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A long time ago, during a short jaded summer job as an auto mechanic, I was introduced to the concept of flat rate. This basically means that the customer was charged a specific amount based on the time the job should take, not on the actual time the mechanic took to do it. I came to the conclusion that if I ever opened up “Jack’s Bicycle Repair Shop” on that basis, I would go out of business in the first week. Here are a few examples of bicycle repair jobs, and what they would take when working on a Donobike.
Job: Change front brake pads
Anywhere Else
Time: 10 minutes
Tools required: 10mm wrench
Chez Donohue
Time: 30 minutes
Tools required: 10mm wrench, chisel, hammer, crescent wrench, hacksaw
Job: Adjust saddle height
Anywhere Else
Time: 2 minutes
Tools required: 10mm wrench
Chez Donohue
Time: 2 hours
Tools required: 10mm wrench, rubber mallet, blowtorch, bench vise, 6 foot long 2x4
Job: Adjust brakes
Anywhere Else
Time: 10 minutes
Tools required: 10mm wrench
Chez Donohue
Time: 15 minutes + 2 hours to free up the hub bearings, adjust the hub, true the wheel, scrape crud off the rim Tools required: 10mm wrench, cone wrenches, wheel truing stand, spoke wrench, steel wool, sandpaper, wire brush
Job: Lube chain
Anywhere Else
Time: 1 minute
Tools required: lubricant
Chez Donohue
Time: 2 minutes plus 30 minutes preparation
Tools required: lubricant, putty knife (to remove all the crud between the cogs), wire brush(to remove all the rust on the chain)
Job: Adjust front derailer
Anywhere Else
Time: 1 minute
Tools required: screwdriver, lubricant
Chez Donohue
Time: 2 minutes plus 1 hour preparation: try to free cable so that when you downshift it actually moves for about 1/2 hour by pouring massive quantities of lubricant on it and moving it back and forth until I get carpal tunnel syndrome in my wrist, then give up and either replace the cable and housing or resign myself to the fact I really don’t need the small ring very much anyway.
Tools required: screwdriver, lubricant, more lubricant, new cable and housing if I decide to be really anal and actually try to fix the problem.
Anyway, you get the idea. So don’t look for “Jack’s Bicycle Repair Shop” any time soon.
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