Halfords

[griffin303]

Is Halfords any good for bikes

 

[Theseus]

It depends on th bike and how competent the wrench is in the particular store you are going to.

Which ones are you looking at and where?

 

[ianrauk]

The Carrerra's and Boardman's are very good bikes.
However if you buy one, take it straight to your LBS to get it set up properly.

 

[Joe.R]

I was advised against buying a bike from Halfords but dont have any personal experiance with them.

I do prefer the local bike shops though as I feel you get that bit more customer service

 

[Kestevan]

I've just got a nice shiny new GT Aggressor from Halfords - Cracking bike at a good price.


Didn't let the spotty teenage chimp in the shop anywhere near it though. Brought it home in a box and built it meself. At least that way if the forks are on backwards and the brakes break, it's nobodies fault but mine.

 

[amnesia]

There do seem to be more horror stories about Halfords than 'proper' bike shops, but then they probably have a lot more customers through the door.

Personally I haven't had any problems with my local store, but I have seen apparently 'ready to ride' bikes in the branch with off centre bars and saddles

Caveat Emptor has probably never been so appropriate...

The bikes are good though

 

[mr Mag00]

can o worms

 

[ianrauk]

*scans horizon for Blazed the Halfords Homie*

 

[sheddy]

No. Bicycle shaped objects, yes

 

[ianrauk]

Wrong, Halfords carry a range of BSO's along with Carrera's, Boardmans & GT's which are all very good bikes.

No. Bicycle shaped objects, yes

 

[4F]

They do sell some fair bikes as ianrauk has mentioned. Their main problem seems to be the monkeys they employ, some stores are better than others.

My father and father in law both work for bikehut however we all agree that some of the lower ranges they sell are ****.

I would also add that personally I would not buy a bike from them and would use my LBS instead. My father in law was rather suprised when I told him what he could do with the Apollo full susser with disk brakes for
£ 140 which he suggested for my daughter

 

[iacula]

I heard the Carrera Subway was a good bike and cheap too, perhaps you can just check the nuts and bolts when you get it home. Bikes are simple machines?

 

[Arch]

They do sell some fair bikes as ianrauk has mentioned. Their main problem seems to be the monkeys they employ, some stores are better than others.

I was hearing today about a friend who went to Halfords for a new inner tube for her bike (equipped with wide MTB type tyres). She took the old tube along, and asked for the right replacement. They gave her a racing bike tyre size.

Ok, that could be avoided by knowing what you need. But you would expect a lot of people would not know, and would assume that someone in a shop would just get it right...

 

[Arch]

I heard the Carrera Subway was a good bike and cheap too, perhaps you can just check the nuts and bolts when you get it home. Bikes are simple machines?

ha! And adjusting your brakes is a 'five minute job'....

The thing is, yes, they are simple, in principle, although I think stuff like STI levers are making them less and less simple to understand. And they will take a fair bit of mistreatment. But how many 'average' bike buyers know which nuts and bolts are the most important to check? They assume the thing will work, like you assume a washing machine will work.

Here's a funny story to illustrate just how un-knowing some people are about bikes. I watched at a Uni second-hand bike auction, as a girl and her boyfriend looking a potential purchase over. He held it up off the ground, and asked her to turn the pedals. He put it down, satisfied, and she said "well, that's no good then". He looked puzzled and asked why not? "Well," she said, "the front wheel didn't go round."

I can't imagine her being able to check a bike over very competently....

 

[Slim]

ha! And adjusting your brakes is a 'five minute job'....

......Here's a funny story to illustrate just how un-knowing some people are about bikes. I watched at a Uni second-hand bike auction, as a girl and her boyfriend looking a potential purchase over. He held it up off the ground, and asked her to turn the pedals. He put it down, satisfied, and she said "well, that's no good then". He looked puzzled and asked why not? "Well," she said, "the front wheel didn't go round."

I can't imagine her being able to check a bike over very competently....

Blonde ??



.