Happy Halfords
- Thread starter funk my fixie
- Start date
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GlasgowGaryH
Veteran
- Location
- Where ever I lay my hat
I always get good service at Braehead branch,much better than local LBS who seem to never have what I want in stock,but as they say they can always order it and I always tell them,so can I
MrJamie
Oaf on a Bike
The Halfords staff here seem quite helpful, polite and more than happy to answer the stupidest of questions without making me feel like an idiot for wanting to understand. Their own brand products are pretty crap, but i suspect do a reasonable job for low mileage leisure cyclists. No idea on their mechanic skills though. We almost need a halfords database to rate our local ones 
By comparison i felt the bloke in the LBS i went to were rudely disinterested in my old MTB repairs, because it wasnt a nice posh bike and so lost the custom of a future cycling addict. Probably wrong bloke wrong time, but youd think competing with the internet theyd be trying harder. So i bought my hybrid online and may do the same for my next bike, bought almost all of my accessories online, i went to the CC/youtube school of maintenance/repair and as a result friends and family do the same and get me to lend a hand.
By comparison i felt the bloke in the LBS i went to were rudely disinterested in my old MTB repairs, because it wasnt a nice posh bike and so lost the custom of a future cycling addict. Probably wrong bloke wrong time, but youd think competing with the internet theyd be trying harder. So i bought my hybrid online and may do the same for my next bike, bought almost all of my accessories online, i went to the CC/youtube school of maintenance/repair
and as a result friends and family do the same and get me to lend a hand.
I do tend to use Halfords, although I also buy online, as neither of the two LBS really deserve my custom. One, who only ever wanted to sell me a new bike, made one disparaging remark too many about my old Dawes, and the other has a pretty poor range. He also gives pretty short shrift when his cycling pals are in for a blether, and can't get you out of the shop fast enough, whether or not you've got all that you came for.
Notwithstanding the variations I've experienced myself, Halfords, I think, often come out best over the LBS as they are a professional retailers, while many of the local shops are run by cycling enthusiasts who, while well meaning, have little knowledge of retail skills.
Notwithstanding the variations I've experienced myself, Halfords, I think, often come out best over the LBS as they are a professional retailers, while many of the local shops are run by cycling enthusiasts who, while well meaning, have little knowledge of retail skills.
OP
OP
funk my fixie
Regular
Yes, egotistical LBS do seem more self obsessed. Why can't it be like when I was a kid. There was this old bike shop down the road where the guy was just interested in fixing your machine, talking to you, helping people out etc. As you say, unless you go in ready to buy the top sports bike in the shop they sadly don't have time for you nowadays. 
