Bike MOT - LONDON

Julia7239

Hello, Im new to this site. I have been cycling to work in London for a year and suddenly it feels like my brakes have gone. I went into a cycle shop today and they said they would charge me £25 plus cost of repair and new parts added on top to look at the brakes which I thought was steep. Is this a normal price?

Recommendations of good shops to take my bike to are highly recommended - preferably independent. I work near parliament square and live in London Bridge

Greg T

They are taking the pish.

I'm guessing best case you need new brake blocks (five min job once you know what sort to get)

Worst case your cable isn't running smooth and needs replacing - let's say 20 mins all up.

Very worst case your calipers are busted and you need proper fixing

What time do you ride the HoP - London bridge route - one of us could meet up with you and have a look.

Headhuunter

It's hard to say without a clearer idea of the problem. What do you mean when you say the "brakes have gone"? Is it just the brake pads? Has one of the calipers dropped off?! Has a cable snapped or come undone?

If the job entails simply replacing the brake pads, it sounds expensive to me, if it's replacing a broken cable - ditto, but if you need new calipers or something, then it's not so expensive....

If you need advice, the best thing to do would be to provide photos of the problem area.

lost_in_thought

They are taking the mickey. £25 plus cost of repair and parts means £25 just to tell you what's wrong and not do anything about it. That is seriously taking advantage.

Perhaps, as mentioned, you could explain exactly what seems to be the issue with your brakes, there are many helpful folk on here who'd be happy to advise or help.

Keep an eye on the morpeth social club thread, and if beers are on this friday pop along for a swift half and free advice!

il_principe

lost_in_thought wrote:

They are taking the mickey. £25 plus cost of repair and parts means £25 just to tell you what's wrong and not do anything about it. That is seriously taking advantage.

Perhaps, as mentioned, you could explain exactly what seems to be the issue with your brakes, there are many helpful folk on here who'd be happy to advise or help.

Keep an eye on the morpeth social club thread, and if beers are on this friday pop along for a swift half and free advice!

+1we're a friendly bunch. Otherwise try on your bike in London Bridge, I think they're half decent. Avoid Action Bikes and Evans around your neck of the woods.

Feltup

The Friday night surgery at the Morpeth is now open. Please come in and tell us your problems.

" well I have problems slowing myself down"
"quite often I overshoot"
"I've tried squeezing harder but all I get is a juddering sensation"

Greg T

Feltup wrote:

The Friday night surgery at the Morpeth is now open. Please come in and tell us your problems.

" well I have problems slowing myself down"
"quite often I overshoot"
"I've tried squeezing harder but all I get is a juddering sensation"

"I want to stop but just have to keep on going"
"I've got arms like Arnie but still can't get enough pressure"
"I need more friction - I'm just not getting the effect I'm looking for"

Julia7239

Wow - thanks for the prompt response. To try and explain the problem I pull on the callipers and they feel loose and dont stop the brakes fast enough. It started to feel different during the winter and changes in temperature. The padding on the brakes appear fine and the wire OK so I think it may be the callipers but am not sure. I eventually stop but they do not react quick enough and i cant get the pressure on them. I am happy to pay for the repairs but the £25 for a look I thought was a bit of a joke (from a chap in on your bike on tooley street this morning) - previously I was lucky to be near bike doctor who would check for free (thought they loved slagging off my bike as it is a cheap/crap model).

Headhuunter

How far are the pads away from the rim? Is there a lot of play in the brake lever? Perhaps you just need to generally tighten things up....

il_principe

And there's me recommending On Your Bike!

lost_in_thought

Sounds like you might need the cables tightened, and new pads probably wouldn't hurt either...

Others are more expert!

Dropzone-dog__

Sounds like a simple case of stretched cables.

Dead simple to fix.

ps 25 notes just to look at the bike & make a sucking noise through the teeth is extortion :shock:

Christophe3967

I'm also suprised at On Your Bike, as I've always found them helpful. Maybe that's to do with how much money I spend there.

If you don't want to throw yourselves at our mercy, Rachid at Cycledelik http://www.cycledelik.com/1.html is very helpful and good value. They'll come to your office or home and won't rip you off.