How to Get the Best Bicycle Tune-Up
Quality and Value Meet in a Good Bike Shop With Skilled Mechanics
Feb 9, 2009
When shopping for a tune-up, many recreational cyclists are bewildered by the wide range of services available and the fees charged for those services. While many bike shops offer a similar tune-up menu, often the less tangible things make the difference. The best shops will strike a balance between making a fair profit and cultivating their customers' loyalty for years to come.
The Bike Shop
Many cyclists already have a favorite shop with which they deal most of this time. Regular riders select a shop for various reasons, but first and foremost is usually a friendly and helpful staff. Other reasons might be a broad and interesting selection of merchandise and good prices. Or...
The Bicycle Mechanic
More serious cyclists - those who have invested the price of a good used pick-up truck in their bikes - also usually know where the best mechanics are. A good mechanic will have years of experience, in addition to an array of industry certifications. And while the master mechanic probably won't do every tune-up, his or her skill and pride will be reflected in all of the work coming out of that shop.
Tony “Top Gun” Gunter, a Baltimore/Washington area master mechanic with over 25 years’ experience, points out that the best mechanics will often work at the older, more established shops. But not necessarily. “Nor,” says Gunter, “can the customer assume that, because the shop has a long history, it currently has a good mechanic in the basement.” The best solution is to ask around about both the shop and its mechanics. He adds: “A shop with a great mechanic will usually brag about it.” Gunter currently supervises a staff of mechanics at The Bicycle Connection, a Baltimore-area bike shop that has been doing business for 37 years.
Cost of a Bicycle Tune-Up
A basic tune-up on a fully-geared adult bicycle should cost $50-$80, depending on the market and what’s included. Labor-intensive jobs like bearing replacements or drive train cleaning will entail additional cost. Also, while the customer can expect to have his/her bicycle frame and components wiped down, most shops will not clean a bike for free. The rider coming straight to the shop from the muddy trail may be charged a fee for cleaning the bike, if the shop will work on it at all. It's nearly impossible to tune a crusty bike; the cleaner your bike is when you take it in, the better it will run when you pick it up.
The Bike Tune-Up
What can the buyer expect in a tune-up? A few things are certain to be included for that $50-$80 investment:
- Adjust the brakes and lube the brake cables (including inside the cable housing) and pivots
- Adjust the shifters and lube the shifter cables and pivots
- Adjust headset, bottom bracket, and hub bearings
- Lube the drive train, especially the chain (the mechanic may ask if the customer prefers a wet or a dry lube)
- Straighten (or “true”) minor lateral misalignment (about ¼” or less) of the wheels and make sure all spokes are tight and tensioned correctly
- Inspect brake shoes and tires for wear and/or dry rot
- Inspect frame and mechanical parts for cracks or other defects
Once the tune-up is completed, if there are no complications, the bike should be good to go for the season.
Bicycle Tune-up Extras
A few things can add extra cost to the initial fee:
- Cracked or dry-rotted brake shoes: $10 - $20. Many shops consider worn-out brake pads a safety issue and, for liability reasons, will not work on a bike if the customer chooses not to replace them.
- Dry-rotted tires: $15 - $65, depending on performance level of the tires. On bikes that have been stored for a long time, the tires can be dry-rotted even though they show little wear. Another possible liability issue for the shop.
- Broken shifters or brakes. These can be expensive, $30 or more, each, and usually should be pointed out by the shop staff before the bike is accepted for a tune-up. Sometimes defects don’t show up until the mechanic tries to make adjustments; the customer has right to expect a phone call if something major needs to be replaced.
- Flat-spotted wheel. $50 plus. This is caused by hitting something like a pothole, riding off a curb, etc., and it cannot be fixed. A flat spot, or “hop,” in a wheel usually causes an annoying bump on every revolution, and in the worst case it will prevent the tire from seating on the rim.
- Worn out drive train. $100 plus. When the cassette/freewheel (rear gears), chain rings (front gears) or chain wear out, often all three must be replaced, as they all wear in together. Sometimes, for instance, a new chain will not mesh with a worn freewheel or chain rings. This kind of repair is most often seen on bikes with considerable mileage.
Good Bikes Are Made to Last
Like a car, a bike won’t run forever without some maintenance. But a good bike is modular. Its individual parts can be replaced fairly inexpensively and it will last for many years. Timely tune-ups not only make a bicycle more enjoyable to use, they slow wear on individual components and lengthen the time between more costly repairs.
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