LBS fees...

Unbelievably said:

Do bike shops in your area charge fees for services?
What are the fees for what service?

What are some services you'd expect from a shop
that you just purchased your new bike from???

😉

I bought a new 06 Specialized Allez Triple from a local shop and got FREE tune ups for life. Actually I took it this morning to get the front dr adjusted...picked it up at 3pm and they had adjusted the dr, degreased/cleaned/lubed the chain, other basic service and none of it cost me a dime....that's what I'm looking for in service, but may not be the norm....I have a friend that runs 2 shops in CA. and he gives the first to service tune ups for free and then charges for the rest.

My LBS gives a FREE Tune-up after 3 months on the purchase of a NEW bike, FREE adjustments for a year AND a FREE tune-up after one year. The only thing I have to pay for are parts not covered by the Manufacturers warrenty.😄

I don't keep track, but let's see........they gave me a free tubular rim to stretch tubular tires on.....when I buy parts they usually don't charge me for the Velo News or Cycle Sport mags......once I was in a bind and they changed out a rear cable and housing for free.....when a car forced me off the road and my wheels got all gouged and munged up in a 1.5 inch wide 2inch deep slot in the asphalt, they reground the brake tracks for free......for the Wednesday group ride in the morning, the shop is open before 6am so riders can get quick fixes or supplies iffin' they need 'em.....free tubulars now and again.......they're damned reasonable, I'd say. To top it off, they've got a selection of stuff that most mail order places would be jealous of. They've got a selection of stuff that looks like a display from Eurobike or Interbike. AND the guys actually know bikes and ride.

Did I say they were damned reasonable, yet?

I geuss the first service is complimentary because the shop wants continuing business.
I don't mind paying someone who knows what they are doing to keep my bike in good order. A well tuned machine keeps me alive offroad on tech trails.
They don't charge for a something minor that takes a couple minutes and they always give me a discount as a regular customer when I buy things.
They always get things done asap if its urgent, its easier when you are a regular.

Today I brought my bike into the shop with a broken spoke. A new spoke and wheel trued up for 16 and some change with the tax while I waited. I didn't wait, but maybe 15min tops.

The reason I ask is that I have recently read on these forums of
shops that are charging in the $100 range for a "custom fit".

Perhaps it is just me.
or,
Maybe it is where I'm living but IMO, if someone was to pay anything
more than $500, one's LBS had better not only gaurantee the correct sizing
of frame but "custom fit" the machine.

Yikes...🙄

IMO, service=happy customers.
Happy customers=return customers...:o Very basic business.

Unbelievably said:

The reason I ask is that I have recently read on these forums of
shops that are charging in the $100 range for a "custom fit".

Perhaps it is just me.
or,
Maybe it is where I'm living but IMO, if someone was to pay anything
more than $500, one's LBS had better not only gaurantee the correct sizing
of frame but "custom fit" the machine.

Yikes...🙄

IMO, service=happy customers.
Happy customers=return customers...:o Very basic business.

typically its 60 for custom fitting. this has absolutely NOTHING to do withe the size of the bike they sold you. but when you figure that they are taking a minimum of 1 hour of the shops time out to watch you ride your bike on a trainer, and make it work more comfortably and more efficiently, i've always felt it was a wise investment. alot of shops do custom fittings after hours to make sure there are no interruptions.

snaps10 said:

typically its 60 for custom fitting. this has absolutely NOTHING to do withe the size of the bike they sold you. but when you figure that they are taking a minimum of 1 hour of the shops time out to watch you ride your bike on a trainer, and make it work more comfortably and more efficiently, i've always felt it was a wise investment. alot of shops do custom fittings after hours to make sure there are no interruptions.

Couple of shops I know, custom fit is around $150 AUD but will put that towards the bike purchase. I geuss it varies and I am sure they will be happy include it in a sale of a bike and if you are buying parts etc.. I guess as mentioned its a good investment.

150 bucks plus sounds very expensive for a custom fit...

The LBS i know charges 30 bucks to do a full body measurement, and fit in all the custom bits unto a new bike...

But then again, quality of service might differ. Those 150 bucks people may really know their $h1T... like triathlon fit etc..

Shop I work at gives free tune-ups/adjustments, free installation of tires/tubes, and free accessory installation for free for ten years when a bike is bought from us. Most other shop in this area do 1-2 years free tune-ups, and some only do one free tune-up after 30 days.

Most shops do at least free adjustment/tune-up which should be the minimum because cables stretch etc. Free tune-ups for a year is a good deal.

regarding the sizing issue. If you're going to buy the bike from the shop you should be able to discuss/work something out. But plenty of shops have been burned with a custom fit and than see the same person a few weeks later with some mail order new bike. Therefore some type of fee should be expected upfront to deal with that situation.

Similar thing with try the shoes on and than mail order. Watch for shoe sizing/trial fees in the near future!!!

Unbelievably said:

Do bike shops in your area charge fees for services?
What are the fees for what service?

What are some services you'd expect from a shop
that you just purchased your new bike from???

😉