Halfords ; out goes GT , in comes......

biff55

Reebok :?
Just seen halfords new tv ad and its exciting new range of reebok bikes has been revealed.
obviously decided to go the bargin basement route to replace the GT range.
disappointing really from the UK's biggest bike store.
discuss.

Chunkers1980

They used to make good clothes, so they must be able to make good bikes.

without any jest though, what are they actually going to make? Parts will be courtesy of SRAM and Shimano I'd think - the frame will be made in the far east...

spongtastic

As another part of the deal to start selling Reebok bikes the accessory racks will now be filled with grey shell suits, white baseball caps and trainers.

The fitting service will now make sure that the seat is far too low, forcing owners to pedal like bow legged frogs.

The pre delivery check will now ensure that only the granny ring can be used forcing the owners to pedal like manic bow legged frogs. All pressure will be taken out of the tyres and at least one brake cable will be cut and left to wave around in the wind.

Bill-87

Unreal. :roll:

biff55

Chunkers1980 wrote:

They used to make good clothes, so they must be able to make good bikes.

lolz , agreed , they make great trainers
but their bikes are worthy of argos.
would have thought they may have sought a replacement bike range of equal standing / quality to GT.
it's not as if their shop floor isn't littered with enough BSO's already.
now relying soley on carrera / boardman to pull in punters who want to spend more than £200 on a bike.

biff55

spongtastic wrote:

As another part of the deal to start selling Reebok bikes the accessory racks will now be filled with grey shell suits, white baseball caps and trainers.

The fitting service will now make sure that the seat is far too low, forcing owners to pedal like bow legged frogs.

The pre delivery check will now ensure that only the granny ring can be used forcing the owners to pedal like manic bow legged frogs. All pressure will be taken out of the tyres and at least one brake cable will be cut and left to wave around in the wind.

i can see you're well versed in the chav school of biking.
still
edit ; thats the funniest post i've read in ages. class.

underdog

They don't really need to replace GT though do they? They have Carrera, Boardman and Voodoo already in place.

re-cycles

To be fair to Halfords it's probably a good move. They realise that their primary market is for budget bikes and no the supermarkets are selling bikes for £70 Halfords are going to have to go with the "stack 'em high, sell 'em low" concept. They do the same in the car audio department, loads of brands but all low end stuff. If you want a specialist product, you go to a specialist store.

nickfrog

What do they think this is ? 1995 ?

biff55

underdog wrote:

They don't really need to replace GT though do they? They have Carrera, Boardman and Voodoo already in place.

very true.
but customers interested in proper bikes would still enjoy the variety / choice.
as for voodoo , although i dont doubt they're a quality bike , they look pretty dull and uninspiring compared to the competition IMO.

biff55

re-cycles wrote:

Halfords are going to have to go with the "stack 'em high, sell 'em low" concept. They do the same in the car audio department, loads of brands but all low end stuff. If you want a specialist product, you go to a specialist store.

i noticed that myself when i was in my local halfords last week looking at car stereo's.
couple of years back they used to stock nice alpine / pioneer gear , now nothing more hi-tech than clarion.

re-cycles

biff55 wrote:

re-cycles wrote:

Halfords are going to have to go with the "stack 'em high, sell 'em low" concept. They do the same in the car audio department, loads of brands but all low end stuff. If you want a specialist product, you go to a specialist store.

i noticed that myself when i was in my local halfords last week looking at car stereo's.
couple of years back they used to stock nice alpine / pioneer gear , now nothing more hi-tech than clarion.

I was involved in the ranging for Halfords when then purchased the Ripspeed name and started the branding of the stores. Sadly the senior management had no idea what they were doing so went with the brands that offered "special deals" and had smart looking demo cars. Alpine & Vibe had huge contracts to supply exclusive products, but they didn't sell because most folks that were into car audio wanted the specialist knowledge & support they'd get from an independent. Halfords market place was (and still is) bling & tacky. Its a market they do well, and it brings in good revenue for them, so it makes sense to revert to that.

bartimaeus

Bring back "Bike Hut"

ilovedirt

I never expected pinnacle to make decent bikes, but they seem to be fairly good bikes for the price, so you never know, reebok may up their game. That said, i wouldn't be caught dead on a bike that said "reebok" on it.

supersonic

Just had a look at the range, Halfords are playing their silly 'half price' game again.

Chunkers1980

Yep it's a pi$$ take - this is how they get away with it though..

Please note, this product was previously on sale at

£319.99 between 13/05/10 and 12/07/10 inclusive

Some people must fall into the trap....doesn't mean anyone bought it, you just could buy it.

There's half price and then there's proper half price.

You can tell the proper half prices shops do as that line sells out in a flash - this is simply a gimmick for the less well educated.

bails87

underdog wrote:

They don't really need to replace GT though do they? They have Carrera, Boardman and Voodoo already in place.

And Kona!

biff55

bails87 wrote:

underdog wrote:

They don't really need to replace GT though do they? They have Carrera, Boardman and Voodoo already in place.

And Kona!

quite true , and good bikes they are.
however , never seen a kona or voodoo bike on display in my local stores ever !
they simply dont promote these other decent bikes.
i'm not sure most of the staff have the knowledge to sell / demo / answer enquiries with the higher range bikes and feel more comfortable flogging cheapo FS apollos to families who are unlikely to know better.
at least GT was recognised as an established / quality brand by folk who werent experienced bikers , but thats gone now.
just the way the company is geared up - stack em high , sell em cheap as quoted earlier.

chedabob

Chunkers1980 wrote:

without any jest though, what are they actually going to make? Parts will be courtesy of SRAM and Shimano I'd think - the frame will be made in the far east...

If you're lucky. On bikes that price, it's unbranded tat that falls apart. At least when it breaks you can replace it with something better :P

gloriouswanga

Halfords definitely do not promote some of their premium bikes enough. For example, the Voodoo Bantu is a great bike, comparable to the Fury but there is simply not enough awareness about it...If customers can't see it, they often won't be keen to buy it.

The Reebok bikes are pretty bad, have built a few and not really impressed but hey, they are cheap and serve a purpose...

Northwind

Seems a bit odd, doesn't this just give them even more duplication in the bottom end of their range?

piker

Northwind wrote:

Seems a bit odd, doesn't this just give them even more duplication in the bottom end of their range?

Yep more generic argos style frames with different paint and stickers.

hoochylala

Saw the TV advert for this last night - quite amusing seeing as they are advertising the Reebok bikes, but then low and behold the bike they have on the workstand is a GT XCR(?) and then its featured again with the family outside and the end getting their new bikes!

RevellRider

That's worse than the rubbish that JJB sold under the Reebok name.

bails87

biff55 wrote:

bails87 wrote:

underdog wrote:

They don't really need to replace GT though do they? They have Carrera, Boardman and Voodoo already in place.

And Kona!

quite true , and good bikes they are.
however , never seen a kona or voodoo bike on display in my local stores ever !
they simply dont promote these other decent bikes..

That's a shame, there was a Stinky on the wall of my local Halfords getting cheaper and cheaper over a year until it eventually went. They also had a Kona hardtail with decent forks, proper drivetrain (X-7/SLX level) reduced down to about £400. I was tempted to buy it just because it was such a bargain.

They also have a Voodoo or two out on display as well as the whole range of GTs and most of the Boardmans (Boardmen?!).

You have to treat each store individually.

submityournentries

yeah the store i work in has every boardman we have in stock out on display (even all 3 full sussers) and a Kona Dawg but i know that another store near me, the most high end bike they have is a fury :S so its each store only being given what they are expected to sell. and the reeboks are just barging into the top end apollos (and i am aware of the irony of what i have just said).

the drawback is with their half price stuff is when people buy them at full price they expect a really good bike for £350, and it really isnt. i just feel abit bad for the people who get stung buying them at full price.

Daz555

Who actually makes Reebok bikes?

biff55

bails87 wrote:

You have to treat each store individually.

and thats the big problem i can see with halfords whole set-up , inconsistency.
as a recognised national chain the public reasonalbly expect the stores to have pretty similar prices , range of products and customer service.
yet every week on this forum you hear stories of how sh*te / great and everything inbetween for different stores.
its pretty poor senior management that leads to this inconsistancy IMO.
i gladly shop at my local halfords for bits and pieces all the time and will continue to but i wouldnt buy a bike from them because their ridiculous chopping and changing of sale prices for bikes every week means you dont know whether its good value or not.
they royally take the p*ss with this stratergy.

bails87

biff55 wrote:

wouldnt buy a bike from them because their ridiculous chopping and changing of sale prices for bikes every week means you dont know whether its good value or not.
they royally take the p*ss with this stratergy.

I agree it's tricky for a new biker, to think they're getting a £500 bike for £250 when it's not even worth £100.

But for someone who knows what they're looking for, it's quite easy to look at the kit and put a value to it. So the Fury, with a decent frame, proper forks, X7 drivetrain and Mavic wheels is a bargain at under £500. The fact it may claim to be reduced from £3500 is irrelevant if you know what you're doing.

I suppose the problem is that lots of people don't.

Anonymous

Daz555 wrote:

Who actually makes Reebok bikes?

The frames are probably manufactured by Giant. Almost everyone's frames are.

ratherbeintobago

The frames are probably manufactured by Giant. Almost everyone's frames are.

I thought Carreras were made by Merida?

Andy