Halfords build

[jim55]

When u buy a bike from Halfords but tell them not to build it how assembled do you get it

 

[lejogger]

What type of bike? It’ll be in a flat box. So you’ll need to pop the handlebars onto the steerer, screw the pedals in... nothing majorly complicated.
i.e.brakes, shifters and drivetrain will all be in place.

 

[jim55]

I can do that then ,just not good at adjusting gears and stuff,what IL b getting has hydraulic discs ,thel b ready and won't need adjusted I hope

 

[Moodyman]

They will check and adjust gears and brakes. They will also straighten the bars which means having to set the headset adjustment right.

It's straightforward if you know what you're doing, but if you don't, it could be very frustrating. There also the possibility of warranty issues if owt goes wrong and you set it up yourself.

There a lot of anti-Halfords snobbery in the cycling community, but when I've been browsing in-store, they're cycling staff seem competent.

 

[Cycleops]

There a lot of anti-Halfords snobbery in the cycling community, but when I've been browsing in-store, they're cycling staff seem competent.

I don’t think it’s a case of snobbery but the reality of a large nationwide cycle and motor parts retailer. You can get lucky with staff or not. ‘Oh Kevin’s not in today, he’s our cycle expert’ or ‘Sorry, Kevin got transferred to auto parts’.

 

[Milkfloat]

Let Halford’s do it, that way they are taking in the liability themselves, you can always check it over after. Plus, if you are not confident in your own skills they are far likely to do a far better job than you. I do all my own work, but I would still have the bike shop assemble the bike purely to make sure they take on the liability.

 

[Oldhippy]

I've had the same experience with Halfords and Cycle King. I will always use my local bike shop wherever possible but have used the above at a push for consumables on occasion. I have found staff not that enthusiastic about what they do and are more interested in a sale than anything else. In the case of Cycle King downright surly if they don't get a sale. I wouldn't let them service my bike personally.

 

[Nebulous]

I put together a voodoo child’s bike from Halfords before Christmas. It came in a flat box, very well wrapped, with plastic discs and things attached to save damage from handling. Front wheel was off, rear wheel on. The crank arm was through the spokes in the wheel and fastened with cableties, it needs disentangling carefully to avoid damage.

It had cable discs, one was scraping slightly so I had to reset the position of the adapter on the frame. Gears were slightly off, but turning the barrel adjuster was sufficient, nothing more.

No more than I expected, around 1.5 hours for an amateur taking their time, an expert would be quicker. A degree of knowledge helped. Photos / google images of what the bike should look like might help as well if you aren’t sure.

 

[biggs682]

I would let them do it all so you are fully covered . Then just check it over yourself .

 

[roadrash]

^^^^what he sed^^^^

 

[jim55]

Thanks peeps ,I think I could do it (as IV built from a bare frame but single speed and rim brakes , hydraulic disc brakes and derailleur is best left to them ,even for the liability issue👍

 

[lejogger]

I bought the wife a Boardman last year and chose to assemble myself... mainly because I could get hold of one quicker if I didn’t have to wait for them to do it.

It’s not complicated but it can be a faff if you’re not used to doing those jobs already, so it depends on your tolerance/experience.

I also figured that things like brakes and gears inevitably need tinkering with after a ride or two anyway, so it’s quite helpful to familiarise yourself with the callipers and derailleurs if you intend to continue maintaining it yourself.
But if you don’t have the confidence, the worst thing to do is try, bugger it up or knacker something, and end up taking it into the store anyway.

You’ll also need to bed the brake pads in properly if you’re getting discs. I quickly realised that the pads which arrived with the bike were next to hopeless, and upgraded immediately.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Even though I've built up a bike a couple of times, I've also had Halfords build a Carrera for my daughter, it's only a tenner and if there's any screw up it's their screw up. I've found them competent. Indexing is a particular achilles heel of mine, I'd rather someone else do that job.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I bought the wife a Boardman last year and chose to assemble myself... mainly because I could get hold of one quicker if I didn’t have to wait for them to do it.

You’ll also need to bed the brake pads in properly if you’re getting discs. I quickly realised that the pads which arrived with the bike were next to hopeless, and upgraded immediately.

When I bought my wife a Boardman hybrid in June '19, I asked them to fit a pannier-rack
That was really, in case the one I chose was an awkward fit, they could try others

This was how it was handed over............... I won't state what I thought about it

They hadn't even bothered to try & make it sit level

The brakes, unless they're still not fully bedded in, as she's not touched it since about October
They're SRAM (not sure of model), but they're not a patch on the RS505 'brifters' & RS785 calipers on my CGR

 

[Marty-mart]

Bedding in brakes requires bikes to be ridden and therefore dirt on tyres etc - not necessarily something new owners would expect. Shimano hydraulics are equipped with their own pads and SRAM likewise - generally don't need immediate upgrading.
Level racks are at the mercy of the attachments that they come with and the size/geometry of the frame they are fitted to.