> It's 100+ €/h for a skilled worker who replaced that clutch

I'm pro-bike, but this issue also applies to having a bike repaired at a decent workshop.

Our daughter's hand-me-down bike (previously "owned" by both her elder brothers in turn) had new brakes and brake cables fitted recently, and the repair bill was the best part of €150.

The difference is that a talented bike mechanic can get most jobs done in less than an hour. Its hard to imagine a bicycle job that would take more than 2 hours of labor, whereas most car jobs start at an hour and can stretch into 10 plus hours for more complex ones.

The equivalent job of replacing all of the brake lines and brakes on a car would be a multi-hour job with several hundred in parts alone. By comparison, having a competent mechanic completely overhaul and inspect the most critical safety system on a bike for €150 seems like a pretty good deal.

> having a competent mechanic completely overhaul and inspect the most critical safety system on a bike for €150 seems like a pretty good deal

Absolutely, and I was happy to pay for the brakes to be sorted!

€150 is a fairly substantial repair cost relative to the new cost; remember that this is a child's bike suitable for an 8-10 year-old.

Having all the brakes replaced on a car might well cost thousands, but cars cost tens of thousands new.

> €150 is a fairly substantial repair cost relative to the new cost; remember that this is a child's bike suitable for an 8-10 year-old.

In that case, if you bought a top of the line racing bicycle for the child, it would be a much lower proportional cost for the brakes! (joking of course)