My visit to Halfords.

[stephec]

Plan is to go tomorrow morning.

It's a nice place Clitheroe, lovely little town centre, just realised how middle aged that sounds. 😅

I went there for the first time ever last week to visit the sausage shop, and the only struggle for the out of towner might be parking, although from Ribble's address it sounds like they're on an industrial estate.

 

[Cycleops]

It's a nice place Clitheroe, lovely little town centre, just realised how middle aged that sounds. 😅

Could this be the town that gave The Clitheroe Kid and the radio prog it's name? Anyone remember that? You'd have to be rather more than middle aged.

 

[Dave7]

Could this be the town that gave The Clitheroe Kid and the radio prog it's name? Anyone remember that? You'd have to be rather more than middle aged.

View attachment 586390

Sadly I do.
Think his name was Jimmy ??

 

[Chromatic]

Could this be the town that gave The Clitheroe Kid and the radio prog it's name? Anyone remember that? You'd have to be rather more than middle aged.

View attachment 586390

Yes, I do too, one of my childhood memories is of my mum in the kitchen cooking, with the radio on and The Clitheroe Kid being on.

 

[Bazzer]

Firstly I phoned the local branch to see if they had the ebike in stock.
Unbelievable but it went to a call centre in South Africa.
I asked to be put through to the branch.....no can do.
Very efficient and confirmed there was one in stock.
So, I went to the local store WHICH IS BIG.
Conversation went (this is genuine).......
Me.. I have come to look at the ebike.
Assistant.....we only have one in and that is boxed.
Me....ok, when will it be available to see
Assistant.....it won't. We can't take it out and build it just so you can see it
Me......so how do I get to see it.
Assistant.....you buy and pay for it, we will put it together, then if you don't like it you can have a refund.
Me... you seriously expect me to part with £2K without even seeing it ??
Assistant...... I will ask my boss but you will get the same answer.
Boss came and said that if I am genuinely interested he will get it built for me.
Me (not happy now)......let me get my head around this. Can you give me a direct phone number.
Him......afraid not, everything goes to the call centre in South Africa.

I have not totally discounted it but will make the 110 mile round trip to Ribble tomorrow.

If it's the one by the river, that doesn't surprise me. The last time I used them for any bike work was to replace a broken spoke. They replaced a wheel of black spokes with a silver one. The answer; It wasn't one of our bikes!
Never again.

 

[DCLane]

There's a goods LBS in Clitheroe - Green Jersey

 

[cougie uk]

It's Covid innit. Last thing they want is for people to touch bikes and breathe all over them. They'd probably need to disinfect them between people.

There are lots of reviews out there so that might help. I can't think of the last bike I bought in a shop. Oh hang on. The Brompton.

All the rest have been online or before that custom. And you can't ride that until you've built it all up.

Do your research correctly and you should be fine.

 

[Teamfixed]

I pop into hellfords to buy an inner tube once in a while. Last time I was in there I wanted some rim tape. They didn't keep it.
I was told "Oh we just use electrical tape"
To$$er$.

 

[Eric Olthwaite]

I pop into hellfords to buy an inner tube once in a while. Last time I was in there I wanted some rim tape. They didn't keep it.
I was told "Oh we just use electrical tape"
To$$er$.

In my experience, electrical tape works just fine

 

[Teamfixed]

Tbh I've done that too but...

 

[fossyant]

In my experience, electrical tape works just fine

Velox rim tape or go home.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Firstly I phoned the local branch to see if they had the ebike in stock.
Unbelievable but it went to a call centre in South Africa.
I asked to be put through to the branch.....no can do.
Very efficient and confirmed there was one in stock.
So, I went to the local store WHICH IS BIG.
Conversation went (this is genuine).......
Me.. I have come to look at the ebike.
Assistant.....we only have one in and that is boxed.
Me....ok, when will it be available to see
Assistant.....it won't. We can't take it out and build it just so you can see it
Me......so how do I get to see it.
Assistant.....you buy and pay for it, we will put it together, then if you don't like it you can have a refund.
Me... you seriously expect me to part with £2K without even seeing it ??
Assistant...... I will ask my boss but you will get the same answer.
Boss came and said that if I am genuinely interested he will get it built for me.
Me (not happy now)......let me get my head around this. Can you give me a direct phone number.
Him......afraid not, everything goes to the call centre in South Africa.

I have not totally discounted it but will make the 110 mile round trip to Ribble tomorrow.

 

[PaulSB]

My lad has just bought a car online without a test drive etc, there were extensive pictures on the website and they are a main dealer for the brand, but its not something I would have been comfortable with.

I would have to agree unless one was already very, very familiar with the model. For example my company cars were either Peugeot 3008 or Nissan Quashqai. I think I'd buy one online.

When I retired I had to buy a car smaller than I was used to. I knew there were things which would irritate me if present in the car I purchased. After research online I visited a main dealer for every model I felt had potential. Some I only had to sit in for two minutes to know it was wrong.

Eventually after much pain, my wife had given up joining me, I walked in to Hyundai, climbed in to an i30, test drove straight away and bought one there and then. It simply felt right and four years later I still get great pleasure driving it.

I had set my heart on a Citroen C3. I mentioned it to a friend, she said "you mean a Lego car!" I had another think but already knew I would bang my head on the roof/windscreen join!

Major decisions for me have to be made in the real world.

 

[Venod]

I would have to agree unless one was already very, very familiar with the model.

He was familiar with the model a Volvo V40, as we have one, but ours is Cross Country petrol with an auto box, his is R Design diesel with a manual, I have to say its a cracking car and suits him well, he has a 50 mile round trip commute everyday so hence the diesel.

 

[Drago]

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Funnily enough, to get to Halfords Dave had to spend 3 weeks travelling up the Mekong while dodging bullets. Its that sort of town.