How much worse can Halfords get?

[Twenty Inch]

Cycling along in Sarf Lunnun today, saw another cyclist with upside down bike by the side of the road. Stopped to offer help, it turned out to be a damsel in distress.

Two week old Halfords Carrera, the crank bolt had undone from the bottom bracket spindle, and the pedal and crank had naturally fallen off, while this girl was in the middle of the road approaching a fast junction.

Obviously she was an inexperienced cyclist as someone with more experience would have noticed an odd feel to the pedal before it came off. Anyway, I managed to bodge a “get you to work” solution for her.

And why am I so angry at Halfords? Because they gave her a safety certificate to show that THEY HAD SET THE BIKE UP PROPERLY BEFORE LETTING IT OUT OF THE SHOP!!!!

How much lower can their reputation sink?


(Quite apart from the fact that she had asked for a commuting bike, so they of course sold her their downhill, front sus, knobbly tyres bike)

 

[Maz]

She only had problems after 2 weeks? That's pretty good going.
Mate here in Leicester picked his new bike up from Halfords, only for the rear wheel to come off on the ride home.

 

[wafflycat]

A few years ago, when WMnr was still at high school - he was cycling to school. Had a lovely refurbished road bike. Alas, in the eyes of the local cretins, as it wasn't a MTB from H*lfr*uds, weighing a ton, it wasn't a proper bike, but a poof's bike and WMnr got hassle from the local cretins. So we went of to H*lfr*uds and got a basic MTB (no suspension). The hassle from the local cretins stopped, so that was a positive. On the negative, there was various bits & bobs wrong with it, as a result of it being incorrectly put together by the Useless of the local H*lfr*uds. This was picked up on and corrected by MrW, who is a darned good cycle mechanic, but I dread to think what could have happened as regards safety if the same bike had been purchased by a complete novice to bikes... The only things bike-wise I'll buy from H*lfr*uds are the 'instant' puncture patches and lids.

 

[Jake]

did you advice her to go back and wrap it around their heads?

 

[hulver]

Not surprised.

I stopped to help a bruised a bloody chap once. He was riding his brand new "safety checked" bike home from Halfords when the handlebars came loose from the stem, spilling him into the road in front of a bus. Fortunately the bus stopped.

A quick tighten of the nuts with my allen key tool and he was on his way again.

Not impressed.

 

[ChrisKH]

Ever the optimist, I frequently go into Halfords thinking they must have upped their game by now, only to be disappointed. Have bought a couple of tyres from there and have a look at the Boardman stuff, but that's about it.

 

[User482]

I've had a similar experience. Mrs User482 picked up her new Carrera commuter (insurance replacement - had to use Halfords). As it had disc brakes, I took the bike out to bed the pads in. I managed to pull the levers right back to the bars without any significant braking happening! Of course, this bike also had a safety certificate...

They'd also managed to fit some mudguards and not bothered to do the bolts up, and ordered the wrong pannier ack despite me having pointed out the right one in the catalogue to them.

Absolutely fecking useless.

 

[spandex]

I am keeping out of this one. I can fill my self going

 

[MrGrumpy]

i`ve been protective of Halfords in the past, but from bad expeirence now they are truly shocking to deal with on CS level, I will buy stuff from them if I need it quickly. However I`ve read about LBS being just as bad ?? so whats the differance really. I think everyone should get a good grasp of home maintence and be done with.

 

[tdr1nka]

In my local(Old Kent Road) Halfords the other day, I complained loudly to the manager
about a whole rack of children's bikes, every one of which had the front brakes mounted to the back of the forks, under the downtube.

 

[Funtboy]

In my local(Old Kent Road) Halfords the other day, I complained loudly to the manager
about a whole rack of children's bikes, every one of which had the front brakes mounted to the back of the forks, under the downtube.

Never again will I darken the doors of that place - it's dreadful. Surrey Quays Decathlon all the way.

 

[HLaB]

Yikes, I got away pretty lucky. Many moons when I was a kid my chain snapped and Hellfrauds recommended a new link to join it. I later found out from reading a book, doh that it wasn't compatable with a derailleur and went back for a chain tool. It worked fine but whilst removing it, it fell to bits. Other than for a few accessories I've not been back.

 

[leoc]

Never again will I darken the doors of that place - it's dreadful. Surrey Quays Decathlon all the way.

While they're generally pretty good in there and I've had some good service, they set up my road bike pretty badly. HiLo stops wrong on front derailleur so it wouldn't change up and the cable on the rear brake pulled through first time I braked hard on the rear . Actually the derailleur thing got me interested in doing my own maintenance as I couldn't be bothered to take it back and argue.

 

[jimboalee]

I've said....

"Only buy a bike from Halfords if you can strip it and rebuild it before riding it."

The young lady's crank bolt was assembled at the supplier. The Halfords kid would only test it with a torque wrench . Cranks need to be belted on with a hide mallet before torquing the bolt. The factory assembly operative won't do this, just slip it on and tighten the bolt to the torque setting. The H kid does not know this.

The kids who do the final assembly in Halfords really have no idea. They follow a training schedule, maybe, and go in 'green'.

 

[Plax]

Thank you Twenty Inch for stopping to help her. I know I'd have been really grateful if that happened to me, especially when I first started.
Thankfully my first bike from Halfords was okay apart from the crap gears. I'll only buy accessories from them now if I need them fast.