nope… i go to different shops. but shout out to „Radler“ & „Suspension Express“. They are in Austria and work on bikes for Clemens Kaudela or Rogatkin. So they know what they are doing.
Yes. I am glad you mentioned the safety topic; as a commuter in large metropolitan areas I always trusted a bike that a professional mechanic had checked out. I can do some repairs myself; but a professional will see or hear something that I will miss. Good video!
A veteran in the bike trade, I see many common themes here and have seen it too. I don't care if you bring me a dirty bike, I'll wash it, I don't care if you bring me parts, I'll fit them. I won't make them feel bad for it, I just say it's what I'm here for I can usually outgeek most customers and that puts them in their place in a friendly manner I tell my customers "I want you to have the biggest grin on your face when you ride off" The only thing I don't really tolerate is those that think I should discount my labour charge, I'm not expensive, but I have tools that cost money and years of experience with good reviews to back it up
@@dewindoethdwl2798 yep, but sram are just a company that buys other companies and writes SRAM on it, their talent base is low, they are way worse than even Microsoft for buying companies and stealing their talent
I’m a PhD Engineering, but there was a lot I had to learn about my bikes. Certainly helped to learn more quickly, but did not qualify me as a bike expert!
Because alot of people these days can't even use a allen key properly never mind fix a bike, some of the people who bring me bikes literally get me to do simple things and I'm happy to charge them money if they are just too lazy to learn
@@KP-ol3tc You're confusing scientists with engineers. Scientists can theorize all day, all year and get paid. Engineers actually have to solve problems with known math and physics, not theories.
I only have the engineering degree, which is not particularly helpful to work on bikes. I learned by doing over the last 40 years. The last time my bike was at the shop, it was a warranty issue. I prefer to work on things myself and have all the required tools. I have over the years let someone the pros at the local bike shop rebuild a fork or rear shock. Since they stopped servicing shocks and send them away, I am collecting the tools for that job as well.
As a former mechanic, the only thing that really bothered me was when someone thought they should get maintenance or any part of my labor for free. Its your bike, not mine. You break it, you have to pay for it. Too bad, so sad. Fix it yourself if you can.
My local bike shop is run by a wonderful guy. Knows his stuff and is genuinely too generous! Im always having to talk him into taking money!! "Oh it's fine, only took two minutes" or "just give me a tenner" are regular comments, i have to convince him that hes done something i have neither the tools or skills to do lol.
I have my bike on a maintenance plan with a local LBS. Like you, I keep it clean and tidy. I'm almost afraid to take it into the mechanic for its annual check-up this winter, only to be accused I haven't ridden it much. Lol. 10000Ks on it this year so far.
I do most of the work on my own bikes but if I do have it booked in for some work at the LBS then I make sure it is as clean as possible. It’s really disrespectful to hand over a dirty bike.
Not really, it’s a bike it’s gonna get dirty and mechanics should expect it to be dirty, fair enough if there a lump of dog sh*t on it but if your taking a mountain bike in and it’s got some mud on it well it’s a mountain bike it’s gonna be dirty. A car mechanic wouldn’t complain because your cars got mud and grease all over it because they know it’s gonna get dirty, I think the same applies to a bike.
@ If I owned a bike shop I’d definitely put a cleaning surcharge on the bill then it’s the customers choice. If they can’t be bothered to clean it then they can pay someone else to. I sent my suspension off last year to be custom tuned and I read in the terms and conditions that they charge you if they have to clean mud off it, totally fair.
One thing I always do before I go to the mechanic is to wash the bike. I may even spot issues whilst I wash my machine so I may have an idea as to what to expect when I go to the mechanic. Thanks.
I actually am an engineer for medical devices, but even with that specialist field, i dont know about every single medical device out there even within a specific company I’ve been working for, so i wouldn’t pretend to be trained/knowledgeable/experienced in equipment outside of that field. Bike mechanics are not my professional specialty. So if it’s something i feel is beyond me or i dont have the tools for, I’ll happily take it to a shop and bow to their superior specialist knowledge.
mechanic here, filthy bikes is my major gripe, i have yet another one in the stand right now, caliper road bike with filthy rims, a drivetrain and that has been oiled 30 times without being cleaned and pure white handlebar tape, I've had to wash my hands so many times now to keep the bar tape clean, the guy is as tight as a submarine hatch too, he wants everything on the cheap, well that's not happening, i wonder if he goes to work on the cheap
It costs money to have a bike cleaned, a pro would charge accordingly. Your getting your hands greasy, no gloves? Everything has a price and everything a real mechanic does, he charges for. Its not a labor of love cleaning or working on a customer's bike. If they dont wanna pay they have to do it themselves.
@@bradsanders6954 if i had gloves on they'd be dirty, so I'd of had to change them, but the issue with that is with gloves on you are less aware your hands are dirty and I'd definitely of ruined the bar tape by now, i should charge him to cleaning it first but he's exactly the type of person who would argue severly about that so it's going to be a conversation with him about his grinding paste drivetrain and my trusty chain wear checker result and the severe grinding paste rims he's not cleaned, the braking surfaces are a bit concave already, i think the lazy approach may be leaving his ideals very soon as his wallet gets hit hard for new wheels and a new drivetrain
I don't understand why people do this because I always want my repairs to go a smooth as possible so I bring it in clean to protect my investment. That's like going to the doctor directly after a long winter ride 🤦🏻♂️
as a mechanic, I just charge to clean these kinds of bikes and include that in the original quote. So long as the cost is reasonable most people are OK with it, and are usually happier when they get their nice clean bike back.
As a bike shop owner & mechanic the worst one I hate is when people ask for a discount, the amount of small quick fixes we do for people on a daily basis is a lot. Best advice I can give to customers is don’t ask for a discount and you’re very likely to get small tasks done for you free of charge.
The last one is very true in my experience, as a customer… In my relatively small town, there is only 1 great mechanic who can and will fix pretty much anything… So it’s pretty logical that he has A LOT of work… and that you may have to wait for a few days… Which means he ain’t always gonna be happy and jolly lol so when I was first looking for a great mechanic, everyone told me to go to that guy, but that he can be very grumpy and impatient etc. sooo, I am always super nice to him and patient. After a few visits, he really started to be nicer back. He always helps me with small things. I am learning to work on my own bike and he always gives me tips. Where to look, which part to buy… I recently screwed up my hanger and couldn’t find a new one anywhere and he was able to source it in a few days! It was pricey but I don’t give a damn lol and I was happy to pay him! And I bet he wouldn’t have taken the time to even look for it if I was a prick… Which would have meant I couldn’t ride my bike for who knows how long… So yeah, be nice and mindful… They have a lot on their plate… How many pricks do they see every single day. How many regular customers, bigger and more urgent jobs. Just be nice and patient and I’m sure you’ll have a much better experience!
The truth is most shops don’t stay in business with their labor charges. It is their retail sales that allow them to cover their costs and stay in business. So, if you love your shop and your mechanic, buy stuff from them so they can afford to keep serving you and your community.
Other than the dirty bike comment (and not being rude), it’s more like 10 reasons not to bother bringing your bike to a mechanic, most of these are things that a mechanic might not like but need to tolerate if they want to be paid to work on someone’s bike, they might not love it but too bad, they are getting paid to do it, don’t be an ass and just work with the person who needs it done…
I had a bit of a laugh when you got to the engineer part, "It's great that you design high end medical devices...". Many years ago I started training as an electrical engineer with a steelworks, half my time at university lectures and half my time in workshops working on motors, servo boards, blast furnace control systems, etc. The local public hospital used to send their broken devices to us to fix, which the company was happy to do for free. So I'd sometimes be working on high end medical devices, replacing bearings, rewinding solenoids etc, to get their expensive equipment back into service. One time after a motorcycle accident I was having the plaster cast on my leg removed by a reciprocating saw and thought, "I worked on one of those once, I wonder if this is the one."
One of the reasons I quit being a bike mechanic years ago the arrogance of some and staff who were working for just the pay and what we started calling Friday afternoon specials in the shop! But do it privately around my area and always happy to bring their bikes in Its alot better! Still take all the tips n tricks off pros like yourself for the new bike's, im loving my bosch ebikes of my own n go riding with the guys who come in we got a good thing going here
Hello! 14 year old here! Im fixing bikes and my friends dad is like: Me: you need to replace his chain Him: Yeah ill get the chain soon 7 months later still no chain. Also he cant even buy brakepads yes they are already worn to metal and my friends can barely stop.
Disapproved and in all honesty, if when you ask for a quotation for front suspension fork and it is almost 200€ more than buying it online, or when a complete groupset is 100€ more and brakes and handlebars, etc. are more expensive than buying online I can't hardly agree with the pissed off "I've bought all the parts already". For that I gave this a neutral feedback (no thumbs up/down) but I felt that one harsh!!
That "I'm an Engineer" comment made me laugh. As a Senior Tech for a communication company, I hear some customers use that line. They think they know more than you and it takes me more time fixing the things they screw up. LOL. Thanks Owen for this great advise.
I never used the “I’m an engineer” line. I have enjoyed, after buying components and being talked down to, telling the bike shop mechanic I’m an aircraft mechanic.
Taken from an actual customer interaction. "It only took you like 5 minutes. There's no way I'm paying that much." Me: "You knew what the repair cost before I started, and you were OK with it then. What you fail to understand is that it has taken me 50 years of doing this every day to be able to do it that fast. If you would like, I can put things back like they were before you brightened my day with your "emergency" and you can hang out and watch everyone else have a good time." That dude became a full time customer of mine 8 years ago right after that conversation.
"I'm an engineer" bike mechanic "Oh so you're the idiot that thought this was a good idea". Once the engineers are done designing something, give it to a mechanic and they will quickly tell you everything that's wrong with it.
Maybe it's just me but I don't get most of the points except the mechanic has fixed prices for the service but otherwise...if the bike is dirty and takes longer to get things done it will cost more, if things arent designed to work together and the customer insists on keeping it this way it takes longer to make it work and will cost more. If the owner wont tell that he abuses his roadbike on a downhill race it will get damaged...cost more...In the end I agree with one of the comments further down: the only things that really suck is cheapskates and knowitall customers...anything else results in higher cost, no harm done IMO.
Always leaves me puzzled. I could do my own bike maintenance by the time I was 13, but people I know who are not well off take their bikes to a shop, don't change the oil on their car, call a plumber to replace a water heater etc etc. When did they become so useless?
Kids. Thats what I see as mechanics in most local shops. They literally know less than their customers about fixing bikes. Maybe they can swap a part out. But yeah they tend to have attitude, cause its "so cool" to work at a bike shop. In reality once you have worked in a bike shop a while? Its not that cool. I like working on my own bikes at my leisure.
I'm concerned about rider safety above everything else. I've seen some wrenchwork from past mechanics that piss me off, like disc brake mounting bolts that are two times too short, from a pretty well-known bike shop. I did once fork out my own money to buy a safer out-front mount for my customer as her existing one is inferior from a safety perspective and the stem she's using has a slot in the faceplate to take an out-front mount model that's available in the shop (the one I bought). When she realised this, I told her there's no way I'm letting the bike leave in an unsafe state and she shared the new out-front mount's cost 50:50.
Dodgy DIY? Have seen a few of these working in a bike shop. There was a guy coming in because the derailleur doesn't shift that good. Why? Because the chainstay on the left side was broken. He fixed it with a piece of wood and wire.
i once had a customer "clean" his bike with gasoline. so yeah in the back shop workshop, with "perfect" ventilation. it was fun. i let him know, he told me he meant well, and in all was a good sport.
Most things you can do yourself, mostly just buying right tools and finding out how to do it. The switch over point for me is the tools are expensive and i will use them once so go to a mechanic.
The tools don’t have to be expensive, I changed the headset on my bike and just got cheap eBay tools they worked absolutely fine. If you were to use them every day they probably wouldn’t be great to work with but I’m probably gonna use them a few times in my life so they’re fine.
Knowing very well what the problem is and that you fd it up and trying to hide it like a toddler pissin the bed. I'll find out you stripped all the bolts regardless dude, just telling me you did so will save time.
I once F-ed up my front derailleur shifting cable so bad I had to take it to my LBS's mechanic. I got to the front of the line and said, “Forgive me, father, for I have sinned.” It got a good chuckle, and they had it fixed the next day. I also made a note to myself not to mess with the front derailleur on my own ever again.
Advised a customer recently it wasn't worth repairing the bike, explained why etc. Now I have the pleasure of disposing of it as they've dumped it on me 🙄
I avoid such potentially difficult interactions by performing all of my bicycle, car and motorcycle maintenance myself. The labour charges I 'save' I use to buy the tools so after the initial outlay I can repeat the jobs over and over plus I feel very clever at not messing it up. Key is taking your time and making sure you understand how the thingy goes back together using pictures. 🤣🤣
Great video... I can attest to it being good advice. I only disagree with the bringing your own parts comment. Two scenarios: 1). You have an old or weird bike. If you need a 7 speed rear derailler. The LBS cannot source one but you find a NOS one on ebay. 2). It is wednesday, you snap a lever. Amazon can get you the part by 4 am thursday. LBS cannot get it until monday. 3). You find an entire groupset from the store in Sedona for 50% off MSRP. It is going to take that store 3 days to install it and you have to drive 2 hours each way to drop off and pick up the bike. Or you can go there once and give your LBS the labor. Basically most bike shops have better margin on labor than parts. So I feel less guilty than I used to about sourcing parts from one place and taking them somewhere else. The last time I had a full bike built the kit came with the wrong bb and rear rotor and the rear hose was too short so I got those from the installer.
As a mechanic I'm inclined to agree, especially on #1. We've had customers come in with bikes we can't source parts for and simply had to tell them, "we can't do anything but come back if you can source the parts yourself". (It's a good feeling when they come back a week later with those rare parts they were able to find and we can get the bike back up and running for them.) That said I think the spirit of the message still applies, don't be that jerk who walks in with a pile of parts, goes "just install these, don't upsell me" and doesn't want to hear anything else. If you did the research and got the exact parts you needed/wanted then great, but half the time it's someone who just wanted cheap brake levers and went out and bought a pair that don't work with the brakes they have, they have a spare seat that doesn't have the correct mounts, etc... I'd rather just have a customer come in with some extra parts and say "hey, I got these parts, could you let me know if they'll work for this bike" and not throw a fit when I need to look everything over anyway. Oh and also try not to be that person who asks what the bike needs, then says "Okay cool I'll buy those parts myself thanks" and then leaves. Great if you come back in a few weeks, but a lot of the time that's just someone wanting us to do their research for them to save a buck (and we've put our time into an assessment and gotten nothing out of it).
@@JiorujiDerako I had lbs tell me they could not order the part until they had a big order (no timeline given) as shipping was too expensive. Lost my business.
I am an engineer, and I find it annoying to be mansplained by someone that has gone to UA-cam-U. So that's why I just turn on the audio receivers on each side of my noggin and try to learn stuff, as I have little to contribute. Hide some chocolate for the mechanic to find somewhere instead 😁
A riding partner asks me to order an item . When delivered , we ascertain the part is exactly what they wanted .When time to install , they change their mind and the excuse that they give is "forget about it" .
I've had a mechanic complain about my dirty bike when I was stopping by on my way home from a ride (and it was clean before the ride). I don't live in a muddy area either. Just normal dust on the bike from the trail.
Sorry but i Will STILL buy inexpensive replacement parts and hand the savings DIRECTLY to my local Mechanic. However, Full Disclosure I have know him for years!
I went into my local bike shop for a pair of bearings for my rear shock. I had already researched the part number directly from the manufacturer, i didn't order them there and then because 48hr delivery, happy to pay more if I could get them now. Go in ask for them at the counter, bloke behind counter goes away, "mechanic" comes out and tells me they're £20 each. I asked why so much? And he said because he has to fit them. Why do you HAVE to fit them? Why cant you just supply the parts and I fit them myself? How are YOU going to fit them? I'm a motorcycle mechanic and I am going to use the correct tools in my workshop. The last answer he looked at me like I had just said I wiped by backside on his childs pillow. It turns out they didn't even have the item in stock. I ended up ordering direct from the manufacturer and paying express delivery, the bearings cost a quid plus vat each, O.E equipment in sealed packets. Plus postage less than six quid. Some bike mechanics seem to believe they're something special but they're not. There are 4 bike shops near a TQ11 post code. And all 4 have a stinking attitude, and will never be getting any of my custom ever again.
I brought mine to my usual mechanic for things i don't feel confident fixing myself. To say i had a mechanical during a ride bringing my bike in with cow poo still on my tyres, entire bike dirty least to say he was not amused 😅.
I'd rather your bike was a bit dirty than had just had a five minute blast out with a pressure washer. Because if it didn't creak before you gave it to me, it probably does now.
My pet peeve is when they drag a bike out of the garden where it laid all winter, empty a can of 3 in 1 all over it then ask me to get it roadworthy for the weekend
5:37 This one is double sided big time imo! It's nutty how many times I've had mechanics be super standoffish yet not explain the issue, which teaches a new rider nothing. If you don't want to deal with it, then learn to explain it to the newbies so they can apply this knowledge instead of being confused as to why your local had rude mechanics.
I got a £240 service bill plus £200 advisor. It's more than my car, let's say it's a choice I made but never chose the advisorary as the parts where 20% more cost than online.
I'm a pro-bono mechanic for local people who did get screwed up or couldn't get their issues solved at the bike shop. Last resort type of guy... People are way nicer with me than when I was working in a bike shop late 90's, idk maybe the setting influences both customers and staff 😅
@@malcolmtaylor111 In the video he specifically mentioned mixing brake lever and shifter which is commonly done with Sram drivetrains because their brakes suck. He also mentioned the adaptors. I have happily mixed my Shimano XTR brakes and Sram since 1x11 first came out. I have since switched to Magura. I only run SRAM brakes on my winter fat bike. And they frequently require rebuilding the levers, because they suck. My 10 year old XTRs still work as well as they were when they were new and now are on my grandson's Epic.
@@davidkennedy3050 you don't fit the mold of the regular customer who just got a bunch of the cheapest parts they could and slapped them together. My old cyclecross commuter bike with Sram Rival 2x10 levers from 2010, an 11 speed MTB derailleur (gotta love direct pull) on a 10 speed wide range cassette with Shimano V-Brakes and Problem Solvers Travel Agents gets raised eyebrows all the time, I don't take offense to it. Sure works great though.
As a Mechanic i would frown at a bike with Magura brakes and Sram drivetrain. But its because Magura brakes can be a bi*** to bleed and a pain to set up without rubbing (if at all possible with MT7s). A mountainbiker might understand that Magura brakes tend to rub, but try and explain that to your average Ebiker that paid 7k for his Bike just that you tell him the brakes just rub. And the ammount of Eagle RDs i have to replace because they bend like theyre made of butter...
@@tom_er8359 12k sworks levo. Mt7 rubbing. Only rubb free in the bike stand after adjusting quit a while.. until i tested it and the disc warped a lil.. got my crazy. I said to the client Mt7 are always rubbing if u use them. He accepted the fact
When to fix it yourself and when not, it's a gray area. Last week changed my chainring only to find a loose crankarm bungling from my shoes during the next ride :/
Best thing I ever did was to befriend a mechanic. I save some money and time, he earns some money, beer and snacks. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. #adoptyourlocalmechanic
Working at a bike shop some people tink they can just bring the bike in (not even put the garden hose on it) and we clean the bike no way if they bring it dirty we repair what is broken and give it back dirty
No bike shop stocks the tires I want, and they often can't source them either. I have the hardest time fitting tubeless tires, so it's really awkward to bring in my tires.
Strongly disagree with the bring your own parts one. I broke a rear mech, the bike shop couldn't get one from it's distributor for like over a month, I was able to go online and had it in my hands in 2 days, then took it in for them to fix the bike.
😂mines booked in for a service very soon, but ive already bought a new chain+cassette+pads, feel like im taking the piss now😱but i always make sure its clean though😎
@@stevebennett3587 unless of course you find something really really cheap, then just buy the tool to put it on yourself, i understand some bargains are just too difficult to pass up
I think the cyclist needs to have a familiarity with basic bike part names and function. It would be frustrating for a mechanic to explain something, and then have 'I have no idea' spoken back. Take an interest in your machine/hobby. One reward could be an ability to repair a glitch out on the trail.
I love the mechanics at my local bike shop. When I was doing the build on my Roubaix, the bike shop owner let me look over ALL the various groupsets available. I thought I was going to lose my mind...and this guy has 40 years experience! I've watched these guys work, and it totally blows my mind the amount of knowledge it takes. It looks easy. With all the thousands of different bike brands and parts, it's not. As I want to bikepack in the future, I definitely want to learn more, but I'll never catch up to someone like the owner, who started at age 9! And, I would never do like Mark Cavendish and throw my bike at my mechanic. I mean, are you crazy?! This guy holds your life in his hands, and you want to piss him off....let alone you could seriously injure him, then you'd really be screwed. Cavendish acted like a spoiled brat!
i will gladly piss of mechanics by buying my own parts , although whenever i buy parts i usually buy the tols to fit them too , my bike is nearly a decade old department store bike i upgraded , im also guilty in the mismatched parts especially in the drivetrain running deore 12spd deraileur , xt shifter , sunrace casette and kmc chain
how about the dirty mechanic that half asses his job, then blames you when you come back later that day unhappy because shifting is already out of whack or a part is loose?
The bike shops in Adelaide are horrible i ask for a sram chain to go with sram set up and they give me a shimano and say its fine. Does the same job. So then i cant support local and have to buy the correct chain online.
There are still some things that still require a shop mechanic's help: Frame imperfections like uneven disc brake mounts and undersized bottom bracket shells. Hardly any home mechanic has a disc brake mount facing tool and a bottom bracket shell reamer.
Avoid the entire issue, and.................wait for it.........wait.................Work On Your Own Bike! Its not hard to do, its satisfying, tools are cheaper than paying 70 to 100 bucks labor. The few times Ive had issues on a bicycle I wanted someone else to check out, I took it to a shop. Guess what? They had no clue either but did charge me a chunk to "look it over"......couldnt fix it. I kept at it till I fixed it.........if its more than changing parts out, or fixing a flat, many bike shop mechs are at a complete loss.
I'm happy to help friends with maintenance issues on there bikes only have one cavite CLEAN BIKES ONLY...if you can't be bothered to wash your steed fu.. .ff
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Do you know the name of your bike mechanic?
Yes I do 😂😂😂😂
nope… i go to different shops. but shout out to „Radler“ & „Suspension Express“. They are in Austria and work on bikes for Clemens Kaudela or Rogatkin. So they know what they are doing.
Yes.
I am glad you mentioned the safety topic; as a commuter in large metropolitan areas I always trusted a bike that a professional mechanic had checked out. I can do some repairs myself; but a professional will see or hear something that I will miss.
Good video!
Of course I do and I always take in biscuits or sweets
Yes I do I am my own mechanic
A veteran in the bike trade, I see many common themes here and have seen it too.
I don't care if you bring me a dirty bike, I'll wash it, I don't care if you bring me parts, I'll fit them. I won't make them feel bad for it, I just say it's what I'm here for
I can usually outgeek most customers and that puts them in their place in a friendly manner
I tell my customers "I want you to have the biggest grin on your face when you ride off"
The only thing I don't really tolerate is those that think I should discount my labour charge, I'm not expensive, but I have tools that cost money and years of experience with good reviews to back it up
SRAM know exactly how to piss off a mechanic by randomly mixing torx and allen bolts on their components 😂
fr😂
@@dewindoethdwl2798 yep, but sram are just a company that buys other companies and writes SRAM on it, their talent base is low, they are way worse than even Microsoft for buying companies and stealing their talent
Easy. Be respectful and professional, as the mechanic should be with you in the 1st place.
"I'm an engineer"... That's nice, now remind me why you brought your bike to a mechanic rather than fix it yourself?
I’m a PhD Engineering, but there was a lot I had to learn about my bikes.
Certainly helped to learn more quickly, but did not qualify me as a bike expert!
Because they can't fix it with theory 😂
Because alot of people these days can't even use a allen key properly never mind fix a bike, some of the people who bring me bikes literally get me to do simple things and I'm happy to charge them money if they are just too lazy to learn
@@KP-ol3tc You're confusing scientists with engineers. Scientists can theorize all day, all year and get paid. Engineers actually have to solve problems with known math and physics, not theories.
I only have the engineering degree, which is not particularly helpful to work on bikes. I learned by doing over the last 40 years. The last time my bike was at the shop, it was a warranty issue. I prefer to work on things myself and have all the required tools. I have over the years let someone the pros at the local bike shop rebuild a fork or rear shock. Since they stopped servicing shocks and send them away, I am collecting the tools for that job as well.
I am bike mecanic so I cant afford a mechanic
Remember...
Engineers are the people sometimes (in the car industry often) making a mechanic's life more difficult 😂
@@DatPenguin97 There's a old joke involving engineers, virgins, and a poor mechanic. I can say it's pretty much true as an engineer
As a former mechanic, the only thing that really bothered me was when someone thought they should get maintenance or any part of my labor for free. Its your bike, not mine. You break it, you have to pay for it. Too bad, so sad. Fix it yourself if you can.
Yeah, sounds good. There is also a list of at least 10 ways a mechanic/LBS can piss the customer off...
My local bike shop is run by a wonderful guy. Knows his stuff and is genuinely too generous! Im always having to talk him into taking money!! "Oh it's fine, only took two minutes" or "just give me a tenner" are regular comments, i have to convince him that hes done something i have neither the tools or skills to do lol.
Dont tell your mechanic that you think thank you shouldnt pay because it was "just an adjusment". From a bike mechanic.
Opposite anecdote, I maintain my bike apparently so well despite heavy daily use, that my lbs said: "Did you even use it?" 😅
I have my bike on a maintenance plan with a local LBS. Like you, I keep it clean and tidy. I'm almost afraid to take it into the mechanic for its annual check-up this winter, only to be accused I haven't ridden it much. Lol. 10000Ks on it this year so far.
Being polite vs. the opposite is probably the best advice to give to a customer.. it definitely works.
Mechanic checking in - this video is rather validating! Cheers Owen!
I do most of the work on my own bikes but if I do have it booked in for some work at the LBS then I make sure it is as clean as possible. It’s really disrespectful to hand over a dirty bike.
Not really, it’s a bike it’s gonna get dirty and mechanics should expect it to be dirty, fair enough if there a lump of dog sh*t on it but if your taking a mountain bike in and it’s got some mud on it well it’s a mountain bike it’s gonna be dirty. A car mechanic wouldn’t complain because your cars got mud and grease all over it because they know it’s gonna get dirty, I think the same applies to a bike.
@ If I owned a bike shop I’d definitely put a cleaning surcharge on the bill then it’s the customers choice. If they can’t be bothered to clean it then they can pay someone else to. I sent my suspension off last year to be custom tuned and I read in the terms and conditions that they charge you if they have to clean mud off it, totally fair.
One thing I always do before I go to the mechanic is to wash the bike. I may even spot issues whilst I wash my machine so I may have an idea as to what to expect when I go to the mechanic.
Thanks.
I actually am an engineer for medical devices, but even with that specialist field, i dont know about every single medical device out there even within a specific company I’ve been working for, so i wouldn’t pretend to be trained/knowledgeable/experienced in equipment outside of that field. Bike mechanics are not my professional specialty. So if it’s something i feel is beyond me or i dont have the tools for, I’ll happily take it to a shop and bow to their superior specialist knowledge.
REJOICE!!! For he has returned to us, OWEN!!!! Our anointed Shaman of Chain Ring and Spanner has returned to US!!!!
REJOICE!!!!!!!
mechanic here, filthy bikes is my major gripe, i have yet another one in the stand right now, caliper road bike with filthy rims, a drivetrain and that has been oiled 30 times without being cleaned and pure white handlebar tape, I've had to wash my hands so many times now to keep the bar tape clean, the guy is as tight as a submarine hatch too, he wants everything on the cheap, well that's not happening, i wonder if he goes to work on the cheap
If you bring an unreasonably filthy bike to get worked on you deserve to have sand and grit in your bearings 😂
But that's not how it goes 😅
It costs money to have a bike cleaned, a pro would charge accordingly.
Your getting your hands greasy, no gloves? Everything has a price and everything a real mechanic does, he charges for. Its not a labor of love cleaning or working on a customer's bike. If they dont wanna pay they have to do it themselves.
@@bradsanders6954 if i had gloves on they'd be dirty, so I'd of had to change them, but the issue with that is with gloves on you are less aware your hands are dirty and I'd definitely of ruined the bar tape by now, i should charge him to cleaning it first but he's exactly the type of person who would argue severly about that so it's going to be a conversation with him about his grinding paste drivetrain and my trusty chain wear checker result and the severe grinding paste rims he's not cleaned, the braking surfaces are a bit concave already, i think the lazy approach may be leaving his ideals very soon as his wallet gets hit hard for new wheels and a new drivetrain
I don't understand why people do this because I always want my repairs to go a smooth as possible so I bring it in clean to protect my investment. That's like going to the doctor directly after a long winter ride 🤦🏻♂️
as a mechanic, I just charge to clean these kinds of bikes and include that in the original quote. So long as the cost is reasonable most people are OK with it, and are usually happier when they get their nice clean bike back.
As a bike shop owner & mechanic the worst one I hate is when people ask for a discount, the amount of small quick fixes we do for people on a daily basis is a lot. Best advice I can give to customers is don’t ask for a discount and you’re very likely to get small tasks done for you free of charge.
@@Topman-26 I also had a few customers asking if service fees can be discounted.
The last one is very true in my experience, as a customer… In my relatively small town, there is only 1 great mechanic who can and will fix pretty much anything… So it’s pretty logical that he has A LOT of work… and that you may have to wait for a few days… Which means he ain’t always gonna be happy and jolly lol so when I was first looking for a great mechanic, everyone told me to go to that guy, but that he can be very grumpy and impatient etc. sooo, I am always super nice to him and patient. After a few visits, he really started to be nicer back. He always helps me with small things. I am learning to work on my own bike and he always gives me tips. Where to look, which part to buy… I recently screwed up my hanger and couldn’t find a new one anywhere and he was able to source it in a few days! It was pricey but I don’t give a damn lol and I was happy to pay him! And I bet he wouldn’t have taken the time to even look for it if I was a prick… Which would have meant I couldn’t ride my bike for who knows how long… So yeah, be nice and mindful… They have a lot on their plate… How many pricks do they see every single day. How many regular customers, bigger and more urgent jobs. Just be nice and patient and I’m sure you’ll have a much better experience!
Well put together video, you made some great points.
The truth is most shops don’t stay in business with their labor charges. It is their retail sales that allow them to cover their costs and stay in business. So, if you love your shop and your mechanic, buy stuff from them so they can afford to keep serving you and your community.
Other than the dirty bike comment (and not being rude), it’s more like 10 reasons not to bother bringing your bike to a mechanic, most of these are things that a mechanic might not like but need to tolerate if they want to be paid to work on someone’s bike, they might not love it but too bad, they are getting paid to do it, don’t be an ass and just work with the person who needs it done…
I had a bit of a laugh when you got to the engineer part, "It's great that you design high end medical devices...". Many years ago I started training as an electrical engineer with a steelworks, half my time at university lectures and half my time in workshops working on motors, servo boards, blast furnace control systems, etc. The local public hospital used to send their broken devices to us to fix, which the company was happy to do for free. So I'd sometimes be working on high end medical devices, replacing bearings, rewinding solenoids etc, to get their expensive equipment back into service. One time after a motorcycle accident I was having the plaster cast on my leg removed by a reciprocating saw and thought, "I worked on one of those once, I wonder if this is the one."
One of the reasons I quit being a bike mechanic years ago the arrogance of some and staff who were working for just the pay and what we started calling Friday afternoon specials in the shop!
But do it privately around my area and always happy to bring their bikes in Its alot better! Still take all the tips n tricks off pros like yourself for the new bike's, im loving my bosch ebikes of my own n go riding with the guys who come in we got a good thing going here
Hello! 14 year old here! Im fixing bikes and my friends dad is like:
Me: you need to replace his chain
Him: Yeah ill get the chain soon
7 months later still no chain.
Also he cant even buy brakepads yes they are already worn to metal and my friends can barely stop.
Disapproved and in all honesty, if when you ask for a quotation for front suspension fork and it is almost 200€ more than buying it online, or when a complete groupset is 100€ more and brakes and handlebars, etc. are more expensive than buying online I can't hardly agree with the pissed off "I've bought all the parts already". For that I gave this a neutral feedback (no thumbs up/down) but I felt that one harsh!!
That "I'm an Engineer" comment made me laugh. As a Senior Tech for a communication company, I hear some customers use that line. They think they know more than you and it takes me more time fixing the things they screw up. LOL. Thanks Owen for this great advise.
What do engineers, vegans, and Texans have in common?
I never used the “I’m an engineer” line. I have enjoyed, after buying components and being talked down to, telling the bike shop mechanic I’m an aircraft mechanic.
Taken from an actual customer interaction. "It only took you like 5 minutes. There's no way I'm paying that much." Me: "You knew what the repair cost before I started, and you were OK with it then. What you fail to understand is that it has taken me 50 years of doing this every day to be able to do it that fast. If you would like, I can put things back like they were before you brightened my day with your "emergency" and you can hang out and watch everyone else have a good time." That dude became a full time customer of mine 8 years ago right after that conversation.
"I'm an engineer" bike mechanic "Oh so you're the idiot that thought this was a good idea". Once the engineers are done designing something, give it to a mechanic and they will quickly tell you everything that's wrong with it.
However much I may think I know about bikes, my shop has never tried to hire me. That should be message enough.
Maybe it's just me but I don't get most of the points except the mechanic has fixed prices for the service but otherwise...if the bike is dirty and takes longer to get things done it will cost more, if things arent designed to work together and the customer insists on keeping it this way it takes longer to make it work and will cost more. If the owner wont tell that he abuses his roadbike on a downhill race it will get damaged...cost more...In the end I agree with one of the comments further down: the only things that really suck is cheapskates and knowitall customers...anything else results in higher cost, no harm done IMO.
Always leaves me puzzled. I could do my own bike maintenance by the time I was 13, but people I know who are not well off take their bikes to a shop, don't change the oil on their car, call a plumber to replace a water heater etc etc. When did they become so useless?
Mismatched parts don’t work??????
Shigura:- ‘hold my beer’
Sadly I've met some pretty douchey mechanics
Kids. Thats what I see as mechanics in most local shops. They literally know less than their customers about fixing bikes. Maybe they can swap a part out.
But yeah they tend to have attitude, cause its "so cool" to work at a bike shop.
In reality once you have worked in a bike shop a while? Its not that cool.
I like working on my own bikes at my leisure.
Bike mechanics can be pretty holier than thou.
i wish every mechanic was happy to help or concerned about our health 😂
I'm concerned about rider safety above everything else. I've seen some wrenchwork from past mechanics that piss me off, like disc brake mounting bolts that are two times too short, from a pretty well-known bike shop.
I did once fork out my own money to buy a safer out-front mount for my customer as her existing one is inferior from a safety perspective and the stem she's using has a slot in the faceplate to take an out-front mount model that's available in the shop (the one I bought). When she realised this, I told her there's no way I'm letting the bike leave in an unsafe state and she shared the new out-front mount's cost 50:50.
The Wolftooth/Problem Solvers adapters work GREAT to mate Shimano/SRAM brake/shifter set ups!
Great shout - two great examples!
Cheers
Owen
What was the device used after jet wash on the dirty bike topic
Dodgy DIY? Have seen a few of these working in a bike shop. There was a guy coming in because the derailleur doesn't shift that good. Why? Because the chainstay on the left side was broken. He fixed it with a piece of wood and wire.
i once had a customer "clean" his bike with gasoline. so yeah in the back shop workshop, with "perfect" ventilation. it was fun. i let him know, he told me he meant well, and in all was a good sport.
Most things you can do yourself, mostly just buying right tools and finding out how to do it. The switch over point for me is the tools are expensive and i will use them once so go to a mechanic.
The tools don’t have to be expensive, I changed the headset on my bike and just got cheap eBay tools they worked absolutely fine. If you were to use them every day they probably wouldn’t be great to work with but I’m probably gonna use them a few times in my life so they’re fine.
Every rider should learn how to fix his/her bike
At the very least, tire-related repairs. I've seen or heard a rider that doesn't know how to remove a rear wheel, from an open-dropout frame.
Knowing very well what the problem is and that you fd it up and trying to hide it like a toddler pissin the bed. I'll find out you stripped all the bolts regardless dude, just telling me you did so will save time.
I once F-ed up my front derailleur shifting cable so bad I had to take it to my LBS's mechanic. I got to the front of the line and said, “Forgive me, father, for I have sinned.” It got a good chuckle, and they had it fixed the next day. I also made a note to myself not to mess with the front derailleur on my own ever again.
Be a kind human being. Have money to spend or fix it yourself. Simple.
Advised a customer recently it wasn't worth repairing the bike, explained why etc. Now I have the pleasure of disposing of it as they've dumped it on me 🙄
I avoid such potentially difficult interactions by performing all of my bicycle, car and motorcycle maintenance myself. The labour charges I 'save' I use to buy the tools so after the initial outlay I can repeat the jobs over and over plus I feel very clever at not messing it up. Key is taking your time and making sure you understand how the thingy goes back together using pictures. 🤣🤣
Great video... I can attest to it being good advice. I only disagree with the bringing your own parts comment. Two scenarios:
1). You have an old or weird bike. If you need a 7 speed rear derailler. The LBS cannot source one but you find a NOS one on ebay.
2). It is wednesday, you snap a lever. Amazon can get you the part by 4 am thursday. LBS cannot get it until monday.
3). You find an entire groupset from the store in Sedona for 50% off MSRP. It is going to take that store 3 days to install it and you have to drive 2 hours each way to drop off and pick up the bike. Or you can go there once and give your LBS the labor.
Basically most bike shops have better margin on labor than parts. So I feel less guilty than I used to about sourcing parts from one place and taking them somewhere else. The last time I had a full bike built the kit came with the wrong bb and rear rotor and the rear hose was too short so I got those from the installer.
As a mechanic I'm inclined to agree, especially on #1. We've had customers come in with bikes we can't source parts for and simply had to tell them, "we can't do anything but come back if you can source the parts yourself". (It's a good feeling when they come back a week later with those rare parts they were able to find and we can get the bike back up and running for them.)
That said I think the spirit of the message still applies, don't be that jerk who walks in with a pile of parts, goes "just install these, don't upsell me" and doesn't want to hear anything else. If you did the research and got the exact parts you needed/wanted then great, but half the time it's someone who just wanted cheap brake levers and went out and bought a pair that don't work with the brakes they have, they have a spare seat that doesn't have the correct mounts, etc... I'd rather just have a customer come in with some extra parts and say "hey, I got these parts, could you let me know if they'll work for this bike" and not throw a fit when I need to look everything over anyway.
Oh and also try not to be that person who asks what the bike needs, then says "Okay cool I'll buy those parts myself thanks" and then leaves. Great if you come back in a few weeks, but a lot of the time that's just someone wanting us to do their research for them to save a buck (and we've put our time into an assessment and gotten nothing out of it).
@@JiorujiDerako I had lbs tell me they could not order the part until they had a big order (no timeline given) as shipping was too expensive. Lost my business.
I am an engineer, and I find it annoying to be mansplained by someone that has gone to UA-cam-U. So that's why I just turn on the audio receivers on each side of my noggin and try to learn stuff, as I have little to contribute. Hide some chocolate for the mechanic to find somewhere instead 😁
I'm my own mechanic, currently dealing with sort of stearing nut issue.
Cross-threaded or misaligned star nut?
A riding partner asks me to order an item . When delivered , we ascertain the part is exactly what they wanted .When time to install , they change their mind and the excuse that they give is "forget about it" .
I've had a mechanic complain about my dirty bike when I was stopping by on my way home from a ride (and it was clean before the ride). I don't live in a muddy area either. Just normal dust on the bike from the trail.
Dust isn't as bad as mud caked all over.
No. 1
Remind them that bikes are really simple to work on and anyone who can use a spanner can work on them
Sorry but i Will STILL buy inexpensive replacement parts and hand the savings DIRECTLY to my local Mechanic. However, Full Disclosure I have know him for years!
"The pay isn't stellar." Right, you are Owen. In fact, it's total garbage, but we do enjoy it sometimes, somehow.
I went into my local bike shop for a pair of bearings for my rear shock. I had already researched the part number directly from the manufacturer, i didn't order them there and then because 48hr delivery, happy to pay more if I could get them now.
Go in ask for them at the counter, bloke behind counter goes away, "mechanic" comes out and tells me they're £20 each. I asked why so much? And he said because he has to fit them. Why do you HAVE to fit them? Why cant you just supply the parts and I fit them myself?
How are YOU going to fit them?
I'm a motorcycle mechanic and I am going to use the correct tools in my workshop.
The last answer he looked at me like I had just said I wiped by backside on his childs pillow.
It turns out they didn't even have the item in stock.
I ended up ordering direct from the manufacturer and paying express delivery, the bearings cost a quid plus vat each, O.E equipment in sealed packets. Plus postage less than six quid.
Some bike mechanics seem to believe they're something special but they're not. There are 4 bike shops near a TQ11 post code. And all 4 have a stinking attitude, and will never be getting any of my custom ever again.
How to piss off a mechanic..... Become the mechanic
Sun tzu (probably)
Excellent.
Perfect.
Thank you and appreciate the tips.
I brought mine to my usual mechanic for things i don't feel confident fixing myself. To say i had a mechanical during a ride bringing my bike in with cow poo still on my tyres, entire bike dirty least to say he was not amused 😅.
Totally agree with the dirty bike!
I'd rather your bike was a bit dirty than had just had a five minute blast out with a pressure washer.
Because if it didn't creak before you gave it to me, it probably does now.
I'm not letting anyone else touch my stuff, thanks
My pet peeve is when they drag a bike out of the garden where it laid all winter, empty a can of 3 in 1 all over it then ask me to get it roadworthy for the weekend
Lots of good thoughts. Thanks!
I’m a self-taught gynaecologist 😂
I'm a self taught brain surgeon.
Where I am?
What is this place?
Oh a donut.
Who are you guys?
About the brand replacement policy? You would get surprised how it works sometimes. I've seen BH denying a XC frame replacement for using it offroad 🙂
5:37 This one is double sided big time imo! It's nutty how many times I've had mechanics be super standoffish yet not explain the issue, which teaches a new rider nothing. If you don't want to deal with it, then learn to explain it to the newbies so they can apply this knowledge instead of being confused as to why your local had rude mechanics.
Every time I explain an issue, it's anything but layman terms. 😅
I got a £240 service bill plus £200 advisor. It's more than my car, let's say it's a choice I made but never chose the advisorary as the parts where 20% more cost than online.
I'm a pro-bono mechanic for local people who did get screwed up or couldn't get their issues solved at the bike shop. Last resort type of guy...
People are way nicer with me than when I was working in a bike shop late 90's, idk maybe the setting influences both customers and staff 😅
Any bike mechanic that frowns at my Magura brakes combined with my SRAM drivetrain is one that will never touch my bike. I guess that includes you.
I think that comment was more about if you had for some reason mixed SRAM levers onto your Magura brakes. But I don’t fully disagree.
@@malcolmtaylor111 In the video he specifically mentioned mixing brake lever and shifter which is commonly done with Sram drivetrains because their brakes suck. He also mentioned the adaptors. I have happily mixed my Shimano XTR brakes and Sram since 1x11 first came out. I have since switched to Magura. I only run SRAM brakes on my winter fat bike. And they frequently require rebuilding the levers, because they suck. My 10 year old XTRs still work as well as they were when they were new and now are on my grandson's Epic.
@@davidkennedy3050 you don't fit the mold of the regular customer who just got a bunch of the cheapest parts they could and slapped them together. My old cyclecross commuter bike with Sram Rival 2x10 levers from 2010, an 11 speed MTB derailleur (gotta love direct pull) on a 10 speed wide range cassette with Shimano V-Brakes and Problem Solvers Travel Agents gets raised eyebrows all the time, I don't take offense to it. Sure works great though.
As a Mechanic i would frown at a bike with Magura brakes and Sram drivetrain. But its because Magura brakes can be a bi*** to bleed and a pain to set up without rubbing (if at all possible with MT7s). A mountainbiker might understand that Magura brakes tend to rub, but try and explain that to your average Ebiker that paid 7k for his Bike just that you tell him the brakes just rub.
And the ammount of Eagle RDs i have to replace because they bend like theyre made of butter...
@@tom_er8359 12k sworks levo. Mt7 rubbing. Only rubb free in the bike stand after adjusting quit a while.. until i tested it and the disc warped a lil.. got my crazy. I said to the client Mt7 are always rubbing if u use them. He accepted the fact
When to fix it yourself and when not, it's a gray area. Last week changed my chainring only to find a loose crankarm bungling from my shoes during the next ride :/
Best thing I ever did was to befriend a mechanic. I save some money and time, he earns some money, beer and snacks. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. #adoptyourlocalmechanic
Tell that to hambini he's an engineer and thinks he knows it all about bikes
I just designed and 3D printed the sram pod to ispec matchmaker works great 1 less bar mount
Working at a bike shop some people tink they can just bring the bike in (not even put the garden hose on it) and we clean the bike no way if they bring it dirty we repair what is broken and give it back dirty
turn "piss off " into money: charge everything
I dont eat candy or donuts, I don't drink. If tou bring me a snack it better be beef jerky or macadamia nuts if you want to make me happy.
No bike shop stocks the tires I want, and they often can't source them either. I have the hardest time fitting tubeless tires, so it's really awkward to bring in my tires.
Bring them beer
Strongly disagree with the bring your own parts one. I broke a rear mech, the bike shop couldn't get one from it's distributor for like over a month, I was able to go online and had it in my hands in 2 days, then took it in for them to fix the bike.
I'm my own mechanic and I piss myself off allllll the time.... 🤣
😂mines booked in for a service very soon, but ive already bought a new chain+cassette+pads, feel like im taking the piss now😱but i always make sure its clean though😎
oh dear, just buy the components from your local shop
@Timtheranger 😅will do next time
@@stevebennett3587 unless of course you find something really really cheap, then just buy the tool to put it on yourself, i understand some bargains are just too difficult to pass up
I think the cyclist needs to have a familiarity with basic bike part names and function. It would be frustrating for a mechanic to explain something, and then have 'I have no idea' spoken back. Take an interest in your machine/hobby. One reward could be an ability to repair a glitch out on the trail.
Missing from the list: "I know what to do but can I borrow *insert specific expensive tool name* so I can fix it?
@@alexcunliffe3432 You wouldn’t walk into your local restaurant’s kitchen and ask to use their knives. Not a chance.
@@R28Caboose pretty much my point...
This should be relatable
I love the mechanics at my local bike shop. When I was doing the build on my Roubaix, the bike shop owner let me look over ALL the various groupsets available. I thought I was going to lose my mind...and this guy has 40 years experience! I've watched these guys work, and it totally blows my mind the amount of knowledge it takes. It looks easy. With all the thousands of different bike brands and parts, it's not. As I want to bikepack in the future, I definitely want to learn more, but I'll never catch up to someone like the owner, who started at age 9!
And, I would never do like Mark Cavendish and throw my bike at my mechanic. I mean, are you crazy?! This guy holds your life in his hands, and you want to piss him off....let alone you could seriously injure him, then you'd really be screwed. Cavendish acted like a spoiled brat!
If it looks like a duck, acts like a duck, guess what it is.
and that's why I do my own mechanic
my shramano transmission is working just fine
happier mechanics dont exist.
i will gladly piss of mechanics by buying my own parts , although whenever i buy parts i usually buy the tols to fit them too , my bike is nearly a decade old department store bike i upgraded , im also guilty in the mismatched parts especially in the drivetrain running deore 12spd deraileur , xt shifter , sunrace casette and kmc chain
I have absolutely no problems with customers bringing in their own parts, as long as it's properly compatible.
oh mechanics , never saw a good one
how about the dirty mechanic that half asses his job, then blames you when you come back later that day unhappy because shifting is already out of whack or a part is loose?
I know it's done right because I did it myself.
The bike shops in Adelaide are horrible i ask for a sram chain to go with sram set up and they give me a shimano and say its fine. Does the same job. So then i cant support local and have to buy the correct chain online.
Bro your hair is starting to look like Jamoir Jagr 😂😂😂
If we could all keep our bikes in tip top condition we wouldn't need bike mechanics
There are still some things that still require a shop mechanic's help: Frame imperfections like uneven disc brake mounts and undersized bottom bracket shells. Hardly any home mechanic has a disc brake mount facing tool and a bottom bracket shell reamer.
Avoid the entire issue, and.................wait for it.........wait.................Work On Your Own Bike!
Its not hard to do, its satisfying, tools are cheaper than paying 70 to 100 bucks labor.
The few times Ive had issues on a bicycle I wanted someone else to check out, I took it to a shop.
Guess what? They had no clue either but did charge me a chunk to "look it over"......couldnt fix it.
I kept at it till I fixed it.........if its more than changing parts out, or fixing a flat, many bike shop mechs are at a complete loss.
I'm happy to help friends with maintenance issues on there bikes only have one cavite CLEAN BIKES ONLY...if you can't be bothered to wash your steed fu.. .ff
OWEN!!!