Halfords

Re.

It's a shame, really, as Halfords seemed to start to develop a better reputation when they did the Bike Hut stuff a few years ago and employed some people who knew about bikes, including some forumengers. Then that all ended again.

I go in the balham/tooting bec one now and again when I need grease or lubes or random stuff with a brand name I can trust written on it. They have a head mechanic who is reasonable but I wouldn't say good at repairs and then a couple of others who can do a basic service if you are lucky. I get the idea from seeing others wheel in bikes with snapped hub axels more often than I would expect that they skimp on grease/bad at adjusting or just don't service hubs despite charging for it in a service. Never seen them true a wheel or noticed a stand so wouldn't be paying for a mediocre between the brake pads diy style job. Some of the more recent visits I taught the staff things like one didn't know the bolts on 90% of disc brakes are called torx bolts instead of hex/allen(would be worried if he put my bike together with new brakes), another didn't know what spindle length on a bb was so went out back to check the bb shelf and then said "we just have ones in these boxes" "yeah they will have a different number on" "what number they are all shimano..." that convo went around a few times until I pulled a crank off and put a vernir on the spindle to be more visual and then he thanked me and I explained some more about bb cups and cartridges. I get very lucky with bike shops tho so have explained the difference between a 1 1/8 threadless headset and a 1 threaded in baffels and that a bb wasn't a headset in xlapham evans(asked for a headset they came out with a pair of external bb cups lol).

I think what worries me more is people who have no idea how a bicycle works when they ride it daily. I could understand if it was all complex with heating elements, double insulated wires, buttons, springs, timers and sorts of other shit like a toaster has but bike parts are far more simple.

You don't fit the crankset when building a bicycle from the box so it can be two thing, one is that the mechanic didn't check if it's tight enough, or two - BB30.

You don't fit the crankset when building a bicycle from the box so it can be two thing, one is that the mechanic didn't check if it's tight enough, or two - BB30.

Mechanic or sales assistant? You know we are talking about halfords?

crap

Bought guide pipes for my v-brakes and it's a 3 for 2 weekend and I didn't know whether I needed 90° or 135° pipes, so I bought the last 90° one they had plus two 135° ones. As she rang one of the pipes up three times, the pip on the checkout said, "they're all the same?" My mumbled answer was, "yeah, pretty much." So now their inventory will show a 90° pipe in stock when there's no such thing on the shelf. Accidental bazinga.

Fuck the system.

Halfords car servicing is as shit as their bike work. Partner had their most comprehensive service done, yet a week later the car failed its MOT on three points that they should have checked. Utterly useless cunts.

Fuck the system.

Twofold! I've just realised that their inventory will also show one fewer 135° pipe than exists on their shelf. A total headfuck for the store manager and a severe dressing down for all the staff (sorry 'bout that). Another fine mess.

Must give the shop credit for having reversed its layout - relegated most of the cager stuff to the small mezzanine and pretty much filled the ground floor with byke stuff.

A total headfuck for the store manager and a severe dressing down for all the staff

Wouldn't have been in the store I worked in, we were usually more than £10k out of whack at stock check, didn't seem to bother anyone too much.

I needed to pick up a replaceable drop out for my son's Boardman a while ago. I approached the only guy in the bike hut and asked if they had one (it was showing 'in stock' on line), he said which model, I told him, he opened a couple of draws in his roller cab and handed me the part I was after.... no wrapping, no price tag, just a hanger. I thanked him and left.

I can't remember what I said to the girl on the till, but the whole thing was eerily like going into an old fashioned corner bike shoppe.

On this occasion it turns out that the joke was on me. The Clark guide pipes / noodles have smooth (rather than ridged) ends, which the comically oversized rubber boots slide straight off of. I also did need two of the ninety degree noodles.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-34026667

It didn't fit! Ba-dum tish.

I used to work for a large French sports retailer, apart from the fact the company is operated by utter wankstains, the method that they control stock is from the 19th century and then the blame lyes on the staff despite the inadequate system being impossible to handle the task in the first place, wankstains as I say.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jul/25/bikes-halfords-dangerous

Jesus fucking Christ. If he'd just taken the bikes to a local Halfords they'd have put some new brake cables on, probably apologised, end of story. But no, man feels he is so important that he demands mechanic is sent to his house, tries to escalate to chief executive of Halfords (lol in itself) and then writes to a broadsheet newspaper?

I can understand someone being fucking furious that they sold them bikes that could have killed their kids, but judging by the response from the Guardian and their description of what happened next, it appears the author is also a penis.

Has anyone got any experience of Halfrauds Click and Collect?

I did a click and collect order for some Bluemels to their Stokey branch because they had the matt black for under £20.

They said they'd be ready to pick up at 1pm today but the last I heard from them was a text on Monday saying they were getting my order ready. Have tried calling the shop but they're not picking up.

Reckon they'll be ready or will I be wasting my time going there to find out?

I've done it a few times but I've normally had a text to confirm. In my experience it's always been on time as well.

Did you put your number in right? ;)

I've bought tyres through the click and collect and you get a text when your order is ready and I've even been called to tell me that the order is ready.

Hi Fox, I've done this many times at the old kent road store and even when I get a confirmation text or email the staff can never seem to find my order, there is a guy at that store that seems to know their system and I get it in the end, sometimes what happens is your order can be still on the shelves but they say your order isn't ready, this generally happens with the larger items like tyres, if they can't find my order I look for it myself, I think when you make an order their system doesn't take it from their stock so you might need to point this out, amasingly this never happens with BB's, good luck

Did you put your number in right? ;)

Er, I can't check because I didn't register, but as the first text got through you'd think so?!

Hmm. Larger items like mudguards :/

Thanks all. Sounds like it might actually be easier to pop in and see if they can figure out what's going on.