# Halfords Business Model



## RecordAceFromNew (9 Jun 2011)

They have just published their latest annual results this morning. 

Despite the downturn in pretty much every retail sector everywhere, the sales of their "Bike Care Plan", which provides repairs "free of labour charges", increased by over 28.3% during the year!

Not only are their Apollo's the biggest selling brand in the country despite many of us believe they are made from cheese, that these bikes don't last probably help them sell such Plans, which of course will draw owners back to their shop floors rather than LBS's, and deliver "pull-through" for parts sales at full whack (terms are parts and accessories MUST be purchased from Halfrauds).

The irony of letting someone who couldn't build a bike properly to fix it is of course lost to Joe Public. But what an amazing business model huh?

Dell asked recently what change would one instigate there if one had the top job, unless reputational issues arising from lousy bikes or adequately large and credible competitors are hitting the bottom line, the correct answer is probably Nothing.

The follow-on questions, therefore, are why aren't reputational issues having an effect or stronger competitors arising?


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## Fab Foodie (9 Jun 2011)

A top chap from Halfrauds was interviewed on the Toady prog this morning on R4, I missed most of it but he was inferring that bikes are the growing area for them and the car bits and bobs are currently declining as the costs of travelling by car and car ownership was increasing. It would be worth finding on the interwebby thing.
Halfrauds have a huuuuge opportunity IF they can shift the remaining BSOs out of their range and get some half decent staff.


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## abo (9 Jun 2011)

Fab Foodie said:


> Halfrauds have a huuuuge opportunity IF they can shift the remaining BSOs out of their range and get some half decent staff.



It would appear they don't have to.


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## dellzeqq (9 Jun 2011)

Well, there you go. 

I wonder why they even bother with the Boardman bikes.


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## Fab Foodie (9 Jun 2011)

abo said:


> It would appear they don't have to.


True, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't. And I don't think it's a big step to do either.


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## tyred (9 Jun 2011)

At the end of the day, the reason Halfords, or any other company, exists is purely to make profit for the shareholders. If they can do that with their current business model, then it is obviously working from the company point of view so they have no real reason to change.


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## abo (9 Jun 2011)

tyred said:


> At the end of the day, the reason Halfords, or any other company, exists is purely to make profit for the shareholders. If they can do that with their current business model, then it is obviously working from the company point of view so they have no real reason to change.



Not entirely true; if the cost of a change is less than the profit they will make from that change then they are more likely to do it. But if the figures are to be believed then they must be literally throwing Apollos out of their stores. I just wonder how many are boomerangs?


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## Fab Foodie (9 Jun 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> Well, there you go.
> 
> I wonder why they even bother with the Boardman bikes.


(Assuming that was rhetorical)

Because they're trying to build some credibility?
Because half decent road-bikes are the growing market with better margins?
Because they want to retain brand identity/differentiation from the rest of the market and wish to segment their offerings; (Value/Mid-price/Finest) = Apollo ---> Carerra ----> Boardman
Also it increases traffic/footfall, some of their own-brand clothing's good value too.


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## abo (9 Jun 2011)

Fab Foodie said:


> Because they want to retain brand identity/differentiation from the rest of the market and wish to segment their offerings; (Value/Mid-price/Finest)



Oh dear god don't use those terms, you'll start seeing them bikes 'coming to a Tesco near you soon'


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## JohnHenry (9 Jun 2011)

abo said:


> Oh dear god don't use those terms, you'll start seeing them bikes 'coming to a Tesco near you soon'



Too late - LOL

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## Fab Foodie (9 Jun 2011)

abo said:


> Oh dear god don't use those terms, you'll start seeing them bikes 'coming to a Tesco near you soon'



Term-ubusage was deliberate ....


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## Chris.IOW (9 Jun 2011)

RecordAceFromNew said:


> The irony of letting someone who couldn't build a bike properly to fix it is of course lost to Joe Public. But what an amazing business model huh?
> 
> The follow-on questions, therefore, are why aren't reputational issues having an effect or stronger competitors arising?




I guess your second question is answered by the first point, The majority of Joe public don't realise and therefore there is no reputational issue.


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## cycleGeoff (9 Jun 2011)

It IS a shame when there are so many out there who know nothing about bikes, are swindled by someone else who knows a training video's worth of fixing bikes. Halfords has it's ups and downs I think, like any big company. I personally prefer the local store or online anyway.


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## cycleGeoff (9 Jun 2011)

[QUOTE 1422927"]

All we need is for someone to point out very clearly to the general public that Decathlon is miles ahead of Halfords when it comes to cycling, and they might just start to buck their ideas up.
[/quote]

Yeah, decathlon ARE better. But unfortunately the public walk in the direction the T.V tells them to. I think that a stiff tv ad campaign by decathlon could really hurt halfords...


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## abo (9 Jun 2011)

Fab Foodie said:


> Term-ubusage was deliberate ....



Heh I've used them before at work to describe internal service offerings


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## abo (9 Jun 2011)

cycleGeoff said:


> Yeah, decathlon ARE better. But unfortunately the public walk in the direction the T.V tells them to. I think that a stiff tv ad campaign by decathlon could really hurt halfords...



That would depend on how many bikes Halfords sell on the web/mail order vs. how many are bought by people who wander into their local store and choose something there. Halfords have a massive advantage in the latter area simply due to their (sometimes multiple) presence in every major town in the UK...


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## cycleGeoff (9 Jun 2011)

abo said:


> That would depend on how many bikes Halfords sell on the web/mail order vs. how many are bought by people who wander into their local store and choose something there. Halfords have a massive advantage in the latter area simply due to their (sometimes multiple) presence in every major town in the UK...



yes, that's very true. I think that we could expect decathlon to also slip up in some areas if they grew to that size... it happens to everyone.


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## cycleGeoff (9 Jun 2011)

[QUOTE 1422932"]
That's the point though. Decathlon is way bigger than Halfords.
[/quote]

perhaps financially, But not same same spread in the amount of stores available to the country. Thats what I meant by size.


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## Klaus (9 Jun 2011)

I don't know the T&C's for the Bike Care Plan but I expect it's underwritten by an insurance company. 
The price for a year is quite attractive at £20 purchased with a bike. As with electrical products, bicycles are relatively reliable, even Halfords' ones. 
So the probability of Halfords having to shell out serious money on bike repairs should be remote. There would be some sort of commission income from the insurer arising from this which can be recognised as profit straight away (on short-term contracts) - I am a bit rusty on the accounting principles for this.

It's just a fact of life that most people don't know much about bicycles and will stick with a familiar name.


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## Chris.IOW (9 Jun 2011)

cycleGeoff said:


> perhaps financially, But not same same spread in the amount of stores available to the country. Thats what I meant by size.



But they are that size on the continent I believe, therefore they should be able to continue to expand in the UK without experiencing growing pains.

I imagine halfords and a few other retailers are wary of the growth of Decathlon.


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## Chris.IOW (9 Jun 2011)

Klaus said:


> So the probability of Halfords having to shell out serious money on bike repairs should be remote.



Especially as a lot of people will just live with small issues on their bikes rather than getting them fixed or forget they took out the policy in the first place.


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## Bicycle (9 Jun 2011)

I can't get too excited about Halfords being the Big Meanies of bicycle retail.

I sometimes find myself wondering (when listening to an anti-Halfords rant) whether there isn't some sort of bike snobbery going on, disguised as something else.

There is room for everyone in an almost infinitely diverse marketplace.

I use Halfords only for motor oil, car bulbs and the like. I once tried to buy a roofbox there, but the assistant was almost incapable of completing a sentence and hadn't got a clue about the product. No need to get excited; I went online and bought there instead. But I still get my bulbs at Halfords... 

Most of the children of most of my friends ride Halfords bicycles. Yes, they are mostly poo and some are set up slightly eccentrically - but they are bicycles and they are being ridden. I recoil in pain at the sound of another full-suss child's Apollo MTB groaning at both ends from dry bearings and clacking down the road on a dry chain and half-inflated tyres... but ask the riders and their parents: "Great bike, loads of features, cheaper than anywhere else!"

I buy most of my groceries at Tesco, which lacks the quality of product and the service of my local specialist deli... but I'm not Michel Roux. I just want food. A lot of people just want bicycles.

Because I have a strange fascination for bicycles, I look around online and also buy a lot of stuff from my (highly expert) LBS. But... I have no problem with Halfords. It's not some great, dark conspiracy. It's a chain of shops making money by having the answer to questions a lot of people are asking.


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## Arch (9 Jun 2011)

I heard the CEO or whoever on Breakfast this morning. He was saying the high end bikes are selling because people are doing plenty of research online.

I'd have thought anyone doing lots of research online would have come up time after time with "ARGH! Halfords!".

I suspect he meant just doing price comparisons or something.



> I recoil in pain at the sound of another full-suss child's Apollo MTB groaning at both ends from dry bearings and clacking down the road on a dry chain and half-inflated tyres... but ask the riders and their parents: "Great bike, loads of features, cheaper than anywhere else!



Those things, the dry chain, the flat tyres, are nothing to do with Halfords though are they? Those are down to ignorant or lazy owners. Any bike can be reduced to that.

The problem with Halfords isn't so much what they sell (they are just supplying the folk who think a bike must be cheap, with goods that match quality and price), but the service, or lack of. Ads claim every bike is checked over and 'expertly' assembled, but in practice, it's often done by an less than expert monkey...

I use Halfords for odds and ends, but we don't have a Decathlon.


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## Hip Priest (9 Jun 2011)

I got offered the bike care plan, but turned it down. One of my aims as a new cyclist is to learn how to maintain a bike, so I prefer to do things myself. I do think a lot of the ire directed at Halford's on cycling forums is a little OTT. As Bicycle says above, they provide a service that suits most people. I used to cycle everywhere as a kid, and the bikes I had where always cheapo things from Toys 'r' Us and the like. Never saw a bit of oil or a spanner in their lifetimes, but did the job for a year or two. People need to get over the idea that a Halford's bike is going to crumble to ash after two miles of riding.


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## marinyork (9 Jun 2011)

The future of cycling is with so called POBs riding so called BSOs. That's why they stay in business for several reasons along these lines, some of which already mentioned in this thread. Halfords are also much better at dealing with customers to this target audience than most proper bikes shops, that are unpleasant and snobby to this target audience as are sadly some cycling charities.

Halfords has, many, many faults, but it is easy to see why people turn up to buy apollos.


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## dellzeqq (9 Jun 2011)

Fab Foodie said:


> (Assuming that was rhetorical)
> 
> Because they're trying to build some credibility?
> Because half decent road-bikes are the growing market with better margins?
> ...


but their business model is founded on tat. They spend a lot of money promoting the (not far off) top end, and provide a service that is simply not worthy of the bikes.

I can say this, by the way, because I've Doctor Bike'd bicycles straight out of Halfords. And they were shockers. As in brakes not working and spokes flapping in the breeze. 

Decathlon turn out bikes which are well put together. Halfords could learn from them.


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## RecordAceFromNew (9 Jun 2011)

Bicycle said:


> I can't get too excited about Halfords being the Big Meanies of bicycle retail.
> 
> I sometimes find myself wondering (when listening to an anti-Halfords rant) whether there isn't some sort of bike snobbery going on, disguised as something else.
> 
> ...



I am unsure if Tesco is the correct analogy - in that bicycles are road going vehicles and one that is poorly set up can be a major safety hazard to the owner as well as to other road users, especially when owners can't be expected to have the experience or expertise to spot such hazards. The analogous question therefore is whether we believe there should be room in the marketplace for dealers of cars that have questionable brakes, or supermarkets that sell fish that are potentially deadly poisonous.

I have always believed cheap is a virtue, as long as it is safe.


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## marinyork (9 Jun 2011)

RecordAceFromNew said:


> I am unsure if Tesco is the correct analogy - in that bicycles are road going vehicles and one that is poorly set up can be a major safety hazard to the owner as well as to other road users, especially when owners can't be expected to have the experience or expertise to spot such hazards. The analogous question therefore is whether we believe there should be room in the marketplace for dealers of cars that have questionable brakes, or supermarkets that sell fish that are potentially deadly poisonous.
> 
> I have always believed cheap is a virtue, as long as it is safe.



I have a ninja colleague who destroys bikes. I also know others who are great at breaking them. Although I'd really rather they didn't do it, it's nowhere near as dangerous as the people who get hysterical about the matter think, nor does there seem any obvious solution to sorting the 'problem' out. The comparison with car I see as trivially silly for a number of extremely obvious reasons as was said in the other thread. Although the idea of a minimum standard may have some merit, who is to say that the people doing the inspecting would be any more competent than halfrauds or tescos?

The problem being with these threads that people read "I'd really rather they didn't" as condoning whatever they get up to.


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## marinyork (9 Jun 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> Decathlon turn out bikes which are well put together. Halfords could learn from them.



I suspect if Decathlon had more stores say 40 or 50, rather than ridiculously small number it is in the UK (something like eight or nine thesedays?) then they'd be challenging a lot of halfords. It is always a surprise to me that so many people round here haven't heard of Decathlon even though there's a store on their doorstep.


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## Peter91 (9 Jun 2011)

They're not all bad.
I had my new bike sorted out for £10 cheaper there and every other bike shop I rang, and £30 cheaper than at Mercian cycles!


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## Bicycle (9 Jun 2011)

Quote from Arch in response to something I wrote: "Those things, the dry chain, the flat tyres, are nothing to do with Halfords though are they? Those are down to ignorant or lazy owners. Any bike can be reduced to that."

Damn... You're quite right and now I feel slightly silly.... In my defence... Ummm... I think I was trying (without success) to paint a piture of bikes that are somehow half-worn well brand new. But I buggered it up. 

As to the Tesco analogy being a poor one because of the safety issue (I can't recall whose point that was)... Errr..... Yes. Good point. Quite right. I've never heard of anyone suddenly being catapulted to the Moon by a loose brake lever on a Halfords bicycle, but I still think the point made is a valid one.

So I'll be very careful with my Tesco analogies in future.

I still can't get very excited about Halfords though....

Good for bulbs and warning triangles and engine oil, not great for other stuff.


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## Chris.IOW (9 Jun 2011)

Bicycle said:


> Good for bulbs and warning triangles and engine oil, not great for other stuff.



You missed Christmas tree shaped, foul smelling, air fresheners off your list!


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## Arch (10 Jun 2011)

Bicycle said:


> Quote from Arch in response to something I wrote: "Those things, the dry chain, the flat tyres, are nothing to do with Halfords though are they? Those are down to ignorant or lazy owners. Any bike can be reduced to that."
> 
> Damn... You're quite right and now I feel slightly silly.... In my defence... Ummm... I think I was trying (without success) to paint a piture of bikes that are somehow half-worn well brand new. But I buggered it up.



Ah, sorry, I do tend to adopt a superior manner sometimes, normally people just rant back...



> As to the Tesco analogy being a poor one because of the safety issue (I can't recall whose point that was)... Errr..... Yes. Good point. Quite right. I've never heard of anyone suddenly being catapulted to the Moon by a loose brake lever on a Halfords bicycle, but I still think the point made is a valid one.
> 
> So I'll be very careful with my Tesco analogies in future.
> 
> ...



There was someone on a FNRttC a little while back, had a brand new Boardman bike, came off, and found that something or other had been badly fitted or not tightened or something. It was just before that Easter ad came out showing the family on old clapped out bikes falling to bits, and then getting sorted at Halfords. Some felt the captions 'before' and 'after' had been misplaced....

There, I've gone and been all superior again....


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## dellzeqq (10 Jun 2011)

Arch said:


> There was someone on a FNRttC a little while back, had a brand new Boardman bike, came off, and found that something or other had been badly fitted or not tightened or something.


not a Halfords thing.........


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## Flying Dodo (10 Jun 2011)

As a business, it is surviving very well. The fact that people are increasingly buying bikes there can be seen as a lack of cohesive competition. There's Bicycle King in the South of England, but there just isn't any other national retailer. Evans??


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## dellzeqq (10 Jun 2011)

As an aside. Most of the staff at the Surrey Quays Decathlon are french - is that how it is in other stores?

(and they do a great cup of coffee and a croissant for two quid - I mean what more could you ask for!!!!?)


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## Fab Foodie (10 Jun 2011)

abo said:


> Heh I've used them before at work to describe *internal service offerings*


How much does that score on bullshit bingo


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## Fab Foodie (10 Jun 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> but their business model is founded on tat. They spend a lot of money promoting the (not far off) top end, and provide a service that is simply not worthy of the bikes.
> 
> I can say this, by the way, because I've Doctor Bike'd bicycles straight out of Halfords. And they were shockers. As in brakes not working and spokes flapping in the breeze.
> 
> Decathlon turn out bikes which are well put together. Halfords could learn from them.



Oh I quite agree about their current service, it ain't the best (we recently bought a Boardman Hybrid for Mrs FF). However, not all bike shops are perfect either, the difference is that Halfrauds (and Evans) are national and so it's not surprising we hear more complaints than we do about Mr Crapbikes of Dingly-dell. I've seen shocking service from LBS' too.
However, I digress, they could certainly learn from Decathlon and agree this is where they should look. The heartening thing is that people are buying bikes and if Halfrauds can serve-up some decent low-end bikes that people will ride, then cycling in this country has a future. I got the impression the boss recognises he has an opportunity.


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## marinyork (10 Jun 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> As an aside. Most of the staff at the Surrey Quays Decathlon are french - is that how it is in other stores?
> 
> (and they do a great cup of coffee and a croissant for two quid - I mean what more could you ask for!!!!?)



A few dee dars, a few french, a few from elsewhere.


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## GrumpyGregry (10 Jun 2011)

RecordAceFromNew said:


> The irony of letting someone who couldn't build a bike properly to fix it is of course lost to Joe Public. But what an amazing business model huh?



It's a business model that works remarkably well for a lot of the independent bikes shops too if the experience of friends, family and colleagues/BUG members are anything to go buy. With one difference; at least Halfords don't actually attempt daylight robbery when selling parts unlike most LBS's. 

If a total stranger walks into most LBS they often find offhand patronising crap service awaits them. Especially if they are female.



dellzeqq said:


> but their business model is founded on tat. They spend a lot of money promoting the (not far off) top end, and provide a service that is simply not worthy of the bikes.
> 
> I can say this, by the way, because I've Doctor Bike'd bicycles straight out of Halfords. And they were shockers. As in brakes not working and spokes flapping in the breeze.



Again not universally true of Halfords. I've fixed bikes that have come straight out of LBS's with the same faults. The Halfords I bought my Boardman from serviced it twice and did the job impeccably. The two LBS's that tried to sort the brakes on my boss' bike (bought from Evans) let him ride away on a bike where the brake lever touched the drop bars.

and some of that tat seems to last for years and years....

Halfords are open late evenings and on Sundays... how many LBS's are? One of ours round here still does half day closing!


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## abo (10 Jun 2011)

Fab Foodie said:


> How much does that score on bullshit bingo



Quite highly, I can do better


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## marinyork (10 Jun 2011)

GregCollins said:


> Halfords are open late evenings and on Sundays... how many LBS's are? One of ours round here still does half day closing!



They do open late, although it's more of a skeleton staff if you've ever had to take someone down there about 7:30pm (same of where I work before anyone thinks I'm being unfair). You can obviously buy bits and bobs, you're not too likely to get much advice that quickly though.


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## Fab Foodie (10 Jun 2011)

abo said:


> Quite highly, I can do better



err, please don't though


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## abo (10 Jun 2011)

Fab Foodie said:


> err, please don't though



Heh ok I won't. Actually 'internal service offering' isn't too bad and contains two actual relevant words. I agree I do hear some shite banded around...


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## GrumpyGregry (11 Jun 2011)

marinyork said:


> They do open late, although it's more of a skeleton staff if you've ever had to take someone down there about 7:30pm (same of where I work before anyone thinks I'm being unfair). You can obviously buy bits and bobs, you're not too likely to get much advice that quickly though.



If i want advice at 19:30 I come and ask in here


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## abo (11 Jun 2011)

Looks like their more 'premium' bikes can't avoid the Halfords effect:

Voodoo Marasa


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## smokeysmoo (11 Jun 2011)

abo said:


> Looks like their more 'premium' bikes can't avoid the Halfords effect:
> 
> Voodoo Marasa


That's one dynamic guy filming that video  

I will never defend Halfords, but he's moaning about the seat and seats are such a personal thing, you can spend £3k and still have to change the seat to suit your own @rse.

The crank is Shimano, basic, but Shimano, and I think what he's moaning about are the smaller teeth that all chainrings have to assist in moving the chain between the rings.

Pedals, again a personal thing to a large extent, and a £400 bike is never going to come with quality pedals, perhaps I should contact him and tell him none of my bikes even came with pedals despite costing £1000's!

At the end of the day he sounds like the kind of guy who spends the minimum amount on a bike and expects it to be the same level as a bike costing 2-3 more than he's prepared to spend. He's clearly not does his homework on this occasion and would be best served to attempt to get his money back and investing it in a better quality used bike.

I'm the first to agree a product must be fit for purpose, but I think visually this bike is and he's just regretting his purchase decision.


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## abo (11 Jun 2011)

smokeysmoo said:


> That's one dynamic guy filming that video
> 
> I will never defend Halfords, but he's moaning about the seat and seats are such a personal thing, you can spend £3k and still have to change the seat to suit your own @rse.
> 
> ...



Yeah a lot of that was personal to him, the seat for example like you say. But, those *do* look like broken teeth on the chainrings?


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## dellzeqq (12 Jun 2011)

I've seen somebody trying to get redress for a bent chainring in Halfords. It wasn't bashed, it had just folded. 

He had no chance!


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## Ian H (12 Jun 2011)

There are still lots of 'proper' bike shops out there that are profoundly unwelcoming to novices or those wanting workaday bikes. Halfords is a less intimidating option for those people.


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## abo (12 Jun 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> I've seen somebody trying to get redress for a bent chainring in Halfords. It wasn't bashed, it had just folded.
> 
> He had no chance!



Bent the big sprocket on the rear cassette of my second bike from them, first time I tried to crank it. They sorted me out with a different bike after that, guess it depends on the shop


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## Jimmy Doug (12 Jun 2011)

Hey guys, let's not get all dreamy eyed about Decathlon, OK? Alright, they may be better than Halford's, but here in France they have such a hold on the market they are in a position where they can sell almost anything, and provide whatever service they want, and we all have no choice but to keep going there. I have bought such shoot in that store - I no longer trust it at all. All their stuff, or practically all of it, is now their own mark but with fancy names like _BTwin_ for bikes, _Quechua_ for camping and walking, _Tribord_ for sailing...and so on. All their own brands are built by slaves in China or Vietnam and is generally medium quality at best. And now it's what practically everyone buys - because there's now very little choice here. Almost all the bikes, all the tents, all the walking shoes, horse riding equipment...everything is made and sold by Décathlon. Look in the camp sites in France - practically every tent is Quechua - and I can tell you the quality of most of these tents is lousy. Look at the bikes - they're all BTwin! And because they're so strong, they no longer care about the quality of their produce. OK, so you may come across the odd one or two things that are of a respctable quality, but the general trend over the years has been to reduce the quality of the produce whilst keeping the prices the same. Really, you do not want Décathlon in the UK! If you want good service and want to be sure that your equipment will last, go to a 'real' bike shop. Trouble is, here in France there are fewer and fewer 'real' bike shops - I now order most of my stuff online - and it usually comes from the UK.


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## Jimmy Doug (12 Jun 2011)

They started off that way in France too - but even whilst I've been here I've seen the standard slipping. Once a company becomes a monopoly, it no longer needs to provide a good service.


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## Jimmy Doug (12 Jun 2011)

13 years ago, when I first arrived in France, Décathlon was brilliant. I'd find everything I needed under one roof. I was simply staggered by the place - and indeed, Halfords compared poorly with it (and still does - I'll grant you that). I bought a tent there - it was a La Fuma mountain tent. It was simply superb - it stood up to the worst weather that Scotland could throw at it, and is still in perfect condition to this day - despite 12 years of use and abuse. Then I bought a waterproof coat for my wife - also LaFuma. She still has it today. You could find a whole range of makes for all sports - from the cheapest to the best quality. Then, gradually, we noticed that they started replacing everything by their own stuff - and it's still happening. You can still buy decent stuff there - and their own brand can be good - but we notice a lowering of standards. Last year I bought a water bottle holder there - simple product but there you go! It was fantastic (Zéfal Spring) - the best waterbottle holder I've ever used. This year I wanted to get two more - they don't sell it anymore, just B'Twin cheap copies. Last year I bought a fantastic LED light set - this year they've stopped selling it...and replaced it by B'Twin. I've bought B'Twin stuff that has lasted well - my cycling shirt and shoes for instance - but I've also bought B'Twin stuff that has lasted ten minutes - and wasn't cheap either. I bought their best quality B'Twin paniers - they lasted one tour before they were ripped and and the zip got jammed (I'm careful with my stuff!). On the same tour, I bought some B'Twin tyres - they didn't last long. I've bought a tent there that couldn't cope with the weather...the list could go on and on, but I'll spare you it. 
Now, to answer your question, why don't they sell crap in England - well, in England there's simply much more competion than there is in France. To take an example, in Amiens we have two bike shops - and one dirty great Décathlon; in Bath, where I'm from, there are 14 - and Amiens is twice the size of Bath! And when I compare the Décathlon uk site and the Décathlon fr, I see that the fr site has a lot more products in it. Perhaps Décathlon UK is more choosy in its product range because the competition means they have to get it right. In England there are some real quality chains like Evans and the Edinburugh Co-operative which don't exist in France. That's not to say there are no quality shops here, of course there are, but they're harder to find. And that's why I think you should avoid Décathlon - because when you too have practically nothing else, then all those good quality chains and a lot of the small high street shops will start closing.


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## alecstilleyedye (13 Jun 2011)

[QUOTE 1422973"]
They've not killed the lbs. [/quote]

indeed. my lbs makes a small fortune fixing the problems the local halfords' bikes come with…


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