Talked a guy out of a 1x conversion, now second guessing myself
Had a guy come in last month with a 2018 Trek FX3. Commuter bike, flat bar, 3x8 setup. He was dead set on ripping off the front derailleur and going 1x. Said he never uses the big ring anyway and hates the shifter on the bars. I told him straight up, for a commuter in Madison with actual hills, 1x means either spinning out on the flats or walking up the steeper stuff. Its a trade off. He pushed back, said his buddy runs 1x on a mountain bike and loves it. I offered a compromise. Keep the 2x front, just take off the big ring and adjust the limit screws. Costs him nothing extra, saves him $150 in parts and labor for a new crank and shifter. He agreed, seemed happy when he left. But part of me wonders if I overstepped. He came in with a plan and I talked him out of it. Ive seen shops do the same to me when I wanted to try something weird on my own rig. Sometimes you just let people make the mistake so they learn. Other times you save them the cash and the headache. Where do you all draw that line between advising and just doing what the customer asks? Especially when you know the outcome is gonna be worse than what they already have.