Am I being unfair?

[snailracer]

Which would be a vital safety issue if the blocks are the type which slide into holders since they would tend to be ejected under braking if reversed. I reckon the ones on that bike are actually the type which have studs coming out of them but it's hard to be sure from that photograph.

The handling would also be affected - reduced trail increases twitchiness.

 

[dellzeqq]

Actually... I should have done that, and offered to show them how to do it themselves. As it was, I sent them an email. I couldn't tell you why I didn't mention it when there - I made a mistake, I guess. I was wrong.

fair enough. If you go back (supposing you do go back) and it's still wrong, take it higher.

 

[numbnuts]

brakes should give it away, not usually facing backwards.

on some Pace forks the braks are to the rear, I have one sat in my garage

 

[marzjennings]

You could just let ASDA know that if they sold a bike in that condition and an equally uninformed rider bought and then crashed the bike because of the dangerous set up of the forks they could sue. I know some nonbike stores that sell bikes only sell them in a box with a big label on the front with the disclaimer. "This bike comes 90% assembled. If you don't feel confident working on your bike, we suggest you take it to a local bike shop for final assembly & safety checks.

 

[sheddy]

report em to Trading Standards, selling unsafe goods is totally unacceptable, maybe it will put supermarkets off selling BSOs

 

[atbman]

Did just that, when I saw the same thing, the first time Asda started selling "family" bikes.

They sent for the manager of the relevant section, I chatted to him and when I went in the next day it had been put right. Warm glow.

 

[Globalti]

But I've always built my bikes that way. Maybe that's why I'm such a crap cyclist!

 

[vernon]

It's not a new problem. I refer you to a posting that I made this summer.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Something happens to the display stock...

If Asda's anything like Homebase or Focus DIY, the display stock gets put beyond use with a big hammer and thrown in a skip round the back of the shop. Which, admittedly, is probably the best thing that could happen to a bike like this one, but it's a shame to see warehouse monkeys busy with Stanley knives and sledgehammers on anything from cushions to gas barbecues and patio furniture.

 

[just jim]

I refer you to the bicycle shaped object website:

http://bicycleshapedobject.wordpress.com/

 

[Dave Davenport]

All this would never happen at Waitrose!

No, but it would be the same Chinese BSO labled 'Duchy Originals', assembled by Prince Charles (or his butler) and cost 800 quid.

 

[telesonic99]

ASDA are notorious for this. I once bought a Quattro Stagioni pizza only to be horrified that some maladroit topping-fiddler at the factory had assembled the quartiles of artichokes, mushrooms, ham and olives in the wrong fannying order. Clearly the perp had decided to toe-poke years of Tuscan heritage into the nearest swill bucket and crap out the toppings randomly in the hope that nobody notices. Frankly I'm surprised they can actually find their arse or their elbow, nevermind confuse the two. Am I being unfair?

 

[Archie_tect]

Just out of interest if you rode the bike shown on the photo with the forks mounted back to front, would there actually be any problem with it?

The brake assembly is behind the forks so the brake components would be in compression rather than tension and the front would ride a bit higher over the spindle than 'normal' but other than that is it actually dangerous?

Just curious!

[Edit: just read the earlier post about brake blocks in slide-in sleeves but that sounds like a crazy system!]

 

[Cubist]

Just out of interest if you rode the bike shown on the photo with the forks mounted back to front, would there actually be any problem with it?

The brake assembly is behind the forks so the brake components would be in compression rather than tension and the front would ride a bit higher over the spindle than 'normal' but other than that is it actually dangerous?

Just curious!

[Edit: just read the earlier post about brake blocks in slide-in sleeves but that sounds like a crazy system!]

Your curiosity may well benefit us all. I doubt it would take anyone with a smattering of spannering ability much to nip out to the shed and turn their forks the wrong way round, find a nice steep hill with a couple of bends on it, or perhaps a nice sloppy towpath for the hardcore MTBers amongst us, and do some field based research.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[theclaud]

ASDA are notorious for this. I once bought a Quattro Stagioni pizza only to be horrified that some maladroit topping-fiddler at the factory had assembled the quartiles of artichokes, mushrooms, ham and olives in the wrong fannying order. Clearly the perp had decided to toe-poke years of Tuscan heritage into the nearest swill bucket and crap out the toppings randomly in the hope that nobody notices. Frankly I'm surprised they can actually find their arse or their elbow, nevermind confuse the two. Am I being unfair?