JAX- Irvine

[PHAT TIRE]

I have been going to this shop for years. They recently got to be a Trek factory store- u gotta see that plasma tv in the showroom.

I go there for the services support. They warrantied my Trek years ago after 5 years of abuse, transferred all my components to a new SC frame and helped build my Trek hardtail. My roadie was purchased and set up there. Their efforts gained my lifetime respect and business. I feel like a friend when I go there- like Norm at cheers .

They have a great crew, good Trek and Gary Fisher lines and beach cruisers. If go there, tell Pat, General Mgr., Germaine, Mike, Brent and the crew Matt sent you. Brent is amazing at bike fittings! Although they have computer systems and all that awesome techno jazz, he does it old school and will swap parts for months 'til you're comfy.

KUDOS TO THESE GUYS...MAKE SURE U STOP BY.

[Winger]

For me the jury is still out on Jax Irvine.

I rode a Trek4900 for 4 years and had no issues. I got a new EX8 and rode the same trails at the same intensity.

In the first month, my new bike ghost shifted, made creaking noises, broke a spoke (at Peter's Canyon(HOW???)), and got tons of pinch flats (at 50psi?).

Took the bike in after 28 days (when I broke the spoke) and told them the issues. They replaced the rim tape to fix the flat issue. They fixed the spoke under warranty (after a lengthy argument). The shifting was made worse.

After another 20 days my chain broke and I went in there pissed & laid it all out. The manager listened & fixed my shifting perfectly. They fixed the chain under warranty, and cleaned my bike.

Last weekend was a test run of Counting Coup. Midway through I realized they messed up the rim tape job by not putting it over 2 spoke holes so I flatted twice. I took the bike back and they fixed it immediately and gave me a replacement tube.

They seem dedicated to customer service. It just doesn't seem like the job is done properly the first time around.

[PHAT TIRE]

Sorry to hear that. I have never had any problems.

[Winger]

Hi,

I'm going to continue my frustrations with Jax Irvine....

Let me start by saying that I knowingly spent $200 more on my bike to buy it from Jax because they had my size. I expect a bike to run flawlessly when it is first purchased and to have practically everything covered for the first month or 2; especially knowing I paid $200 extra.

Every time something broke, Jax tried to charge me for it and I had to argue with them...rim tape, spoke, chain... I expected that they would recognize a $2000 bike and be a little more understanding when something goes wrong within the first month.

So...I flatted after counting coup because Jax failed at their 3rd attempt to fix my rim tape. I gave it 2 shots on my own and failed so I decided to go back in there and make them fix their failed job.

I thought maybe this time would be different. They seemed pleasant. They offered to do a tuneup, but when I asked if it was covered under the 1 year warranty, suddenly they presented me with a $7 charge for parts (for what, the entire bottle of lube?). I turned down the service, but left it with them to fix the rear tire's rim tape.

They called today to tell me nothing was wrong with the bike, but they did find a thorn in my front tire, which they would be happy to replace for $$....no, I have enough experience with flats now so I can do it myself. Thanks buddy, but the front had a slow leak that I was putting off fixing...the REAR was the problem.

I picked up the bike & they presented me with a $14 bill for the rim tape. I stood there and got angry telling them they are charging me for their 4th attempt at getting the rim tape fixed properly. They finally backed down and gave it to me free.

So I pulled the tire off in the parking lot to verify they did a decent job. It looks like it might hold because they used ultra wide tape. I still don't understand why they didn't know to put that on in the first place, knowing they sold me the bike so they *should* be the experts.

But the classic scene is of me carrying my bike from my car to my home because I have 2 flat tires after taking it to the bike shop for maintenance.

I'll never go to Jax Irvine again.

[Sprockethead]

Andrew,

Dayam! You've had some issues with JAX Irvine. Well, add Jax Yorba Linda to the list. I bought Ann's Juliana at their shop and we customized the wheels. We were told at the time of purchase that all tune ups were free for the first year, which was a big selling point for them. After 2 months of Ann receiving her bike, a spoke broke on her custom built wheel (717 with Pink CK Hubs). We took it in and they immediately fixed the spoke and performed the "FREE" maintenance. When I went in to pick up the bike, there was a $7 bill for "Bike Wash". What!!!??? I was peeved, what's free about that? Whatever, I was stupid and paid it, I wasn't going to bitch about 7 bucks. A few more months went by and another spoke broke. At this point, I was pissed, I had my CK wheelset from Beyond Bike for over 5 years, no problems. Once again, Jax fixed the issue and I was charged $7 for lube and bike wash. This time, I protested, "Why you nickle and diming me on a custom ordered bike?" Ann bitched to the manager and salesperson and after we got what we wanted, we never went back.
The manager at Jax told us they were a coporate store and they couldn't override the $7 bike wash on a "Free" maintenance. 1 year later after many more broken spokes, I had The Path rebuild both wheels. No problems since and she's had the bike for 2.5 yrs now.

I can't say enough good things about The Path, I'm sure you all know about their customer service and their mechanics are the best. Another shop to check out is La Habra Cyclery in North OC. Jim and his boys really take care of ya and they're pretty competitive on pricing.

[Winger]

Let me finalize my review of JAX Irvine.

On their 6th attempt, they finally fixed my rim tape by giving me a special tubeless rim strip that was specific to my rim & locks in place. $5 part, which they didn't charge me for, but they should have installed it on the 2nd trip to the store. In total I blew through 6 inner tubes that I couldn't patch + the time & gas to drive to JAX.

While waiting, I got to witness their business practices. They definitely take advantage of the uninformed. One guy paid $20 for a new tube for his kid's BMX Bike ($10 parts + $10 Labor), and made the guy leave the bike.

They quoted another guy $16 per derailleur for adjustment! They also quoted him $10 for a chain replacement, but that sounded reasonable.

One boy came in asking for a tire pressure gauge. The shop rep said they didn't sell them. I look 3 feet to the left and they are on the rack.

Another guy came in asking for lube. Without asking what type of bike, and where he rides it, the Jax guy pointed him towards a brand. I couldn't stand it anymore so I jumped in and found out the guy rides a mtn bike on dirt and pointed him towards ProLink Gold (my new fav).

Finally, when filling my tire with air, they didn't check to see if my tire was seated properly....BOOM!!!! They blew the tube. Then they put the directional tire on backwards...2 rookie mistakes.

[soul rider]

the one time i went there (JAX) and none of the bikes had price tags.
at the same time back in 2000 a guy was buying a close out Trek for around 1,500.00...two wheeler dealer had the same bike on close out at 999.99, i let the guy know, but i guess it was too late.

[brownlandshark]

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[brownlandshark]

........

[guero]

thanks for the follow up brownlandshark. just something to keep in mind, all of these opinions are based off of our experiences at different shops. not saying you got bent out of shape by anymeans, and i feel like your original response was well written. sometimes people at the shops, or friends of the shops have gotten kinda bitter about peoples posts regarding their individual experiences at particular shops.

thanks again and welcome to str.

[CeeDubb]

[sarcasm]Note to self...

Do not buy a fully suspended Trek Fuel...

They require more adjustments do to their level of sophistication...[/sarcasm]

Glad I bought an Epic. It gets thrashed and there haven't been any issues. I guess it's less sophisticated.

[brownlandshark]

.......

[spookydave]

I could never own a bike shop. If you walked in my shop and wanted me to do any type of labor for 10 bucks I'd send ya packin. lol

[CeeDubb]

Originally Posted by brownlandshark

LOL! I understand. I simply meant that a bicycle with a swingarm and pivots is more complex and will require more fine tuning than the average hardtail. Maybe not everytime but usually. There are exceptions to every rule. I wouldn't expect your epic to run perfectly forever. I'm glad you've had good luck with it. I had one too and loved it.
Thanks for the welcome to the board. Nice site. We aren't perfect and I enjoy reading the reviews. I just felt compelled to reply a bit. I'll try not to do it too much. Thanks guys.

Just poking fun, but if my Epic had to go in for constant adjustments, especially with how much money I've spent on it, and the tech told me that it was because of it's complexity, I'd probably be incredibly upset.

It doesn't make sense to drop a few grand on a bike only to have it in the shop 2-3 times a month. Granted...I'm sure you've got your share of customers that don't know how to take care of their stuff and expect you guys to take care of their negligence.

One thing that I'm not a fan of is the nickel and diming that some shops do. $10 dollars to change out a tube? That's honestly a 10 minute job which would equate to a $60/hour labor charge. $5 is fair and I believe that's what my LBS charges.

Every shop has their good and bad points. Some customers have a great experience and others do not. If you do not have a good experience, talk to management and give them the chance to rectify the situation. If that doesn't work, don't give the shop any more of your business. Find another one to take care of you. Taking your business somewhere else speaks much louder than anything else. If poor maintenance and customer service is the norm for the shop, it will eventually catch up to them in the form of decrease sales and lack of repeat business.

Though I'm moving to South OC, Don's will continue to get my some of my business.

[spookydave]

Originally Posted by CeeDubb

One thing that I'm not a fan of is the nickel and diming that some shops do. $10 dollars to change out a tube? That's honestly a 10 minute job which would equate to a $60/hour labor charge. $5 is fair and I believe that's what my LBS charges.

10 minutes for the guy to drop it off and get his info. 10 more to swap the tube, 10 more to ring up his bill ..... Then he'll want to stand around and b.s. for a bit like we all do.
You think 30 bucks and hour shop rate is fair?? Buddy, if you want fair go to Costa Mesa because that's where the fair is.

I bet the people that are bitching about the labor rates are the ones making the big bank.
I like it when my attorney friend asks me how much the labor will be on his project. I just smile and say “$50.00 every 15 minutes just like you charge”.

[Pain Freak]

Brownlandshark.

Thanks for a mature and I feel appropriate response. ( I love those Land Sharks). I know for a fact that 10 bucks for a tube change is not a bad deal. If you don't do it yourself, then don't complain. For a company/owner to operate a LBS is a very tough job. The return on investment sux big time. I looked into it with a bud of mine and why anybody would start a LBS is beyond me. Very few turn a descent profit. Having had my own company a few times I know what it takes to run a company. People don't realize what it takes, employees, workmans comp, insurance, theft, sponsorships, advertizing and the list goes on and on. All this costs big bucks and to tell you the truth if all you did was fix flats for 10 dollars a throw, you may not be making a whole lot more then breaking even.

[brownlandshark]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Brownlandshark.

Thanks for a mature and I feel appropriate response. ( I love those Land Sharks). I know for a fact that 10 bucks for a tube change is not a bad deal. If you don't do it yourself, then don't complain. For a company/owner to operate a LBS is a very tough job. The return on investment sux big time. I looked into it with a bud of mine and why anybody would start a LBS is beyond me. Very few turn a descent profit. Having had my own company a few times I know what it takes to run a company. People don't realize what it takes, employees, workmans comp, insurance, theft, sponsorships, advertizing and the list goes on and on. All this costs big bucks and to tell you the truth if all you did was fix flats for 10 dollars a throw, you may not be making a whole lot more then breaking even.

Thank you pain freak. I love my landshark. You gotta come in sometime and check it out. It is a tough business but we love it. I can tell you none of us are driving mercedes that's for sure. But I did just wash my sentra LOL! There's so much competition out there that it gets real hard sometimes. You could drive 10 miles from our shop in any direction and hit at least 10 other shops. Everybody starts dropping prices to lure in the buyer but the profits go sour. Anyway, thanks for the educational posts. I'll use them to better myself, my crew and my store.

[sanantonioascent]

I love Jax. They've always done a great job for me every time. I agree about Brent doing great fittings. He fixed a nagging knee problem I had. Anyway, thanks Jax I'll continue to support you guys!

[Winger]

Originally Posted by brownlandshark

The KY comment is a bit rough. Grow up please.

Huh?

Brent is the only tech I'd trust my bike with in the shop. You can just tell he's a master mechanic when you see him throw the bike in the clamp and start to make adjustments. Shifting problems? Bam! Done in 10 seconds... Brent was the only person who would listen to me and react appropriately.

....Plus he does this move down the middle aisle of the store where he does a 90 degree turn while riding the bike by pivoting it on the front tire, flipping the bike backwards, then balancing on the rear tire to complete the turn. Total badass. Look for the dark hair and glasses.


Comments....

-I forgot about this. I was told during the sales cycle that if I didn't like the Bontrager tires then I could bring them back and get store credit. I rode them on 1 ride, realized they wouldn't hold a line, and brought them back to trade in. The rep said that wasn't the deal and refused to take them back. They are still sitting in my garage collecting dust.

-So...I had a Panaracer Smoke on my rear when I brought it in, which is clearly a directional tire. I guess it could be argued that some people like them backwards, but when in doubt go with the norm. I shouldn't have to pull my bike apart after a trip to the shop.

-Now that you're making me remember, Brent did mess up my bike a bit. He pulled my rear tire to fix the rim tape. He reinstalled the tire when the bike was in the stand, only he didn't get the tire seated completely when he tightened the QR lever. He then noticed my disc brakes weren't aligned, and proceeded to line them up with the new rear tire position. The next time I pulled my tire and reinstalled it properly, the brakes rubbed and I had to essentially undo the "fix".

-There's no way that the rep knew the riding habits of the guy buying lube. I know it happens with some customers, but definitely not this guy. Remember, I was the one who took the time to talk to the guy and found out where he rode and how often.

-$10 to change a tire is reasonable. $20 is what I had a problem with. The wholesale cost of a tube in the bulk that Jax buys them in has to put tires at around $1 apiece. The heavy duty ones are a little more....maybe $3? If I had my tools with me, I would have patched the guys tire in the parking lot for free.

-The 4900 has 8 gears, not 7.

-The bolt comment (from some other thread)....A friend of mine lost his crank bolt and in a pinch went into Jax Irvine for the replacement. He said they had it lying around the shop. Unfortunately we did a 50 mile super loop the next day and had to pull over to tighten it every 15 miles. Ugh.

-A different friend went to Jax Irvine with rear shifting problems. Upon first inspection, the tech immediately diagnosed it as a bad rear derailleur that needed to be replaced. The friend asked for a 2nd opinion since the bike was only 6 months old. Turns out only the cable was rusted and needed to be replaced. That's a huge difference between replacing a derailleur and replacing a cable.

Finally, all my comments are from a person who had the excitement of his brand new, relatively expensive bike, soured by many trips to the shop and getting nickel & dimed. Add up the time I spent at the side of the trail fixing flats & other problems to the driving time (20mins each way) spent dropping off & picking up my bike, and you have a lot of wasted time. I stand my my feelings & comments that I have expressed on this board.

Thank you for your comments. I know you have to defend your shop. It is a nice gesture to invite me back to the shop, but I don't necessarily think it would be in my best interest; especially now. Switchback Cyclery is my new shop and have been doing an awesome job for me.


LOL...my money is on Sanantonioascent being connected to Jax and coming to save the company name with some positive feedback. This was his first forum post.