Bike repair advice

Chocolove

My bike is currently needed repair, some of my friends suggest me that I can go to Halfords but I did hear some of the quality issues of them. Any advice about bike workshops is much appreciated!

lincolndave

Where abouts do you live? Somebody might be able to recommend a decent shop

cooldad

What needs repairing?

Anonymous

Locate your local bike shop ---- not Halfords

penguin_of_death

Ask to chat to the mechanic, see if you know anyone who has used them, staff vary from store to store - if Halfords were as bad as it's made out it would have folded/been shut down years ago

DALESMAN999 wrote:

Locate your local bike shop ---- not Halfords

100+ years selling bikes probably qualifies

smoggysteve

Penguin of Death wrote:

Ask to chat to the mechanic, see if you know anyone who has used them, staff vary from store to store - if Halfords were as bad as it's made out it would have folded/been shut down years ago

DALESMAN999 wrote:

Locate your local bike shop ---- not Halfords

100+ years selling bikes probably qualifies

Halfords are not a bike shop. They are a shop which sells bikes alongside their main retail being car related. It's only been the last decade or so they branched more into cycling selling more than cheap mountain bikes and inner tubes. They are pretty crap on the whole cos their business model isn't about fixing bikes, just flogging them. They offer a half arsed service to combat the inevitable returns due to many people not knowing what the hell to do when is stops working - as you would do with most stuff you take it back to the seller. This could be a punctured tyre or snapped chain but ask them to do something complicated like bleed your hydraulic brakes or remove that obscure bottom bracket they are mostly baffled and probably end up googling a solution. I once went in for some cleaning stuff and while there asked if they had a Campagnolo cassette removal tool. The guy just glazed over - cam pag whatyasay???? Not specialists by any stretch of the imagination

The Rookie

Some Halfords staff are very good, some are rubbish, they are certainly not all to the same standard. If you have a good one, feel free to use them.

Paging Supersonic to the thread!

What repair does it need? its a mugs game to pay for every little tweak on an MTB as I find something or other needs addressing almost every decent ride.

penguin_of_death

SmoggySteve wrote:

They are pretty crap on the whole cos their business model isn't about fixing bikes, just flogging them. They offer a half arsed service to combat the inevitable returns due to many people not knowing what the hell to do when is stops working - as you would do with most stuff you take it back to the seller. This could be a punctured tyre or snapped chain but ask them to do something complicated like bleed your hydraulic brakes or remove that obscure bottom bracket they are mostly baffled and probably end up googling a solution. I once went in for some cleaning stuff and while there asked if they had a Campagnolo cassette removal tool. The guy just glazed over - cam pag whatyasay???? Not specialists by any stretch of the imagination

1) My stores repair turnover for the last 10 months is nearly £30000 in labour alone
2) I relish brake bleeds, they're quick and easy
3) I have the tools for at least a dozen bottom bracket types and can confidently use them all
4) We sell bikes in store with Campy groupsets, so yes we have the tools

As said it varies from store to store

smoggysteve

Penguin of Death wrote:

SmoggySteve wrote:

They are pretty crap on the whole cos their business model isn't about fixing bikes, just flogging them. They offer a half arsed service to combat the inevitable returns due to many people not knowing what the hell to do when is stops working - as you would do with most stuff you take it back to the seller. This could be a punctured tyre or snapped chain but ask them to do something complicated like bleed your hydraulic brakes or remove that obscure bottom bracket they are mostly baffled and probably end up googling a solution. I once went in for some cleaning stuff and while there asked if they had a Campagnolo cassette removal tool. The guy just glazed over - cam pag whatyasay???? Not specialists by any stretch of the imagination

1) My stores repair turnover for the last 10 months is nearly £30000 in labour alone
2) I relish brake bleeds, they're quick and easy
3) I have the tools for at least a dozen bottom bracket types and can confidently use them all
4) We sell bikes in store with Campy groupsets, so yes we have the tools

As said it varies from store to store

Well if that's you fair cop. Problem.is for every good 1 there are 9 crap. And that is the issue. Halfords service quality is not a given. A LBS will be cos their reputation keeps them in business. I will leave you to search out the horror stories on here and other forums as to the bad, baffling and damn right dangerous service or PDI's given to bikes from various stores. Im sure you are responsible and do a good job but believe me when I say IF I had to take any of my bikes in to a shop Halfords would not even be my last resort

k-dog

The fact that you called it a store already tells me that you've drunk the corporate Kool-aid.

penguin_of_death

The fact I called it a store is because I work in retail - I've worked for 2 different shops and a company that builds petrol stations for supermarkets, all called the shops "stores"

k-dog wrote:

you've drunk the corporate Kool-aid.

No idea what use of the above phrase tells us about you

benws1

SmoggySteve wrote:

Penguin of Death wrote:

SmoggySteve wrote:

They are pretty crap on the whole cos their business model isn't about fixing bikes, just flogging them. They offer a half arsed service to combat the inevitable returns due to many people not knowing what the hell to do when is stops working - as you would do with most stuff you take it back to the seller. This could be a punctured tyre or snapped chain but ask them to do something complicated like bleed your hydraulic brakes or remove that obscure bottom bracket they are mostly baffled and probably end up googling a solution. I once went in for some cleaning stuff and while there asked if they had a Campagnolo cassette removal tool. The guy just glazed over - cam pag whatyasay???? Not specialists by any stretch of the imagination

1) My stores repair turnover for the last 10 months is nearly £30000 in labour alone
2) I relish brake bleeds, they're quick and easy
3) I have the tools for at least a dozen bottom bracket types and can confidently use them all
4) We sell bikes in store with Campy groupsets, so yes we have the tools

As said it varies from store to store

Well if that's you fair cop. Problem.is for every good 1 there are 9 crap. And that is the issue. Halfords service quality is not a given. A LBS will be cos their reputation keeps them in business. I will leave you to search out the horror stories on here and other forums as to the bad, baffling and damn right dangerous service or PDI's given to bikes from various stores. Im sure you are responsible and do a good job but believe me when I say IF I had to take any of my bikes in to a shop Halfords would not even be my last resort

I think any shop can be rubbish, including local bike shops.

The Halfords local to me seem to have a good reputation. My fiancée's parents have used them a few times and been happy with the work.

My immediately local bike shop can be a bit hit and miss. I recently bought a rear wheel off them and it has been nothing but a pain. After buying it, I noticed they had left the hub done up far too tightly. When I bought it the chap in the shop said he would adjust it before he gave it to me. It's now running loose again and I've only been using it for a month.

They sold me a bike a few years ago that had a loose rear wheel. They have returned bikes to me after a service with more noises than when they went in. They have also done unauthorised work too in the past. I took a road bike in years ago to get a rear wheel sorted. When they handed it back to me, they had also replaced the bottom bracket (which was fine) and charged me around £80 for the pleasure, plus the rear wheel work.

It's no wonder I'm trying to do as much as I can myself now. Funny thing is, I still use the shop because the chap who sells the bikes is a good bloke, and they are local. However, their service department seems rushed and they are quite expensive (the rear wheel I got last month (Raleigh freewheel) cost me £50).

I've just bought a new bike from a shop around 25 miles away. I guess I'll probably get a good idea of what they are like when I go and hand over the cash this weekend. To be fair, they did tell me what when I sit on the bike for the first time, if it doesn't fit right they will refund me or point me in the direction of something else. They are part of a small group of shops in the Cambridge and Peterborough area.

benws1

OP - what repair is needed?

cooldad

Third time that's been asked. Op doesn't seem too interested.

benws1

cooldad wrote:

Third time that's been asked. Op doesn't seem too interested.

Indeed. Maybe just trying to setup a Halfords bashing thread?

lesfirth

Penguin of Death wrote:

1) My stores repair turnover for the last 10 months is nearly £30000 in labour alone


As said it varies from store to store

Halfords ability to charge has not been doubted. Has it?

wishitwasallflat

Learn to do everything and do it yourself - no professional mechanic will ever be able to lavish the time, care and love on your bike that you will.