SE London LBS - Vaidas? Anybody used them?
pianoleo
Posts: 135
Not being the most technically minded of people, I'm off to the LBS to replace a couple of broken spokes on my back wheel (feel free to flame!)
Cycling down Brockley Rise most days I've noticed a sign advertising Vaidas Bicycles. Given Brixton Cycles' morning surgery doesn't suit me, I thought I may try Vaidas. Just wondered if anyone had used them?
Cycling down Brockley Rise most days I've noticed a sign advertising Vaidas Bicycles. Given Brixton Cycles' morning surgery doesn't suit me, I thought I may try Vaidas. Just wondered if anyone had used them?
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The place near Honor Oak station? I've heard they're pretty good but never used them myself. There's also Cycle Team near Brockley station, not far away. Used them once and they seemed to know what they were doing
http://www.thecycleteam.com/Do not write below this line. Office use only.0 -
Yeah, they must be near Honor Oak Park Station. Cheers for the info on Cycle Team - I'll check them out too.0
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Popped in a few times, they seem ok but I haven't had any work done there.0
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Vaidas was mentioned on the Brockley Central blog about 6 months ago and, to judge by the comments since then, they're doing a good job.
http://brockleycentral.blogspot.com/201 ... -park.html0 -
Ah yes - I've just picked up on that! Looks like I'm nipping in tomorrow - can't survive today without the bike. I'll let you all know what the results are...0
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Wondering if anyone else has had an experience with this shop?
Took my bike in as I was hearing a clicking sound and wanted a brake service.
In a nutshell, I had to take the bike back 3 times for the same problem.
1st - brakes done - told the clicking was probably free hub and needed to be changed
2nd - to change the free hub and chain
3rd -I could barely pedal uphill and gears not shifting and the clicking noise was still there, told it was because the back hub was lose (from original fitting) tightened it (and charged me for the honour despite it been lose from when the free hub was changed) and said the gear problem was probably the cable - despite having this changed two months ago at this shop so I went with his advice and changed it.
After the 3rd time there was no change in the gears shifting, the front wheel was now lose (thats simple) and the clicking noise had still not been solved.
Took it to another bike shop as I was getting inpatient and thus:
Free hub was put on incorrectly
Gears = new bracket
Brake pads put on upside down (I kid you not)
Clicking sound - my pedals simply need to be replaced
What a difference my bike works again and the guys at the new bike shop talked me through everything they did, fixed it in front of me and not in the back etc.
So what was simple (pedals) problem landed up costing me £200 - in fairness some things like the bracket would have needed replacing - not sure about the free hub as that was meant to solve the clicking sound or the gear cable and to be honest I don't know how many times I would have had to have taken it back for '£10 overnight diagnosis' for them to realise it was the pedals.
Bikes aren't cheap but this is a really as this shop builds bikes and has good reviews from local bike clubs so wondering how and why my experience was so different and not once but three times. With the amount of milage I do I should have done a maintenance course years ago but this has definately motivated me to enrol on a course asap.0 -
Dropped my winter trainer off with them this morning as another bike shop had diagnosed a bent rear mech hanger.
They reckon the gears just need adjusting. We'll see when I pick it up tomorrow.0 -
Picked up bike this morning, gears now work perfectly, didn't need to replace rear mech hanger as suggested by another bike shop, cost a fiver. Didn't have a fiver on me so tried to pay by card - he said not to bother and to pop a fiver round some time this week.
Gets a big tick from me.
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