Tune Up!

A Tune Up Is Not A Tune Up. Does this make sense? Yes it does.

It’s this time of the year, your bicycle was stashed away all winter long, barely used and when you finally feel like getting it out - it’s covered in dust and spider webs. And some things don’t seem to be right.

What to do now? Usually just bring it down to your local bike shop, but all though you like the guys at the shop and their work you wanted to do some price shopping before you bring it down. Because saving money is always good, you think.

You check the web and find 3 bike shops close by, one of them is your local shop that you trust, the other ones are new and you’ve never been there.

First one doesn’t list their prices on the website, you call them and find out the tune-up is $80. Wow, wait a minute wasn’t that less than you paid last year at your shop? You heart beats faster…

Quickly… you check their website and here you see it with your own eyes: your local shop charges $5 more. Hm, not a big difference but maybe you should try the new shop this time? Because money is money, right?

But you wanted to ask Vic at your old shop what he thinks about the new Bianchi road bike that just came out. And he is always fun to chat with, takes his time to answer all your questions (and there are many) and has many ideas and suggestions that you benefitted from in the past.

Still want to go to the new shop and save $5 for your annual tune-up? Ok let’s do it, you say (hopefully Vic is not around and sees you there…).

You go to the new shop, bring your bike in and are told to get it back the next day. When you pick it up you notice that the wheels are still a little wobbly from your last attempt to do some urban assault riding (which you failed landing on your butt).

Strange, they might have forgotten to do it. No big deal you bring it back in and ask and find the answer: the amount of wheel truing that was necessary is not part of this shops tune-up. If you want it, you need to get the major tune-up which is $150.

Oh no, instead of saving money you paid more!

Lesson learned. A tune-up is obviously not a tune-up. Some shops include wheel trueing, some don’t. You always need to ask what is included in the tune-up.

When you go home and search both websites service area and compare them, you clearly see the differences of both tune-ups. The one of my old shop includes several services that are not part of the other shops tune-up. Should have asked before you bought! You didn’t get your brake pads filed either and the bike was only wiped down and the components were not deep cleaned.

You learned the hard way: A tune-up is not a tune-up.

You need to compare what is included. Plus you missed the chat with your buddy at the old shop.