When I got my first bike it was a second hand early allez. Headset was loose, I didn't know what was wrong so I took it to my LBS (later had one in London, Pave velo but now both are shut). They applied the front brake, rocked it back and forward. Told me it needed a new headset and including fitting it was more than 20 year old me with young family could afford I recal it was £80.
I went home, looked on the internet. Loosened the pinch bolts, tightened the headset and all was fixed. I swore I'd just fixed stuff myself as I didn't trust them.
15 years later I'm a mechanic at a very well respected LBS. I saw the same shit there, not to the same extent but things like replace rather than repair. Sometimes selling someone a new part and then filing a warranty with Madison for the part and pocketing the credit. Telling people they'd be better buying a new bike when it only really needed a chain and cables.
Honestly fuck LBS. If you have a good one great, but I'm yet to find one.
Reminds of my old LBS, who claimed my broken freehub could only be fixed by "cutting the old one off, gluing a new one on" which I knew wasn't right, so I went and did it myself.
When I got my first bike it was a second hand early allez. Headset was loose, I didn't know what was wrong so I took it to my LBS (later had one in London, Pave velo but now both are shut). They applied the front brake, rocked it back and forward. Told me it needed a new headset and including fitting it was more than 20 year old me with young family could afford I recal it was £80.
I went home, looked on the internet. Loosened the pinch bolts, tightened the headset and all was fixed. I swore I'd just fixed stuff myself as I didn't trust them.
15 years later I'm a mechanic at a very well respected LBS. I saw the same shit there, not to the same extent but things like replace rather than repair. Sometimes selling someone a new part and then filing a warranty with Madison for the part and pocketing the credit. Telling people they'd be better buying a new bike when it only really needed a chain and cables.
Honestly fuck LBS. If you have a good one great, but I'm yet to find one.