I wanna pay 5k for a bike, but I want it built really s**t

cookeeemonster

ideas where I could make this happen? :P

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/halfords-to-stock-pinarello-36180/

Yep, I'd go Halfords to buy and build up my Pinarello.

Yes I would.

You?

gtvlusso

[controversial]

I know that Halfords get a bit of a raw deal, but, they are stocking allot more parts and kit - particularly small parts that are very useful - are we seeing a turn-around of this commercial enterprise to be taken seriously as a bike shop? They are already sponsoring a cycling team.

Appreciate that the build quality at the moment is, IMHO, not the finest or most attentive - However, I am willing to watch them improve on this.

The Boardman range has been a real success for them. And the reviews and praise have been quite incredible, I know a few people will still have the reluctance to shop there or buy a Boardman, but in all fairness, I have had reasonably good service and all of my Boardmans were great bikes - All built by me.....

If they are willing to compete and bring top line bikes at lower prices due to their commercial influence, then I am in.....although I will ask the the bike is left and I will build it myself!

[/controversial]

rubertoe

gtvlusso wrote:

[controversial]

I know that Halfords get a bit of a raw deal, but, they are stocking allot more parts and kit - particularly small parts that are very useful - are we seeing a turn-around of this commercial enterprise to be taken seriously as a bike shop? They are already sponsoring a cycling team.

Appreciate that the build quality at the moment is, IMHO, not the finest or most attentive - However, I am willing to watch them improve on this.

The Boardman range has been a real success for them. And the reviews and praise have been quite incredible, I know a few people will still have the reluctance to shop there or buy a Boardman, but in all fairness, I have had reasonably good service and all of my Boardmans were great bikes - All built by me.....

If they are willing to compete and bring top line bikes at lower prices due to their commercial influence, then I am in.....although I will ask the the bike is left and I will build it myself!

[/controversial]

This.

I'd assume that anyone that is going to be buying a top line bike will have a bit of nous and be able to build it themselves.

Hopefully their buying power will mean reasonable prices.

cookeeemonster

if you've had good experience with them fair enough - I know some people have, some people haven't (my brother for one) but are their products any cheaper than elsewhere? And if not (they're not IMO) then why would you buy a super expensive, upmarket bike from them rather from a specialist LBS Pinarello dealer?

Don't mean to be a Halfords snob. There are no LBS's near me and I'll happily buy bits from there if I have to...but I think it's a strange move for Pinarello

MrChuck

Surprised by this- seems like an odd move for Pinarello, given the exclusivity they rely on.
But as gtvlusso says if Halfords invest in the staff more then there's no reason they can't match LBS standards* for builds and maintenance. That said, perception is a harder thing to change and if I were in the market for a Pinarello I'd be after a different experience than going to Halfords for it.

*Far too many of these are pretty poor too, but that's another story!

EDIT I'm currently seriously considering a Boardman HT Pro but I'd be wanting to build it up myself and for me part of the deal with the low price is that it's coming from Halfords. Slightly different game from buying one of the more aspirational brands IMO.

UndercoverElephant

Hmmm... Didn't someone post a job ad for a new UK brand manager for Pinerello a month or two ago?

Sounds like a poison chalice.

veronese68

Does seem like an odd choice for an exclusive brand.
Regarding not getting bikes built by Halfords I would advise letting them do it and then checking everything is done up tight, unless you really are sure of your abilities. A friend of mine bought a Boardman and put it together himself and managed to cross thread a pedal. At least if they'd done it they would have had to replace it.

tailwindhome

rubertoe wrote:

I'd assume that anyone that is going to be buying a top line bike will have a bit of nous and be able to build it themselves.

Why would you assume that?

gtvlusso

Think about it.

Team Sky - Pinarello Dogma as ridden by Bradley and co.

A load of MAMILS with a bit of money to spend suddenly become cyclists, non impact sport, want; Team Sky or Team GB kit, Pinarello bike. Loads of current cyclists are also following suit - kit and bike.

Happened years ago with 'Z' Peugeot and 'La vie St Claire' kit and bikes - everyone wanted the kit and the bike.

cookeeemonster

In my mind when I started this thread I thought that if I ever had the money and inclination to buy a top end bike like this then I'd want the full experience from a specialist LBS - as in a proper fitting and long test ride to make sure what I'm getting fits me like a glove and is comfortable and set up correctly etc etc.

If they do manage to sell them cheaper and you have the experience and confidence to build it up and set it up yourself then that's fair enough!!

rubertoe

TailWindHome wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

I'd assume that anyone that is going to be buying a top line bike will have a bit of nous and be able to build it themselves.

Why would you assume that?

I'd have thought that anyone with a vague interest in bikes, would have an idea of how to maintain and build one. Maybe not straight of the bat but there is plenty of material out there.

Obviously I'm wrong.

bigmat

I got my Viner from Halfords. Best deal available for a road bike with Campag under £1k (cycle to work etc).

It was perfectly set up. Size was a bit big so they replaced for the size down - also perfectly set up. I'm sure Halfords can be hit and miss, but in all honesty I've had pretty dismal service from LBS' about 50% of the time I've bothered using them. I'd rather just source the best kit and do it myself, so I'd be as happy buying a Pinarello from Halfords as anywhere else.

By the way, to people really consider Pinarello to be an exclusive brand these days? Lovely bikes, but they are so obviously going for increased market share - they already stock them in Evans, is Halfords that much of a departure?

gtvlusso

CookeeeMonster wrote:

In my mind when I started this thread I thought that if I ever had the money and inclination to buy a top end bike like this then I'd want the full experience from a specialist LBS - as in a proper fitting and long test ride to make sure what I'm getting fits me like a glove and is comfortable and set up correctly etc etc.

If they do manage to sell them cheaper and you have the experience and confidence to build it up and set it up yourself then that's fair enough!!

I think that giving Halfords the opportunity to improve and build a reputation is fair. Appreciate that self building is not for everyone, costs allot in terms of specialist tooling, space and an understanding better half!

If Halfords can bring top line to the masses for trialling and so on, then chapeau. Bike fit is a bizarre thing, I have never had a great experience of bike fitting sessions (The three that I have done have proved different geometries and sizing) - so, I am more comfortable with my own judgement. If you are buying top end, then you are more likely to have some knowledge of your sizing and bike components - IMHO. But I can see the 'cash cow' crowd just buying stuff blind as well......

tailwindhome

rubertoe wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

I'd assume that anyone that is going to be buying a top line bike will have a bit of nous and be able to build it themselves.

Why would you assume that?

I'd have thought that anyone with a vague interest in bikes, would have an idea of how to maintain and build one. Maybe not straight of the bat but there is plenty of material out there.

Obviously I'm wrong.

Jeez. Don't admit to being wrong so quickly.....takes all the fun out of it

rubertoe

TailWindHome wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

I'd assume that anyone that is going to be buying a top line bike will have a bit of nous and be able to build it themselves.

Why would you assume that?

I'd have thought that anyone with a vague interest in bikes, would have an idea of how to maintain and build one. Maybe not straight of the bat but there is plenty of material out there.

Obviously I'm wrong.

Jeez. Don't admit to being wrong so quickly.....takes all the fun out of it

makes for an easy life though...

DonDaddyD

Halfords are - for no other reason than to maximise profit - supporting cycling in England and should get credit. Boardman for example have done extremely well though Halfords and Halfords have done well from them.

However, would I buy a Pinarello from Halfords? Hell no. The simple fact is this: Pinarello is a premium band and its exclusivity adds to its luxury status. When spending 'big money' I expect to go to an equally exclusive bike shop - where I expect to get an exceptional (almost one off - because this ain't an everyday purchase) service. In fact I will go out of my way to get to the exclusive bike shop to make my 'big money' purchase.

Should I buy a bike of the stature of Pinarello I do not expect it to be sold with and treated with the same disregard as a Carrera Tour de France. I also want the sales person to get the same hard on from selling the bike that I will have from buying it - this is a shared love that only bike lovers will understand. And, sure, there may be in the odd Halfords that one employee that loves bikes, but Halfords isn't a bicycle specialist, the brand doesn't warrant Pinarello. Raleigh? Yes. Dolan? Yes. Trek, Giant, Specialised? Maybe. Pinarello? What the Fuck?

This isn't a slight at Halfords, they've just made their stores appear more appealing to the masses - this is a slight at Pinarello, their stock has gone down IMO.

I thought their bikes being sold in Evans Cycles was a step down.

okgo

rubertoe wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

[controversial]

I know that Halfords get a bit of a raw deal, but, they are stocking allot more parts and kit - particularly small parts that are very useful - are we seeing a turn-around of this commercial enterprise to be taken seriously as a bike shop? They are already sponsoring a cycling team.

Appreciate that the build quality at the moment is, IMHO, not the finest or most attentive - However, I am willing to watch them improve on this.

The Boardman range has been a real success for them. And the reviews and praise have been quite incredible, I know a few people will still have the reluctance to shop there or buy a Boardman, but in all fairness, I have had reasonably good service and all of my Boardmans were great bikes - All built by me.....

If they are willing to compete and bring top line bikes at lower prices due to their commercial influence, then I am in.....although I will ask the the bike is left and I will build it myself!

[/controversial]

I'd assume that anyone that is going to be buying a top line bike will have a bit of nous and be able to build it themselves.

You'd be totally wrong then. 100% totally wrong.

The Rookie

Read the article, top of the range won't be in Halfords, so I predict it will be like Boardmans, upto £1K-2K through Halfords, LBS for the dearer ones....

Halfords get a bad press, I've had shocking service from an LBS and good from Halfords, the more customers you have, the more reports of bad service you get even if your percentage is better.

If I comment on my 2 LBS I think are poor, no-one living more than 10 miles away will have heard of them....

rubertoe

okgo wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

[controversial]

I know that Halfords get a bit of a raw deal, but, they are stocking allot more parts and kit - particularly small parts that are very useful - are we seeing a turn-around of this commercial enterprise to be taken seriously as a bike shop? They are already sponsoring a cycling team.

Appreciate that the build quality at the moment is, IMHO, not the finest or most attentive - However, I am willing to watch them improve on this.

The Boardman range has been a real success for them. And the reviews and praise have been quite incredible, I know a few people will still have the reluctance to shop there or buy a Boardman, but in all fairness, I have had reasonably good service and all of my Boardmans were great bikes - All built by me.....

If they are willing to compete and bring top line bikes at lower prices due to their commercial influence, then I am in.....although I will ask the the bike is left and I will build it myself!

[/controversial]

I'd assume that anyone that is going to be buying a top line bike will have a bit of nous and be able to build it themselves.

You'd be totally wrong then. 100% totally wrong.

So I see. :roll: :roll:

rolf_f

BigMat wrote:

By the way, to people really consider Pinarello to be an exclusive brand these days? Lovely bikes, but they are so obviously going for increased market share - they already stock them in Evans, is Halfords that much of a departure?

Indeed, they aren't really that exclusive. Prices seem to start around £1k which is not really high end in terms of hobby cycling (and this despite them being notoriously expensive for their spec in the first place). Any bike manufacturer that sells at that level isn't an exclusively premium brand.

(and never mind an Italian manufacturer that makes all of its frames in the Far East can never be truly desirable!)

rubertoe wrote:

So I see. :roll: :roll:

Have you never read the threads in Road Workshop along the lines of: How do I get the wheel out from my Specialized Venge McLaren - the tyres won't fit past the brake blocks..... etc etc?

Okgo has a point (sadly!)

dhope

So Pinarello in Halfords, Sky supplied by Rapha. Does this mean there'll be a new Halfords-Rapha agreement?

Next up, Costcutter-Condor, Poundland-Parlee?

Yeah, I own Rapha, Condor and a Halfords bought Boardman, all tongue in cheek

Bustacapp

Christ almighty I'm sick to death of bike snobs.

kelsen

This thread isn't so much about being a bike snob though, is it? It's asking whether Halfords is an appropriate place to be selling a premium brand when people have had bad experiences riding away on bikes which have been badly built up.

gtvlusso

Being honest; I would not let any bike shop build a bike that I have bought.

But thats me - I know the standards that I want to see in build quality. I have the tools, the knowledge, the confidence and the space.....

So, Although I understand some people want the exclusivity; Pinarello has now become a more mainstream brand - thanks in part to Team Sky success.

Bustacapp

kelsen wrote:

This thread isn't so much about being a bike snob though, is it? It's asking whether Halfords is an appropriate place to be selling a premium brand when people have had bad experiences riding away on bikes which have been badly built up.

Because people never have bad experiences about badly built bikes from their 'LBS' ???

rolf_f

Bustacapp wrote:

kelsen wrote:

This thread isn't so much about being a bike snob though, is it? It's asking whether Halfords is an appropriate place to be selling a premium brand when people have had bad experiences riding away on bikes which have been badly built up.

Because people never have bad experiences about badly built bikes from their 'LBS' ???

Of course they have - but the LBS might not be where you want your expensive bike built up either. Where you want it built up is somewhere that does a lot of builds from scratch (ie more than fitting pedals, adjusting gears, straightening bars etc) - you'll want to go somewhere where you choose each component and the shop knows what that choice involves. It's a completely different experience to picking a bike out of a catalogue. But that said, it doesn't have to be an exclusive experience either. You can take that approach with your beloved Ribble on a £700 bike yet spend £4k on a mass produced bike with few options aside from component sizes. Halfords probably can handle the latter but it isn't really very interesting!

Bustacapp

Rolf F wrote:

Of course they have - but the LBS might not be where you want your expensive bike built up either. Where you want it built up is somewhere that does a lot of builds from scratch (ie more than fitting pedals, adjusting gears, straightening bars etc) - you'll want to go somewhere where you choose each component and the shop knows what that choice involves. It's a completely different experience to picking a bike out of a catalogue. But that said, it doesn't have to be an exclusive experience either. You can take that approach with your beloved Ribble on a £700 bike yet spend £4k on a mass produced bike with few options aside from component sizes. Halfords probably can handle the latter but it isn't really very interesting!

I'm just sick of people barking our the acronym 'LBS' like mindless sheep to be honest. It's 'LBS' this, 'LBS' that and 'LBS' the other, almost as if they cannot do any wrong. So many people on this forum are jumping on the bandwagon it's untrue. You could have a paraplegic lugworm open an 'LBS' and bike snobs would flock to it rather than Halfords. As if Halfords go out of their way to employ lazy, careless staff. You get people like that everywhere and as someone else mentioned, if it's so important to you then build it yourself.

Ben6899

If I was dropping upwards of £3K on a bike, then I'd be buying - and having it built - at a place which requires me to make an appointment.

Not online. Not at one of the big chains. Not at my LBS.

kelsen

Bustacapp wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Of course they have - but the LBS might not be where you want your expensive bike built up either. Where you want it built up is somewhere that does a lot of builds from scratch (ie more than fitting pedals, adjusting gears, straightening bars etc) - you'll want to go somewhere where you choose each component and the shop knows what that choice involves. It's a completely different experience to picking a bike out of a catalogue. But that said, it doesn't have to be an exclusive experience either. You can take that approach with your beloved Ribble on a £700 bike yet spend £4k on a mass produced bike with few options aside from component sizes. Halfords probably can handle the latter but it isn't really very interesting!

I'm just sick of people barking our the acronym 'LBS' like mindless sheep to be honest. It's 'LBS' this, 'LBS' that and 'LBS' the other, almost as if they cannot do any wrong. So many people on this forum are jumping on the bandwagon it's untrue. You could have a paraplegic lugworm open an 'LBS' and bike snobs would flock to it rather than Halfords. As if Halfords go out of their way to employ lazy, careless staff. You get people like that everywhere and as someone else mentioned, if it's so important to you then build it yourself.

You get good and bad wherever you go. An LBS would have a vested interest in providing good customer service because a majority of their revenue is made up of repeat and follow-up business. For that reason, you would expect the mechanics they employ to be of a decent standard. If they aren't, reputation can get around fast.

Halfords, on the other hand, can get away with lower quality customer service because their bike sales makes up just a part of their business as a whole. Not saying this is true in every the case, but the quality of service you get will most likely be hit and miss.

walkingbootweather

Look what happened to old style butchers, bakers and greengrocers unable to compete with multi-national supermarkets. Consider where people used to buy cds and records - the independent retailers were put out of business by competition from chains like HMV who themselves have found themselves unable to compete with Internet sales. Is that what you want to happen to bike retail?

If the majority of people focus on price alone then independent specialists can't survive. I hope there are lots of people like me who value choice, quality, service, expertise and the personal touch, more than saving a few quid, which might give the good LBS a chance of survival.

DonDaddyD

Whatever you perceived social standing and whether you buy into the whole social class thing or not it matters little.

Products are priced according to what a person would be expected to pay. Then, said product is placed in the appropriate shop where the type of person (willing to pay that amount) is likely to go looking for said product. You don't go looking for Martin Logan speakers in Argos - simply because they sell audio equipment.

Now we could argue expertise till the cows come home. Fact remains that as it stands Pinarello appear to be improperly placed at Halfords. However, Pinarello could be doing badly or want to expand in the UK and see Halfords as the only reliable platform to do so. Equally Halfords could be changing direction and increase its sales of bicycles and bicycle equipment.