I don’t work for free, do you?

Go to a garage and see if they fit a bulb to your car for free.

Based on that, they’d never charge any labour unless they were fitting something you hadn’t bought there or just wanted some adjustment?

“I’ll have 18 ball bearings for my front wheel please.”
“80p please”
“Will you charge me for fitting them?”

Oh, come on, if you’re too lazy to do a “two minute” job yourself why should someone else do if for you for free???

mtbtomo ur talking about the extremes there, no they wont fit everything you buy but I’d have thought 2 minute jobs and expensive purchases (forks/brakes) would be free. I’ve known an LBS fit a tube for me that I bought, I’d just flatted nearb,y tyre was covered in mud, I said I’d do it but the guy said no fine he’d sort it.

cheaper than CRC etc at the mo. I asked if they would Charge for fitting it as I had bought it from them (Only a 2 minute job with a chain wip and lock ring remover). They said oh yes we charge for fitting. So I said OK I’ll cycle home and do it myself. Thought it was a bit stingy?

Right, so they’re cheaper than CRC and you want them to provide free labour?

If they want to survive in business then i would suggest they charge. There seems a strange mentality on here that we should all get something for nothing from a bikeshop. Have you tried it anywhere else? Even though the people they employ maybe quite pally with you you shouldn’t expect something for nothing all the time.
Rant over

his p1sses me of, man MOST LBS’s are trying to make a living and are constantly being under cut by the bigger chains with bigger bargaining power. Now on the rare occasion that you decide not to hump the little guy because the chains are not as CHEAP as you want, you think hang on i will try and hump you thten bitch about it on here!

1….2….3…4……10

{abuse removed.. please debate and argue without resorting to personal abuse – Mod}

Usually charge a couple of quid or so for fitting a cassette.

I don’t work for free, do you?

Go to a garage and see if they fit a bulb to your car for free.

Actually I do work for free for my mates, I do all my own mechanics as almost all of my LBS’s are useless and cocked things up or forgotten to do something – a 3 minute job – any if LBS’s want to keep their buisnesses going in competition with the big chains then they should have an advantage – I can understand if it would take them 30mins to 1hr to do but really. Don’t call me an ASS – I guess you are an LBS owner or a friend of one.

They do get the profit from the item they sell – blimey – right I’m sticking with CRC etc if thats you mentality – would like to give my LBS’s the trade but I have never found one that really gives a rats arse!

BTW I only got it cheaper than CRC as it was old stock – its going up when they get their new stock in – so what advantage is it for me to got to my LBS then – tell me?

Depends on what you’re buying I reckon.
My LBS was happy to fit stuff that I’d bought there (chainset/bb, forks etc) without extra charge. That’s why I went back there to buy a complete bike (1st complete bike I’d bought for 16 yrs).
If I only want bearings or something cheap like that I’d take them home and do it.

I don’t know anybody in the bike trade and I think you’re being an @rse. So what if you do work for you mates for free – it’s not how you make your living.

becuase its convinient and some of them actually provide a decent service and good advice. If we don’t occasioally support them we will all be shopping in miserable ill lit hypermarkets and on the internet in about 20 years.
Give em a break for charging – they have to employ staff, pay taxes, stockhold etc

If they made bugger all on it anyway then spent time fitting they are in effect doing the whole thing for a loss maybe. Lots to consider eg are you a well spending regular and was the work shop sitting around doing nowt or are you a once in a blue moon and only if CRC can supply type. Bet if you had a new pair of forks they would have done it. It always seems a bit unfair when people ask for work for no payment. Try asking you local Ford dealer etc

Well I thought £55 quit is enough to spend – only £5 cheaper and they made thge same profit or more compared with CRC, wiggle etc. I am really commenting on gaining good relationships with your customers to make them come back and spend more money rather than go to an online retailer. I am certainly not LAZY having just built the whole bike up myself and 3 other friends bikes – also having been in the shop several times recently to buy stuff he might recognise me but there you go I am obviously unmemorable.

I once snapped my chain on a local run, on the way home I decided to pop into my LBS as it was sort of on the way. I bought a chain from them at about £9 more than I could have bought it online and the cheeky f@*ker wanted £5 to fit it as he knew I would have to push the bike home! I pushed home, I always have a chain splitting multi tool and quick link with me now. I have been back to the shop since for odds and ends and they actually been pretty decent, fitting headsets that I bought from them for free and so forth.

Blimey, mounbtainbikers are tight! We spend an average families food bill on a bit of metal, then complain when someone wont fit it for free!

Anyone want a trip to Africa/Afganistan/Russia to get things in perspective?

Fine – its really fine – I’m just going to buy all my stuff online – leave the LBS to the peole who can’t fit their own stuff etc. If you look at my original post I was asking a retorical question not starting a fit or asking to be insulted 😉

AJ – if you dont have anything constructive to say then kep a lid on it mate!

Fine – its really fine – I’m just going to buy all my stuff online – leave the LBS to the peole who can’t fit their own stuff etc. If you look at my original post I was asking a retorical question not starting a FIT or asking to be insulted [;)]

You were the one talking about fitting.

Depends on the faffiness of the job:

Fit a headset to your frame for free – fine
Remove your headset and fit a new one – charge

Fit new cassette (if charged full price) – fine
swap cassette, tyre, tube, rim tape onto new rear wheel – charge

generally my lbs dont charge for fitting parts if bought from them.
thanks dave@cycleworks 🙂

I can’t believe that you think it’s out of order to charge labour for fittings Stuff! Workshop – tools- Labour-rates- electric -water -Public indemnity insurance so you can walk in the shop, the list is endless, and they undercut CRC on the price of the cassete which means that the shop has bought bought that cassete at the old price ( before the massive price hikes this year) and rather than make extra margin on it as the prices have gone up, they’ve kept the old price and sold it you fairly- And your not happy?

No charge and I get 10% off all stock!

my local didn’t charge for new forks, for me to be annoyed it would depend on different things, if your bike is new and in good condition and the shop wasn’t busy then i would expect it but otherwise i wouldn’t, if they’re just standing around it would be nice.

I think most people want to support there local bike shops, but the LBS has to support there customers as well. Everyone has got financial limitations and when you can buy something online that is sometimes hundredes of pounds cheaper than a LBS its a no brainer unless your pretty loaded. The mark up in shops can be as high as 45% and when you consider that the customer can buy it cheaper online most of the time the LBS have to throw in a little incentive ie free fitting to keep the customer happy and to get there return custom. I’m not suggesting that LBS should fit everything free, just quick easy items that makes the customer think that was really GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, yes it was more expensive but its worth it!

you wouldn’t expect a car garage to work for free regardless of how simple a job is.

you have to pay for service. you don’t get service from a faceless mailorder company.

this is something i feel strongly about, and i’m having to keep my rant in check.

oh, one more thing… show loyalty to your local bike shop and you may be surprised at the service you get. support your local shop and they’ll support you. suggesting free fitting is a sure-fire way not to recieve it.

Shops will recognise their best customers and treat you accordingly, sometimes even with a cup of coffee while you wait for your “2 minute job”.

I can’t believe that you think it’s out of order to charge labour for fittings Stuff! Workshop – tools- Labour-rates- electric -water -Public indemnity insurance so you can walk in the shop, the list is endless, and they undercut CRC on the price of the cassete which means that the shop has bought bought that cassete at the old price ( before the massive price hikes this year) and rather than make extra margin on it as the prices have gone up, they’ve kept the old price and sold it you fairly- And your not happy?

To answer your question – Yes I was happy but went away with a question (given above)

The above is the same for all businesses. Do you support all your local businesses or do you buy stuff online coz they are cheaper or go to a supermarket as its cheaper and more convenient – surely a LBS is the same? or not?

I do not think its out of order to charge but I have to agree with the majority of people posting here its a bit of give and take mainly the issue of the time it takes and its complexity. Please do not judge me or my post without knowing all the facts.

Some people here are pretty judgemental and rather abusive – like some riders I encounter on some rides/enduros etc – give a little respect. My comment was just to highlight whether people thought it was “stingy” to charge for a 3 minute job and to open the topic up for conversation rather than a slanging match. Please don’t post here if you have an axe to grind.

you don’t get service from a faceless mailorder company.

I have got some great service from mail order companies actually and some not good services from a mixture of bike shops, local or otherwise. I think thats unfair about mail order companies mate sorry.

All for supporting LBS which I do, however an issue that happened last week could make you think again. I needed a couple of inner tubes which came to £9.98 (I know I could have got them cheaper from elsewhere but I needed them), produced my debit card and was greated with you need to spend a minimum of £10 to use your card!

Shops will recognise their best customers and treat you accordingly, sometimes even with a cup of coffee while you wait for your “2 minute job”.

I agree Foxie but maybe they should treat everyone as a potential long-term customer and maybe they would def come back again to buy something more – little gestures go a long way. I feel stongly about good customer servce as well Foxie – We can all discuss things in a civil way without getting angry 😉

need to spend a minimum of £10 to use your card!

was this due to the Credit Card companies charging too much to the LBS for transactions?

In this day and age I’d have thought that any bike shop which doesn’t really go out on a limb to provide the best possible customer service that they can really doesn’t want to be in business.