Cheap bike service around London

ryan753
ryan753 Posts: 11
edited June 2019 in Workshop
Anyone knows a cheap servicing shop around London for a roadbike? Preferably in central/west london?
Also, are chain shops like halfords/evans cycle any good?

Comments

  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    ryan753 wrote:
    Anyone knows a cheap servicing shop around London for a roadbike? Preferably in central/west london?
    Also, are chain shops like halfords/evans cycle any good?

    Halfords no, Evans can be, Sigma Sport is excellent. Cheap and good arent usualyy used in the same sentence.

    Can you not do it yourself?
  • ryan753
    ryan753 Posts: 11
    ryan753 wrote:
    Anyone knows a cheap servicing shop around London for a roadbike? Preferably in central/west london?
    Also, are chain shops like halfords/evans cycle any good?

    Halfords no, Evans can be, Sigma Sport is excellent. Cheap and good arent usualyy used in the same sentence.

    Can you not do it yourself?

    I am thinking to do a bottom bracket/drivetrain service but I dont have the tools to do it myself. Also, I am not sure where the problem is coming from. There are creaks with every power stroke. I feel like its coming from the area around the BB
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    Which BB type you have BSA or press fit? SHimano?
    left the forum March 2023
  • ryan753
    ryan753 Posts: 11
    Which BB type you have BSA or press fit? SHimano?
    im not sure what type it is. but i think it comes with the shimano sora crank set
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    ryan753 wrote:
    Which BB type you have BSA or press fit? SHimano?
    im not sure what type it is. but i think it comes with the shimano sora crank set

    OK, so most likely something like this?

    Shimano-BB-RS500-Tiagra-Sora-Hollowtech-II-Bottom-Bracket-43863-0-1481262293.jpeg

    You only need an allen key to undo the left hand side crank and then this tool here to undo the plastic crank cap and the bottom bracket (remember the right cup unscrews clockwise)

    https://www.wiggle.co.uk/park-tool-bott ... nlEALw_wcB
    left the forum March 2023
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    ryan753 wrote:
    Anyone knows a cheap servicing shop around London for a roadbike? Preferably in central/west london?
    Also, are chain shops like halfords/evans cycle any good?

    Halfords no, Evans can be, Sigma Sport is excellent. Cheap and good arent usualyy used in the same sentence.

    Can you not do it yourself?

    Sorry Alej but thats bollox.

    Every shop is only as good as its staff: a Halfords with good staff is as good as any other shop.

    A Specialised/LBS/clubbie shop with bad staff is as bad as a bad Halfords.

    Check out your shop before you check in your sweet dope mo'fakin' ride.

    #caveatemptor
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    ryan753 wrote:
    Anyone knows a cheap servicing shop around London for a roadbike? Preferably in central/west london?
    Also, are chain shops like halfords/evans cycle any good?

    Halfords no, Evans can be, Sigma Sport is excellent. Cheap and good arent usualyy used in the same sentence.

    Can you not do it yourself?

    Sorry Alej but thats bollox.

    Every shop is only as good as its staff: a Halfords with good staff is as good as any other shop.

    A Specialised/LBS/clubbie shop with bad staff is as bad as a bad Halfords.

    Check out your shop before you check in your sweet dope mo'fakin' ride.

    #caveatemptor

    Who if theyre any good would put up with Halfords as an employer? its renowned for being a shite employer. but wot one or more of the MFs said Check out your shop before chekin in yo ride.
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    ryan753 wrote:
    Anyone knows a cheap servicing shop around London for a roadbike? Preferably in central/west london?
    Also, are chain shops like halfords/evans cycle any good?

    Halfords no, Evans can be, Sigma Sport is excellent. Cheap and good arent usualyy used in the same sentence.

    Can you not do it yourself?

    Sorry Alej but thats bollox.

    Every shop is only as good as its staff: a Halfords with good staff is as good as any other shop.

    A Specialised/LBS/clubbie shop with bad staff is as bad as a bad Halfords.

    Check out your shop before you check in your sweet dope mo'fakin' ride.

    #caveatemptor

    Who if theyre any good would put up with Halfords as an employer? .

    someone who needs a job to pay the bills I suppose, so could be any of us.

    #livingonthestreetsisshit
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    as well, remember that cheap isn't always good.

    and if its a "bronze" service its so basic you can do it after watching a youtibe vid and drinking a pint of wine

    #notrocketscience
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Could be me in a couple of months. We've all had formal notice that there may be redundancies. If it's me I might be looking for a hands-on job to keep the wolf from the door till I decide to retire.

    What kind of staff discount do I get??
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    actually ive just checked the cost of Halfords servicing its very cheap!
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    keef66 wrote:
    Could be me in a couple of months. We've all had formal notice that there may be redundancies. If it's me I might be looking for a hands-on job to keep the wolf from the door till I decide to retire.

    What kind of staff discount do I get??

    discounted wages
  • photonic69
    photonic69 Posts: 2,912
    Cheap isn't necessarily bad. Expensive isn't necessarily good. And vice versa. A service is as good or as bad as the person doing it. Prices are somewhat irrelevant. Build up a good rapport with a LBC. Go there. Buy stuff there. Speak to them. Support them and they'll support you. Plenty of posts on here about shoddy jobs taking months to fix or not even being resolved.

    That or else invest in tools and diy using Park Tools videos.


    Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.

  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    if it’s Just a service you need, a set of hex keys, a pair of pliers and some cable cutters are all you need.

    Maybe a screwdriver if you haven’t got any.
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    You tube then buy the tools you need. For the creak, everyone blames the Bottom bracket but it is usually something else. The most neglected part of the drive train is the pedals.
    #selfactualisation
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I may take a bit longer than a professional mechanic who's doing it day in day out, but I achieve the same result in the end. I probably take more care of the bike while I'm at it, and I'm now confident that I can fix most things at the roadside if I need to. I also can indulge in a lot more routine servicing / preventative maintenance than I'd ever be willing / able to get a bike shop to do.

    But best of all is the sense of satisfaction to be had from doing it yourself, knowing your bike is perfectly set up, and that you've done it at a fraction of the cost.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    keef66 wrote:
    I may take a bit longer than a professional mechanic who's doing it day in day out, but I achieve the same result in the end. I probably take more care of the bike while I'm at it, and I'm now confident that I can fix most things at the roadside if I need to. I also can indulge in a lot more routine servicing / preventative maintenance than I'd ever be willing / able to get a bike shop to do.

    But best of all is the sense of satisfaction to be had from doing it yourself, knowing your bike is perfectly set up, and that you've done it at a fraction of the cost.

    This
    left the forum March 2023
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    OP, take it to Lunar Cycles in Kentish Town.

    Tell them Ben sent you.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
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  • Thigh_burn
    Thigh_burn Posts: 489
    Ben6899 wrote:
    OP, take it to Lunar Cycles in Kentish Town.

    Tell them Ben sent you.

    Came here to recommend Lunar. They're excellent.
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    keef66 wrote:
    I may take a bit longer than a professional mechanic who's doing it day in day out, but I achieve the same result in the end. I probably take more care of the bike while I'm at it, and I'm now confident that I can fix most things at the roadside if I need to. I also can indulge in a lot more routine servicing / preventative maintenance than I'd ever be willing / able to get a bike shop to do.

    But best of all is the sense of satisfaction to be had from doing it yourself, knowing your bike is perfectly set up, and that you've done it at a fraction of the cost.

    This

    This this

    Knowing its done right is good. Saving loads of time and stress ferrying bikes around is good too