To give shop mechanics some defense, they are not stupid in many cases. They are unappreciated and underpaid and undertrained in an under capitalized, low margin industry. A $300 or $600 bill for brake work on your car is paid with little arguing and haggling, but a $100 tuneup/ overhaul at the bike shop is met with cries of price gouging. Yes there are yahoos working at bike shops that don't know a spanner from a spacer but lets not blame them- lets look at why the yahoos are under trained and the pros are underappreicated.
Tom Martin
>
> " One would > have thought that a bike like this would have received
special
> treatment,
> > but I can only speculate on how or why someone working as a professional
> > mechanic would treat a vintage bike so poorly. "
>
> This is a malady commonly known as "stupid, untrained employees, with no
> supervision" syndrome. Its havoc is not limited to bike shops. It's very
> wide-spread.
>
> John in Boise, bent on overpacking a frame later today.