They were quoted £975 to make this Trek Remedy safe

This Trek Remedy 8 Alu came to us from a distressed Mum and Son that just received a very scary quote to just make their bike safe. We took the job on, and under strict advice, to just do the minimum to make it safe.
The work we did:
Fit new headset bearings and an additional 2.5mm spacer to stop free play
Front Wheel Bearings regreased
Changed NDS rear hub bearing
Serviced dropper, re routed cables
Fitted new GX Eagle mech and chain
Swapped rear tyre direction
Regreased BB Bearings
Serviced rear shock FOC.

[@s1alker564]

An honest mechanic who isn't out to fleece the customers will always have a great reputation in town. That being said maintaining a mountain bike isn't really cheap especially if you have to use the shop to do it.

[@mtbboy1993]

Where I live I would run out of bikes before shop would have it ready, and not really an advanced shop like Mapdec, I got all the tools they got I think, all special stuff they send to a service centre in Oslo. So even if I did not want to I would have to work on it myself, but the cost saving in the long run is worth it, but investing in tools initially comes with a high price tag, but once good investments were made they last a logn time and get your money worth. Most work is easy. But good there are shops that can fix bikes. But I'm glad I know what to do and how to do it.

[@garethbutton]

Yeah these guys are far more advanced than my LBS. I only need them on more complex issues and say I end up with a broken bike in one form or another and have to work out how to fix what they mullered. Even over torqued a derailer hanger and stripped the threads. Wish I was local to these guys.

[@bradsanders6954]

The biggest problem with the bike in video? Using a pressure washer to force dirt and water deep into expensive parts. This can ruin a bike from day 1 and do it quickly.

[@matlockmeat]

Especially when full services are required on front and rear suspension.

[@laurynasjagelo5075]

@@mtbboy1993 Worked in Gausdal as a mechanic last year. UK is pricey, but there was another level expensive, and parts were hard to get.

[@andreroodt4647]

Doing my bit to pay it forward. A few shops like yours did me many favours as a youth racer in the 80s, so thank you.

[@Mapdec]

Many thanks 🙏.

[@TheScramble8]

Awesome 👌

[@Wabit01]

For the pay-it-fwd fund. You guys rock!

[@Mapdec]

Wow. Thank you so much.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Awesome!

[@TheScramble8]

Nice. Lovely gesture 👏

[@nycgmr]

That’s cool

[@raysmith2602]

When i was a young cyclist 13yrs old there was a shop in Walton called Walvale Cycles and the mechanic Norman Roberts (rip) would save any useable 2nd hand parts for us young lads who jad no money and neither did our parents. He would build wheels for us out of bits and basically kept us cycling. That was over 50 years ago and thankfully im in a position to pay it forward a little bit. That young lad will remember that hopefully for as long as i remember Norman.

[@gregcyclesspain]

I used to love that place. Had a Walvale Musette for many years.

[@ThunderStruckMTB]

Old guy get off my lawn rant incoming and here goes... I'm 56 and raced motocross starting when I was 8. When I got to be 10 my dad told me that "if I'm old enough to race my bike, then I'm old enough to maintain it". He showed me how to change piston and rings on my YZ 80 and helped me the first couple of times, but after that I was on my own. So by the time I was 13 I was doing all of my own top end, carburetor, tires and tubes (my dad had to help with getting tires on and off) and just general maintenance. This was 1977 and while I was fortunate to have a dad who could show me, I had no other tools to help if I got stumped. Today, whatever you are trying to do, there is a You Tube video or some other help at the click of a few buttons. Mom (and hopefully dad) need to tell this young man the exact same thing because most of the problems were caused by a lack of simple maintenance and just a few hand tools, grease and the desire to do it were all that was needed.... Phew, now I feel so much better.

[@chrisb5824]

Great comment... Spot on

[@Mapdec]

I feel you

[@yesmate78]

Exactly my thoughts

[@steve6942]

💯 the right thing to do. A few Ghetto fixes to get him back on the road and the budget for the important bits 😊 I regularly get remedy's in (3 mate's ride them) although a bike shop quoted a customer 40 quid for a dub BB service as it had play turned out the compression washer wasn't wound in or the grub screw wasn't to torque 😮 (no charge) Full swap sram code to xt brake replacement plus components, I even repaired the downtube protection with glue and full service and tune up. We need to do better and look after the little guy/ future privateers pay it forward 😊😊

[@chris_gb_]

I partly agree, it is preferable that we have adults teaching this stuff as well as the responsibility, but we don't live in the same world that we grew up in. Lots of people just don't have any grasp of preventative maintenance and are taken by surprise that mechanical things wear out, including with bikes. I have had the conversation more than once in my life, it's not just kids or gen z or millennials either, it has been my parents and their generation as well. You point out to them that they have to get their cars serviced and MOT'd, but it's an alien concept to them that other things are going to wear out in the same way. And while we're getting frustrated by young people and kids and their lack of nous over 'obvious' things like how to do basic DIY or write a cheque, remember that for every boomer moaning about young people, there are a thousand boomers who can't manage utterly trivial tech tasks like email, messaging, online banking, setting up wi-fi, resolving login issues, and not falling for phishing scams.

[@Joshuavoice29]

Hell yes, you did the right thing. I was lucky, when I was growing up. We were always very poor. The owner/mechanic at my local bike shop was an awesome guy. I would bring my bike in only when I didn't know how to do the repair myself. John could tell by the look on my face that I couldn't afford it. His solution was to have me come in when he was doing a similar repair and he taught me how to do it myself. He was one hell of an awesome guy.

[@Mapdec]

Love that.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Wonderful bicycle businessman .

[@thoom42]

For the PIFF…keep up the great work! 🇨🇦

[@Mapdec]

Thank you 🙏.

[@seakayaker20]

Fair play Mapdec. Finally, a YT channel that shows customer empathy in these challenging financial times. Well done all.

[@daviddjerassi]

The right answer is your honesty your attention to detail your empathy 14 year old is learning from you so much how to maintain his bike properly and PG a customer for life i applaud you Mapic.

[@molonymike]

great to see the focus on the customer before the profits. Well done!

[@Mapdec]

Thank you. That is really generous

[@h3nr1_18]

For the pay it forward fund! Bless you guys!

[@Mapdec]

Thank you 🙏 that’s really generous.

[@johndoyle4723]

When I was a lad 60+ years ago your bike was precious, it was your freedom and I could be out all day with my mates on it. You had to learn how to keep it going, a new tube was out of the question, I had patches on the patches. Nowadays kids bikes are almost disposable items, I see them just thrown away. OK, a high end mountain bike is a bit special. I still ride and my early fix it skills have served me well. You did a good job, thanks for the video.

[@puro52]

thats a real nice ride for the kid. very lucky to have such supporting parents

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Thank you Paul. This shows that your shop isn't all about the money. Building a relationship that may last a lifetime is the best focus.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

A good honest reputation comes first .

[@JimUe1]

right/wrong, the comprehensiveness and transparency is invaluable. 👍

[@borano2031]

Tack!

[@Mapdec]

tack så mycket

[@IPlodAllDay]

Loved your approach to the lads MTB and as ever love your content. Thanks

[@nebodeuk]

Fairness all round I feel. Your work still cost the customer around £400-£450, and there were still issues to be monitored for the future, in fairness their original quote wouldn’t have been far off BUT… I would have had them as advisories, worked on the things that were crucial for safe operation, much like yourself. Being fully transparent and honest is paramount for my customers as that builds TRUST. Great little video, good job on that too😃👍🚴

[@sirmalus5153]

The video shows the difference between shops that take the "it's worn ..put new on then" and the "it's worn...lets refurbish it then and save money" attitude. One shop doesn't need the hassle as the customer will just pay if they want it fixed. The job in/job out syndrome I call it, with the least hassle for the shop. The other shop does the work that's needed to fix it, but does that little bit extra on attention and detail, which gives them a bit extra hassle but ultimately gives the customer better service. One shop is a "halfords" and the other is a shop with mechanics in it.

[@traildaddi]

Thanks

[@Mapdec]

Thank you 🙏

[@stephenholt64]

Massive kudos for the 'Pay It Forward' fund. I hope you inspire other indie bike shops to do similar. This is community! 👏👏

[@marctschopp7867]

Hats off for your work and mindset

[@appelflapdrol]

I've got a box full of bells to donate to customers without (a working) one, mostly used on kids bikes. Couple of batteries here and there, bit of oil on the chain, air in the tires, adjusting a headlight etc.. Small gestures but always greatly appreciated. Got us customers, entire families even, for life

[@lucamuller6729]

For future headset emergencies 🎉

[@Mapdec]

Thank you. Heard you are having a great ski season this year.

[@Neros503]

I'm 16 years old and about to get a job as a bike mechanic. The service manger thats training me has told me the same thing you said at 9:55 so I feel confident this is a good store thats not just trying to charge people more than they need to. I appreciate that as I've been in this situation before where my bike needed repair, but I couldn't afford it cause a shop was trying to charge me for things I didn't need. I told them never mind and fixed my bike the best I could by myself, which has lead me to want to me a bike mechanic. Great video, stoked for my new job!

[@Mapdec]

That’s awesome. Good luck on your journey dude.

[@jakethesnake1976]

Nice work guys, pay it forward 👍

[@Mapdec]

Thank you 🙏

[@PeterSIlie-gn7dk]

If it wasn‘t that expensive to ship my bikes from Germany to your shop, I would have finally found my mechanic of trust! Great job and thanks a lot for your content!

[@simonhudd8853]

Great to see the pay it forward approach you take - bravo!

[@Ryan.T89]

Massive respect for doing your best to get that lad sorted out as cost effective as possible. It’s nice to see a good honest bike shop. Brilliant work

[@johnamydaniel]

For the pay it forward fund

[@Mapdec]

Thank you 🙏

[@djiembefolaDan]

I appreciate your practical, no-nonsense approach to jobs like this one as well as your comprehensive, high-end service to the customers who can afford it. Knowing the difference and acting accordingly is what makes your shop tops!

[@richardrr4220]

For paying it forward everyone, may all your dreams come true, there are still decent people in our society which are both humbling and a beautiful thing, cheers 😊

[@iannixey8779]

Excellent content as usual and fantastic customer service. Shining example of how all bike shops should be. Well done Paul

[@Mapdec]

😊

[@Cartsp70]

I took my whole bike , ORBEA Rise to Fox suspension workshop and they said “ oh people don’t usually bring the whole bike for a suspension service “ but they accepted it and charged £329 for both and they put the bike back together afterwards too 😂👍🏾

[@MasteringGrappling]

I love how much pride you take in your work. Great job. Thanks for the content.

[@Sinr0ne]

Well done. These are honestly the things how kids learn kindness and how to be humble, kid will remember this for ever. Its a great feeling to memorize things from years back and just be glad about it. Half the money saved, kid can ride atleast one season safely and fix things as they go, not needing to spend a grand at once.

[@christopherhood9241]

Great to see someone with a passion for their job and a duty of care towards the customer. Refreshing to see/hear.

[@gerardvanommenkloeke9464]

Amazing tools, and thoughtfulness. Great combination.

[@chrisbowman2030]

You did the right thing! I started cycling as a young lad with a very tight budged. I learned to do all the work myself, because i could either afford shop cost or new parts. I invested in good tools and some books how to maintain and build bikes. Later i worked as a bike mechanic while studying to become an engineer. This bike is what, 4K upwards? I saw this often in my bike shop and with buddies. They saved money to get the fanciest ride but then weren't able to afford replacement parts or even a shock pump for their fork. Fancy expensive bikes falling apart little by little. When i was on a budget i rode a hard tail which i slowly upgraded and tuned. And guess what? I was much faster in the mountains than my buddies with badly maintained expensive bikes. A rich guy once told me: If you're thinking about how to afford a Ferrari, you can't afford it.

[@Mapdec]

Very true. Folk forget what makes an expensive bike expensive. Like not servicing suspension and letting it wear out. Ouch.

[@robbchastain3036]

Thanks for helping out that young rider with your skills and kindness and empathy and tip jar. Beautiful.

[@lander3673]

I had a bike shop help me out as a kid. I never forgot that. Well done to you and your team!

[@CaptainCoolpants101]

I was doing everything for my bike when I was riding. I just googled and youtubed everything. Haven't done downhilling for like 12 years, so can only imagine how much more helpful content is out there now. I only took it to a bike shop when I didn't have a tool was that cost more than the part lol. Edit: I was about 14 when I started

[@SergejGrabun]

I love what you did there. Just like you said, not everyone wants the best, the most expensive, the new. If bike is safe, rides good, keep riding it. Loved this video for so many reasons. Listening to customer and sensing their situation is a value on it's own. Kudos to you. Subscribed.

[@moobaz8675]

The key is you made it safe, informed him of what will need doing in the near future so that he can save up, educated him on the perils of jet washing but more importantly got him back on the trails. Sounds like a good result. 👍

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Never use a gurney on a bicycle !

[@Darylbarker]

Appreciate the high level of service for all budgets. Good work 👏

[@adonispearson1571]

Love the video. You guys did what the customer NEEDED to keep riding not what what you wanted to get it back to it’s best, often a difficult situation to navigate. The idea of a “pay it forward” fund to help out customers in a situation like this while still covering your labor costs is sublime! It’s more like your community pitched in to get them riding again, pure genius. I’ve had so many services get out of hand because I feel like I have to do my best work. Sometimes it’s an awkward call to get the work approved, other times we comp the labor and they’ll just pay for the parts, others we’ll cover everything just to help out. Love all your videos, it’s like the little mechanic in my head egging me on to be better everyday!

[@Josh-balti]

this is the way to do it, i always have offered customers the option of a no expense spared service to get the bike as good or better than new, or the "make the bike safe and just keep it rolling option". They always remember the time you pulled them out of the shit when they were skint and you end up with a customer for life, never understood the crazy quotes some shops and workshops throw about.

[@050Rolandos]

Always great to see your videos! Very detailed and interesting to watch. I do most of my maintenance at home for my road bikes and mountainbikes. Also for my friends, i've learned a bunch of stuff and also about certain tools what to buy etc! :) Thanks for your help and videos and keep it up! The pay it forward fund is definitely a great idea and I think more shops could learn from this! Keep doing what you are doing and we'll keep watching! :)

[@energ8t]

I do all my own work including building up my own bikes. Self taught over the years. The only thing I don’t work on are Fox fork and rear shock dampers. The main reason being expensive proprietary tools. I even build my own wheels now. The amount of money and time I save is incalculable. During the lockdowns, the shops had two week waiting lists whereas I was up and running within the day. Point being, you can control your world best you can, or you have to rely on others for simple things you can do yourself. Most people lack the desire to learn and then do. Not everyone needs to be able to build their own bikes, but if they did the basics, they’d be much happier. Almost everything you want to learn is on KZbin as others have commented.

[@thereeder5rs]

Great content and awesome to see you help out this family!

[@colinwatt00]

I was once that teenager boy with a single mum who didn’t know better. I don’t recall being taken advantage of, but my heart broke when you shared the backstory. Thank you for your integrity.

[@marklink26]

Massive respect. I remember when I was 14 and I could barely afford my bike. And I would always try and work on it and balls it up. Well done guys. Your best video yet imo

[@Arithryka]

14:08 "the original quote from the other bike shop was probably about spot-on" appreciate you saying this, it would have been easy to give a narrative that "this other bike shop tried to rip them off!" rather than just not being on the same page about only wanting the absolute bare minimum to make it rideable

[@Bonky-wonky]

Good video as usual. Shows that being a mechanic doesn’t just require wrenching skills but also people and communication skills.

[@t_h_visuals]

Great work. Not only does this reinstate some faith in humanity, but I also know that keeping youngsters inspired by riding, especially in a day and age of extortionate costs in the bike world, making it not accessible to many, is an excellent way of keeping them fit, healthy and out of trouble! Great work

[@martinbichler7089]

Good job, keep up the great work and service

[@Mapdec]

Thank you Martin

[@GHinWI]

Nice. A good reminder for people that it’s wise to learn your own wrenching, at least for basic stuff.

[@440_MTB]

Nicely done sir! Thoroughly enjoying your videos! Blessings from Cape Town - South Africa!

[@adorensinghoff5605]

Danke!

[@Mapdec]

Thank you. 🙏

[@olivergeen9754]

This is class when I was younger. Are used to get ripped off by my local bike shop as I don’t think they were used to the sort of bike I bought in and I remember saving up for years for my bike and it was never done properly. Lovely to see stuff like this.

[@pompeymonkey3271]

When I was fifteen years old, I just had to do all the maintenance myself on all of my (very) second-hand bikes on a very limited budget, albeit on road bikes. It was a very useful lesson in "engineering sympathy". This was a Very Good Thing. 😁😁

[@jurikristjouw]

That, and the fact I only had to look at stuff to break it (according to my dad) made me the engineer I am today.

[@pompeymonkey3271]

@@jurikristjouw You just have to know how stuff works. I get it :)

[@peterbrister5191]

great work. Best thing being the advice on looking after his bike and not pressure washing. 🤞he listens and is educated by mum to appreciate the "pay it forward" scheme. 👏👏👏

[@ryanreynard]

Awesome! Big kudo's to you for finding what works vs the ideal. He'll be back when it needs more work, so will his friends.

[@sultanabran1]

why do i always see and hear people pressure washing their bikes? it's like smoking. EVERYONE knows it causes damage but people continue to do it. as for you guys. it's great you're thinking of the customer and not trying to milk them for all their worth. which is why i never take my bike to a bike shop and do it all myself. i do a better job and i'm not getting cheated. good on you guys for helping this lad and his mum out.

[@AndreS_22246]

Nice job! It's funny what you say about pressure washers. The ones at Bike Park Wales are so powerful they look like they could cut your hand off. You usually see long queues of people lined up to murder their bikes with them. It's quite painful to see :-(

[@RC-fp1tl]

At that point, just wash them off at home, even if the mud dries!

[@catshoemike]

I don't even use one on my car any more

[@user-gw7mi4ft3o]

I love your video , sharing your work and experience is really nice !

[@aaronpopstar]

Thanks!

[@Mapdec]

🙏

[@jefflee7704]

We need more bike shops like yours. Mechanics who care and know what they are doing

[@nickoutdoors8119]

Great job. Really admire your honesty

[@infernov189]

i would more likely move to the UK all because of his quality service and honesty. Cheers from the USA.

[@Mapdec]

Thanks. It rains a lot here, but kids are a lot safer in schools.

[@floptart9855]

MTB can be a pretty expensive hobby, the last thing you need is a mechanic that is out to rip you off. I remember my bike needed quite a bit of work and I kept putting it off and putting it off as I wasn't doing to well financially at the time. In the end I had to bite the bullet and took it to a guy that was local to me. I couldn't believe how genuine he was and it ended up costing me around half of what I was expecting. My bike was given back to me in perfect condition and I could tell that he really cared about his job and the community as a whole. I passed his number to anyone that was willing to listen to me and every single person got back in touch and thanked me for sharing him with them and now use him regularly. That is how people should run their business and karma will always come to those that take advantage of others.

[@adriansmith38]

These are your best videos - really useful real world stuff.

[@flippingcars101]

Well done on the fix, and great content keep up the amazing work ❤

[@averageman4240]

Laughed my socks off when I watched the GCN YT vid on "Can /Should I jet wash my bike, just like to say thanks to the GCN channel for all the work they created for me as a Pro bike Engineer. Great vids by the way bro nice to see someone doing it right! Do it right or don't do it is the way!

[@anthonymccarhy-dr4su]

I like that you helped to keep the costs down for the young rider.

[@matthewcampling488]

So much knowledge in this man’s head! It would take me HOURS of reading to figure out where to start taking that shock apart and he did it straight off the bat! Great customer service and great ethos! 👍

[@Mapdec]

Thank you. 🙏

[@MarvinofMars]

Great video, I am an ex instructor/center owner so was the bike maintenance gaffer too, for hard tails and full suspensions bikes, hire only ever broke even even with 30 hire bikes always on hire. Repairs became a large part and like this example people bought used bikes which was fine, the amount of times we headed to the bike bin and replaced parts was steady. I like the idea of the pay it forward. The amount of junior riders that came through the shop from struggling house holds was a lot. I normally did repairs for free and got them to pay by keeping the trails and car parks litter free, help out on trail repair days. So in kind.. I still meet these riders now 20 years on, with the own family out on trails. a forward attitude does workout.

[@jasonrichardwatts]

Well done mate. We always had the same pragmatic approach when spinning wrenches. We've got to keep people on bikes! ❤

[@jamessankey01]

You guys are a credit to KZbin. Thank-you much!

[@JoeW71]

Good work. I love a really nice "good deed." I enjoy your videos and the way you run your shop.

[@DavidGreen31]

Just fantastic work all around.

[@leebarrett4709]

You are definitely going to go to bike mechanics heaven. No really, you give us hope.

[@Mapdec]

Wow, thank you! 🙏

[@jamesstammers6696]

This sort of customer service is lacking in so many businesses. Tell you what though, I am so glad I can do all my own bike maintenance!

[@joshgolo]

Parents should buy the kid tools. I understand getting suspension service and frame bearings done by a specialist but everything else can be done at home unless you can afford the full works you should learn. But great honest customer service by you.

[@tonysadler5290]

To quote Mr Spok - Fascinating, absolutely fascinating! A saying we had in our wofkshop - "Engineers make things - Machanics make things work"

[@markrskinner]

What is already one of my fave channels just went up a notch.

[@govermentsoundsystem]

Just pure professionalism, brilliant 💪🏾

[@JibbaJabber]

The right answer is what you did. Well done!!

[@johnamydaniel]

Fellow mechanic here. Totally love and relate to your ethic regarding listening to the customers needs and understanding their situation. Absolutely love the pay it forward fund idea, just brilliant. Thanks for another great video.

[@the6ig6adwolf]

Refreshing to see a mechanic/tech take pride in what they're doing and being open and honest with the service being done. Full marks lad 💯 🏆👌

[@The0rnate]

I like this fix! Gets the rider back in working order and you can use the positive interaction to pass along helpful tips and what to look out for in the future. If I were that customer I'd continue coming back over and over.

[@ianbarber6463]

Great job, Outstanding customer service. End of. Well done you realigned my faith in humanity.

[@billmccaffrey1977]

I think you made the right call on what was critical to getting the bike back on the trails. I have been in the same situation with an older mountain bike, the first Specialized Enduro full suspension bike. At some point, it is not worth pumping absurd amounts of money into old tech, but money might be tight and just making the old girl ride worthy again is the perfect answer. For a couple hundred bucks, I got the bike back on the trail and then someone bought it knowing it would need more work down the line.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

I am glad that I have my own service facility and do suspension in - house . My TREK is running beautifully . I rode her this morning . She is well loved and cared for . The Bontrager babies are calling !

[@stefan.krause]

I have no idea why your video popped up in my youtube timeline, but I really enjoyed it. Great seeing honest mechanics with knowdledge and experience, actually repairing/reworking parts instead of just replacing everything. Keep it up :) The PayForwardFund is increadibly helpful for people like this customer, I'm amazed. Like with Seth (Berm Peak) I learned something today and found this entertaining 😉

[@Mapdec]

Welcome aboard!

[@1st2nd24]

I really like the way you run your shop and how you do the most you can while taking into account their budget

[@Mapdec]

Thank you Gary.

[@borano2031]

"Get this lad running again"... Super, Mr. Vousden!!! Rgr

[@mghuertas]

Pay it foward ❤ love this. Its a movie with that phrase its bucket list one. Thanks fos share and God bless❤

[@mikemurray507]

One shop wanting the bike to be as good as new loses a future customer, while another gains one by doing what they can to get it working as well as possible without fleecing the customer. Probably advising against using a jet wash as well. My local shop was owned by two guys. One mainly the mechanic, who kept all old servicable parts, and the salesman. The former retired, leaving the shop to the latter who just wanted to sell new, when you tried to get spares. They lost me. On a side note, I really like to use Hope headset caps, they add a bit of bling and are British. BUT, I also use Ritchey stems and owing to the positioning of the steerer clamp bolts, you need a spacer above the stem for these to be compatible. Which looks rubbish. Anyway, a great video and one happy customer. Did he buy a chain bath to help with more kind bike washing in future, with the money he saved?

[@pddixon]

Love that ❤️ I’d have been blown away as a young lad to receive such help, but my local bike shop owner was a miserable git! I hope that he appreciates it and STOPS JETWASHING!

[@Mapdec]

Our youth are our future 👍

[@TheBrokenMountainBiker]

If all shops had your attitude that would be amazing!

[@mikekelly2324]

Loving your philosophy, think too many shops use the car service philosophy and forget there's actually a cyclists behind the bike that needs his bike for a reason