What to do if a bike shop has cut your fork steerer too short?!

Just taken a 2 brand new set of forks to a LBS and asked them to cut both steerers to 220mm as thats the sizes on the forks they’re replacing.

Just got home and went to fit them ….they’re cut to 200mm, both of em.

What do I do? How can I prove what i said to them? I know it was 220mm I said as I also said cut them down by 40mm.

Am I buggered?

Are the Bombers?

if so own em with them.

Two brand new sets of DTs!

We accidentally did it once, customer got some nicer carbon forks and an apology.

You’re fecked then.

DT’s are no good for owning.

I’m absolutely gutted. 🙁

What do I do? How can I prove what i said to them?

you can’t – I presume they are saying you said 200mm?

They were close by the time I returned home. I only just went to fit them.

I took some forks into my LBS last week and they asked me to mark them with a felt tip pen where I wanted them cut.

TBH I was a bit put out by their request but not half as much as they were when I marked them as requested and also wrote 220mm next to the mark.

Sorry but i’ve got to ask why you get a LBS to do something as simple as cutting a steerer down?

No dissrespect to any LBs but I don’t trust anyone to work on any of my bikes.

Take them back and insist they sort it. You are the customer.

not even me Stu?

thats awful! and also the reason i cut my own steerers

I do all of my own maintenance, but I dont have any facilty for cutting down forks.

No bench, no saw, no vice etc….

That is gutting, you’ll have to see if they have the chopped off bits in the metal bin, so you can see how much was cut off and the original length of the steerer and take if from there.

How about not having the right tools Stu?

I’d speak to them face to face and as soon as. Not sure which way this could go…. How much business have you given them in the past?

sc-xc.

I’d let you mess with my “steerer” when ever you want mate. 😉

Buy a smaller frame with a shorter head tube..

£500 – £1200 if you include a private sale from the manager.

gizzard.

Buy them then.

Cheaper than two new forks….. 🙄

I can’t belive they didn’t quadruple check with you the length you wanted. Especially as they were cutting two pairs!

I would have measured them before leaving the shop too (assuming I would have let a LBS undertake this risky job).

Good luck getting it sorted.

Evans in Notts cut my new Floats 10mm too short recently and were grovelling big time once they realised. Offered new riser bars, new stem etc but they’d already done me a massive favour on the forks so left it.

Good luck Daffy i feel for you.

So your about £1200 out of pocket?
How about going back & asking the bloke to repeat what you asked whilst candidly recording it, if he says 200mm, then your proper fecked 🙁

On the plus side if he says 220mm your LBS owes you for 2 new sets of forks, sorted.
I can’t think of a better way of going about it, if you start by saying they got it wrong they will be very defensive…

Not sure i understand Stu?

how big is the business?

is it a chain or a small business?

How much business do you give them?

Did you not get a receipt slip when you left them, with an outline of the work to be done?

tbh if they are a largish shop I would imagine they should replace both forks if you are inistant and your headtube stem combo doesnt allow for adjustment.

They could easily write this expense off as an error by one of the staff for which they would be covered by insurance….

it would have been better if you had noticed immediately tho!

gizzardman – Member

Not sure i understand Stu?

There’s no hope for you then is there.

Keep going to Evans and getting 10mm cut off your length. 😉

It was 16:45 when I left the shop by the time i got home it was nearly 17:30 which is when they close.

I only went to fit them at 21:00.

I’dve said it’s a fairly big business, though not a chain.

Are the steerer tubes not replaceable?

If so get the shop to replace them at their cost.

£1.52

£14.62

£19.99

Doing it yourself.

Priceless. 😉

I’m more likely to **** it up than shop TBH!

It ian’t rocket science.

Cheers for the support Stu!

go in smartly dressed.

dont get angry

take both forks and all proof of the work, receipts etc, have all the details of the work, ie who did it and when, times, who you spk to, clear in your mind.

spk only to the manager/owner, have the DT contact details for returns/ ie steerer replacement with you and give it to the manager.

TELL him you want both steerers replaced within a month and give them deadlines, blag you have a holiday coming up.

be prepared for a sharp intake of breath, and manouvering, but you would be amazed what a confident manner can accomplish

I thionk it’s time he went be byes

Stu, your’e about as much use as ‘useless Jack McUseless’ from Uselesseville, Illinois. The jobs done. In 19 yrs of biking I’ve never ever ever (recurring)taken my bike to a bike shop for anything cos I’m able to do it all myself. Unfortunately some people aren’t as lucky as us.
As it happens Daffy I’m looking for some DT’s with a short steerer. What travel are they?

Sorry Daffy.

Hope you get it sorted but you realy should learn from this.
gizzman.

I thionk you’re even worsere at spelling than me…. 😯

Or are you “over tired”? 😛

esselgruntfuttock – Member

Stu, your’e about as much use as ‘useless Jack McUseless’ from Uselesseville, Illinois

Na.

I ain’t even that usefull. 🙁

I’ve got two:

EXC 150 QR – 150mm
EMC 100 QR – 100mm

Both are RLTC. Both are rand new with the tags still attached.

Is the middle of the crown (where the crown and steerer overlap) 20mm?

Did you say 220mm from the very bottom of the steerer (i.e. the bottom of the crown) or 220mm of exposed steerer?

Christ nearly a hint of symapthy.