Worrying
chuckcork
Posts: 1,471
My (lady) Neighbour just stopped by to say Hi, and to ask if my little girl (3)would like to come to the park with her sons (2 and 4). The older one was on his little BMX bike, and wouldn't you know it, the front forks were on backwards!
Now, I'm not sure if the bike was assembled by his dad or not (I'm told he is useless mechanically), but apparently the bike had been to Halfords and they never said anything!
Having got the tools out and spun it around the right way, I did a check over everything else. The brakes needed a slight adjustment to work properly seeing as they were worn down a bit, the caps over the rear wheel bolts were loose (though not a safety problem, more to prevent the rear wheel bolt from cutting skin), and the handlebars turn rather too easily to be ridden safely. The tyes were also well below pressure at about 5-10psi rather than the 35psi maximum.
While the young chap isn't like to get up to excessive speeds on his 16" wheels in the park, does anyone else findin this rather worrying? That No.1 Halfords missed the bleedin' obvious; and that No.2 he is riding a bike which blind Freddies mechanic would know isn't set up safely?
Now, I'm not sure if the bike was assembled by his dad or not (I'm told he is useless mechanically), but apparently the bike had been to Halfords and they never said anything!
Having got the tools out and spun it around the right way, I did a check over everything else. The brakes needed a slight adjustment to work properly seeing as they were worn down a bit, the caps over the rear wheel bolts were loose (though not a safety problem, more to prevent the rear wheel bolt from cutting skin), and the handlebars turn rather too easily to be ridden safely. The tyes were also well below pressure at about 5-10psi rather than the 35psi maximum.
While the young chap isn't like to get up to excessive speeds on his 16" wheels in the park, does anyone else findin this rather worrying? That No.1 Halfords missed the bleedin' obvious; and that No.2 he is riding a bike which blind Freddies mechanic would know isn't set up safely?
'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze....
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Comments
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Par for the course from what I've heard.
I've a few friends who do the Bikeability training in local schools and fairly frequently they have to do major adjustments on bikes that were purchased from shops, including Halfords just the day before. The forks being backwards is a pretty common one I think.0 -
Stupid question, but what happens if the forks are on back to front?
I can see that the brakes might work a bit oddly, and it would look wrong, but what else?0 -
It alters the fork trail and messes the handling up.
How long ago was it at Halfords? Most back to front forks I see are when people have spun them to put them in the car, then spun them back the wrong way.
Though on a little bmx bike...0 -
Don't tell the Germans.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nielsamd/2 ... 571471769/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nielsamd/3223361524/
See what I did there?0 -
Yes I suppose it would...supersonic wrote:It alters the fork trail and messes the handling up.
How long ago was it at Halfords? Most back to front forks I see are when people have spun them to put them in the car, then spun them back the wrong way.
Though on a little bmx bike...
Thanks
And those look as though their handling would be "interesting"mapleflot wrote:Don't tell the Germans.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nielsamd/2 ... 571471769/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nielsamd/3223361524/
See what I did there?0 -
Saw this very thig this evening on a friend's daughter's bike (toysRUs - don't ask...)
The wheel ends up so close to the pedal that the kid can't steer the thing. Shoddy ain't in it. No wonder half the kids around here are never to be seen on a bike."Consider the grebe..."0
