Evans Cycles - Yes or no? (Workshop/customer satisfaction)

mdavis

Hi there

I have created this topic based on my experience with Evans Cycles as i have recently spent £235 on getting my bike serviced and repaired and didnt feel completely satisfied. I was told i would get my bike looked at on a certain day, which never happened when i brought it in. I had to leave it with them for another week before they could start work on it. They also did not bother to ring me to let me know my bike was ready (they had 2 days to do this) and in the end i gave them a call to find out what was going on.

I have recently collected my bike from Evans. I requested a stage 1 service along with a rear brake bleed, new cassette, new chain and 2 new chain rings so my focus here is the drivetrain. I have found from riding back from the shop (around 3 miles to where i live) that the gears have occasionally slipped under pressure which i could not believe as its just had brand new components and the gears adjusted.

Will riding more to bed in the new components stop this occasional slip of the gears?

So yeah it's unlikely i'll be going back to Evans for any more service work and also at the price they're charging. Ridiculous.

Thanks, regards Matt

supersonic

Which store?

While I can't comment on some aspects of this, new parts do bed in, and it is up to the user to readjust them. But they should have told you this.

mdavis

Evans in Nottingham. Thanks for the post. They didnt mention anything to me or point out anything on my bike which they had done. They just sort of handed it over and i disagree that it should be up to me to re-adjust components - i mean this is what im paying these guys to do in the first place...to get it right what i cant do.

supersonic

But you had some new parts - parts bed in - it has been like this with bikes since they first ever went on sale, and I have worked in many bike shops. Many places will offer a free tune up, but cables stretch, parts bed in and will often need adjusting. Even says it in most instuctions, guides, books.

Bikes need routine checking over and mainteneance, bolts tightening, parts adjusting. I check many parts before every ride, and clean/oil/strip once per month.

However if you are unhappy with your service, ask them for a written statement of work carried out, and ask if you can pop back in to have any readjustments done.

After that, it is down to you to service it, or pay again. The gears probably just need the barrel adjuster tweaking half a turn, is a 30 second adjustment.

cooldad

Learn to do it yourself and you could have saved the best part of £200. And then only yourself to blame for shoddy work. I regularly swear at myself.

supersonic

I always say that people should learn the basics. Sure, bike shops are great if short of time and will pay, and newcomers can get a foot up from free builds and service - but eventually gear and brake adjustment, and torqueing of bolts needs to be learned. They don't look after themselves.

Park Tools is a great info resource.

jimexbox

Anyone with a little mechanical ability can perform most tasks on their own bike. The only thing that made me slightly nervous was cutting a steerer tube, which cannot be undone.

Briggo

Holy cow £235 to do that? So glad I do repairs/maint myself or I would have spent a fortune if those are the typical rates.

jimexbox

Briggo wrote:

Holy cow £235 to do that? So glad I do repairs/maint myself or I would have spent a fortune if those are the typical rates.

My LBS charges £44 an hour. Never used them.

blablablacksheep

does seem quite high price to pay but tbh the first service allways is..

tbh the only time id go for a service is if something clearly was wrong with bike and i had no idea what it was or how to fix it, small issues like making sure bike clean and well lubes chain can stop a lot of problems.

on breaks bleeding im sure there are 100 guides on how to do them and now a days with all the kits im sure it isnt too tricky to do and saves quite a lot of cash.


like others said they should let you know what stuff needs doing BEFORE doing it, this is pretty much a must unless the service covers such replacements like many do.

get them to send you a "work form" which most bike shops should do when they service your bike listing what was done and what was replaced/put onto bike.

Anonymous

+1 for DIY.

Learn the basics, then you find the rest isn't that much of a mystery even on a full-sus. Just learn as you go based on whatever needs doing at the time.

The only thing is the cost of tools, but if you're going to shell out £200+ on a regular basis to an LBS, that will set you up with a good set of tools that will last for ages.

Or you can beg, steel and borrow the tools.

A few things are best left to the LBS like frame facing, but that's not going to be something to worry about unless you're buying a new frame.


Anyway, cassette & chain are dead easy and can be done in a matter of minutes. I doubt the chainrings really needed doing, but not too hard but may need to take the crank off (which can be tricky if it's seized on by LBS staff with gorilla hands).

These basics should sort out any slip. If it's slipping I'd check they actually did replace the cassette. Could be the indexing and/or tension in the mech though.

fatbikedog

I had poor service from Evans. Then I tought its not really an LBS, its a shop for an online store-- not the same thing.

geoffsaddlesore

Two of my mates went for a free 2 hour bike maintainence lession at Evans Guilford.
They both agreed that Evans came off really well and that they had a new found respect for the mechanics.
But of course, they can't vouch for every branch. I guess you can loose that personal LBS feel from a chain store.

Perhaps if anyone out there wants to learn the basics from guys that do it for a living it might be worth looking into.

Oh, just a thought, There's stacks of videos on youtube if you need guidance.

getonyourbike

I've learnt everything I know about bike mainenance from videos and stuff on here. I'd have spent a fortune at the LBS if I didn't. Stripping hubs, adjusting gears, adjusting brakes, set up and changing parts.

Muttly1981

Briggo wrote:

Holy cow £235 to do that? So glad I do repairs/maint myself or I would have spent a fortune if those are the typical rates.

Thank god my mates a cytec mechanic and has a garage/workshop

Anonymous

Geoffsaddlesore wrote:

Two of my mates went for a free 2 hour bike maintainence lession at Evans Guilford.
They both agreed that Evans came off really well and that they had a new found respect for the mechanics.

New store so they probably start out with good staff, high motivation, and willing to please the customer.

I went to a new branch of Kwik-Fit once and had excellent service, they were happy to please the customer, managed to find a cheap deal rather than what suited them, and even offered me a free lift to work and return, just for a job that would take an hour. I went back but the following year the place was run by miserable jerks who true to form for Kwik-Fit try to rip you off or avoid doing any work. I think the original staff left and they employed ex-Dixons salesmen.

projectsome

:x So far it's bad, took my wheel in 2 weeks ago, was told they had to order a part in from shimano. Surely it should only take around 3 days for it to come in, Which leaves at least a week to do a job that should no more than 30 mins?

I'd do it myself but I don't have the knowledge or the tools.

geoffsaddlesore

Good point deadkenny.

Didn't know it was a new store, didn't consider that.

slimboyjim

It does depend on the individual shop/mechanic. I've always found Evans to be fine, but they are more expensive than my lbs. I also like the fact that at my lbs you can wait whilst work is done, watch what they do and have a good old chat about bikes. I've picked up no end of useful maintenance tips whilst chatting away.

I would recommend doing most of the maintenance yourself. Bikes are relatively simple and you can do most of it with little mechanical know-how. Only parts I don't touch at the moment are fork/shock, and I had no real knowledge of how to do anything (even adjust a gear - a case of turning a single knob in most cases) a couple of years back. If you get stuck you can always take it into your lbs for a bit of help (at a quiet time so you can talk it through). Many Evans stores do those free maintenance classes, so why not get yourself booked in as you've nothing to lose.

Anyway, your problem sounds a bit like you need to adjust your derailleur. Is it front or rear that is slipping?

Anonymous

projectsome wrote:

:x So far it's bad, took my wheel in 2 weeks ago, was told they had to order a part in from shimano. Surely it should only take around 3 days for it to come in, Which leaves at least a week to do a job that should no more than 30 mins?

I'd do it myself but I don't have the knowledge or the tools.

What's up with the wheel?

projectsome

deadkenny wrote:

projectsome wrote:

:x So far it's bad, took my wheel in 2 weeks ago, was told they had to order a part in from shimano. Surely it should only take around 3 days for it to come in, Which leaves at least a week to do a job that should no more than 30 mins?

I'd do it myself but I don't have the knowledge or the tools.

What's up with the wheel?

Rear hub went (again) had the wheels for about 2-3 years. It was spinning under load.

Hackneyed

Last time I recall having spent a few ££ in a LBS was about ten years ago - they charged £40 to tighten the BB on my old MTB. I felt shafted, took it away and vouched never to be taken for a mug again. Since then I have probably bought tools for about £150, done absolutely everything on my bike(s), apart from wheel building, and have even built my own bike (which got stolen about three weeks after finishing it!!). All in all I've probably saved in the region of £1,000...

The by far best resource out there is: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

I still live only a few minutes from said LBS but I haven't spent a penny there since..

Happy riding!

Devastazione

Man that's some big money. I can't belive how lucky I am considering that my LBS service my bikes for free,the guy just charges me for parts,that's it.

Anyway I'm learning to take care of the bikes myself,besides being funny it's a lot quicker,sometimes my LBS doesn't have a while you wait service... :roll:

RevellRider

mdavis wrote:

Hi there

I have created this topic based on my experience with Evans Cycles as i have recently spent £235 on getting my bike serviced and repaired and didnt feel completely satisfied. I was told i would get my bike looked at on a certain day, which never happened when i brought it in. I had to leave it with them for another week before they could start work on it. They also did not bother to ring me to let me know my bike was ready (they had 2 days to do this) and in the end i gave them a call to find out what was going on.

I have recently collected my bike from Evans. I requested a stage 1 service along with a rear brake bleed, new cassette, new chain and 2 new chain rings so my focus here is the drivetrain. I have found from riding back from the shop (around 3 miles to where i live) that the gears have occasionally slipped under pressure which i could not believe as its just had brand new components and the gears adjusted.

Will riding more to bed in the new components stop this occasional slip of the gears?

So yeah it's unlikely i'll be going back to Evans for any more service work and also at the price they're charging. Ridiculous.

Thanks, regards Matt

Firstly, rather than going online to complain about the service you received in a shop why don't drop the bike back to Evans? As you said, it's only 3 miles and the guys that work in there are a great bunch. I know of couple of them and they'd bend over backwards to help you out.

Secondly, looking at the servicing pricing on the Evans website. I would guess the work cost about £67. So all those who are complaining about the cost I'm guessing most of it has gone on replacement parts. Have you seen the prices of Shimano chainrings lately? :P

jayson

I recently had to take my remedy into Evans under the waranty cause the rear gears just wouldnt behave themselves no matter what i did, i expected to have to leave it there for a few days and collect it lata in the week.

Upon walkin in though and explaining the problem it was taken in the back there and then and the mechanic had a look at it while i waited, it turns out the rear mech was knackered and needed a new one fitted so the mechanic came out and explained everyhting to me step by step and that they didnt have any long cage mechs so would i be ok with a medium. He really knew his stuff didtn treat my like an idiot which i thought was very good and unusual.

Overall i was very happy with the service i got that day and the guys in the back doin the spanner work really did a very good job and were very professional.

Not all Evans are bad with complete muppets workin there, i would recommend my store no problems at all.

blablablacksheep

I think we need a new topic along these lines..

Name and Shame/Name and Rejoice Bike shops..

Saves time from the constant topics about whole shops/lines like halfords/evans.

Maybe a idea there. example of format:

Shop Name/Company:XXXX
Location:london

Customer service: 5/5
Comments:Good know how, good people

Quality of service/Work:3/5
Comments:Not bad quality of work though parts seemed loose fitting

Overall standard of service:3/5
Comments: not bad shop could be worse.

What you think?

Anonymous

Like car servicing, I always get suspicious when I hear "this part is knackered and needs replacing". They may be right, but I just have this nagging doubt and feel I'm probably being ripped off.

jayson

deadkenny wrote:

Like car servicing, I always get suspicious when I hear "this part is knackered and needs replacing". They may be right, but I just have this nagging doubt and feel I'm probably being ripped off.

In my case it was true, my X9 rear mech was stiff and wouldnt spring back when the cable was released and downshifts to a bigger sprocket were ludicrously heavy with the shifter.

It was replaced and it works sweet as a nut now, exactly as it should have done from day one.

Like i said earlier the mechanic i dealt with actually did know his stuff and was very professional, i was more than happy with the service.

ThanksBye

And with the shimano wheel, it takes 2 weeks to special order a part in normally not 3 days

Jon

android125

To the OP
Sounds like youve been ripped off pure and simple.
After an expensive service like that the bike should work perfectly.
New parts got to bed in? Ive just bought a new merida 96 (awesome bike) with all new parts and it works perfectly from the word go, no bedding in required.
I would let them know Im very dissapointed.
I wouldnt go back and spend more money with them.....ever...

In general, the bigger the organization, the less they care about the individual customer...
Use yer LBS
And as other posters have said, learn a bit of bike maintenance. Its rewarding and will save you a lot of money. Money better spent on other nice biking gear

android125

blablablacksheep wrote:

I think we need a new topic along these lines..

Name and Shame/Name and Rejoice Bike shops..

Saves time from the constant topics about whole shops/lines like halfords/evans.

Maybe a idea there. example of format:

Shop Name/Company:XXXX
Location:london

Customer service: 5/5
Comments:Good know how, good people

Quality of service/Work:3/5
Comments:Not bad quality of work though parts seemed loose fitting

Overall standard of service:3/5
Comments: not bad shop could be worse.

What you think?

Good idea blabla...