Replacement parts

phreak
phreak Posts: 2,953
edited January 2009 in Workshop
Took my bike in for a check up today and was shocked to hear that it needs a fair few new parts. The bike was bought new around 8 months ago and it's probably done around 100km a week since then.

Is this normal?

Comments

  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    What parts is it needing?

    Let me guess, they are saying new chain, cassette and chainrings.

    (I have found some LBS's take the view that if the chain is worn out then you need to replace this lot! A money making ploy, cassette should last 2 or 3 chain changes, chainset more).

    Or was it something else?
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    And what bike?
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Yeah it was cassette and chainring. Oh, and the bike was a Giant OCR 1.5.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    They could be worn in that mileage, if unlucky, but the shop may just be taking a standard approach that a new chain won't mesh on part worn cassettes/chainrings. This is true if they are well worn, but the best bet is to try the chain first and only replace other bits if there is a problem. I have been told this in the past by an LBS and refused their kind attempts to sell me expensive bits I didn't need.

    If you get a chain wear checker and change the chain when indicated you should get a cassette to last probably 3 chain changes. I would expect to get maybe 3000km or more on a chain, maybe 9000km on a cassette. Lots of variables, however.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    phreak wrote:
    Yeah it was cassette and chainring. Oh, and the bike was a Giant OCR 1.5.

    Oh, they always say that. According to my mechanic I should change the cassette every 1000 miles or so... then if you look at his bike, he's never changed it and it's probably done 10,000 miles. Once I took my bike for a check up and he said according to his chain measuring tool I needed a new chain... I told him my chain was 100 miles old. I have done 6000 miles on my current cassette and don't feel any need to change it. I'll change it when shifting becomes an issue. I change my chain fairly regularly, every 2000 miles more or less and that's it. as for the chain ring, I have a 20 years old bike as well, never changed the chain rings. Either your parts are really low quality, which I doubt if they're Shimano or your mechanic is feeling the pinch.
    left the forum March 2023
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    ugo echoes my thoughts and puts them a bit more bluntly :lol:

    novice rider... lets raid his wallet!
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Curses.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    phreak wrote:
    Curses.
    Have they already stung you for it? Could ask for the old parts back.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Yeah they have. Guess you live and learn.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    bad luck! :evil:

    What shop was that?
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Cycle Surgery.
  • Steven Martin
    Steven Martin Posts: 280
    Ask them to retain the old bits so you can pick them up to return them to the manufacturer. That'll panic them a bit.
    Unless they have 'conveniently' disposed of them already....

    Crooks.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    I'll ask for the old parts back with the intention of complaining to the manufacturer and mention the various bits and pieces I've read since then. Not sure how good it will do me this time round but worst case I could clean the old parts and reinstall those, thus having a new set for when they do wear out properly.
  • Nigel Bennett
    Nigel Bennett Posts: 653
    Steven Martin wrote:
    Unless they have 'conveniently' disposed of them already....

    Crooks.

    Nah.. they'll have sold them on eBay already.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    As some added info, I've done around 2500km on it. The bike is covered by a 2 year warranty, wouldn't this mean these should be free?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    phreak wrote:
    As some added info, I've done around 2500km on it. The bike is covered by a 2 year warranty, wouldn't this mean these should be free?

    Nah, warranty does not cover for worn parts. Relax, it happens to everybody all the time... I'm actually surprised he didn't change your bottom bracket... my mechanic consider them little more than disposable cups... of course he never change his
    left the forum March 2023
  • mtbhenry888
    mtbhenry888 Posts: 287
    I have bad mouthed halfords before in the past for various good reasons but i also have little respect for 'proper' bike shops that take advantage of people who put thier trust in them to supply them with the correct knowledge. When i was younger and doing a paper round (what first got me in cycling) i had the same thing happen to me, £60 later after they had replaced the chain + cassette and given it a service when i had hardly had it 6 months, it went in to have the brakes adjusted, i laugh now as extortionate servicing costs prompted me to get a haynes bike manual, now i'm the guy all my friends ask for advice!
    Carbon fibre, it's all nonsense. Drink beer. Ride a steel bike. Don't be a ponce.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    As predicted they wouldn't let me have my old parts back. How is this legal? They're not their parts to just throw away. What proof is there that they've even replaced anything if I can't see the old parts?
  • Jonathan Mcp
    Jonathan Mcp Posts: 2,472
    phreak wrote:
    As predicted they wouldn't let me have my old parts back. How is this legal? They're not their parts to just throw away. What proof is there that they've even replaced anything if I can't see the old parts?

    If it is chain, cassette and chainrings that have been replaced then that should be pretty obvious.

    FWIW I did kill a drivetrain within a year, but this was a MTB that I rode and neglected to really give much TLC, so the chain had worn past the point where cassette wear and chainring wear had occured.

    I chose pretty early in my biking life to self maintain my bikes after this incident, and over the years it has got to the point where I can do pretty much everything except wheel build. I view buying a specialist tool as an investment, that will be used again, and pretty soon a decent tool box builds up.

    My LBS is superb, BTW, and if there ever was a job that I couldn't do, I would have no problems going there to get it sorted.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    I don't think they have any grounds to refuse to give the parts back, unless they have already gone to the tip, probably not, but they can easily say they have. I am not saying for one moment that they didn't fit the new parts, I am sure they did, but it is standard practice in the motor trade to keep old parts for customers to inspect, there were many scandals of charging for parts that weren't fitted in the past.

    I would agree with the above post, learning to do your own repairs is relatively easy and doesn't cost a fortune in tools, and you will be able to make your own decisions about what needs changing. You will save a lot of money (not that I wish to put the good LBS out of business), and even if you still use the LBS for some jobs (I get them to face bottom brackets - tool too expensive, fit headset races, and embarrassingly, fit bar tape) at least you will have the mechanical nouse to make a judgement about the necessity and quality of their work.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    alfablue wrote:
    I don't think they have any grounds to refuse to give the parts back, unless they have already gone to the tip, probably not, but they can easily say they have. I am not saying for one moment that they didn't fit the new parts, I am sure they did, but it is standard practice in the motor trade to keep old parts for customers to inspect, there were many scandals of charging for parts that weren't fitted in the past.

    I would agree with the above post, learning to do your own repairs is relatively easy and doesn't cost a fortune in tools, and you will be able to make your own decisions about what needs changing. You will save a lot of money (not that I wish to put the good LBS out of business), and even if you still use the LBS for some jobs (I get them to face bottom brackets - tool too expensive, fit headset races, and embarrassingly, fit bar tape) at least you will have the mechanical nouse to make a judgement about the necessity and quality of their work.

    Bar tape? You are right, that is embarassing
    left the forum March 2023
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Bar tape? You are right, that is embarassing

    Yes :oops: too much self-disclosure there!

    I never get as good a finish as the LBS, but I have decided to conquer it, I have just ordered some bar tape that doesn't use adhesive tape, so I am going to crack it once and for all, however many attempts it takes!!!!
  • Wappygixer
    Wappygixer Posts: 1,396
    I work in a cycle shop and we always keep the old parts to hand back.
    As far as I'm aware they are your items and they cant refuse.
    If they wont hand them back ask for a manager, if he wont play ball threaten with trading standards.
    Even though they are wear parts they still have a serviceable life.If you really have only done around 100km then this would be class as premature wear and could be classed as a warranty part.Tell them you need the parts for a warranty claim to.
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Yes I am going to try to improve my bike mechanics and become more self sufficient.

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