Halfords Bikehut

4crosser

Anyone had any work done by these folks?

I need a new bottom bracket to fit a downhill crank/chain guide, a new set of Avid Juicy brakes, and a new hub to a disc brake for my rear wheel.

Halfords have said they can source the parts, just don't know how good or fast they are.

Scubar

Goto a LBS , Avoid halfords at all costs. Especially if you want things fitted properly.

crashandburn

why cant anyone fix their own bikes. surely you dont even have to have half a brain to fit something / replace a part

Paul Sh

TBH I think forums like this make things look more complicated and technical than they really are, No offence to the forums as i have learned loads, and have more to learn, but in all honesty it aint rocket science.

supersonic

Forums can be a good place to gain info on where to get the info. I doubt many people can delace a wheel properly, calculate the correct spokes then build a new hub with the old rim! And many people who I have seen who think they can do stuff do it poorly. Disc brakes can be fiddly to set up for anyone. Getting a good guide like Park or Zinn and practice is the way forward for the harder tasks. For wheel building Sheldon Brown has a superb article.

skyliner

crashandburn wrote:

why cant anyone fix their own bikes. surely you dont even have to have half a brain to fit something / replace a part

That's fine if you're replacing like for like, but you need some experience to know if components are compatible with each other, or your bike.
Professional mechanics will have gained this exprience, and recieved specific training on some manufacturers kit, to allow them to set it up perfectly. (there are a lot of inexperienced mechanics out there too though, so finding a good LBS to fettle your sled can be a bit of a lottery. Once you find one though, stick with them. Their livelyhood depends on people returning for work to be done, and the good spanners realise this, so they won't let you down.)

If you're knowledgable, and confident enough to sort your own bike out, that's cool. But some jobs require expensive tools, and wouldn't be done often enough to make buying the tools a viable option.

nicklouse

4crosser wrote:

Anyone had any work done by these folks?

I need a new bottom bracket to fit a downhill crank/chain guide, a new set of Avid Juicy brakes, and a new hub to a disc brake for my rear wheel.

Halfords have said they can source the parts, just don't know how good or fast they are.

some halfords can be as good as any one else but some ,.......

re the hub why not order a new wheel from Merlin or CRC. the rest are not that hard.

Dave F.

skyliner wrote:

crashandburn wrote:

why cant anyone fix their own bikes. surely you dont even have to have half a brain to fit something / replace a part

That's fine if you're replacing like for like, but you need some experience to know if components are compatible with each other, or your bike.
Professional mechanics will have gained this exprience, and recieved specific training on some manufacturers kit, to allow them to set it up perfectly. (there are a lot of inexperienced mechanics out there too though, so finding a good LBS to fettle your sled can be a bit of a lottery. Once you find one though, stick with them. Their livelyhood depends on people returning for work to be done, and the good spanners realise this, so they won't let you down.)

If you're knowledgable, and confident enough to sort your own bike out, that's cool. But some jobs require expensive tools, and wouldn't be done often enough to make buying the tools a viable option.

Hi
I can only partially agree with you here. An LBS is only as good as the people who work there. Staff move on. If you had good work done ask for they're name. Next Time ask if they're still around. If not ask where & why they went.

Also, depending on the ratio of supply & demand & location, some LBS's know they have a captive audience. Just one shop in town & they know you have little choice to go else where.

nferrar

crashandburn wrote:

why cant anyone fix their own bikes. surely you dont even have to have half a brain to fit something / replace a part

Perhaps some people aren't interested in it or don't want to invest in the tools etc. or just want the assurance its done by someone who know's what they're doing? I'm all for people fixing their own bikes but only a muppet would insult someone for wanting to get it done by an LBS.