3 month old supermarket bike. Here's a list of faults.

[Cyclopathic]

Rear wheel bearings very loose

Bottom bracket very loose

Headset loose

Both wheels out of true beyond 2mm

Twist grip changers so stiff as to be unusable. (Cables not stuck just very poor design)

Brakes badly adjusted. Squeaky and not aligned on rims properly.

Now the woman who brought it to me paid £89.00 for the bike three months ago from a famous supermarket chain but even so the list of things wrong is appalling and would cost about as much to put right as the bike cost.
What the hell is going on with these bloody supermarkets. Would comment more but have to go.

 

[summerdays]

They basically design something to look like a bike using the cheapest components.

At my LBS I've seen the original owner (now run by his son), actually refuse to even look at them as he said it wouldn't be economically worth it to try and that it would be back with the next fault before too long.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Buy cheap buy twice as a wise man once said ; )

 

[derrick]

What do expect for that money?

 

[gavintc]

They basically design something to look like a bike using the cheapest components.

At my LBS I've seen the original owner (now run by his son), actually refuse to even look at them as he said it wouldn't be economically worth it to try and that it would be back with the next fault before too long.

Same here, I was in an LBS recently when a supermarket bike was wheeled in. The LBS owner did not even allow the potential customer to speak - just said he would not even look at it and it was broken - throw it away.

 

[uphillstruggler]

They basically design something to look like a bike using the cheapest components.

At my LBS I've seen the original owner (now run by his son), actually refuse to even look at them as he said it wouldn't be economically worth it to try and that it would be back with the next fault before too long.

Seen this happen too, the shop said that even though the Fault would be fixed, it would go wrong as quiqkly as it was fixed and that they wouldn't/couldn't put their name against it.

I told the bloke to buy a multi tool and try it himself - the look of blankness on his face was worth the trip alone

 

[cosmicbike]

What do expect for that money?

What I'd expect for that money is a crock. What mere mortals expect is likely to be very different, and the fact that it's from a big supermarket must mean it's good, surely? I mean, they wouldn't sell junk, would they???

 

[swede54]

Why don't they just take it back and let the Supermarket sort it. If everyone did it the shops may eventually stop selling this rubbish.

 

[jarlrmai]

They are banking on the ride it once put it in the shed forever market.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Why don't they just take it back and let the Supermarket sort it. If everyone did it the shops may eventually stop selling this rubbish.

I suspect the big sheds, like any that may or not be owned by a large US parent company that sounds like Stall Fart would just give the customer a new bike.

Customer thinks it's brill and goes away happy for a couple more weeks, or until things start going south again and the whole circle starts over

 

[classic33]

Why don't they just take it back and let the Supermarket sort it. If everyone did it the shops may eventually stop selling this rubbish.

Sale of goods act still applies.

 

[Cycleops]

Some people seem to not even retain the brains they were born with.

 

[Cyclopathic]

Why don't they just take it back and let the Supermarket sort it. If everyone did it the shops may eventually stop selling this rubbish.

This is what I told her to do. I gave her a list of all the faults I found and told her to take it back. I also did not put so much as a spanner on it so that they couldn't claim it was not their responsibility. However the likelyhood that Asda is equipped to deal with it is sod all. I feel certain they will fob her off and I will see the bike again.
Her reply when I told her to take it back was that she didn't want to get on the wrong side of them or some such sentiment. I despair.

 

[Cyclopathic]

Apa

What I'd expect for that money is a crock. What mere mortals expect is likely to be very different, and the fact that it's from a big supermarket must mean it's good, surely? I mean, they wouldn't sell junk, would they???

Apart from the grip shifters, which were utterly unusable, the rest of the bike, despite being cheap would possibly be ok if it had been set up right in the first place. Or at least not as bad.
I really hope she doesn't come back though because I don't want to have to fix it again and again and have her think it's my fault.

 

[Peteaud]

Mrs Aud bought an Apollo mountain bike from Halfords many many moons (about 12 years) ago. We only got rid of it last year as she got something better, but we know the latest owner of it, and its still going strong. New tyres and pads and thats it, never even had a new cable. She paid abround £120.00 i think.

Set up right, even cheapo bso's can give good service.