How to Bring a Bike in for Service
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Appointments, tune-ups, ebike service? How do I get started if I want Vermont Bicycle Shop to service my bike? Here's how:
"The single biggest problem in communication
is the illusion that it has taken place."
-George Bernard Shaw
Here's the Too Long/Didn't Read details:
How do I bring my bike in for service?
You can call and make an appointment, or you can come by anytime during store hours.
Do I just roll my bike inside? What if it's filthy? What if it isn't anything fancy?
Yes, bring it right inside. You can also ask us to help you bring it in as well. We don't care how dirty it is, it'd be cool if you hosed the dog poop off the tires. No big deal if you can't or forgot, we can do that too. Every bike is fancy.
What happens when I bring my bike in?
We'll greet you, and get you checked in with our service department. We'll typically take down your name and contact info. We'll ask about any outstanding issues you are having, then we will look over the bicycle and provide an itemized estimate of what we see. If you are in a hurry, we can take down your contact info and communicate later what we find and you can tell us what you need.
What if I just want my brake adjusted and I don't want a tune up?
We can do that. If there is something that would obviously cause harm on your bicycle we may be required to either not accept the work or make those repairs. Otherwise, we're happy to keep it simple for the time being and are here to help when you are ready for that bigger service.
Do I leave my bike with you?
A lot of the time yes, sometimes no. You can ask us, we don't mind. Whether it is your every day commuter, or you have big plans the next day. We'll work around your needs. It may be that we can get it done in time, it may mean that we schedule the time around what works for you. Let us know, we're here to serve.
The details:
The bicycle industry is full of terrible generalizations, and right on top of that pile of nonsense are the words "tune up".
Here at Vermont Bicycle Shop we know exactly what a tune-up is. It's a communcation break down. At its best, the words tune up are used to try and save some up front time at the check in desk. At worst its a lazy phrase used by bicycle shops to make sure they've presented you with a high enough quote to cover the minimum amount of work they can get away with in order to get your money. At the shop we believe there is no such thing as a short cut, that doing it the "hard way" often saves more time in the end. For us the "Tune-Up" language is entirely too vague, and oftentimes feels a little misleading. You bring your bike in for a $40 "tune-up" and you leave having paid $80 for $60 worth of work because you needed a couple of things "outside the tune-up package" I feel like I'm traking crazy pills just writing about it!
"How Much is a Tune-Up?" or Clear Communication and Transparent Pricing
We want to provide better communication, and more transparent service to you. When you drop your bike off we can provide you with a line itemized, printed (or emailed) estimate that shows every part and labor charge. This means you only pay for the work your bike needs, and you don't pay for work you don't need. We're pretty accurate too, in the rare occasion your bicycle needs more than estimated, we will call you and ask first. You can also tell us ahead of time if you would prefer not to be called. We only bill for actual time in an itemized list as well. Your estimate might say $35 on the Headset Service line, if it took us half the usual time, then the labor charge will reflect that at $17.50. We also encourage questions, why does your chain need to be replaced? We can show you exactly how and why a chain wears out. Looking for confidence that all the service was performed? Your old parts will be with your bike at pick up, we will ask permission before disposing of those old items for you. You can also tell us ahead of time.
What does that service write up look like?
It looks like this:
On this estimate we see 3 feet of shift housing, 1 shift cable, and 1 bicycle chain for parts, and then the labor line items listed below.
One line item is the Labor Prep & Lube. We use this when there is something as a way to pad or buffer an estimate, or like in this case, for a simple adjustment where we might clean and lube a headset, rather than listing a more expensive labor item that the bicycle might not need.
We bill for actual time worked in 10 minute increments. In some instances a service that normally takes 20 minutes of time might only take us 10 minutes of actual time. When that happens we will change the service tag to reflect this. It saves you money, and it also helps us keep accurate records to referrence later, or when you come back next year for your annual service. We love notes and records, and we love sharing them with you. If you're bike is serviced here, we have a record of it going all the way back to our very first service tag.
Post Service? It's more than guaranteed.
Sure we guarantee our service, every good shop does. We offer what we call 90 days free adjustments. All bicycles need some kind of post service adjusting*. Sometimes it's a thing you don't even notice, sometimes we catch those things during bed in test rides and the like.
We provided an unlimited amount of free adjustments for 90 days after your service is performed. We don't watch the clock, if it is an obvious post service adjustment and it's been 120 days, no problem, bring it in!
We save time in our schedule and can often perform most follow up adjustments on the spot in about 10 minutes. You can also drop your bike off and pick it up later that day. We'll work around your needs as much as possible.
*We like to say "your bicycle will need some kind of follow up adjustment". We want folks to feel empowered and confident and happy with our service. We do our best to prepare a bicycle post service. On test rides we try to bed in cables and housing, brake pads and brake surfaces. The real world is often much better for that sort of thing. It could be on your first ride, it could be on your 100th ride, either way, if you notice anything at all, no matter how insignificant it might seem, we want to hear about it. If it makes a new clicking sound, or it smells funny when you skid, or you want us to move a reflector, we want to hear from you.
No Appointment Necessary!
Ready for service? If you have an analogue bike (not an ebike) you can swing by anytime. There are some details to know before you bring your ebike in though. You can learn more below.
Certain times of the year bicycle shops in Central Vermont become very busy, when that happens we open appointment slots for folks who need less down time. You can read about scheduling appointments below.
"But, what if I want an appointment?"
Appointments?
In the event that you need as little downtime as possible we do offer reserved appointment slots. Here is how that works:
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Deposits: If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment give us a call and let us know, if you are canceling before your appointment we will gladly refund your deposit. If you need to move your appointment to the next open slot your deposit is still valid. Deposits are applied to the end balance of your repair. If you missed your appointment and forgot to call the deposit remains as a store credit you can use anytime for anything, including in rescheduling your appointment.
What about Ebikes?
Because of our own diligence to workplace safety and insurance requirements we can only allow in the building UL 2849 Certified and NHTSA/CPSC compliant ebikes.
We love ebikes, we believe they are the future of sustainable transportation, and they are a ton of fun. We also are very serious about consumer protection and safety.
If you have an ebike you will need to be sure the entire bicycle has a UL Certification and that it is also NHTSA and CPSC compliant. If your bicycle has a throttle it most likely means we cannot service the bike. If it does not have a UL 2849 certification we cannot service your bike. This is a zero tolerance policy from our insurance and at this time there are no exceptions to this rule. If you are unsure, give us a call, we can look it up!
What are UL2849 and what are NHTSA and CPSC compliance?
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- - UL 2849 Certified: Underwriters Laboratories provides safety certification for everything you interact with in our store, right down to our door handle. The same is true for everything in your house. In fact, it is a requirement of your homeowner's/renter's insurance 99% of the time. Ask your insurance policy holder, sometimes asking your agent isn't enough. Protect yourself. Our insurance policies do not allow us to have an ebike in the store unless it has that certification as well as being NHTSA/CPSC compliant.
- - NHTSA/CPSC Compliant: NHTSA is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the CPSC is the Consumer Product Safety Commision. Some bikes fall under the purview of the NHTSA because they have a throttle and can power unassisted up to 20 miles an hour. Eventually this will lead to these bikes requiring state inspections, licensing, and insurance. The CPSC covers bicycles that are pedal assist (no throttle). Currently some rules are under review that will ensure ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) compliance for unassisted propelled/powered vehicles. Typically these mobility assistive devices are regulated at 12 miles per hour.
One last note about ebikes, ebike certification, and ebike safety:
There are a ton of companies out there doing an excellent job convincing consumers that they are a brand with integrity. They often present themselves as someone who is some kind of highly experienced engineer or executive from the bicycle industry who has "figured out a way around the red tape" or "has used their industry experience to bring lower prices directly to the consumer". To put it bluntly, a good deal of these sellers are actually trapped in a pyramid scheme. The branding, the script, the products all look extremely similar because these products are often made by the same manufacturer. This sort of business model is rampant in the bicycle world in other countries. It ends up being presented in the US under many different brands importing directly to the consumer. The bicycle is significantly cheaper because it skirts these, and other, very important safety marks for ebikes, and they are also at the expense of those at the bottom of the pyramid as well. Without those two pieces most internet ebikes wouldn't exist. There are well established brands that aren't a pyramid scheme, and there are well established internet brands that certify their bicycles with UL and CPSC/NHTSA. How do you know? Ask us, we are glad to show you. We would love to sell you a bike, at the same time our goal is that you buy a bike that is safe to ride and have in your home.