Worst assembly by an LBS ever? Named and shamed!

SimonAH

Met this poor chap on the 5:36 from Newport to Cardiff today and did a triple take. I was embarrassed to ask him - could this be the new urban thing to speed up your handling in traffic? Was this a counter culture biking statement? Nope. This is the Giant that he bought from Schmoos in Swansea last week.

Don't know what he paid for it (didn't have the guts to ask) but I'd expect an LBS to FIT THE FREAKIN FORKS THE RIGHT WAY AROUND and not only get them arse backwards but use a red post office rubber band to hold the (obviously really twisted round and flapping) hydraulic brake cable to the stantion. Good grief. I don't know if someone had the hangover from hell or was on work experience, but......

What's worse is that the poor purchaser is obviously on his first bike as an adult and just thought that it was a bit odd that the front wheel kept bashing his feet......

If anyone from Schmoos picks up on this then if I were you I'd check your records to find out who bought this bike and make him a nice present of some accessories along with an apology. Poor bloke.

SimonAH

Ah, OK, How do you insert images? :oops:

lardboy

Done.

That's bloody shocking. I hope you told him to go back in and bang the counter?

Splottboy

Got 2 up here.

Kiddies bike down the road, and young ladys bike in Pen Y Groes.
Told the young ladys mother that I'd sort it for free.

Never even came back to me.

Still the wrong way round far as I know...

Jay dubbleU

My GT 29r - got it from Swindon Cycles - where do I start ? Wheels were loose - quick releases not done up properly, front and rear discs were binding, limiter screws on the rear mech were set up so that I couldn't get bottom gear, tyres were underinflated - oh yes and the bell was loose - guy had the nerve to say come back in six weeks and we'll give it a service - no chance - I've set it up perfectly myself - certainly wouldn't let them get their hands on it again

suzyb

That sounds like the way my MTB was set up. However it was me, a non professional bike mechanic that set it up.

* goes off to look at potential lbs premises *

SimonAH

Just found the email for Schmoos and pinged them a link to this thread - let's see if they'll step up to the plate.

nstevo

I bought my Trek from All Terrain in Shipley after being told by several LBS never to use Halfords coz of build quality. I was going to buy a Boardman, but decided against it in favour of a LBS.

First ride, saddle fell off and rear brake cable came loose from caliper. Third ride, handlebars came loose when pulling on a steep climb. They've been totally useless ever since.

Meanwhile, a friend has bought the Boardman I wanted from Halfords - absolutely no probs with it at all!!

supersonic

Hmm, there could be an explanation here - mechanic twists bars 90 degrees to make it fit in car better. Rider turns bars wrong way when he gets it out the car. Seen it a few times.

Or the shop just might be crap.

I check bar and stem bolts before every ride to be safe.

nstevo

No bolts adusted - bike fitted in car intact! The bars rotated verically not horizontally! When i dropped my bike off for a service, the bloke in front had dropped his bike off for a replacement chain and was apparently quoted £20. He got a bill for £175 for work they had done without his authorisation. He said "i'm not paying", they said "we'll just remove the parts then", he said "so you'll put the old bits back on then?", they said "no, we've binned them, you'll have to go somewhere else and buy some more". Apparenly his bike only cost £300! Don't touch them. Bandits!

Kieran_Burns

nstevo wrote:

No bolts adusted - bike fitted in car intact! The bars rotated verically not horizontally! When i dropped my bike off for a service, the bloke in front had dropped his bike off for a replacement chain and was apparently quoted £20. He got a bill for £175 for work they had done without his authorisation. He said "i'm not paying", they said "we'll just remove the parts then", he said "so you'll put the old bits back on then?", they said "no, we've binned them, you'll have to go somewhere else and buy some more". Apparenly his bike only cost £300! Don't touch them. Bandits!

One of the best parts of my job was working with Trading Standards for the local City Council.
Their Chief Trading Standards Officer had the same kind of thing happen to him (car service - huge bill for unauthorised work)

His comment?
"Thanks for doing all that work on my car at your expense"

If you refuse to pay for work not authorised they MUST put back as it was before work commenced - EXACTLY as it was.

Otherwise, take the bike and walk.

SimonAH

Chap on the train said that the bike was set up by the shop as ridden away - I'd not have said a word on the forum if I'd thought he'd done it himself (given obvious lack of experience). We all have a learning curve, but I'd expect LBS to be experts?

SimonAH

......and the post office rubber band?

prj45

SimonAH wrote:

......and the post office rubber band?

Hay, don't dis post office rubber bands, they last forever!

supersonic

nstevo wrote:

No bolts adusted - bike fitted in car intact! The bars rotated verically not horizontally! When i dropped my bike off for a service, the bloke in front had dropped his bike off for a replacement chain and was apparently quoted £20. He got a bill for £175 for work they had done without his authorisation. He said "i'm not paying", they said "we'll just remove the parts then", he said "so you'll put the old bits back on then?", they said "no, we've binned them, you'll have to go somewhere else and buy some more". Apparenly his bike only cost £300! Don't touch them. Bandits!

That is pretty poor. When I worked as a mechanic we were advised that if the quote was more than 10% out to give them a ring. Of course you always see things at closer inspection so can happen quite frequently.

roger_merriman

prj45 wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

......and the post office rubber band?

Hay, don't dis post office rubber bands, they last forever!

the old ones used to, but the cheap red ones are well cheap snaptastic.

greg66_tri_v2.0

I took a Giant out for a test ride once. Got 20 metres and the handlebars dropped down. Stem face plate was loose. So i turn round, and the shop tightens it.

Out I go again. Handling feels a bit loose. That would be because the other end of the stem was loosening fast. Made corners tricky. Like a circus bike.

So back I go again. That gets tightened. Bike feels pretty good after that, so I buy it.

Within a week (a) one of the rear brake shoes came loose and rotated 90 degrees on a descent. Liked that! (b) had some shifting issues towards the end of a ride, which I put down to cables. Got home, took a look to find two bolts missing from the spider and a third ready to drop out. That one I find hard to blame on the shop, because a crank set usually comes ready assembled.

Lesson: do your own maintenance.

Boy Lard

Now I'm a bit concerned because I've been down to All Terrain Cycles a few times and they have been very helpful suggesting things that may help my cycling, not pushing expensive items at me just for the sake of it. I was intending to buy a new bike from them either next week, or next month (depending on pay days). If anyone has a different opinion about them I'd be interested to hear it.

spev11

I work in Schmoos and i'm more than happy to "step up to the plate" as you put it. That bike did'nt come from us as well dont sell Giant bikes(and arent able to offer them), they are sold through three dealers in Swansea, Tredz (also have a shop in Cardiff), Wheelies and Action Cycles. I can guarantee that we would not have let a bike leave us in that state. I'd like to think the original owner would take it back to the shop he bought it from and get it sorted.
If anyone would like to contact us to confirm we did'nt sell it then please do, phone 01792 467070 or email schmooscycles@gmail.com

Cheers
Chris

spev11

to Nstevo, was that experience with Schmoos or another shop? If it were ourselves I find it hard to believe as we always ring if a major problem occurs during a repair job.
never mind just re-read the thread (its still early and i've only had 3 cups of tea) and your talking about a different shop
i'm off to eat a doughnut

HamishD

Yet another unfounded smear campaign/conspiracy theory bites the dust.
:oops: :roll: :roll:

joshtp

i find this hard to belive! Shmooze is an excellent shop! the guy in there is very nice, a great mechanic and is always fair.... one of the better shops iv used.... Although, when i was in there last week there was a new guy working there who apeared to know nothing about bikes, he had no idea what i was on about when i asked for a cassette lockring tool, had to ask the boss what it was.... just so he could point me to the tool area of the shop...... so it could have been him that set it up wrong.... i refuse to belive that it was either the bos, or the other dude.... they are both really top lads.

glauciaregina9

No bad experiences myself with any of the bike shops I've regularly used over the years (North West MTB, Royles, Leisure Lakes)

However, I have regularly seen pictures in catalogues showing bikes with the forks facing the wrong way


Going back a few years I do remember phoning a local well-known, well-respected bike shop, to ask if they had any ISIS bottom brackets in stock - only to be told they'd never heard of 'ISIS' :? ... pretty fundamental stuff if you ask me ... I've never bothered with them since

Mickey Eye

Saw a woman on a hybrid a few weeks ago with the forks backwards. Pity she was going at some speed in the opposite direction otherwise I might have had the chance to say something.

I've luckily never had such a bad experience from an LBS. There was that time I didn't tighten my handlebars properly but for that one I can sadly only blame myself.

HamishD

Ive an idea:

How about the OP (who doesnt even own the bike in question, nor know the person who does) contacts the bike shop which he has potentially libelled in a public forum and offers an apology for not checking facts before smearing a companys name and for being well, a bit of a busybody. . . .

Just a thought.

spev11

That may have been one of the work experience kids, we dont let them near the bikes for servicing etc but we do let em loose in the shop to see how things go, some are more enthusiastic than their experience but they do try hard.
Hopefully the OP will be on soon to offer his apology. In fairness to him he has already apologized by email but it would be nice to get a response on here as well(cos the owner is livid)

Agent57

glauciaregina9 wrote:

only to be told they'd never heard of 'ISIS' :? ... pretty fundamental stuff if you ask me ...

I've never heard of ISIS, and I've been riding bikes for nearly 40 years. =/

Agent57

Surely the guy would know where he bought the bike from. Something smells fishy.

glauciaregina9

Agent57 wrote:

glauciaregina9 wrote:

only to be told they'd never heard of 'ISIS' :? ... pretty fundamental stuff if you ask me ...

I've never heard of ISIS, and I've been riding bikes for nearly 40 years. =/

You must be knackered

Erm.

I'll get me coat...

rjsterry

Agent57 wrote:

glauciaregina9 wrote:

only to be told they'd never heard of 'ISIS' :? ... pretty fundamental stuff if you ask me ...

I've never heard of ISIS, and I've been riding bikes for nearly 40 years. =/

Similar to Shimano Octalink BBs - i.e. an 8-splined axle end, rather than square taper.

joshtp

spev11 wrote:

Josh , was the guy in question very tall with floppy dark hair and glasses? If it was thats Jack our saturdayish/part timer/hanger on/tea maker. We don't let him set bikes up unless its his own.
Hopefully the OP will be on soon to offer his apology. In fairness to him he has already apologized by email but it would be nice to get a response on here as well(cos the owner is livid)

ye... i think so.... friendly enough... but lacking a bit in the brain cells department..... at least regarding bikes..... If you need a new tea maker and genneral helper who CAN set up a bike and is a pretty competent mechanic.... i live 2 mins up the road in the Uplands....