Timeline for Bike shop did too much work on my bike - do I need to pick it up?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
17 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2022 at 5:44 | comment | added | EarlGrey | @Noise did you ever met a rich car mechanic? Even when they have poshy cars, it is because they can use the tools and their free time at the workshop to fix them after crashes&co. Automotive engineers and bicycle engineers may be different (the second do not really exist, and did you ever try a GoCycle gocycle.com/about ?) but beyond that, they have nothing to do with car and bike mechanics. | |
| Aug 16, 2022 at 17:44 | comment | added | Noise | @EarlGrey Demand is always high for car mechanics and people are willing to pay. Bicycle mechanics can require significant investment in tools and the knowledge required is similar, though covers different areas, yet the starting wage for a bicycle mechanic is pitiful. A big chain might start you at the mentioned 7.50/hr. Note that automotive engineers and bicycle engineers are in different categories. | |
| Aug 16, 2022 at 15:26 | comment | added | EarlGrey | @jayded-bee 40€ / hour is what a mechanic charge you, surely not what they earn, it does not include operative expenses of the workshop, hours that cannot be billed and possible loans and the likes needed to operate. However, everything taken into account, if a car mechanic still earn more than PhDs, you make a point that in your country there is a distinct lack of car mechanics, or that in your country lacks smart people (brain drain?) if Masters and PhDs have less economic value than car mechanics (or they are being exploited in their current jobs, so they are even less smart). . | |
| Aug 16, 2022 at 15:16 | comment | added | jayded-bee | @EarlGrey This is becoming tangential, but: For 160 hours of work per month, a 40€/hr rate would net a monthly salary of 6400 €. That is higher than any EU country's average salary. I live in a country where the average monthly net salary is 1300€ (7,5 €/hr). I don't see the problem here. I know engineers with Master's degrees and PhDs that don't earn 20€/hr. | |
| Aug 16, 2022 at 14:37 | comment | added | EarlGrey | @Noise max 1/3, at best 1/5 of your income when you are doing low-skilled job. Which countries allow that? very few. Among them, which country not relying on a mixture of religion (please remember that communism in Venezuela and capitalism in Alaska are religions, not political views) and oil to support the government? even fewer ... | |
| Aug 16, 2022 at 14:32 | comment | added | Noise | @EarlGrey what proportion of your income would you say you expend on rent? You have my interest piqued! | |
| Aug 16, 2022 at 14:27 | comment | added | EarlGrey | @jayded-bee 40€/hour for a car mechanic? unless renting a flat in your country costs 200€, your country apparently is not a country where it is worthwhile to work to live :). Anyhow, if we count half of the bill (425$) being parts and half of the bill (425$) being work, OP's bike mechanic has a rate of 35,416666666666666666666666666666667 $/hour. | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 23:32 | comment | added | mattnz | Agree the time spent is understandable, I do not doubt they could easily have spent that amount of time (therefore cost) on that bike. However, a professional bike shop would have predicted problems like the stuck seat post and frozen BB, and discussed the options with the customer before starting the work. What not clear is if this discussion happened, and if it did, what was agreed. If it did not, I put the onus on the shop who should have asked one really simple question 'Am I sure spending this time and money will make the customer happy?' | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 19:54 | comment | added | bandybabboon | @Noise, why do you think they charge very high amounts if they are only paid 20 an hour??? That's a rip-off shop, only bottom bracket they could order that fit it was a ceramic one that was around $250 and the rear HUB needed to REBUILT? That's total garbage. That sounds like "you were dressed like a rich ignorant customer so we will try to shaft you on this one" | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 18:57 | comment | added | jayded-bee | @MonkeyZeus I doubt they'd go sand, blast, repaint the frame and re-chrome the rest of the parts, though if I was being paid 850€ I wouldn't hesitate to do the same -- I'd still make a profit! Most of my wrenching is on bikes that are 40+ years old and exposed to the elements. | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 18:49 | comment | added | Noise | @MonkeyZeus it has to be noted that I don’t actually know what the exchange rate is, perhaps I’ll reword my answer using the information you have provided. I estimate my shop rate at £35/hour but usually it works out less. | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 18:44 | comment | added | MonkeyZeus | @jayded-bee Yeah, having non-rusted and new parts helps considerably. 12 hours might have something to do with this little detail: "it had sat outside untouched for over a year so". For all we know, the shop restored it to mint condition. | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 18:37 | comment | added | jayded-bee | In my country a car mechanic will do 40€/hr. That aside, how could it possibly take a (presumably) capable mechanic TWELVE HOURS to redo the headset, the hubs, and bottom bracket? I've built entire bikes in less for crying out loud, learning as I went! | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 18:04 | comment | added | MonkeyZeus | To answer both questions, no. If the shop rate is $20/hour then how the heck do they keep their lights on? That's barely the "my friend with tools helped me" rate. I'm not a cyclist but $60-$100 seems to be the average shop rate. If a shop is charging $20/hour then it's either a charity or the employees are being exploited. | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 17:38 | comment | added | Noise | Want a crap wage? Have you considered working in the cycle industry? @MonkeyZeus | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 17:11 | comment | added | MonkeyZeus | "$20/hour" - lol, the nineties called... | |
| Aug 15, 2022 at 16:24 | history | answered | Noise | CC BY-SA 4.0 |