HOW MUCH TO PAY FOR A TUNE-UP?

June 18, 2004

    What do you normally tell folks who are want to know a reasonable price for a bike tune-up?

Dan K.

Dan:
    The contents of a tune-up vary widely, so naming a price has no meaning. I tell 'em to go to two shops, get a complete list of what they provide (parts & labor), and compare the two.
    For me, a tune-up should involve, at a minimum:

• Check that tires won't explode or flat easily; inflate as needed.
• Check that brakes can stop the bike & won't fail soon.
• Check that chain hasn't gotten overly stretched & won't fail soon; lube as needed.
• On multi-speed bikes check that you can shift to all the gears; adjust derailleurs as needed.
• Lube all pivot points.

    Note that the above list sez “check” a lot. Tune-ups quite often uncover a mess of problems the fixing of which goes beyond what a tune-up includes. A good bike shop will (a) give you a list of the stuff that needs more work, along with the price of each, and (b) explain 'em to you so you can decide what needs fixing now and what can wait.

Mr Bike


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