Boardman/Halfords advice
Discussion
While looking for my mountain bike I went to 3 local branches of Halfords and the service and knowledge of the staff was very poor. As a result I bought a non Boardman bike.
I am now in the market for a road bike (c£800.00) and, while the Halfords connection is still putting me off, I can't ignore all the excellent reports that I have read about Boardman bikes.
My question is can anyone suggest a Halfords store in SE London/NW Kent that they would recommend based on a previous purchase?
I am now in the market for a road bike (c£800.00) and, while the Halfords connection is still putting me off, I can't ignore all the excellent reports that I have read about Boardman bikes.
My question is can anyone suggest a Halfords store in SE London/NW Kent that they would recommend based on a previous purchase?
I too have only heard good things about the Boardmans and bad things about Halfords.
The fact is that it gives you a great excuse to get to know the mechanicals of your new bike.
Buy it in the box and put it together yourself...
Or if you don't want to get your hands dirty take it straight to your LBS.
I am sure they would be happy to help you with maintenance no matter where you bought the bike!
The fact is that it gives you a great excuse to get to know the mechanicals of your new bike.
Buy it in the box and put it together yourself...
Or if you don't want to get your hands dirty take it straight to your LBS.
I am sure they would be happy to help you with maintenance no matter where you bought the bike!
I bought two 2010 Boardman Team Carbon bikes in the January sale - I had some minor issues with them both so I dropped the CEO of Halfords an email. It was all resolved very quickly and now I get very good treatment in store. The bikes are great but I'm prepared to look after them myself if needs be.
I bought mine from their Charlton store - ask for Mark Chalkly (manager) and tell him the guy with the 2 Boardmans and the Ferrari said you should ask for him - he'll know who you're talking about!
I bought mine from their Charlton store - ask for Mark Chalkly (manager) and tell him the guy with the 2 Boardmans and the Ferrari said you should ask for him - he'll know who you're talking about!
Edited by voicey on Friday 5th August 13:21
Edited by voicey on Friday 5th August 13:22
I bought a Boardman carbon 2yrs ago.
brilliant bike, lighter and racier than some expensive kit, and friends who take road riding more seriously than i have been impressed with it!
brakes and wheels not the best (fine for me tho)
first Bristol shop I walked out of in 5mins due to incompetence.
second shop, served by a 17yr old but he was very into his bikes:
built one the correct size for me to ride. then ordered a new one so I don’t have to have the one that was on the shop floor (for a day)
un built the bike when it arrived to grease everything, and did me a cracking deal on some peddles.
keep looking you will find someone that gives a s#@t
brilliant bike, lighter and racier than some expensive kit, and friends who take road riding more seriously than i have been impressed with it!
brakes and wheels not the best (fine for me tho)
first Bristol shop I walked out of in 5mins due to incompetence.
second shop, served by a 17yr old but he was very into his bikes:
built one the correct size for me to ride. then ordered a new one so I don’t have to have the one that was on the shop floor (for a day)
un built the bike when it arrived to grease everything, and did me a cracking deal on some peddles.
keep looking you will find someone that gives a s#@t
Got my bike from there, the parts excluding wheels and frame are more than what I paid for it.
However some of the bolts were not torqued and came loose, the gears were not indexed correctly and when I took it for it's 6 week service I got it back covered and I mean dripping with GT85, took all day to clean the bloody thing when I got it home.
Would I buy from them again? yes but I wouldn't let them touch it.
However some of the bolts were not torqued and came loose, the gears were not indexed correctly and when I took it for it's 6 week service I got it back covered and I mean dripping with GT85, took all day to clean the bloody thing when I got it home.
Would I buy from them again? yes but I wouldn't let them touch it.
I've got a Boardman Comp MTB and I can't fault the bike now. However, the servicde at Halfords is bloody awful.
I struck a deal with them as my bike was a 2010 model and they chucked in 3 years servicing, a bike stand (not attached to the bike, sits on the floor in the garage), pedals and a QR seat clamp.
I picked the bike up and the wrong pedals were fitted, after 2 rides the chain snapped and the QR seat clamp was the wrong size. I bought the bike in June and I've still not sorted out the QR seat clamp. I keep being told it's on order... I'm off next week so the bike is going back to have the gear's re adjusted (they did the 6 week service when it went in to get a new chain and the pedals changed... it had only done 10km!).
I love the bike, an absolute bargain but Halfords are just shoddy... lack of customer service, don't call you when they say they will, they don't communicate to each other, awful really.
It sounds so pety as the Seat clamp is about a fiver and the pedals weren't a biggy as they'll be changed anyway, just frustrating dealing with muppets.
This is all directed at the Epsom store and not me tarnishing all Halfords employee's as muppets, I used to know the guys at Redhill (a mates older brother) and they were excellent, all really in to their bikes and loved to work on them.
It is just pure chance whether you'll get good service... a bit like RSR exhaust / kwik fit.
I struck a deal with them as my bike was a 2010 model and they chucked in 3 years servicing, a bike stand (not attached to the bike, sits on the floor in the garage), pedals and a QR seat clamp.
I picked the bike up and the wrong pedals were fitted, after 2 rides the chain snapped and the QR seat clamp was the wrong size. I bought the bike in June and I've still not sorted out the QR seat clamp. I keep being told it's on order... I'm off next week so the bike is going back to have the gear's re adjusted (they did the 6 week service when it went in to get a new chain and the pedals changed... it had only done 10km!).
I love the bike, an absolute bargain but Halfords are just shoddy... lack of customer service, don't call you when they say they will, they don't communicate to each other, awful really.
It sounds so pety as the Seat clamp is about a fiver and the pedals weren't a biggy as they'll be changed anyway, just frustrating dealing with muppets.
This is all directed at the Epsom store and not me tarnishing all Halfords employee's as muppets, I used to know the guys at Redhill (a mates older brother) and they were excellent, all really in to their bikes and loved to work on them.
It is just pure chance whether you'll get good service... a bit like RSR exhaust / kwik fit.
voicey said:
I bought two 2010 Boardman Team Carbon bikes in the January sale - I had some minor issues with them both so I dropped the CEO of Halfords an email. It was all resolved very quickly and now I get very good treatment in store. The bikes are great but I'm prepared to look after them myself if needs be.
I bought mine from their Charlton store - ask for Mark Chalkly (manager) and tell him the guy with the 2 Boardmans and the Ferrari said you should ask for him - he'll know who you're talking about!
Interesting as this is my local store and the first place I visited. I was told that MTB I was intesreted in didn't exist!!! Maybe I should have turned up in a Fezza :-)I bought mine from their Charlton store - ask for Mark Chalkly (manager) and tell him the guy with the 2 Boardmans and the Ferrari said you should ask for him - he'll know who you're talking about!
Edited by voicey on Friday 5th August 13:21
Edited by voicey on Friday 5th August 13:22
Depends entirely on the branch unfortunatly - i can fully recommend Leeds York Road - at least 3 guys there know the crack and are enthusiasts. Go traveling all over riding bikes. The Branch near Kirkstall abbey dont know their arse from their elbows. Had a mate get a Boardman from them and has had nowt but grief. I checked some of the bolts, front derrela (spelling!) bolts hand tight, you could twist the mech v easily. Rear Derrela not tuned in, front handle bars could be twisted from the forks easily. All silly stuff but its that silly stuff that ruins reputations and causes injuries.
Both branches within 7 miles of each other - both at polar ends of the scale.
If you cant get a recommondation about your local branch get the bike still in the box and take it to a good LBS or do it urself!
Good luck.
Both branches within 7 miles of each other - both at polar ends of the scale.
If you cant get a recommondation about your local branch get the bike still in the box and take it to a good LBS or do it urself!
Good luck.
Brew said:
Interesting as this is my local store and the first place I visited. I was told that MTB I was intesreted in didn't exist!!! Maybe I should have turned up in a Fezza :-)
You don't accept PM's - if you PM me I'll send you the contact details of the area manager who will sort it out for you.voicey said:
I bought two 2010 Boardman Team Carbon bikes in the January sale - I had some minor issues with them both so I dropped the CEO of Halfords an email. It was all resolved very quickly and now I get very good treatment in store. The bikes are great but I'm prepared to look after them myself if needs be.
I bought mine from their Charlton store - ask for Mark Chalkly (manager) and tell him the guy with the 2 Boardmans and the Ferrari said you should ask for him - he'll know who you're talking about!
'Hi, I know a guy with a Ferrari and TWO average pedal bikes, could you make sure you don't screw up building my bikes, please.'I bought mine from their Charlton store - ask for Mark Chalkly (manager) and tell him the guy with the 2 Boardmans and the Ferrari said you should ask for him - he'll know who you're talking about!
Edited by voicey on Friday 5th August 13:21
Edited by voicey on Friday 5th August 13:22
Nice.
voicey said:
I bought two 2010 Boardman Team Carbon bikes in the January sale - I had some minor issues with them both so I dropped the CEO of Halfords an email. It was all resolved very quickly and now I get very good treatment in store.
You had some minor issues with 2 bikes, so you went to the CEO?I'm sure they speak very highly of you in the store
From my experience in Halfords you'll find that they'll have 1 or 2 guys who are knowledgeable on bikes, the rest are useless. If you are lucky the useless ones will tell you which are the knowledgeable ones, but of course theres every chance they are on their break, day off, holiday, late shift, early shift etc.
Hopefully when I pick up my Boardman MTB this Friday from Farnborough Halfords the guy who built my bike will be the same one who I spoke to when I was thinking of buying it - he was very young but very knowledgable.
So after reading this thread, when I pick up the bike I just check everything is tight, tyres pumped up, shocks set to the correct PSI for my weight and...then take it to my LSB for another checkover? How much is it normally for a check over?
So after reading this thread, when I pick up the bike I just check everything is tight, tyres pumped up, shocks set to the correct PSI for my weight and...then take it to my LSB for another checkover? How much is it normally for a check over?
hurstg01 said:
Hopefully when I pick up my Boardman MTB this Friday from Farnborough Halfords the guy who built my bike will be the same one who I spoke to when I was thinking of buying it - he was very young but very knowledgable.
So after reading this thread, when I pick up the bike I just check everything is tight, tyres pumped up, shocks set to the correct PSI for my weight and...then take it to my LSB for another checkover? How much is it normally for a check over?
I wouldnt bother to be honest. Halfords will do a great job 99% of the time, the same as LBS (My last bike from LBS came with handlebar bolts loose which could have been nasty).So after reading this thread, when I pick up the bike I just check everything is tight, tyres pumped up, shocks set to the correct PSI for my weight and...then take it to my LSB for another checkover? How much is it normally for a check over?
Check bars are tight, then go out & enjoy it, great bike. Even the gears are indexed at the factory so Halfords wont have touched them (I know this as I purchased a Boardman last Christmas & took it home in box as wasnt going to use it until the spring, all I had to do was put on the bars/pedals/wheels/saddle & off I went). A lot of people slag off Halfords ,but they are the same as every other bike shop, except they sell Boardmans which offer pretty unbeatable value for their spec.
Jimboka said:
hurstg01 said:
Hopefully when I pick up my Boardman MTB this Friday from Farnborough Halfords the guy who built my bike will be the same one who I spoke to when I was thinking of buying it - he was very young but very knowledgable.
So after reading this thread, when I pick up the bike I just check everything is tight, tyres pumped up, shocks set to the correct PSI for my weight and...then take it to my LSB for another checkover? How much is it normally for a check over?
I wouldnt bother to be honest. Halfords will do a great job 99% of the time, the same as LBS (My last bike from LBS came with handlebar bolts loose which could have been nasty).So after reading this thread, when I pick up the bike I just check everything is tight, tyres pumped up, shocks set to the correct PSI for my weight and...then take it to my LSB for another checkover? How much is it normally for a check over?
Check bars are tight, then go out & enjoy it, great bike. Even the gears are indexed at the factory so Halfords wont have touched them (I know this as I purchased a Boardman last Christmas & took it home in box as wasnt going to use it until the spring, all I had to do was put on the bars/pedals/wheels/saddle & off I went). A lot of people slag off Halfords ,but they are the same as every other bike shop, except they sell Boardmans which offer pretty unbeatable value for their spec.
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