Boardman Bikes 2009: An update from Chris Boardman

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  • I think Halfords have got a good message but it is getting lost on the way down to the shop floor. Saying that i think there have been big improvements over the past couple of years. It seems they get a maybe one or two cyclists into the store who then have to work with people who aren't. I just picked up my Boardman team carbon today and the service they gave me was pretty good. I was obviously speaking to guys who new what they were talking about and the only time i got the 'sunday lackey' he did a good job of keeping me informed and gathering info despite not being as clued up.

    I've got two independant bike shops near me and recieved poor service in both of these. If i need parts and they can get them i go to halfords. If i need anything fitting or fixing i do it myself. I think that the boardman / halfords partnership is a good idea and an excellent way to get quality cycling to a new audience. There's just a few things to sort out like the mechanical ability of some of the staff. However, with boardman and halfords being seperate companies none of these are directly Chris Boardmans responsibility, he just needs to influence, which he is, so fair play.

    Does anybody know if halfords train mechanics to an industry required qualification?

    Dont get me started on Evans ha ha
  • top_bhoy
    top_bhoy Posts: 1,424
    Zilla80 wrote:
    There's just a few things to sort out like the mechanical ability of some of the staff. However, with boardman and halfords being seperate companies none of these are directly Chris Boardmans responsibility, he just needs to influence, which he is, so fair play.

    Wrong, wrong, wrong. Boardman bikes have set themselves up with Halfords as sole distributor and supplier of their bikes. It is incumbent upon them to also ensure that the customer receives a bike which meets safety standards and is in a safe condition when it leaves the shop. Sadly this forum is full of horror stories of Halfords poor attention to safety.

    Boardman bikes are simply ignoring Halfords poor record to make a wad of cash - if they aren't, matters don't appear to be changing very quickly. Ignorance will be no excuse if someone is regrettably injured - or worse.
  • sicknote
    sicknote Posts: 901
    Top_Bhoy wrote:
    Zilla80 wrote:
    There's just a few things to sort out like the mechanical ability of some of the staff. However, with boardman and halfords being seperate companies none of these are directly Chris Boardmans responsibility, he just needs to influence, which he is, so fair play.

    Wrong, wrong, wrong. Boardman bikes have set themselves up with Halfords as sole distributor and supplier of their bikes. It is incumbent upon them to also ensure that the customer receives a bike which meets safety standards and is in a safe condition when it leaves the shop. Sadly this forum is full of horror stories of Halfords poor attention to safety.

    Boardman bikes are simply ignoring Halfords poor record to make a wad of cash - if they aren't, matters don't appear to be changing very quickly. Ignorance will be no excuse if someone is regrettably injured - or worse.

    What can Boardman do to make Halfords get it right?

    He can try to talk to Halfords top men but not much more or have I missed something!
  • top_bhoy
    top_bhoy Posts: 1,424
    Write into the contract is a certain level of customer service to be reached, mechanics have to be suitably qualified, better auditing and inspections of the supply/distribution line, and shops, improved training for counter staff. etc... There are lots which can be done to improve matters - if the will was there (but I seriously doubt). For a company the size of Halfords, this need not cost loads of money either so finance (or lack of) can't be used as an excuse.

    Doing anything else is paying lip service to the customer and playing them for fools. They wouldn't send a car out with forks incorrectly fitted, brakes loose, etc but they are 'happy' to do so with bikes!!! Plenty of horror stories on this forum to testify to that.
  • sicknote
    sicknote Posts: 901
    Top_Bhoy wrote:
    Write into the contract is a certain level of customer service to be reached, mechanics have to be suitably qualified, better auditing and inspections of the supply/distribution line, and shops, improved training for counter staff. etc... There are lots which can be done to improve matters - if the will was there (but I seriously doubt). For a company the size of Halfords, this need not cost loads of money either so finance (or lack of) can't be used as an excuse.

    Doing anything else is paying lip service to the customer and playing them for fools. They wouldn't send a car out with forks incorrectly fitted, brakes loose, etc but they are 'happy' to do so with bikes!!! Plenty of horror stories on this forum to testify to that.

    It would seem that you think that I disagree with you but I dont and see you have some good points made.
    Without knowing what the contract is that is in place now or how they are tied in to it, there is just so much they might be able to do now, also some of the stories on here have not been good for Boardman bikes.

    I cant see that someone like Boardman would put his name to a product and just on the fence about things that are going wrong with his product at the suppliers but I cant be wrong as I dont know him ( cant see anyone that would do that if he wanted to do well ).

    As his does have a good bike when all is right with them.
  • Having read all the postings from Pastey Boy down to the last one from Top_Bhoy, my impression and confidence of the Boardman brand and bike is now at its lowest.

    Even if the Boardman 'trained" mechanic @BikeHut (inside Halfords) reassures me all the safety checks have been done properly and all the boxes ticked, there will always be that little niggle at the back of my mind subconsciously worrying when the bike might fall apart at any point in time. My riding style is pretty "aggressive" like in the sense of a sprinter really cranking it up Cavendish style, which makes it even more worrying since I don8t have that confidence anymore in the Boardman bike as I will always be worrying when the whole damn thing is going to fall apart whilst riding! Lets not even go there...

    All very well saying Boardman bike is a separate entity from BikeHut @ Halfords. So it may be, but when you go to Boardmanbikes.com website the customer service area http://www.boardmanbikes.com/boardman/boardman_contact.html is not easy to spot for a good reason (they don8t want to face the customer!) and when I finally found it under the ' 'Boardman' tab along the top of the page, the direct link points to you've guessed it - Halfords!!! where it reads 'If you would like to speak to a Boardman customer service team member, please email them at: customer.services@halfords.co.uk or call: 08450 579000'

    Complete waste of time! What good is it if and when you do finally get through eventually to customer service, they are pretty much clueless! They just read the specs. off the website in parrot fashion which I already know becos I've done my homework (not showing off or anything, can8t help it when you are informed as we smart consumers are in this day and age plus being abit of a bike geek). So when you ask them something more testing lets say you want some advice cs@Halfords don8t have a clue! which means you have to spend time and money going to your LBS (local bike shop) or an independent bike specialists or any reputable outfit to get things sorted.

    Let me make it crystal clear what CBoardman bikes are all about. Design a decent good looking carbon bike sourced from Taiwan or China (nothing wrong with that as all manufacturers are doing these days to use the Far Eastern bike building expertise and low labour costs so they can give us good value), get some decent name components like Ritchey and Shimano, slap on the Boardman name on the decals, do a deal with a big 'Walmart' type chain like Halfords to distribute your bikes nationally, pitch it a price-point £1000 for an entry level carbon roadbike like the Team Carbon becos it will sell in bucket loads up and down the country to an average man/woman who does not know too much about bikes to find out it's not a good value afterall. Think about it, you walk away with a bike that might not be correctly set-up (we've heard all about the loose nipples ooo errrr, spoke coming loose or coming off, brakes not properly aligned, poor Tektro brakes, poor wheels, Conti GP brand is good but it's their cheapo tyres!

    Boardman bashing so be it but something has to be sorted out before some poor chap or chappess gets seriously injured on the roads because their Boardman fell apart whilst riding. Can you imagine that on BBC 10 O'clock news? Until that happens we are not likely to see any changes for the benefit of consumer safety.

    CBoardman coming on this forum to reassure us he's listening to customers and would be customers is a first step but the sooner he gets a divorce from Halfords (and make that a quickie), the better it will be for us consumers and his bikes which aren8t bad, just horribly let down by Halfords through their lack of passion, knowledge, expertise needed for this level of road bikes. We are not talking £50 bikes here Chris. Wake up and smell the coffee. If you want us to spend our hard money on a grand + bike, it's time the Halfords nightmare of a disaster is sorted out for once and for all. No point throwing more money training the staff. They are not passionate enough and you need better skillssets for the bikes we are talking about. We don8t see your pro-level £2500 Air/TT/1 being sold through Halfords, so just get out of Halfords all together NOW before they sink your brand for good. When that happens, there's no way back, because your customers have gone elsewhere like what I am about to do.

    Yes, the Boardman Team Carbon is a good design good value bike and it even managed to get full stars 10/10 from magazine reviews, but my money is now on a proper high-end bike that has been ridden at the pro-level and won many accolades and comes with a manufacturer lifetime warranty (not a 2year rubbish). There's only one bike for the Rock and you know THE ONE i'm talking about. So folks would now spend your hard earned money on a Boardman knowing if any manufacturing defects crop up after 2 years, that's a whole grand down the drain and don8t forget the loose nipples and spokes for a good measure along the way whilst you are zipping to work or doing sportives or just simplyhaving fun riding your Boardman on the weekend. Now that's what I'm talking about.

    Am I happy spending more than I would have done on a Boardman, not really, but I will sleep better knowing my bike will be set-up correctly with better equipped components which means I don8t need to upgrade them right away and a bike to last me a lifetime.

    So all you chaps and chappesses out there, think about it real hard before you jump on the Boardman wagon. Don8t the poor resale value of Boardmans - just take a look @ eBay to see them going as cheap as chips. Bottom line is --> do I want to spend a grand on a bike that might fall apart anytime resulting in a serious injury with only a 2 year manufacturer warranty or spend abit more to get a good quality decently equipped road bike which is roadworthy and will last for a lifetime.

    Have a safe and enjoyable ride everybody.
  • I bought a boardman team carbon form halfords and im more than happy with it. Halfords fitted an Sram force carbon crank because there was a fault with the original and then asked 800 quid for it. I checked over the bike when i got home and it was fine. Maybe im an isolated incident.

    If they are cheap as chips on ebay i recommend you get one as the cycle press seems to be raving about them.

    As for stipulating in the contract a series of requirements that should be met by halfords staff before agreeing to supply them. I cant see any company agreeing to that. Specialists or not. Its commercial suicide.

    I understand the grievances against halfords, but it comes down to halfords not boardman.

    And if halfords didn't tighten my wheel up enough i'd see it as i check my bike over before the ride. Like you're supposed to, Know what? Id just do it my self.
  • I'm sure in reality that Chris (and Boardman Bikes) couldn't really care less about 99% of the posts on here that slag them off, Halfords appear to be selling the things as fast as Boardman can make them so why on earth would he (as a business man) want to change anything?
    Halfords give him the market exposure that no other bike retailer could possibly do, he's not going to give that up when he really doesn't need to (in terms of units sold).
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    Rockhopper wrote:
    I'm sure in reality that Chris (and Boardman Bikes) couldn't really care less about 99% of the posts on here that slag them off, Halfords appear to be selling the things as fast as Boardman can make them so why on earth would he (as a business man) want to change anything?

    Because his reputation is going down the sh1tter almost as quickly as he is selling the bikes, that's why...

    I wonder if it might be time for Mr Boardman to break cover again - seeing as he hasn't posted on his own thread for over four months......?
  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    A few unhappy people on here isn't going to worry him. You will always get more people posting negatives on a forum than people who come on singing a products praises it's human nature...that is why you should'nt always take everything as gospel on a forum, you don't know who's writing it for a start.
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    Percy Vera wrote:
    A few unhappy people on here isn't going to worry him. You will always get more people posting negatives on a forum than people who come on singing a products praises it's human nature...that is why you should'nt always take everything as gospel on a forum, you don't know who's writing it for a start.

    But it was Boardman himself (apparently) who started this thread. You shouldn't enter into a debate with the common people unless you are prepared to see it through.....
  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    And I bet he is sorry he did now :lol:

    He will never be away from here. There's probably a handful of people complaining on this site, I am sure he sold more than a handful bikes this year.

    Although this thread will come up on google
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    Percy Vera wrote:
    He will never be away from here. There's probably a handful of people complaining on this site, I am sure he sold more than a handful bikes this year.

    Although this thread will come up on google

    But we are talking about reputation, not sales. If the reputation continues to sink, the sales will follow it. Ask Gerald Ratner.....
  • Chip \'oyler
    Chip \'oyler Posts: 2,323
    softlad wrote:
    Percy Vera wrote:
    He will never be away from here. There's probably a handful of people complaining on this site, I am sure he sold more than a handful bikes this year.

    Although this thread will come up on google

    But we are talking about reputation, not sales. If the reputation continues to sink, the sales will follow it. Ask Gerald Ratner.....

    I don't remember Chris Boardman saying his 'products are shit'!
    Expertly coached by http://www.vitessecyclecoaching.co.uk/

    http://vineristi.wordpress.com - the blog for Viner owners and lovers!
  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    I wouldn't let strangers on a forum make a decision for me.
    Yes, I will read the stuff, see if it's backed up with fact, or if it's people just moaning; then ask people with faces that I know if they have any experience of the product/service.

    There's more to UK cycling than a few unknowns on this particular forum.

    I understand if people buy something with their hard earned cash, and its not what they expected or the service wasn't what was expected the first thing they'll do is come online and moan to those who will listen.

    Chris Boardman was good enough to come on here back in June to let us know that he has taken on board what has been said and that he has taken action on it - it's not all going to improve overnight.

    The word on the street is Cracknell and his chums were supposed to do the End to End during the summer, but Cracknell's bike didn't arrive on time! :lol:
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    I don't remember Chris Boardman saying his 'products are shoot'!

    he hasn't - I just used Ratner as an example of how closely a drop in sales can follow a loss of reputation...
  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    The Rock (or can I call you Dwayne?)

    Why should high end road bikes only be sold by club level enthusiasts? I work in a bike shop with a fast expanding base of road riding customers, but none of the staff ride with a club, let alone race. The reason we sell a lot of road bikes is KNOWLEDGE and ENTHUSIASM. A couple of us ride road bikes and know the differences between frame designs, construction and ride characteristics, and what kind of bike suits what kind of riding. We also know how to make sure that customers are comfortable and happy with a bike before they buy, and we also know what we are doing when it comes to setting up a bike. No I don't work at Halfords. Yes i would be happy if Boardman bikes could be sold through independents like my shop. I still have no intention of ever racing a bike..... but I am capable of advising people who want to ride a road bike.
  • Chip \'oyler
    Chip \'oyler Posts: 2,323
    softlad wrote:
    I don't remember Chris Boardman saying his 'products are shoot'!

    he hasn't - I just used Ratner as an example of how closely a drop in sales can follow a loss of reputation...

    Yes but the Ratner reputation was self induced.
    Expertly coached by http://www.vitessecyclecoaching.co.uk/

    http://vineristi.wordpress.com - the blog for Viner owners and lovers!
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513

    Yes but the Ratner reputation was self induced.

    like I said - I just used Ratner as an example of how closely a drop in sales can follow a loss of reputation..
  • Fraktul
    Fraktul Posts: 6
    edited October 2009
    My Boardman Team Carbon is ace:D
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,921
    just take a look @ eBay to see them going as cheap as chips.

    Strange that, I've been watching a couple and they are selling for a higher percentage of their original cost than pretty much any other brand. I assume this is due to people having the same problem as me - actually finding a Halfords with them in stock.

    Reading Chris's OP it would seem that Halfords are more use to him than he is to them so I doubt he has that much influence in reality. I do think he has missed a trick in going down the online direct ordering route (may as well as you never get to try one out in Halfords anyway) but then I know quite a few newcomers to the sport who have bougt Boardman bikes because Halfords was where they looked first so if it was an online business similar to P-X a lot of those people would probably be riding a Carrera instead.
  • guilliano - - Rock will do just fine ;) - -

    "Why should high end road bikes only be sold by club level enthusiasts?"

    Not sure if you were directing me that question or just generally to anyone, but here goes.

    To clarify my view that high end bikes costing £1000+ should be sold by shops with staff who are knowledge, helpful and friendly, regardless of the staff being a club level rider or not. But if they are or compete in races, that experience and expertise could only be an extra bonus for customers walking through the door.

    Goes without saying that enthusiasm and having a genuine passion for bicycles of course extremely important alongside the advice and guidance given to customers to make an informed choice towards their goal, since there are so many makes and models out there.
  • Regieuk
    Regieuk Posts: 20
    A couple of months ago I was researching a road bike to be purchased on the C2W scheme, I narrowed my list down to 4 bikes inc the Boardman Carbon. My next stage was to view and test ride the bikes.
    I was cautious about Halfords due to previous experience and reviews I had read however as sole stockists I had no choice! When I rang my 'local Halfords (St Austell - 15miles away!) they informed me they were no longer stocking the Boardman range, nearest branch now Camborne (20miles away!)
    When I rang them I was told there were none in stock and would not be for 2 months! I only have a 1 month window each year for the C2W scheme and was not prepared to 'buy' a bike without riding it let alone not even seeing it!
    I emailed Halfords and basically got brushed off, the feeling was there are plenty of customers who want the bike.
    I went to an independant who listened, advised and were fantastic, even recommending a bike that was a lot cheaper! I now ride a Specialized Secteur Sport, and I am well chuffed!
    My experience of Halfords is final, until they seriously sort their problems I will not purchase from them. Sorry Chris you lost a sale, and will not get it until you sell via the independants!
  • I cannot comment for all Halfords, and no I don't work for them, but my experience at the Maidstone branch, has been nothing short of fantastic (believe it or not).

    I am on the cycle to work scheme, run through Halfords, and although I can get pretty much any bike through them, I've opted for the Ltd Edition Team Carbon. Before this decision I went in and tried a large for size, but was unsure, so they said they'd get in an XL just for me to try for size (phoned and ordered while I was there.)
    As soon as the bike was in they phoned and asked when I'd like it set up so I could come in and try it (was able to test ride it for 1 hour by giving them a deposit equivalent to the cost of the bike - fair enough I guess - and got that straight back once I took the bike back.)
    Once I'd decided that it was the right one, they said they'd hold it for me until my voucher came through. In the meantime, I saw the Ltd Edition and rang to see if they could pre-order one for me. They rang back before I'd even put the phone back on the charger to say it had been ordered, AND they'd hang onto the standard XL in case there are any problems in getting the Ltd Edition!!!
    The set-up on the test ride was spot on - Boardman trained tech in there, and they knew about the reported problems with spoke nipples and said they'd checked the spokes already.
    My voucher is now here, but they don't want it until the Ltd Edition has arrived.
    Only my personal experience with one branch of a national company. If only all of them were like this one!!!
    Limited Edition Boardman Team Carbon No. 448
    Boardman MTB Team
  • arknor
    arknor Posts: 3
    I purchased a boardman mx race from halfords and collected it.
    it appears they should have shown me how to use quick release wheels and all sorts of other stuff but they just gave me the bike and send me on my way... (at home trying to learn how to use them correctly I discovered the front QR was so loose I could pull the thing with my pinky finger without even holding the bike)

    I took it back the next day because the front reflector had rattled loose and fell off from riding on roads :roll:
    I also told them the brakes front and rear constantly rubbed and showed the "bike guy" he explained how it's normal and you need to ride the bike hard to flatted the brake pads" I learned how to set them up myself and no rubbing
    the gears were also the front derailer was poorly indexed and wouldn't shift to the big cog in a whole range of gears on the rear cassette even some of the ones in the middle of the cassette lol...
    learned to index them mtself but not convinced the toe on the derailer is right so will have to PAY for a shop to sort out my 1month old bike properly because halfords can't do simple tasks
    I am so disapointed with halfords and will never buy a bike from them again which is a shame as I have no issues with the quality of the boardman bike and I would gladly purchase another in future but not if the only place to buy them is halfords.

    also I saw this port and I'm utterly shocked THAT HALFORDS CAN LET THIS GUY RIDE AROUND ON THIS BIKE AND NOT REPLACE IT OR FIX IT properly
    http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpo ... ount=36585
  • arknor
    arknor Posts: 3
    took my bike in for the free six week service some older looking bloke who looked as fit as a cyclist started working on my bike.
    I was told to return in 30minutes and he told me exactly what he had adjusted on the bike and seemed highly knowledgeable.
    instantly as I sat on the bike and started riding I knew he had set my bike up to 100% perfection.

    oddly enough when I was picking my bike up someone else came in with a trek mtb and wanted a service just because his chain was loose but the guy told him they were fully booked so he wouldn't be able to get his bike back until tomorrow or he could just bring it back tomorrow , so it would appear halfords are making the extra effort to fit boardman bikes in for services.

    BTW even the brakes are perfect! no rubbing at all! unlike the young guy who told me they are supposed to rub until you wear them in which I know sounded like BS so I adjusted them my self but didn't get them anywhere near as good as this guy did.

    It's just a huge shame my bike was not setup properly when it was bought brand new halfords should really let only the older guys with experience near what they call their "premium" bikes
  • My first real road bike was the Boardman Road Race. After looking at and test riding all the similarly priced bikes from every other major name, Giant, Specialized, Cannondale etc there was absolutely no comparison in terms of ride and build quality, the Boardman was just on another level entirely. Having read all the negative comments online about Halfords made me slightly nervous but I couldn't overlook the superiority of the Boardman so took a risk. I actually had a very positive experience with buying from Halfords, the staff were knowledgeable and helpful and the guy who set up my bike did a perfect job, better than my LBS in Liverpool who scratched the paintwork on my bike.

    When it came time to buy a more 'serious' road bike I went through the same process of researching and test riding every bike I could from all major manufacturers. Once again Boardman came out on top by a significant margin and I am now a proud owner of the Boardman Road Team. No probs with Halfords this time either.

    Boardman must be doing something right and other manufacturers need to take note.