Halfords

I think to an extent the
I think to an extent the reputation they have for setting up bikes poorly is a percentages thing. As a Bikeability instructor I probably see an example of a Halfords cock up at least once a fortnight. But I probably see about 30 Halfords bikes in that fortnight as that’s where so many families go for their kids bikes. Is one in 30 such a bad percentage and does it compare so badly to smalller volume retailers?

This week’s example was a cracker though. Apollo MTB, less than a year old, looked very little used. Stem and both sets of brake blocks were loose. Front brake cable had been wound all the way around the head tube. Rear brake cable was totally frayed at the point where it bolts to the brake caliper. According to the kid it had been back to Halfords 4 times to get problems fixed. Kids aren’t always reliable sources but I’d guess it must have been back in at least a couple of times. At least the forks were the right way round though I wonder if they might have originally received the classic Halfords fork setup and it was in rectifying this that the front brake cable ended up how it was.

I like to think I’m a
I like to think I’m a mechanic myself. I’ve been messing with bikes since I learned how to ride them. In fact I’m just on my way there as they had a deal for some Conti Race 28 inner tubes – 4 for £10.90. They called me when they were available to collect.

I think the Campagnolo Eurus I’m currently riding came from there too for around £450. All in all, I don’t really use them as a local bike shop…although I did buy a kids bike and a saddle for my wife (that she choose), I usually just use them for click and collect.

I do love messing with bikes, but in this internet age, there’s really no excuse for not having at least some idea about the bike you ride. You should have at least some idea of why you’re going there in the first place…

Coming to think of it, I can remember buy crank cotter pins when I was a kid…

I’m more than happy to buy
I’m more than happy to buy stuff from them, they do often have good prices on stuff and being able to collect when it suits is better than delivery during the day…..however I wouldn’t let my local branch anywhere near my bike.

Charliegr555 wrote:… It’s

Charliegr555 wrote:

… It’s all store dependant

It’s entirely this, and that’s endemic as far as such a large chain of stores is concerned.

My view is that I’ll happily buy parts, accessories and clothing from Halfords. They’re competitively-priced, plus they have a good range of stuff online which you can pick up the next day through click and collect. Going to Halfords is more convenient for me than going out of the way to the LBS or waiting in for online deliveries.

As for repairs and servicing, less so. I just don’t have the confidence in the staff in the stores in my area, as it’s usually just kids doing Saturday or evening jobs with no real interest in the subject matter. I was exactly the same when I worked in Homebase as a teenager, I knew nothing about DIY, it was just a job. That probably does a disservice to the staff that are knowledgeable, but my LBS will always get the work I can’t do myself.

Yeah the Halfords in Ipswich
Yeah the Halfords in Ipswich provide an excellent service cycling wise

Charliegr555 wrote:I worked

Charliegr555 wrote:

I worked for them for three years up to January just gone and we had one of the best bikehuts in the area in my store

By comparison another store that was just 10 miles away had no clue and turned a customer to us once because they couldn’t replace a hollow tech II chainset despite the fact that it’s on a couple of the bikes in the range

In all honesty it just depends which store you go to before I went there I didn’t know a lot about cycling as a lot of people don’t because a lot of them are part-time but i quickly found my passion as did a few of the other new guys

And went from occasionally riding my dad’s bike to building my own full carbon out of reduced/clearance items in the shop

I like to think we did very well and admittedly we didn’t get everything right but what shop does I’m sure anyone who’s been to the Halfords in Ipswich will back me up 😉

… It’s all store dependant

Suffolk Retail Park? Yep, I’ll back you up.

Halfords told me I didn’t
Halfords told me I didn’t ride far enough and wasn’t flexible enough for a road bike and I’d find a bike with front suspension better going over curbs.

My commute was 25 miles and I stopped riding on pavements when I went to big school.

Its because there is a lot of
Its because there is a lot of instances where the staff have no idea about bikes.

I saw today a guy come in with a Wrecked Wheel after having his bike wheel hit by a tractor.

A normal 700c wheel with rim brakes, The guy said all they have is a wheel which was disc brake wheel. The guy tried to explain the wheel wouldn’t work on his bike and the sales advisor kept saying its okay.

This is the same idiot who told me that a sram chain on a sram cassette wouldn’t work with a claris mech. EVEN though that was what I had on my bike at the time and just needed the chain breaking so I could put a new one on.