Well the way he sold it to me was that my current set of stock Shimano training wheels the nipples were corroded and my rear hub was gone. I believe them because I know that rear wheel was looking rough in the hub probably rusted out. But I didn't buy that I needed a set of thousand-dollar training wheels when I knew I could get some stock Shimano wheelset for$200 online. The mechanic told me he would not feel comfortable on a wheelset less than $500. I just said I have a spare rear wheel right now and I'll bring it in and I just ordered a spare shimano back wheel from online for under $100.

This is in Houston Texas, so I would say the rate is high for the area, or at least for the rates that I have seen.

It's unfortunate that you weren't given a labour estimate up front.

The cost for parts look ok (the cassette looks expensive relative to the UK). The notion that the mechanic wouldn't recommend a <$500 wheelset is silly. These bikes are stocked with <$200 shimano training wheels (I have a local shop that blows these out for $160 every fall)

The guy who said this would only take an hour is likely underestimating the reality of the work. It's going to take longer than an hour and 4.5hours seems on the long-end of the spectrum, but still conceivable if there is a lot of corrosion/crap to work with and clean up (which sounds like it's the case).

Personally, I think it is bad form. I have a great relationship with several local shops. I buy from them, thank them, refer others to them, etc. When I have a problem they take care of me no questions asked. They are fair to me and I am fair to them. That is sort of how life works.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

The mechanic is a tool; my tool around bike which is my old 90s racer has a 150ish dollar wheelset on them and I have no problem doing 50 down a hill on them. They're kept adjusted and trued, not much to go critically wrong. The kings are nice just cause the hub will never fail you, I have a set of 18 year old hubs that have been through several sets of spokes and rims over the years and another cross set that have had water poured out of them been flushed and regreased and are still going strong. They're not always the absolute lightest, though not heavy by any means, but durable beyond anything else it seems.

So he was suggesting that cheaper wheels were less reliable?
Nonsense. More money rarely buys you reliability in cycling. In fact I'd say it's mostly the opposite. What you're paying for is weight reduction, aerodynamics and/or bling.

Yes. The shop should always tell you the cost before doing the job. If it’s going to be unexpectedly more they should call you before proceeding.

Yelp.

I find the price high, but as a counterpoint to what some are saying here, it's too bad you didn't insist on an estimate before they did the work.

I'm guessing they charged you 1 to 1.5 hours for the inspection - which you sort of tacitly agreed to, 1 hour for the drivetrain work, 1 to 1.5 hours for cabling and brake install and a 1 hour PITA premium. (I'm not suggesting you were a PITA, just that they whacked you for an hour because they perceived you as one.)

I find it funny that the cost for tune-ups, etc, for high end bikes are higher than department store bikes. In my experience, it's way easier to wrench a high-end bike than a cheap piece of crap. I guess it's the same thinking as a $1,500 Ferrari oil change - if you have one, you can afford it, and you probably won't ask questions at the risk of looking like a cheapskate.

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This shit, and trying to justify $200 for a 105 RD using "shop warranty" (warranty cost is typically an added percentage of an item's retail price, not a multiple of its retail price - you could buy 5 105 RD's and just replace them as they wear out for the same cost as he's proposing) is why some bike shops continue to struggle, and then can't understand why they're losing business.

And that cassette price seems high to me, although some of the other prices seem reasonable, if not lower than I'd expect.

For sure: Jenson USA Price = $49 for an 11-28. Changing a cassette has to be about the easiest job to do on a bike. In fact, I would say that most of the work done on the order would be considered easy.