I almost punched this bike repair man

Thing is if you walk into a bike shop and ask them to lace up your wheels they right away think you don't know much about bicycles and might try you.

It is not hard and does not require a lot of tools.

Asking them to chase threads on a bb is different.

It is not hard but requires a tool that cost a lot.

Motorbikers need to be able to do wheels.

That is what I work on the most.

http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php
 
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Here we have repairmen that advertize on craigslist. Bike tune-ups for $20. The guy I talked to had no problem with working with a MB and probably wouldn't. Said he worked in shops for 20 years and got tired of the attitudes of the shop owners and bikers he had to deal with so he went out on his own.

I'll be taking my used Bigmo LA to him for a pre-build tune-up just to make sure everything is straight before I start my build.
 
Seems more folks are running into the Pedal Snobs each day...
Too bad.

...I've seen more than a few cases where they get so snobby they refuse to operate their bikes defensively, won't yield roadspace to the hi-speed behemoths, and end up as a skid mark.

NOT a good thing.

Fast or slo, travel safely with a plan... and be ready to change that plan in an instant!
rc
 
Neighborhood LBS aren't what they were 40 years ago. They've lost soo much of their revenue stream to either big box stores or the internet that many now only begrudglingly accomodate those whose face is new to them seeking a nominal part or service and have no past big item purchase(s). As a consumer we'd all like to believe if they'd only treat us better; we'd remain loyal. In truth for many, this does not occur as the bottom line often intercedes.

I try to cut a LBS the same break I'd hope they'd give me.
 
motorbiker said:
Asking them to chase threads on a bb is different.
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I cut relief slots into some old threaded races like a tap would look like in a thread kit. Take my time and chase my treads clean with them. It takes a little bit of patients . Cannot force anything on those fine threads and it don't take much to booger them up. Approach right it works flawlessly.

When I was in a lot of Auto A/C work. I made a collection of old steel fittings from the line connections to do the same thing.
 
We're lucky here in Orange County to have Team Bike on Newland and Indianapolis in Huntington Beach. Mike and John have never failed to help me with anything I ask. By either having the parts or answers or knowing where to obtain them. They're totally old school when in comes to customer service. Attentive and eager to help and make sure you come back. Road bike, cruiser, motorbike, bmx, stretch, mountain, tandem or junker, they're more than willing to help with your needs. They like to hear of your projects and give solid advice. We need more shops like them. I was in there yesterday trying to buy special length spokes. They cut and roll threads up to 12 ga. I needed heavier than they offered so they told me of two other places to get what I wanted. He knew right away it was a motorbike I was working on and was more than happy to help.
 
I've put together a loose network of builders engineers welders and craftsman who are all interested in furthering the industry knowledge base...and helping me with my bikes.
Most of the LBS won't give you the time of day...the local lawnmower shop owner even has a chip on his shoulder here.
 
My local bike shop has been pretty cool, but I did hear one of em complain about how heavy motorbikes are. They just hired a guy with a background in car repair, so it should be a good place to go for bike parts & motor advice.
 
Mike B said:
I go to bike shops all the time for parts. Stems, tires, seat posts, stuff like that.

I don't ever tell them it's for a motorbike, they don't need to know.
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Likewise at my favorite shop, but they know mine is motorized. Once I took my MB for some major work, so I stripped off the motor, drivetrain and fuel system.

My motorized bike is like an elephant in the living room. Everyone knows it's chained outside on the rack, but no one in the shop wants to talk about it, lol.

I love to overhear the other bikers in the bike shop talk about their ride, especially the lowriders and stretched cruisers. I watch them pedal away on the sidewalks, give them 60 seconds of strutting their stuff.....

Then I tear ass past them!xct2
 
I guess Im fortunate, I have one local bike shop and they have no problem with my bikes at all, have even had them take other customers out of the store to look at my bike, they just enjoy the money I spend with them mainly I think, but they are always asking me about my bikes even when I dont ride one into town.

I live in a small town area so they dont turn any business away and in this area I havent found anyone that has frowned on my motorized bikes, they like them and always want to know about them.
 
Keep running stop signs like that and you wont have to worry about punching the repair man , you'll end up 6 foot under!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.duh.
 
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Hacksaw. Where you at in Phoenix? I'm in Chandler. There is a cool shop in Snotsdale that does work for me all the time and they know that its going on a MB. I'm quite sure the would never work on an actual MB like dual chain tensioning or tuning. That sort of thing they have NO experience with, but Rage Cycles is for the most part MB friendly as far as working on parts and such. They have a wheel and 3 speed drum brake of mine right now, and know what im doing with it.
 
I had one shop owner in California vehemently tell me he wouldn't work on motorized bikes, but since I rode twenty miles to his shop I argued back and won. I needed spokes replaced in the rear tire, once I proved the wheel sprocket was not attached to the spokes he gave up.

I knew he had a reputation as an *******, but so do I. I understand his point though, noobs install the rag joint wrong, mess up there spokes and expect him to take the blame.

Once he realized I built the damn thing because I pulled it apart in about a minute, he had no problem with it. I built my own and I only brought the rear wheel inside to fix.

I ride pedal bikes as well so we chatted with he entire time I was there. Sometime you win them over sometimes you lose.


He eventually told me some dude was selling Walmart bikes with motors as the swap meet for like 6-700 bucks and since he was the only shop in the area, he was expected to repair everything for the noobs.
 
When I first got into motorized bikes I felt like bike shops wouldn't be cool with it. Whenever I go to a bike shop I just take the part I need fixed without any of the motorized parts on it.
 
Again 8m so thankful my only small little mom and pop bike shop is cool with my bikes, they do think im sort of a daredevil for ripping around at 35-40+mph but I buy all my heav6 duty tubes,most of my tires, I buy the wheelmaster 12ga spoked wheels from them, chians, links, foam grips, rim strips, mirrors, some brake pads, caliper cruiser brake set ups and such from them, I guess being such a small shop in s7ch a small 20,000 pop town, theyjust appreciate the business and the shop owner and I have similar political views which seems to form a discussion 2 out of 3 visits I make in there so I guess we all have an understanding, I spend money, we agree on political things for the most part, its convenient for me to just cruise over and get what I need now and then, I guess its a win win for both of us and th3y are fine with no matter what I say Im doing with and old bike.

He always tries to talk me into building one with a high end bike like some he sells, but hardly any are good for motorizing, full suspension MTB's Aluminum comfort bikes with small frames and kids BMX bikes are his main inventory, no cruisers and the ones he want to sell me from a book is 500 bones, I just have no need for a China made $500 cruiser when I have American made frames and other cheaper china made bikes that have proven to make me good dependable builds.
 
One time i got a flat and went into a the closest shop, the employee was very helpful and let me use his tools and stand, that was till the manager came in and absolutely flipped ****! This is in Oak Park, IL, the home town of the guy that coined the phrase global warming... The prius is the official car of this town basically. He called the little 2 stroke dirty and disgusting and what not, so i bought a tube and what not then went to the friendly hardware store I frequent to use their tools. The other shop I go to for parts, its a super high end shop that is very nice to me since ive known the guys there a while. they give great advice and know everything about bikes and hubs and what not, but they dont want to hear about my motorizing and what not. I had them build a front wheel for me, didn't tell them it was for my 99cc predator bike. He gave me advice about forks and what not and frame geometry even when he knew it was for the MB.
 
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