Advice required please!
kk1969
Posts: 3
Hi. First post so go easy on me 
Bought a Voodoo Bantu in Halfords 7 weeks ago - nice bike, does exactly what I want. Good on forest trails, fire roads and has lockable suspension for occasional road riding. Anyway, the forks wouldn't lock so I returned it for the 6 week check and reported the faulty suspension. A week later I went in to collect my bike but it hadn't been touched :x despite me ringing to make sure before i left home.
I'm an easy going person so I accepted their word that they would have the bike sorted by the morning. Got phone call the following morning saying the bike couldn't be fixed and they would be giving me a brand new bike. But when I went in, the bike wasn't new, but rather the display model, which didn't unduly bother me.
I took the bike home and checked it against pics of my original bike only to discover it had different decals, different fork and different tyres :? Either I was given a newer model, or, more likely, an older one...
Plus, most importantly, the front derailleur was off kilter and wouldn't select all the gears :x So I phoned them and their mechanic talked me through a few things - to no avail. He then advised me to bring the bike back in, which I did.
He had the derailleur sorted in 15 mins and I took it away, but I noticed at home that the derailleur cable was badly frayed and the tension wasn't right - basically the bloody thing STILL wouldn't work properly :x
I called them again and explained that I needed a new cable. They agreed but the mechanic is on hols at the moment so that's not an option. They have no Bantus in stock so they said I can exchange it for a bike of the same value - so now I'm looking at the alternatives
1. the Carrera Kraken or
2. the Voodoo Hoodoo for an extra 60 quid?
Thanks for reading all of this!
Bought a Voodoo Bantu in Halfords 7 weeks ago - nice bike, does exactly what I want. Good on forest trails, fire roads and has lockable suspension for occasional road riding. Anyway, the forks wouldn't lock so I returned it for the 6 week check and reported the faulty suspension. A week later I went in to collect my bike but it hadn't been touched :x despite me ringing to make sure before i left home.
I'm an easy going person so I accepted their word that they would have the bike sorted by the morning. Got phone call the following morning saying the bike couldn't be fixed and they would be giving me a brand new bike. But when I went in, the bike wasn't new, but rather the display model, which didn't unduly bother me.
I took the bike home and checked it against pics of my original bike only to discover it had different decals, different fork and different tyres :? Either I was given a newer model, or, more likely, an older one...
Plus, most importantly, the front derailleur was off kilter and wouldn't select all the gears :x So I phoned them and their mechanic talked me through a few things - to no avail. He then advised me to bring the bike back in, which I did.
He had the derailleur sorted in 15 mins and I took it away, but I noticed at home that the derailleur cable was badly frayed and the tension wasn't right - basically the bloody thing STILL wouldn't work properly :x
I called them again and explained that I needed a new cable. They agreed but the mechanic is on hols at the moment so that's not an option. They have no Bantus in stock so they said I can exchange it for a bike of the same value - so now I'm looking at the alternatives
1. the Carrera Kraken or
2. the Voodoo Hoodoo for an extra 60 quid?
Thanks for reading all of this!
0
Comments
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If you like the bike and they way it rides why not wait till the mechanic is back or book it into another store for them to resolve?Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.0
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Mechanic not back for a week and I don't really want to be without a bike for that long. Suppose I could try another store but the fact that it's probably an older model makes me feel a bit hard done by...0
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Older models are generally better spec, so it might be a good thing.
Compare what it has with what you had and see.
As for getting things to work - mountain bikes need regular fettling, so you might as well learn to DIY sooner rather than later. Read Parktools and have a go - it's all pretty simple.I don't do smileys.
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Parktools0 -
Ask "as a gesture of goodwill" if they'll split the difference on the Hoodoo. Even if they won't it's still worth it for the gears, tyres and forks. Plus it's Lighter too
Current:
NukeProof Mega FR 2012
Cube NuRoad 2018
Previous:
2015 Genesis CdF 10, 2014 Cube Hyde Race, 2012 NS Traffic, 2007 Specialized SX Trail, 2005 Specialized Demo 80 -
As CD says, MTB's ridden properly need regular fettling to keep in good condition - you don't ever 'service' them as you would with cars, you just do each job that needs doing when it needs doing, that can (in muddy wet conditions) mean every ride for certain things (chain lube), most of the jobs are dead easy and if the cable has frayed after the clamp bolt, then don't worry about it, it does nothing.
Read parktools as linked to in CD's sig on how to do various jobs.Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0
