How much should it cost to build a new bike?

zoid

Hi,

Following on from a post (http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12722831) I made asking for advice on groupset choice I made a decision and contacted the shop to go ahead with the build.

The frame has already been paid for and is in the shop, when I originally bought the frame they gave me a spec list and price, however at the time I asked if there would be any problems with me sourcing other parts myself and specifically mentioned if there would be a problem if I purchased the groupset myself, I was told that wouldn't be an issue.

I had decided to let the shop source all the other parts (even though I could find them cheaper myself) but as I can save £190 on the groupset I decided to purchase that separately.

So I phone the shop up yesterday and tell them to go ahead to build wheels and order all the other bits, but this time when I tell I'll be purchasing the groupset they turn around and tell me that there will be an additional £120 build charge, which after some discussion reduced to £70.

Now it's not so much the money it's more the principle of thing, I'd already asked and been told that sourcing my own groupset would be fine but at no point was I ever told that an extra charge would be included.

Basically I feel like telling them to stick it and getting the bike built up else where and was wondering how much I should be expecting to pay?

Monty Dog

Why do people think their LBS is a charity and not a business - that it should do things for free merely to keep their customers happy? If someone told you at work you weren't going to get paid for 2 hours work because it was for a nice customer, would you agree? Why didn't you buy the tools and do it yourself?

zoid

Monty Dog wrote:

Why do people think their LBS is a charity and not a business - that it should do things for free merely to keep their customers happy? If someone told you at work you weren't going to get paid for 2 hours work because it was for a nice customer, would you agree? Why didn't you buy the tools and do it yourself?

I totally agree with what you have said and certainly understand people need to make a living, however you obviously have not read my post properly.

The point here is that I already asked the shop specifically if there was an issue if I sourced the groupset myself and was told it wouldn't be, in fact I'd asked the question on 2 separate occasions and at no point was an additional charge ever mentioned.

No I don't expect the shop to be a charity but I do expect them to be fair and transparent.

And btw where do say I expect them to do things for free, they already quoted me a labour charge to build the bike and obviously it doesn't take longer to fit the same groupset just because the customer supplied it does it?

ratherbeintobago

You're still £120 better off than you would have been if you'd bought it from them.

As has been said above, they're not a charity; if you want them to fit a groupset you've bought somewhere else, then you'll have to pay them for their labour.

Andy

Gazzaputt

You asked if it was ok for you to source the groupset yourself which they agreed to.

Your LBS from your post never agreed to fit it though.

I don't know of a LBS that will fit parts not purchased from them for free. Would be madness.

The fitting of the gruppo is the most time consuming part. £70 seems reasonable.

zoid

You asked if it was ok for you to source the groupset yourself which they agreed to.

Your LBS from your post never agreed to fit it though.

Now you are arguing semantics here, it was clearly implied as I was asking them to build a bike for me.

I don't know of a LBS that will fit parts not purchased from them for free. Would be madness.

Agreed, which is why I specially asked if there was an issue sourcing my own groupset, also they had already give me a labour charge even if the groupset was purchased by them.

The fitting of the gruppo is the most time consuming part. £70 seems reasonable.

As said they had already quoted nearly £90 for labour to build the bike (plus a separate labour charge to build the wheels), in fact the guy from the shop agreed with me (in the end) that the extra £70 charge was not a labour charge but a surcharge.

Look its not so much about the money its the principle, if they had told me upfront then there would not have been an issue. They are already making good margins on the frame, wheels, and finishing kit (inc. £175 for a bike fit), had I known they were going to hit me with a surcharge I think I would just bought an off the peg bike.

rake

i agree. saying you are going to ' source ' (why not say buy :evil: ) something simply means to aquire the groupset elsewhere. That term doesnt entail or hint mechanical assembly work.

zoid

rake wrote:

i agree. saying you are going to ' source ' (why not say buy :evil: ) something simply means to aquire the groupset elsewhere. That term doesnt entail or hint mechanical assembly work.

You are correct if you take the comment out of context as you have clearly done here.

However 1. I asked the question on two separate occasions I can't recall my exact words but first yes I used the word source, second time I used the word buy, no word of a surcharge ever mentioned. 2. Had you been with me at the time it would have been clear that I was asking them to build the complete bike even if I sourced the groupset myself.

Monty Dog

Regardless of the semantics, it's a bit cheeky to expect the shop to incur 'cost' purely out of goodwill particularly when those resources could be more reasonably used to generate other income i.e. repair/build bikes for paying customers. If you could show me any other business that sustainably operates such a model, then I'll gladly change my perspective. On the rare occassion that I get permission from my LBS to do something / use something I still offer them a tenner or case of beer for their troubles.

PhilofCas

sounds like they were a bit put out by them not supplying the groupset and hence losing a profit margin, were they given a chance to price match ?

EKIMIKE

I don't see what the issue is. The LBS are offering their services, you either pay and they do it or you don't pay and you do it yourself.

They've even been kind enough to lower the £120 down to £70. Labour always seems expensive until you bolt and cable up a groupset to your bike yourself. It's no easy task and it takes time let alone a host of specialist tools.

Anyway i'm sure you know all that. So why don't you tell em to stick it or DIY? Or did you just want a little grumble?

rake

zoid wrote:

rake wrote:

i agree. saying you are going to ' source ' (why not say buy :evil: ) something simply means to aquire the groupset elsewhere. That term doesnt entail or hint mechanical assembly work.

You are correct if you take the comment out of context as you have clearly done here.

However 1. I asked the question on two separate occasions I can't recall my exact words but first yes I used the word source, second time I used the word buy, no word of a surcharge ever mentioned. 2. Had you been with me at the time it would have been clear that I was asking them to build the complete bike even if I sourced the groupset myself.

you're right. :arrow: i wasn't there. carry on.

Brommers76

If they gave you a seperate costing for labour for building the bike they should stick with it. The fact that some parts were sourced/bought/purchased by you is irrelevant for that labour cost.

Now, if they were reducing the labour cost as you were buying all the parts from them then they should have made that clear when you said you would supply your own groupset.

Seems simple to me.

Mccaria

If I read your post correctly you are being charged £160 in total for the bike build - An original £90 charge when all parts were being sourced from the LBS and an additional £70 when sourcing the groupset elsewhere. £160 does seem a high build cost, expecially when the majority of parts are still being sourced from the LBS.

Historically when I have bought all the parts from an LBS there was no additional cost for assembly (of course the cost is priced into the components) and >£100 when there was a mix of parts bought from the LBS and own parts (either sourced elsewhere or moved from another bike).

desweller

Does seem like they are trying to compensate for the lost margin on the gruppo. I'd be annoyed, probably to the point where I'd build it myself instead.