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Bicycle Servicing Question

Cycle Route Forum > Scotland Forum > East Dunbartonshire Forum >

xxkriamacxx	24 Jun 07:06
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 1 Bike:	Hi everyone! I have a (very old) mountain bike that I haven't used in years; it's been sitting in a garage in desperate need of some TLC for quite some time. I would like to get back into cycling and I know that my bike is going to need a service but the question is where to take it to! I live in Lenzie in East Dunbartonshire so anywhere in East Dunbartonshire/North Lanarkshire and the East side of Glasgow would be handy for me. Trouble is, I don't have an exorbitant amount of money to spend on it at the moment so I was wondering if anyone knew of a shop I could take my bike to that would give it a good service but for a good price. It's not in dreadful condition or anything - I think all it will need are new innertubes, some cleaning and greasing and new brake pads. Any help or advice would be much appreciated! Many thanks, Kira

xxkriamacxx

24 Jun 07:06

Joined: 24 Jun 2010

Posts: 1

Bike:

Hi everyone!

I have a (very old) mountain bike that I haven't used in years; it's been sitting in a garage in desperate need of some TLC for quite some time. I would like to get back into cycling and I know that my bike is going to need a service but the question is where to take it to!

I live in Lenzie in East Dunbartonshire so anywhere in East Dunbartonshire/North Lanarkshire and the East side of Glasgow would be handy for me. Trouble is, I don't have an exorbitant amount of money to spend on it at the moment so I was wondering if anyone knew of a shop I could take my bike to that would give it a good service but for a good price. It's not in dreadful condition or anything - I think all it will need are new innertubes, some cleaning and greasing and new brake pads.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated!

Many thanks,

Kira

BusterG	24 Jun 07:36
Joined: 25 Feb 2010 Posts: 372 Bike: My Profile	Hi Kira. Avoid expensive branded bike shops. They will try to get you to buy a new one or pay for things you might not need like the latest Shimano Shadow Deraillier for Â£195 when you can use a Â£15 one. A pokey old one man show bike shop with loads of recylable bikes and parts lying about is better for you, I think. one usually gets a more honest deal from these guys and they will try to fix stuff that other bike shops will just replace. Another route is try getting hold of the local bike club or forum, there are usually a few blokes around who know thier stuff and if they cant fix it for you they can give you advice on what you do and dont need. try giving the bike a ride as it is and then pay attention to what works and doesnt. where the squeaks and noises come from. this will help anyone trying to help you. Good luck and get pedalling soon. Buster
My Latest Route: Oct 2013 Liss

BusterG

24 Jun 07:36

Joined: 25 Feb 2010

Posts: 372

Bike:

My Profile

Hi Kira.
Avoid expensive branded bike shops. They will try to get you to buy a new one or pay for things you might not need like the latest Shimano Shadow Deraillier for Â£195 when you can use a Â£15 one.
A pokey old one man show bike shop with loads of recylable bikes and parts lying about is better for you, I think. one usually gets a more honest deal from these guys and they will try to fix stuff that other bike shops will just replace.

Another route is try getting hold of the local bike club or forum, there are usually a few blokes around who know thier stuff and if they cant fix it for you they can give you advice on what you do and dont need.
try giving the bike a ride as it is and then pay attention to what works and doesnt. where the squeaks and noises come from. this will help anyone trying to help you.

Good luck and get pedalling soon.
Buster

My Latest Route: Oct 2013 Liss

dudley	24 Jun 14:37
Joined: 16 Jan 2009 Posts: 498 Bike: My Profile	do the tubes yourself do the brake pads yourself do the cleaning yourself a bike shop may be required for new cables and to re-set the gears etc, and brake pull. cables can get very stuck if left for years, so it is often worth getting new cables throughout. Not dear to do it yourself, and should be reasonably reasonable at the right bike shop. If you are paying for cleaning and tubes, you'll be paying Â£30+ an hour labour on top of parts.....
My Latest Route: Nov 2009 Forth Estuary Circular

dudley

24 Jun 14:37

Joined: 16 Jan 2009

Posts: 498

Bike:

My Profile

do the tubes yourself
do the brake pads yourself
do the cleaning yourself

a bike shop may be required for new cables and to re-set the gears etc, and brake pull.

cables can get very stuck if left for years, so it is often worth getting new cables throughout. Not dear to do it yourself, and should be reasonably reasonable at the right bike shop.

If you are paying for cleaning and tubes, you'll be paying Â£30+ an hour labour on top of parts.....

My Latest Route: Nov 2009 Forth Estuary Circular

Duncan C	27 Jun 18:39
Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Posts: 15 Bike: My Profile	Try local council website for forums and clubs in your area where you may find some help. http://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk There was also the below website which may prove useful. http://www.gobike.org/ Hope this helps. Duncan
My Latest Route: Aug 2010 Consett to Cornsay and Tow Law Circular

supergunn	23 Aug 20:03
Joined: 05 Feb 2011 Posts: 3 Bike:	Hi, I'm with Duncan and Dudley on this one. You can do the small simple repairs like tubes etc yourself and save money. Things like gears etc are more complicated. I suggest you Google how to change an inner tube / brake cable etc and this will throw up websites like You Tube which will give you video instructions. One of the best Christmas presents my wife bought me a few years ago was the Park book of cycle maintainance. I built up a good box of cycling tools over time and now do all my own bike repairs and maintainance. I have also had lot's of bikes over the years and the two bikes I currently own have been built by myself from a bare frame. These are the best two bikes I have ever owned and are tailored to me with the components that I chose and could afford. I learnt so much from doing this and have great satisfaction that the two bikes I own were hand built by myself. One of the bikes is a mountain bike in excess of Â£1000 spent to bulid and it hardly gets used. The other was an old Raleigh hybrid bought for Â£30 and spent a further say Â£150.00 powdercoating the frame and new wheels and other small bits. This now looks lika a brand new bike. The Raleigh is my bike of choice fits like a glove and gets used daily and on long trips. It has only got 15 gears which is more than adequate for me and the parts are peanuts to replace, ie cassette Â£5 derailluers Â£5 chain Â£5 three piece crank Â£15. The gear change is super smooth and it can fairly shift. I see no reason to buy a Â£500 / Â£800 new bike. I hope this long winded post has helped.

supergunn

23 Aug 20:03

Joined: 05 Feb 2011

Posts: 3

Bike:

Hi,
I'm with Duncan and Dudley on this one.
You can do the small simple repairs like tubes etc yourself and save money.
Things like gears etc are more complicated.
I suggest you Google how to change an inner tube / brake cable etc and this will throw up websites like You Tube which will give you video instructions.
One of the best Christmas presents my wife bought me a few years ago was the Park book of cycle maintainance.
I built up a good box of cycling tools over time and now do all my own bike repairs and maintainance.
I have also had lot's of bikes over the years and the two bikes I currently own have been built by myself from a bare frame.
These are the best two bikes I have ever owned and are tailored to me with the components that I chose and could afford.
I learnt so much from doing this and have great satisfaction that the two bikes I own were hand built by myself.
One of the bikes is a mountain bike in excess of Â£1000 spent to bulid and it hardly gets used.
The other was an old Raleigh hybrid bought for Â£30 and spent a further say Â£150.00 powdercoating the frame and new wheels and other small bits.
This now looks lika a brand new bike.
The Raleigh is my bike of choice fits like a glove and gets used daily and on long trips.
It has only got 15 gears which is more than adequate for me and the parts are peanuts to replace, ie cassette Â£5 derailluers Â£5 chain Â£5 three piece crank Â£15.
The gear change is super smooth and it can fairly shift.
I see no reason to buy a Â£500 / Â£800 new bike.
I hope this long winded post has helped.

flacohandsome	12 Feb 05:04
Joined: 30 Jul 2021 Posts: 55 Bike: My Profile	I am not an expert, but when it comes to top quality tire services, I always come back to National Tire and Battery. You can always use their customer support team https://national-tire-and-battery.pissedconsumer.com/customer-service.html for more information, but I would start from client reviews to make up my own impression.

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