A lot of people complain about bike shops, particularly about attitude from the staff. And while some shops undoubtedly have their own iterations of Jack Black in "High Fidelity," just as often the problem really lies with the customer. (And yes, this is another fixie-related post. I don't mean to be all-fixie all-the-time, but with them being so popular there's a lot of irritating stuff in my face these days.)Example: I was in a downtown shop I regularly patronize. Good shop, good guys. Believe me when I say this shop exudes no attitude whatsoever. Anyway, while I was there a couple of guys come in with their shiny fixies (and shiny tattoos, riding in sneakers, and so forth). One of them wants his bottom bracket tightened, and is outraged that they want to charge him.
Firstly, he says, "I bought my bike here." Good for you. Yes, most shops have free adjustments if you buy a bike there. Like, they'll tighten your cables to make your shifting crisper. They're not going to pull and re-install your bottom bracket six months later for nothing.
Secondly, he's outraged at the proposed price, because, "It's just tightening it with an Allen wrench."
No, it's not! That is not how a bottom bracket works! You have to remove the crankarms, remove the bottom bracket, lube everything, re-install, etc. Plus, he had a Dura Ace crank. (Because, after all, you need the stiffness of a DA crank when you ride in sneakers.) Those bottom brackets require an extra level of adjustment. It's like getting mad because your car needs a new starter and telling the mechanic, "It's only taking it out with a screwdriver!"
Now I'm sure this guy will go around and talk shit about this "ripoff" shop. All they wanted to do was fix his problem, and while re-installing a bottom bracket isn't the hardest thing in the word, it does take some time. And time, like it or not, is money.
More importantly, if you're going to ride around on a fixie, trying to look cool with your MTB bars cut way too short because you saw a messenger do it, then please, at least gain a working knowledge of your bike!
Working on bikes is not hard, and working on a fixed gear is about as easy as it gets. There are virtually no parts! Don't want to pay for the labor? Then buy the damn tools and do it yourself!
Yes--you should absolutely be ashamed to ride around on a fixie with tattoos when you don't even know how your bottom bracket works, much less how to tighten it. And if you don't want to do the labor and need to have someone else do it, prepare to pay for it.
Want to learn to do the work yourself? Start off by checking out http://www.sheldonbrown.com/ as well as rec.bicycles.tech (easiest way to access is through Google groups).
That is all.
