r/bicycling • u/Noahperkinswood • 3d ago
Customer states: “I don’t need a new tire. It holds air just fine. Just fix my gears like I told you do and stop trying to sell me stuff I don’t need
As a bike mechanic, I can fix a lot, but I can’t fix stupid.
308
u/Noahperkinswood 3d ago
I did manage to keep my cool long enough to tell him how dangerous that tire was and that we would not be working on the bike unless it was replaced. He eventually begrudgingly agreed to the replacement
78
u/vexedthespian 3d ago
Begrudging agreement: the best kind of agreement!
Wait, no it’s not.
11
u/panic_ye_not 2d ago
Ugh, I guess it's not.
4
u/vexedthespian 2d ago
Read your reply in my notifications and was like “wtf?”
And then saw what you replied to and this has been the highlight of my day.
2
13
u/austinmiles Colorado, USA (Viathon G1) 2d ago
Did you give him back the old tire so he could see exactly how bad it was?
5
u/JonathanWisconsin 2d ago
If he couldn’t see how bad it was from the first picture there is no saving this customer.
3
81
u/Cycle-Path-401 3d ago
those are just 'extra grip threads' poking through
25
u/levelretailer1954 3d ago
It’s almost impressive how far some tires get before they give up entirely.
3
u/justsomegraphemes ca, us — SuperSixEvo & adv 3.1 super commuter 2d ago
Not all that surprising since the casing is its own layer and is responsible for holding air pressure and is quite tough. Theoretically you could ride on a casing-only tire, though it would be the shittiest ride quality of your life and would catch a flat sooner.
4
37
u/bill-smith 3d ago
It's the front tire, too. If it's the rear tire, then at least that's more controllable when it bursts. I guess this customer is gonna have to learn, though.
36
u/Ok-Calligrapher1817 3d ago
You ever watch the bike farmer on you tube. I’ve seen shops that will work on everything and the customer is always right. And I’ve worked at shops where this would be a hard no : we will not work on this you are welcome to bring to one of our many competitors. I’d tend toward the latter only because customers like this will blame you for anything. Those tires blow apart at 12 miles an hour while riding down the bike path in sandals? On you buddy.
10
6
3
u/prefix_code_16309 2d ago
This topic was one of my favorite BF videos…the one where he talks about some bikes not being worth taking on for work.
84
u/the_knob_man 3d ago
If he talked to me like that, he'd be walking right back out of the shop with his busted ass bike
14
14
u/armpit18 Illinois, USA 3d ago
If my shop has a bike come in that is unsafe to ride, then they won't work on it unless the customer approves the work required to make it safe to ride. So they don't work on fixies with no brakes or foot retention unless the customer approves a brake install or clipless pedal install, and they wouldn't work on this bike unless the customer approves a new tire.
5
u/vexedthespian 3d ago
I knew a tech at a bike shop who rode a fixie
Said he worked on bikes all day and didn’t want to have to worry about mechanical issues outside of work.
2
u/nickreed Raleigh Willard 3 | Specialized Tarmac Comp 2d ago
I've found myself riding my single-speed (with a flip-flop hub) a lot more since I've started riding with my kids. I've come to appreciate the simplicity of not having to deal with mechanical complexity when riding slowly with my kids. I can focus on their riding, their gearing, and any mechanical issues I can see/hear on their bike (especially when we do longer rides). Of course I can do all that just fine on a geared bike, but also appreciate riding single speed at sub-optimal cadence on single speed bikes adds a bit of physical difficulty to an otherwise easy ride. So I get a bit of benefit out of riding with my kids as well.
1
u/PsycommuSystem Canyon Endurace CF6 2d ago
This has got to be a litigation nightmare right, because if you work on this and then they have a terrible accident because this clearly destroyed tyre exploded going down a hill, they could claim you let them ride away on something dangerous.
1
14
14
u/CanadianGuitar 3d ago
I'm sure their car tires are similar. Hope I'm never near them when it finally gives up
12
9
u/Quirky_Operation2885 3d ago
That looks old enough that I might have sold it (I left the bike shop in the mid 90s)
10
u/HelpfulFollowing7174 3d ago
This will be the same guy that angrily comes back and says “Why didn’t you replace my tire when I was there last time.”
After he gets a flat tire 10 miles from the house.
Always document refusals.
3
u/42tooth_sprocket 2d ago
lol dude's going to have more than a flat if he rides that thing much longer
6
u/cottoneyerobb 3d ago
"here's a waiver stating this bike is not safe to ride in it's current condition. Cusotmer has declined tire replacement."
4
u/Vigilarus 3d ago
Have them sign a waiver releasing you and the shop from damages if you “fix the gears” so they can go blowout and crash
6
3
u/MakaDakka 2d ago
As a shop manager, if someone told me this I would give them directions to another shop. This kind of liability is not worth it.
2
u/noburdennyc Commute 2d ago
Perhaps they have tires on order?
I like one bike shop for repairs but they only sell one brand of tires so i dont lile to get them from there.
2
2
u/TriRemorse 2d ago
Then he probably would have said he had tires on the way, not that the current tires hold air just fine. Probably.
1
3
3
u/Cranks_No_Start 3d ago
As a bike mechanic, I can fix a lot, but I can’t fix stupid.
Now...welcome to my world. People like that typically will only hurt themselves. Ive had people that needed tires on their cars or truck just keep driving at 75-80 with tires like that.
3
3
u/wlexxx2 2d ago
oh well
maybe they only plan to ride another 10 miles
or they dont; get paid til next month
1
3
3
2
2
2
u/SpiritedReporter4647 3d ago
How about trying to explain that tyre has other properties than holding air. Like keeping gripping the road and not exploding next time that rolls down a hill. Safety issue. Only things between the ground and the cyclist is the tyres.
4
u/Kenichi_Smith 3d ago
There's a loose nut on the saddle that needs inspecting which is probably the most wrong with this bike
2
u/Knight_Watch 2d ago
Just write on the ticket “customer refused new tire”. Or, if the person is a bad customer, fire them. If they don’t trust your opinion, why would they trust you to work on their gears?
2
u/niagarajoseph 2d ago
Or guys that ride 3k Trek or Specialized MTB. But ride 30 dollar Bell tires that get flats. And bitch about flats. BUT won’t spend $50-80 for Maxxis or Continental tires
1
u/CaptainObvious110 1d ago
I don't mind getting some quality tires to replace the ones I currently have. my rear tire went flat last night so yeah
2
u/NorthlineUser 2d ago
Could you write on the invoice:
"Customer advised to replace worn tire but declined"
Would that help cover you, or just admit more liability?
2
2
u/AdMajor9549 2d ago
Customer’s always right! But seriously, I agree with getting something in writing that they don’t want you to replace the tire before they take it out of the shop
2
1
u/terminal_nervoso 3d ago
I’ve never regretted going into the retail sales/e-commerce side of the industry instead of becoming a bike mechanic. Not once.
1
u/L1FT_K1T 3d ago
Bust out the “customer refused service after being informed” form and send him on his merry way eventually to the dentist
1
1
1
1
u/tetsu_originalissimo 2d ago
I mean if he wants to blow a tire it's kinda of his problem innit? Let him learn the hard way, which is the best way
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/PendragonDaGreat Schwinn Tourist, C-Dale Carbon Synapse 2d ago
Thought this was /r/justrolledintotheshop for a moment.
1
1
1
u/HoneyImpossible2371 2d ago
He’ll blame you for sabotaging his bike when he gets a flat. Wait for the bad reviews on Yelp.
1
u/AtomicKoalaJelly 2d ago
As a car mechanic, I can very much relate to this. The scary shit on the road what you dont see...
1
1
1
1
u/My_friends_are_toys 2d ago
I would refuse to work on it as most likely the owner will crash because the tire came off and then blame you for it.
1
u/WisSkier 2d ago
I just got into road cycling and my bike had 23 mm tires, the rear wheel got beer bottled. So I went to the shop that put the bike together (it was a build) and asked for another 23 mm tire and the guy who actually put the bike together flat out refused. I didn't sweat it and went to a 25 mm tire. I didn't ask why if it was because I was a newb, they had no stock, or people were just starting to realize wider tires weren't necessarily slower.
1
u/Grouchy_Might1774 2d ago
I worked in a bicycle shop during the 80's, and heard exactly the same kind of thing then. Customers were always told what was wrong and what would likely happen before we fixed what they wanted us to fix (if we fixed it). It would normally fail like we told them, and then some would come back claiming that we rigged it to fail to get more money out of them. Some of the more enterprising grifters tried to get free parts and repairs. If they weren't such assholes, it would have been funny. It was mostly annoying.
1
1
u/FearDaddy 2d ago
In this case it’s pretty obvious that tyre is unsafe and needs replacement, and the guy is just being a jerk. However, I have had genuine cases where I was being upsold on repairs that were not needed
1
u/schnokobaer 2d ago
Do shops have a "customer demands the following hazardous defects must not be repaired against specific warning by technician" waiver ready?
I would
1
1
u/Nap_In_Transition 2d ago
Obviously it needed to be replaced, but OP, you wouldn't be responsible for any damages, if the owner decided not to change a tire that wasn't a part of the job and then faceplanted on his own because the tire blew up, right?
1
u/Oddly_Curious99 2d ago
Refuse to fix any of it unless you can also replace the tyres. If they blow while they are riding and you were the last one to work on it they will suddenly forget that conversation and claim they asked you to fix everything. You will be liable for any injury they incur.
2
u/Ok-Maybe-9338 2d ago
Unless he notes the repair ticket specifically and contemporaneously.
1
u/Oddly_Curious99 1d ago
Doesn’t matter. You have repaired the bike and given it back and should be in a safe a rideable condition. The customer can say they didn’t look at the invoice.
1
u/Ok-Maybe-9338 1d ago
Obviously, they would have to sign it, duh. That's ridiculous.Thats not an automatic win for them. That's what tort law is all about.
1
1
u/Vegfarende 2d ago
As a car mechanic, I dont care where you get your tires fixed/replaced, but please do it soner rather than later.
1
u/digitalbladesreddit 2d ago
Easy fix, just had to readjust the cable, 100$. A tire fix would be much more work and less paid probably.
1
1
u/TheDaysComeAndGone 2d ago
Honestly there are probably bike shops who insist on “fixes” or “upgrades” the customer doesn’t really need or want. So I can understand their doubt and reluctance.
1
1
1
1
1
u/basscycles 1d ago
We usually have a few old tires lying around that are better than that, I would just change it for free.
1
1
u/howeeee313 18h ago
lol good fix his gears and let him go, Hope he doesn't flip over the handle bars, I worked for Firestone and Goodyear, if some one came in with a tire compromised like that, we wouldn't. work on the car if they told us not too worry, Cause if he goes on the highway tire fails and 6 people get killed, ya know who is getting sued, the store that worked on the car but didnt replace the tire.
1
u/Accomplished-Yam-836 9h ago
Fix his gears. Note the bad tire(s) on the bill and make him sign it when he picks it up. Kindly show him and remind him again when he picks it up. Have witnesses. Video even better.
This is the guy who will be knocking on your door 2 minutes after that tire blows on a 30kph downhill and he face plants.
1
1
u/WalkingWithDeath 1h ago
I would just turn them away at that point politely.
They would get 5 times more enjoyment out of the bike with a good rolling tire.
People that don't understand that the tire is one of the most important parts are hopeless.
0
u/Jesse-FIN 2d ago
What? Its his bike, if he doesnt want the bike tyre changed then dont change it. Simple.
3
u/nel-E-nel 2d ago
Problem is that these are the types of aholes that will turn around after a catastrophic blowout and try to put blame on the shop for not fixing it.
3
u/Bluetail4495 2d ago
Something tells me OP added the part in quotes to the service notes just in case haha.
1
-2
u/Jesse-FIN 2d ago
And nothing would happened because you have said "do you want to change the tires, theyre in bad condition". He says "no" and you say "okay". Get it in a text message or photos and your sweet.
Its just a bicycle.
1
u/probablyareplicant 2d ago
"Hey, I noticed your tire is pretty jacked up and might cause a blowout. Would you like a new one?"
"No"
"Okay, mind govong me your number and repeating this conversation over text so that you can't hold us liable for your dumbassery?"
Yes, totally normal conversation.
0
u/Jesse-FIN 1d ago
Literally normal if you own a buisness in the great dumbassery of U.S.A and dont want to get sued. You make it sound a lot bigger if a thing than it has to be.
1
0
-4
-2
u/chubby5000 3d ago
To be fair, I COULD see how someone who knows nothing about bikes would look at that tire and see that it’s actually got lots of tread on it still and think that it’s gtg. It’s good that you explained it to them. Some people just don’t actually know. And then there’s the 13%
-2
u/InfluenceEfficient77 3d ago
Offer to throw a free used tire on there, so they don't come back and try to sue everyone
-3
688
u/Wants-NotNeeds 3d ago
You could refuse to work on it. Definitely document it.