The Dangers of Using Halfords:Boardman Bikes
nicklomas
Posts: 6
I picked up my new Boardman Hybrid Comp on Friday, Road it back the short distance from the store and no major issues. Today is Tuesday and the second time I've ridden it and this time I was going to work. I live in Clapham in London and was riding over London bridge during rush hour to go to work and the handlebars and wheels decided they did not want to move the same way. The result being that I hit the side of a truck, narrowly missing going under the vehicle and damaging my bike. Not only did this scare the living daylights out of me I also got the motorist giving me hassle for not being able to ride properly (not my fault).
When I called Halfords they said I would have to bring the unusable and unsafe bike in myself so they can assess it and it has to be by 14:00 as the mechanic is off after then. I explained that I myself work and the following day i am off to South Africa on business and then to turkey up until Xmas.
There was not concern for myself as a customer and more to the point they never even apologised for me nearly being killed.
I'll be writing to Boardman as the quality of there bikes is being let down by there decision to outsource to Halfords
When I called Halfords they said I would have to bring the unusable and unsafe bike in myself so they can assess it and it has to be by 14:00 as the mechanic is off after then. I explained that I myself work and the following day i am off to South Africa on business and then to turkey up until Xmas.
There was not concern for myself as a customer and more to the point they never even apologised for me nearly being killed.
I'll be writing to Boardman as the quality of there bikes is being let down by there decision to outsource to Halfords
0
Posts
Good luck with that...
The issue is with Halfords, not Boardman - bring it up with them.
The reason that Boardman's are such good value is because they go through Halfords.
No good to you now, but some Halfords branches have a 'reputation' for being a bit slack when it comes to repairs and maintenence.
(To the point that a friend bought a Boardman, and had it delieverd to his LBS for them to build
That said, I know someone who works for one of their Southern branches, who is a fantastic bike builder. It's the luck of the draw.
I know that there is an assumption that every nut and bolt is tight enough, but when I picked up my new bike (not from Halfords), I still checked it over myself before I took it out.
2012 Cube Ltd SL (the hardtail XC 26er)
2014 Lapierre Zesty TR 329 (the full-sus 29er)
However this did amuse me
Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Ultegra
Brompton S Type
Carrera Vengeance Ultimate Ltd
Gary Fisher Aquila '98
Front half of a Viking Saratoga Tandem
I bought a cheap folding bike online over the summer and when it arrived it was ready to go, but I went over it with a fine-toothed comb. Found loads of things that needed tightening, and a couple that needed threadlock/loctite.
I think if you by mail order / online then by its nature you expect some self assembly and checking at your end. Same applies from halfords on line. As i understand it from halford in store service, if you get it delivered to collect in store or buy direct, their mechanics are supposed to have checked it as good to go.
That said when i bougt my son's bike from them I check it over myself again and had to adjust the brakes etc as it was clear the chap sorting it out had no clue what he was doing.
Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Ultegra
Brompton S Type
Carrera Vengeance Ultimate Ltd
Gary Fisher Aquila '98
Front half of a Viking Saratoga Tandem
Kona Ute
Rockrider 8.1
Evil Resident
Day 01 Disc
Viking Derwent Tandem
Planet X London Road
Ha ha, I missed the capital letter on Turkey. Although i will be turkeying it up at xmas.
I've contact Boradmans on facebook and they sent me a number to call. I've spoke to Halfords customer service who are very apologetic and my bike is now with a guy at a store where i work who knows his stuff. Boardman/Halfords just need to make sure people are properly trained. If this was and issue with a car where my steering wheel came off and I crashed into someone and killed them then the storey would be over the news.
Also Halfords apparently don't home deliver as all Boardman's must be assembled by Halfords otherwise they lose there warranty.
génerally all that is required is pedals fitting. and 2 or 3 allen bolts tightening. some bikes may also need the front wheel fitting and the seatpost and saddle inserting into the frame.
then a general PDI check brakes/gears - pressures etc.
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
stuff i have witnessed from them is
cross threaded pedals
headset not tightened (what happened to yours nicklomas)
gears not properly indexed
brakes so badly setup the shoes rub on the tyres
pay peanuts you get monkeys
i would say this has nowt to do with Boardman an everything to do with Halfords
The only part of the bike that was set up correctly was the tightness of the Q/R skewers and the indexing of the gears. The disc brakes where not set up properly they constantly rubbed causing it be really difficult to get over about 10mph. Also, alot of the bolts weren't torqued to the correct setting either.
I only found this out after getting home and checking every single bolt just to make sure. Speaking as someone who runs his own business if I was Boardman I would be so angry, a well priced decent bike and brand name destroyed because some numpty cant put a bike together.
According to Boardman they even receive special training on how Boardman want the bikes assembled and presented to the customers.
As I say not really Boardmans problem but if I was Boardman I would have someones job off them to start with.
Its not that difficult to build a bike and get another member of staff to check it over and sign it off. Is it?
Ribble Sportive 7005
And further, it is not just Halfords who can poorly assemble bikes, I have seen it at some stores regarded as some of the best in the country.
VOODOO CANZO
Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
Ribble Sportive 7005
Spot on....
People who buy cars without understanding how they work but still have an expectation that they're going to be safe, do you not think people should have a fair expectation that if they buy a bike that it's going to be safe?
To call everyone who buys a bike and cycles it away it an idiot is, in my opinion, idiotic.
Never had a bike that didn't need to be checked in my experience. Worse one was a loose QR front (LBS)..... and both my halfords bikes needed "attention". I would be an idiot not to have checked. And you should always give your bike a check over before riding.
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
Ribble Sportive 7005
Also, cars are massively over-engineered in lots of areas in order to give us that long term reliability with minimal maintenance. They also have all sorts of electronic and mechanical gizmos to adjust, measure and warn of things to ensure this safety. they also have a protective cocoon around you if something did go wrong. These are some of the things we pay alot of money for.
And despite all of that, cars DO still go wrong on the way home from the showroom and/or later - this is why we have a warranty. Its just that things going wrong on a car are alot less likely to cause a safety issue than on a bike.
It would be nice to be able to assume the bike is assembled perfectly, and I can understand why some people do, but that would be a mistake because we are ultimately responsible for our own safety and experience shows that we should check a new bike for ourselves. You will need to do this over time anyway as threads loosen, cables stretch etc - even if the bike was perfect on day 1.
Am I the only one that thinks it was not unreasonable for Halfords to ask you to bring the bike in for inspection before they do anything? If they werent concerned about your accident then I can understand you being a bit upset with them, but I dont see how their approach was so bad otherwise?
A lot of people buying a bike for themselves are new to cycling. It takes experience to learn everything there is to know about a bike and its maintenance. I still struggle with indexing gears and the like but I wouldn't have known anything when I bought my first bike, not that many years ago. A quick check as you point out should spot some obvious problems but a slight torque level below optimum is all it takes for something to work its way loose over time. Halfords largest market is the 'lowest common denominator' when it comes to cycling, and they should accept the responsibility for that by doing properly what they claim to do, which is set up the bike so that it is roadworthy. Just because it is a better brand than some of the other stuff they sell shouldn't lessen that responsibility.
"Dangers of riding a bike with critical bolts loose"
Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
I recently took advantage of my company's Bike to Work scheme and pitied the poor mechanic who got to build my bike as it was ridden home and stripped, adjusted and tuned for about 2hrs. This is my first 'new bike from a box' since I was 9yrs old and got a Raleigh Burner for Christmas.
The PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) should have included checking the torque of the stem bolts, you should have some recourse with them - get them to offer you some some allen keys or a multi-tool as a measure of goodwill, and tweak your nuts up :-)
FCN4 - Fixie Inc
So for what reason must a new car legally have a PDI completed by a 'competent' mechanic before the DVLA will issue a first registration? Some Korean minimum-wager screwed in the seat belt clip so it must be perfect....
The difference with a bike is that the engineering/mechanical workings are a lot simpler than a car and are clearly visible to the naked eye. Most people have an understanding of how the moving parts of a bicycle work but on a car there are a lot more hidden workings as well as a depth for further knowledge. I know people who even now after 30 years of driving that can't explain the difference between front and rear wheel drive for example.
Halfords: The clue for me was when I bought my son (9 at the time) a new bike for Xmas. When I went to fetch it they'd built the wrong one. If they can't follow such a simple instruction as 24" wheel Apollo and instead roll out a 20" in a completely different colour tot he one on my receipt it's time to ask questions. If I do ever buy a Boardman it'll be straight to the LBS where I should have probably bought something instead anyway.
VOODOO CANZO
Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
No probs with son's bike, but daughters needed front cheap mech ditching for a SRAM one (didn't shift), and the rear brake cable was corroding - on a new bike. Sorted that and it's A1. They sell boxed bikes, best getting them boxed !!
Both bikes are fantastic though, was very impressed with the kit, but I would never have them put any decent (over £150 - heh heh ) bike together.