The Honest Breakdown
When we quote £120 for a bike service, we're not guessing. Here's exactly what that includes: and how it compares to what you'd actually get for the same money at a chain.
Our Putney workshop: every service starts with a full inspection
What's Included In Our £120 Advance Service
Every bike that comes through our door for an Advance Service gets:
- Full safety inspection: frame, fork, headset, bottom bracket
- Brake check: pads, cables, rotor inspection, lever feel
- Gear adjustment: barrel screws, limit screws, indexing
- Chain measurement: we measure with a ruler, not by eye
- Tyre pressure check and bolt check on every bolt
- Quick-release tension check on both wheels
- Gear cable inspection: replaced if fraying at no extra cost within the service
- Written condition report: what we found, what needs watching
If anything needs work beyond the service scope: a bent hanger, worn chain, contaminated brake pads: we quote separately and get your approval before doing it. No surprises.
What £120 Gets You At A Chain (And Why It's Different)
Evans and Halfords advertise services around the £80-120 mark. The difference is what you're actually getting.
Chain store services are largely visual inspections. If something is borderline: a chain at 1% stretch, pads at 20% remaining, a cable starting to fray: they'll pass it unless it's actively failed. We don't work that way. We tell you when something is marginal and let you decide.
Chain turnaround times are typically 2-3 weeks. We're 3-5 working days.
The Real Cost Comparison
If your chain is worn and they miss it: you replace the chain. Then the cassette. Then the chainring. That's £150-200 in hidden costs from a missed inspection.
If your brake pads are contaminated and they pass them: you're replacing rotors too. That's another £80-120.
The £120 service isn't the expensive option. It's the one that tells you the truth before it becomes a bigger bill.
Book Your Advance Service
We cover Putney, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Clapham, Balham, Tooting, and surrounding South London areas. Book online or call us on 07951 125 843.
Ready to get your bike sorted? Book online at bikeclinique.com or call us on 07951 125 843. We cover Putney, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, and South West London.
Book a free 30-minute consultation to talk through what your bike needs.
Ready to get your bike sorted?
Book online or call us on 07951 125 843. Based in Putney and Wimbledon, South West London.
Book a Service →What the £120 workshop service is meant to solve
The useful comparison is not just price. It is what gets checked, what gets adjusted and whether the mechanic explains the next step before the bike leaves the stand. A £120 workshop service should make a normal bike safer, smoother and more reliable. It should cover brake setup, gear adjustment, drivetrain inspection, wheel and tyre checks, headset and bottom bracket play, bolt checks and a clear report on parts that are worn.
Large chains can be convenient, but the rider often wants a direct conversation with the mechanic who has actually looked at the bike. That matters when the issue is not obvious: a creak under load, a brake that fades, a gear that only skips on hills, or a wheel that feels vague after a pothole hit.
Where costs can change
- Chains, cassettes, pads, cables and bearings are separate if they are worn.
- Hydraulic brake bleeds take more time than simple cable adjustment.
- Seized parts, crash damage or neglected winter bikes need deeper work.
- Performance bikes need compatibility checked before parts are fitted.
At Bike Clinique the value is in the diagnosis and the route forward. If a bike only needs adjustment, we say that. If parts are needed, we explain why before fitting.
How Bike Clinique would approach it
Our workshop process is diagnosis first. We check the bike in the stand, separate urgent safety work from optional upgrades, then explain what is worth doing before parts are ordered. That means brakes, steering, tyres and wheel security first, then drivetrain wear, bearings, cables and setup. The result should be a bike that is safer, quieter and more predictable on real South West London roads.
If you are unsure which route is right, send clear photos or bring the bike to Unit 1, The Swan Centre, Rosemary Road, SW17 0AR. We can tell you whether the sensible answer is a small adjustment, a service, replacement parts or a properly planned upgrade.
When to book the bike in
Book the bike in when the fault affects safety, reliability or confidence. Brakes that feel weak, gears that skip under load, tyres with cuts, steering play, creaks from the bottom bracket area or a drivetrain that stays noisy after cleaning are all signs that the bike needs a workshop check rather than another quick adjustment at home.
For riders around Wimbledon, SW17 and South West London, the most common pattern is simple: the bike feels fine until it is used more often, ridden in bad weather or pushed on a longer route. That is when hidden wear shows up. A short inspection can prevent a chain from damaging a cassette, a brake fault from becoming dangerous, or a small bearing issue from turning into a bigger repair.
Bike Clinique works from diagnosis first. We check the issue, explain what is urgent, quote the parts and labour before fitting, and keep the recommendation practical for the bike and the way it is ridden.