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Home > Forum > Triathlon Forum > Should I expect anything from my LBS?

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Should I expect anything from my LBS?
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UMDRunner
Jun 19, 10 16:28
Post #1 of 14 (1852 views)
I brought in my Planet X 82 tubular front wheel to have a tire glued on for the race I'm competing in tomorrow over two weeks ago. I brought it in on friday (6/4) in the morning. They said it would take 1 to 1.5 weeks and I said that was cool since I didn't need it until my race on 6/20 but the sooner the better. Well I called them one week in (6/11) and they said it wasn't done yet, but my tire had been stretching on the rim and it would be done in the next couple days. Well I didn't want to keep bothering them so I waited until this wednesday (6/16) to check back in and they gave me some bad news. They said it hadn't been done yet and that their mechanic who deals with tubular tires was at ribfest and gone for the weekend. They said it wouldn't be done until early next week.

My race is tomorrow and I have no other race wheels and no other races planned till sepetember. I'm pretty pissed that they didn't get it done. Should I expect a discount or anything from them, or is this pretty typical?
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Ultraviolet
Jun 19, 10 16:34
Post #2 of 14 (1837 views)
It's BS. Find another bike shop or learn to do it yourself.
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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rroof
Jun 19, 10 16:37
Post #3 of 14 (1831 views)
What? I would definitely find another bike shop - preferably in your garage, but ANY place else would be an improvement.
____________________________________
Fatigue is biochemical, not biomechanical.
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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596
Jun 19, 10 16:51
Post #4 of 14 (1813 views)
Ya, that was pretty lame. I'd find another shop. Have you purchased from them before. Most bike shops, kind of the way bike shops go, is that the more you are seen and the more you purchase from them, the better you are treated. I've had this happen in a few shops I've dealt with over the years. After a few small purchases or more they are great place. Til then , though, service can be spotty at best.

Being in a small town I don't have much choice. 3 bike shops here and they are all mountain bike shops : ( They don't even carry tubular road tires : ( Anything aero is totally foriegn to them.
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Paul
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [rroof] [ In reply to ]
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chrisfield
Jun 19, 10 16:51
Post #5 of 14 (1813 views)
That sucks. Ask them what took them so long. Remind them that they said it would be ready in time. If they don't take any responsibility, ask them to borrow a set of race wheels. You never know, it could have been an honest mistake and they'll want to make up for it.

The Tri House
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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caf0
Jun 19, 10 16:56
Post #6 of 14 (1798 views)
My race tubular flatted the day before bike checkin for my race. I took it to my LBS (Austin Tri-Cyclist), and they explained they couldn't do it properly in time. Since I didn't have spare wheels, they let me borrow one of theirs (Zedtech) so I could race! Pretty incredible. I can't say enough good things about ATC.

Since your LBS actually screwed up, you might see if they'll lend you a wheel for the race. You can tell them about an LBS that did that when blameless.
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [caf0] [ In reply to ]
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UMDRunner
Jun 19, 10 17:08
Post #7 of 14 (1772 views)
I would ask to borrow some wheels but they don't carry aero wheels. They are mostly a road/MTB shop. The deepest rim they carry are some roval wheels found on specialized tarmacs. My front training wheel is a roval roubaix 322x so it is light and fast, just not a deep aero rim. I feel like I can't do too much because they called me later and said some other mechanic at the shop could do it, but they "couldn't guarantee the quality" since they didn't have experience. I felt it was better to have someone know what they were doing than wreck a $70 tire and have to DNF a race if I flat.

I almost feel like them calling me back was their way of covering their tails, but If a novice was going to do it I would have just done it myself.
Last edited by: UMDRunner: Jun 19, 10 18:04
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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IKnowEverything
Jun 19, 10 17:54
Post #8 of 14 (1718 views)
That shop sounds like one big pile of horse crap. They only have one mechanic that deals with tubulars? If the other mechanics can't glue tubulars, then they are NOT real mechanics. There are basic bicycle skills a PROFESSIONAL mechanic should have.... like wheel building, threading/chasing/facing BB shells, and most DEFINITELY gluing tubulars. The other "non tubular qualified" mechanics at that shop are an insult to the profession.
___________________________________
MS: Exercise Science
Your speed matters a lot, sometimes you need to be very fast, where sometimes you need to breakdown your speed.
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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draketriathlon
Jun 19, 10 18:39
Post #9 of 14 (1663 views)
A week and a half to glue a tubular good lord... They could do it while they are working on something else most of the time spent gluing it is waiting for the coats to dry then getting it on the rim. Its an actually 20 min process minus the dry times.
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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JGell
Jun 19, 10 18:41
Post #10 of 14 (1656 views)
Here is exactly how long it should take...1.5-2 days.

That is all the shop I work at, or any shop, should need to "Properly" glue tubulars
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [JGell] [ In reply to ]
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UMDRunner
Jun 21, 10 18:46
Post #11 of 14 (1464 views)
Well they still didn't get back to me even though they said it would "be first priority" Sunday evening/ Monday. I am going to bring it up to them, but what is the best way to do it?

I want to be respectful because I have talked to their manager about being part of the shop team and I don't want to wreck any chances of that. They are probably the best option I have in town and they have the nicest shop by far. I've used them for repairs and purchases in the past and I have had no problems.

Should I ask for the service to be free? This is my first time having tubulars glued so I'm not sure what the cost is to be honest. (I'm only having one wheel glued, not a set)
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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cidewar
Jun 21, 10 18:57
Post #12 of 14 (1452 views)
two words. Fast Tack. Glue it up. sit over night. race it.
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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Runless
Jun 21, 10 19:05
Post #13 of 14 (1438 views)
If you bought either the tire or wheel there, then it should take at most 2 days. Last time I bought race wheels at my LBS they were glued right as I left the store.

However, I have a sneaking suspicion that if I took a brand new wheel and tire in to a store they'd take their sweet ass time.
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Re: Should I expect anything from my LBS? [UMDRunner] [ In reply to ]
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trimick
Jun 21, 10 20:17
Post #14 of 14 (1365 views)
Last summer I went into my LBS with a disc that I didn't buy there because I needed a new tubular glued on. I handed it to the owner told him what I wanted and he went back and glued it while I was waiting. I was literally in the shop for 15 minutes. Before that I had never set foot in the shop, since I only moved back home the January before. I have since made this shop my shop and it is the farthest shop from me.
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