Cycling in and around Birmingham England

Birmingham Cycle Surgery: Good or bad?

Job 1. To undertake specialist identify fault and repair a rear SL wheel by a registered Mavic dealership.
Job 2. To check bearings on the front SL wheel.

The Bad

1. They managed to fracture the front axle which must have taken some effort;
2. It took three weeks to complete both jobs.

This was after the operative had lectured me on how brute force and ignorance by other wheel builders often resulted in damage.

The Good

1. They admitted and repaired the front axle free of charge.
2. No labour costs
3. The only charged for a part to the rear wheel.

So I am not sure whether they are good or not. Confused

NB. This is Cycle Surgery above Snow and Rock and not the one in Harborne.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ken Davidson on August 18, 2011 at 13:56

Anyone can make a mistake, but three weeks? Blimey.

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Permalink Reply by Philip Whiteman on August 18, 2011 at 15:10

I, you are probably right. Alternatively, it could have been a cycle shop that refused to own up to the damage and then charged me for the privilege of the repair.

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Permalink Reply by Michael James Matthews on August 19, 2011 at 1:28

Thats bad in my books. three weeks is ridiculous. If they were having problems procuring the parts you needed from their supplier they should have bitten the bullet and sourced it through a competitor.

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Permalink Reply by rOcKeTdOg on August 19, 2011 at 5:25

If there were delays they should have contacted you, did you leave it 3 weeks without asking them what was happening/

This mavic/specialist dealer clause is the reason i don't buy their complete wheels, I'd much rather be able to use my trusted LBS for work i can't do myself

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Permalink Reply by Philip Whiteman on August 19, 2011 at 7:10

I was aware that there may be a delay to await for spare parts, which is not unreasonable. Prior to commissioning the work I was not informed that the person responsible would be taking leave. I do not begrudge anyone taking a holiday but they should have warned me of this fact in advance. Once the person returned from holiday, I rang to chase the repair and was informed that I would have to wait even further. I gained the impression that parts had still not been ordered at the point of the initial commission and this therefore created an unwanted extra and unecessary wait.

Whilst complaining, I have to acknowledge that I was not charged for labour.

As an aside, during the waiting period I had retrieved my wheels for safe keeping. This was just as well bearing in mind the recent riots and brake in to shops, even though CycleSurgery escaped. I once left a bike at Birmingham City Cycles only to have stolen from inside the shop.

rOcKeTdOg said:

If there were delays they should have contacted you, did you leave it 3 weeks without asking them what was happening/

This mavic/specialist dealer clause is the reason i don't buy their complete wheels, I'd much rather be able to use my trusted LBS for work i can't do myself

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Permalink Reply by Philip Whiteman on August 19, 2011 at 15:12

I gave Ben at Venture Bikes of St Irchley a ring with regard to yet another pair of Mavics. He could not have been more helpful.

Should have contact him in the first place but did not realise that he stocked Mavic spares.

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Permalink Reply by James Russell on August 19, 2011 at 15:15

I've had good service from Ben in the past too. Friendly, helpful, and knows his stuff. Heard no complaints either from anyone else who has been to him.

I go there now for most of my spares.

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Permalink Reply by allthegearnoidea on August 20, 2011 at 16:50

Yes, have also great experience with Venture Bikes, helped me remove a rusted bottom bracket from an old frame - careful and helpful :)

rob

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Permalink Reply by Amanda Pickard on August 20, 2011 at 20:49

Like Ben at Venture Bikes very much... always happy to help and cheap-ish too... Got me out of a mess with a bottom bracket late afternoon a day before a big Audax even though he was already very busy!

Amanda