Excellent bike servicing is at our core at Rat Race Cycles. Between us we’ve got several decades of workshop experience and we’ve had extensive training in all aspects of bike servicing, including more complex jobs like disc brake servicing, electronic drive trains and exotic and specialised wheel builds, and working with other very high-end components. Obviously, technology moves on, and we ensure we keep abreast of the latest developments through manufacturers’ briefings, trade exhibitions and industry seminars.
We offer a range of services through our workshop – we aim to be competitive with other London bike shops, but do make sure you know what you’re paying for; our service options typically comprise more than most of our major competitors.
Our simplest service is the Check-over service. This costs from £50 and is what you need if you just want someone to look your bike over and make sure it’s safe and roadworthy. As part of this service, we will:
- check headset, bottom bracket and hubs for correct adjustment;
- check wheels are true and spokes are safe;
- check tyres for wear and inflate to correct pressure;
- check and adjust brakes for optimum operation;
- check drive train for wear;
- check and adjust gears for optimum operation;
- check general frame and fork alignment;
- check all other bolts
If you’re likely to need parts replacing, the Basic Service costs from £65 and is similar to the check-over service but includes the labour to remove and replace the chain, cassette, brake pads or cables and set the new ones up properly for you.
A General service from Rat Race Cycles costs from £145 (for bikes with rim brakes) and £160 (for bikes with disc brakes). This is easily our most popular service option, and we recommend that your bike has a General service every 6-12 months, especially if you are commuting on it. If you think it sounds expensive to keep your bike running, it’s worth remembering that an annual zone 1-2 travelcard will cost around eleven times that much!
As part of a General service, we will:
- check, lube and adjust headset, bottom bracket and hub bearings;
- remove, check and true both wheels and clean braking surfaces;
- check frame and fork alignment and for damage and wipe down;
- clean, lube and adjust brake levers and calipers, clean cables, replace cables and pads if necessary;
- remove, de-grease and deep clean, re-fit, lube and adjust drive train and gear mechs, replace cables chain and/or cassette if necessary;
- re-torque crank bolts and chainring bolts;
- check tyres for wear and fit;
- check handlebars, stem, seatpost, saddle for torque, alignment and damage;
We also offer a very comprehensive Full service (or to completely overhaul or rebuild a bike). Prices are typically from £200.
We’ve listed some of the more common services we provide, along with their prices, below; but do bear in mind that every job, like every bike, is different. The best thing you can do to get a clear idea of what a Rat Race service will cost you is to nip down to the shop with the bike so we can check it over on the spot (and book you in to return another day for a service), send us a message or give us a call on 020 7732 1933, so we can discuss your bike’s needs.
Wheel truing service – from £20/wheel (replacement spokes typically £1 each)
Replace bottom bracket – from £30
Replace headset –from £30
Puncture repair (tyre/tube change) – from £10 labour, plus tube / tyre cost
Retape bars – from £15 (not inc tape)
Replacing cable, one – from £10
Complete wheel build – see Wheels for more info on our sister company Owen Wheels. Prices do vary for wheel builds, but typically come in at about £70 each for labour, excluding the cost of components.
We’re also well used to all kinds of other services on bikes, including replacing tubular tyres, Di2 diagnostics and firmware updates, tubeless tyre setups, dynamo lighting fitting, Rohloff hub oil changes… prices vary, of course, depending on how complex or time-consuming the job is, but give us a shout if you need our help!
Rat Race Cycles 