So my bike is in the LBS now getting tuned up. The mechanic said he was gonna put a new chain and cables on, but keep the cassette. I won’t get it back till Friday evening. I leave for Eagleman early Saturday and race on Sunday. I’m scared the chain won’t be set right. It won’t fit the cassette. I’ll be riding a skipping machine on Sunday!!!
I know I won’t be shifting a lot on Sunday but still… could the bike be affected???
mine is the same way and am racing eagleman as well…i wish i could give you great advice, but know there is someone else in the boat with you.
good luck and race well
walter
make sure you get there in enough time to test ride it. if there is a problem, use the race bike mechanics. i did it last year after finding an AWFUL grinding sound in my BB on my warm up and they couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful.
no sweat, my man. don’t worry about things until you need to!
Race well and stop by the Team Blazeman booth at the Expo! I’ll be there recruiting and talking.
I’m reading this on a Monday and you’re saying you’re not getting your bike back until Friday night? Unless you’re held up by a parts back order I wouldn’t take that from any LBS. If they know you’ve got a major race coming up I’d expect and demand faster service.
Sounds like you need a better LBS. One that either works faster or gives you a higher priority. Changing cables and a basic tune up isn’t a major job.
There is the potential for a problem here if they don’t get it 100% perfect. Maybe you should learn how to do your own wrenching.
do you have shimano? Do you know how to flip the lever from index to friction? There’s a decent chance you may want to as the cables stretch.
Good post above…use the race mechanics. Call bike shops and try to pay an extra dollar to have them put your bike ahead of others…money talks and what walks? Take it to another shop that can work on it quicker.
Did you buy your bike there. Not sure what kind of shop you go to but if I walk in saying I have a half ironman this weekend they do it that day. Maybe it is because I bought the bike there. Who know if it isn’t going to be done til friday keep it until they are ready to work in it.
Anyhow good luck and have a great time.
Also take the time to write a good RR I am going to do that one next year.
If your LBS used a chain stretch tool and it’s good you’ll be fine. If you’re that stressed about it, pay the $30 max and get a new chain… end of story. You’re in control.
I think my fellow shop employees will agree when I say that…
a. Having a week backlog of repairs doesn’t necessarily mean that your LBS has to work faster, it means that it is race season and VERY BUSY!!
b. Going in and DEMANDING better/faster service isn’t the best way to get you better/faster service!
This is an intensly busy time for Pro shops. On any given day at my shop we have over 200 repairs in our basement! We are more than aware that there are people waiting for their bikes, and try to get them done ASAP, but it has to be remembered that there are a hundred other triathletes that are doind “the big race” this weekend and all want minor repairs done NOW!! How do you decide who gets preferential service? Realistically, the fairest way to do it is first come, first served. We all know that isn’t always the case, but I can assure you (at least from my perspective as a pro mechanic) the worst way to get that preferential treatment is to demand it! Shop employees have to deal with enough people being jerks throughout the day, so I am sure that the last thing he/she wants is another one!
Last year a customer told me how happy he was with the work I do on his bike. He even told me he was proud to say that I worked on it!! He has never asked for preferential treatment, and in fact is the first person to say he understands if it will take a while, but I always try to get his bike done as fast as I can. Customer service is a two way street!
Go to your LBS and explain the situation. Tell them that you would like to have a day or two to ride/train on the bike after the repair has been finished, especially since you are getting new cables and chain. I am sure that they will do their best to help you out, but you need to understand if they cannot. Next time, plan better and take your bike in sooner for service.
Test ride the cassette (even if your mechanics have already done so) immediately upon pickup. see if you can get the chain to jump, stick or slip under lots of load. If you have problems, have the mechanics throw a new cassette on right then and there. It’ll take 5 min.
He said the chain was 75% done. “It’s a possibility that a new chain will work fine”…
When you pick it up, bring your riding gear and take it for a spin around the parking lot. If there’s a problem, you can bring back in and have it sorted out. Worst case, there will be mechanics at the Eagleman Bike Inspection who can help.
Don’t stress over the things you cannot control. Take the appropriate steps to mitigate pre-race risks and everything else will fall into place. Good luck this Sunday.
-Dave
“a. Having a week backlog of repairs doesn’t necessarily mean that your LBS has to work faster”
Fair enough. But now you know why I prefer to do much of my own mechanical work.
If you really don’t want to worry, just have them put on a new cassette to start with.
The real solution though, would be to learn to do all this fairly basic maintenance stuff yourself! Saves a lot of time and worrying…
How old is the cassette? If the chain is at 75% there is no reason why the cassette would be too worn, unless you have ridden it for extended periods of time with a stretched chain, or it is just plain old.
Ditto the test ride at the shop though… always a good idea. If you have the time, bring your gear and ride for a while. Shift a lot to make sure the new cables are seated properly and stretched out enough. If you get any slack ask the mechanic to tighten it up when you get back. Any other small adjustments can be taken care of my the race mechanic.
Learn to do the work yourself… Working on bikes really isn’t that hard as long as you have the CORRECT TOOLS.
“a. Having a week backlog of repairs doesn’t necessarily mean that your LBS has to work faster”
Fair enough. But now you know why I prefer to do much of my own mechanical work.
Also fair enough, but perhaps he has neither the time, desire, or mechanical skill to do the work. I have personally taught one of our local triathletes how to overhaul his bike… 4 times!! He still doesn’t get it! He has the desire, just not the ability.
He is nice guy, and a good athlete so I don’t mind helping him out. Kind of a mockable character though! He is “that guy” that NBC (or whatever TV station) used to always show in ads for Kona… you know… the one who is stumbling and crawling across the line at the end of Kona, so exhausted and depleted he can’t control his body. That was him. He stumbles around a shop like that too.
Chris-
Do you have another bike that you can do some race pace efforts on in the meantime to stay sharp? Don’t go all week with out being on a bike.
ok I’ll totally take the advice from a guy who just did a 4:20 HIM. I do have a MTB I can stay sharp on. I’m also in a college class now that feels like highschool gym and I’m gently spinning on a bike in there this week.
Sounds good, I’ve had to do race pace efforts on a mtn bike before clearwater last year when my bike was already packed in the travel case. 3 or 4 x 30-40 seconds at half iron race pace and build to oly dist race pace. The whole workout can be as short as 20-30 min. You’re not trying to deplete yourself, you just want to stay sharp.
short workouts done frequently (like once a day each sport if you can).