An Open e-mail to Halfords head office

[barq]

I think what's really sad about this whole story is that although we all know Apollo bikes are pretty poor in terms of being heavy, nasty suspension and so on, but now we apparently have to add "potentially dangerous" to the list.

 

[bonj2]

When I go to Halfords on my bike I just wheel it around with me.

I suppose that may be difficult though if it's one of those fangled stores with the bike bit upstairs.

I have been known to ride my bike round halfords. They have got a notice on the hillsborough one though saying 'no bikes in store unless being serviced', but I always choose to ignore it.

 

[mickle]

Had a chap turn up at one of our gigs with a Tescos bike he had just purchased for his four year old. It had canti brakes with linear pull levers. Which are incompatible. It took me a while but I managed to convince the geezer that the bike was dangerous, not fit for purpose and that he should return it. As I removed it from the bike stand a really sharp piece of unfinished weld literally stabbed me. I just looked at him with the old 'now do you believe me?' expression on me cannock.

It pains me to say it but I would take a Halfrauds bike over a supermarket bike any day.

 

[Chiddycheesecake]

Anyone tried one of their Broadman bikes? Spec looks great for the price, but as they're being sold by a bunch of pirates, who knows?

Yeah, I have a boardman bike (CBoardman, MTBHT 2010), it's a great bike, but after only 6 months I was coming down a steep hill at around 30-40MPH with my friend, and the bearings in my back wheel got tight and snapped the rear quick release axel. Therefore the rear wheel then came off and over took me, leaving me to coast/slide to a halt.
When I took it back to Halfrauds, they then charged my dad around £160 for te majority of the rear components to be replaced!

Around another 6 months on, and I'm having trouble again, my rear wheel started to wobbly. So I took it in, he said it'll be fine to ride until the service in 2 weeks! So I rode it, brought it in and I was then told that the bearings had collapsed. Paid £16 for them to be replaced. Started riding again, same problem, tool it back in, needed a new hub, how did the mechanic not see that in the first place?!?!?!

Still an ongoing dispute...

 

[wiggydiggy]

4 years ago.....

Holy thread resurrection batman!

FTFY

Best of luck with the dispute though, I can only say to stop riding it the second you feel something is wrong.

 

[Black Sheep]

funny isn't it? my carrera virtuoso had little other than the usual teething problems (indexing etc), wheras daughter's apollo fs24 had badly routed brake cables (front brake engaged when bars turned to right), a front mech grip shift that can't be used by a child of the right size for the bike, and a tyre the wrong way round.

all from the same branch. my lbs has had more money from me out of the carrera than halfords since.

thanks for reminding me, put the brake cable wrong on the wife's bike - off to fix it now

 

[mickle]

Yeah, I have a boardman bike (CBoardman, MTBHT 2010), it's a great bike, but after only 6 months I was coming down a steep hill at around 30-40MPH with my friend, and the bearings in my back wheel got tight and snapped the rear quick release axel. Therefore the rear wheel then came off and over took me, leaving me to coast/slide to a halt.
When I took it back to Halfrauds, they then charged my dad around £160 for te majority of the rear components to be replaced!

Around another 6 months on, and I'm having trouble again, my rear wheel started to wobbly. So I took it in, he said it'll be fine to ride until the service in 2 weeks! So I rode it, brought it in and I was then told that the bearings had collapsed. Paid £16 for them to be replaced. Started riding again, same problem, tool it back in, needed a new hub, how did the mechanic not see that in the first place?!?!?!

Still an ongoing dispute...

As if.

 

[wiggydiggy]

As if.

Ha! I only skipped the post and missed that, maybe it was on fire as well