Brompton moving to Halford

[steveindenmark]

The new CEO at Brompton has decided to let Halfords sell and repair Bromptons Would you trust your Brompton to a Halfords monkey wrench? Not me.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlto...-chain-store-halfords-as-bike-shops-cry-foul/

 

[mustang1]

Whoa! I'm gonna see where this thread goes.

 

[Joe Brom]

In the USA they've started selling standard kit Bromptons at REI, a sporting goods chain (I don't know what Halfords is or how this compares). In this country I think it leads to more awareness of the bike..Bromptons are still a rather rare sight around here.

As for fears of bad service, I don't think it's any different than buying online: you're still likely to end up at a specialist shop for maintenance and repair work.

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

It's a bit early for April Fools isn't it?

 

[steveindenmark]

I am waiting for the Hitler in the bunker film clip with the Brompton subtitles.



Had they chosen Decathlon I would have thought it was a more sensible idea. But Halfords

 

[Freds Dad]

Will they offer the 10% BC discount on a Brompton.

 

[Venod]

I think Halfords service and repair staff capabilities vary wildly, I build and service my own bikes and would never take them anywhere for service or repair, but if I had to I would trust the guy at Halfords, I have bought stuff off him and through conversations I have had with him I release he knows his stuff, its just a pity they don't have the same across all stores.

 

[Drago]

I wouldn't trust them to fit a bell. It's a huge company, yet the reason the standard of spannering is so variable is because they won t spend money hiring qualified techs, or training staff to be techs. It's pot luck What you get, and that's unacceptable for such a safety critical field of endeavour. I cant see this ending well for Brompton the or customers, if its true of course.

 

[rogerzilla]

Bromptons aren't much better made than an Apollo BSO, so I don't see the problem. They arrive boxed and assembled anyway.

 

[guitarpete247]

Most LBS mechanics standards will vary. I was not that impressed with mine when I bought my last bike.
e.g. Bar tape put on badly, handlebars on at unusable angle (whilst on drops any jolt and my hands were slipping off), hoods far to far forward to be comfortable, front derailleur cable routed wrongly into derailleur clamp.
I did my own 6 week tweek job and corrected problems. Moving the levers meant taking bar tape off when I found that the angled cut at the end was so ragged it may have been cut with nail scissors/clippers.
Boardman I bought from Halfords, a few years ago, was set up perfectly. I've hardly had to do anything except twist the barrel adjusters.
I'm not going to name my LBS on line but I won;t use them again.

 

[Drago]

True, but LBS's are different firms to each other. Identify a decent one, and you're reasonably assured of a degree if consistency in the ongoing standard of their work. Not so at Halfords, even in the same branch.

 

[steveindenmark]

There is also the snobbery side of things. Im going to look ridiculous going into Halfords wearing my plus fours, tweed jacket and deer stalker hat. At Brompton Junction I just fit right in.

 

[steveindenmark]

Will they offer the 10% BC discount on a Brompton.

Do they do cycle to work scheme at Halfords?

My 9 Streets resale value is in freefall

 

[DCLane]

I would have thought Halfords alternative retail chain Cycle Republic would have made a better choice? They already sell Bickerton and Tern though.

 

[mjr]

As pointed out on CUK's forum, Cycle Republic's leader used to work at Evans. I'm not sure of dates and whether he might have been involved in persuading Brompton to partner with Evans back then, plus have recent reports of Evans wobbling made Brompton keen to line up another chain store dealer just-in-case?