Heard a customer at the shop say all new bikes need a full tune-up right away

I was building up a new Trek Checkpoint for a customer yesterday and overheard another mechanic telling someone that every new bike, straight from the box, needs a complete professional tune before riding. That just seems like a waste of money to me. The shop I worked at in Denver did a full safety check and minor adjustments on assembly, and that was always enough. Most decent brands have decent factory setup now. Has anyone else found that a basic assembly check is fine for most new builds?

3 comments

3 Comments

bettywood15d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah that "needs a complete professional tune" line is such a classic upsell move. It's like when a car dealer tries to sell you undercoating on a brand new car. I see this everywhere now, people being told they need some extra service or part right away that they totally don't. A good once-over from a decent shop is plenty for a new bike.

nancybailey15d ago

My Trek came out of the box with the brakes rubbing bad.

adamgreen12d ago

Saw this happen to my buddy last month. He bought a new bike online and the front brake was grinding hard right away. Took it to a shop and they told him it needed a full, expensive tune-up. He called me, pretty upset, and I told him to just ask them to fix the brake rub. They did it in ten minutes for a small fee. The bike has been perfect ever since. It really seems like some shops just push that full service because it's easy money.