I rode my pampered cycle to a bike shop that's 7 miles away Wednesday, after they told me last Friday that they will check the valves and adjust them if necessary on 2/23 and the bike would be ready on 2/24. So, I arranged rides from and to this place on these days. I stopped in there a couple hours later to find he had already started work on it, and they were calling around to try to find a gasket for it because it does indeed need valve adjustment. They asked if I was willing to drive to get a gasket, but they could find nothing local. My feeling was "why didn't they have this part here by now if they knew I was bringing the bike there today?"
Then for the next 2 days they did not answer my email and I could not reach them by phone, and they had my email address and phone number. So, I paid a neighbor $5 to drive me there this afternoon to see if the bike was ready and pick it up. It's not ready yet, so I made the trip for nothing. They said the gasket will be delivered there some day next week.
Now I'm afraid my near mint condition bike will be damaged or get dirt in the engine because it's in a big and very busy shop with bikes in and out of there all day. I emailed them and told them this and they say the bike will be covered well and apologized for the inconvenience (they finally returned a couple emails after I made the trip there for nothing). As soon as I get it back I plan to change the oil & filter in it (it's almost time anyway).
It was a surprise that they didn't have that part but I guess they don't order those things unless they're 100% sure they really need them, otherwise they may get stuck with them if the customers decide to change their mind and not show up. I was just a little put off that she never warned me it may take a week to get the bike back if in fact it needs valve adjustment and they don't have the part in stock. I feel I should have been told this beforehand.
Then for the next 2 days they did not answer my email and I could not reach them by phone, and they had my email address and phone number. So, I paid a neighbor $5 to drive me there this afternoon to see if the bike was ready and pick it up. It's not ready yet, so I made the trip for nothing. They said the gasket will be delivered there some day next week.
Now I'm afraid my near mint condition bike will be damaged or get dirt in the engine because it's in a big and very busy shop with bikes in and out of there all day. I emailed them and told them this and they say the bike will be covered well and apologized for the inconvenience (they finally returned a couple emails after I made the trip there for nothing). As soon as I get it back I plan to change the oil & filter in it (it's almost time anyway).
It was a surprise that they didn't have that part but I guess they don't order those things unless they're 100% sure they really need them, otherwise they may get stuck with them if the customers decide to change their mind and not show up. I was just a little put off that she never warned me it may take a week to get the bike back if in fact it needs valve adjustment and they don't have the part in stock. I feel I should have been told this beforehand.