Evans Servicing - Worth it?

[skudupnorth]

They get a nubile wench to caress it with mink gloves on ............. at least I hope they do for £110

Fantastic,i'm booking all three bikes in !

 

[kishan]

price is high but for the quality of service they do it is worth it but if money is tight see your local bike shops see how much they will charge.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Fantastic,i'm booking all three bikes in !

Well I am sure that for £330 you could probably find somewhere that would offer such a service however your bicycle may not see much of an improvement

 

[Pedal pusher]

I know halfords arn't the best but you can get a years servise plan with them for £19,99 that means all labour is for free and you only pay for parts.

Do not take your bike under any circumstances to Halfords for a service. I stood and watched a couple of Saturday lads trying to run the shop and put a customers bike together and to be honest they really didn't have a clue. Not their fault but the whole ethos behind Halford's and bikes. LBS every time even if you have to put the bike in the car and drive it to the nearest LBS

 

[DCLane]

Evans Leeds have done two of their Stage 1 services (£40) on mine; they've cleaned it, trued the wheels and made sure it's all OK.

I'm time poor with job and two young children plus SWMBO. Cash rich? That's debatable!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

About 90 mins. Wages £15 ( if they are lucky ), Lubricants and other fluids £1.

Looks like their stage 2 service is very comprehensive - looks longer than 90 minutes to me.

I don't think that the £110 less £16 comparison reveals too much, that leaves out way too many other costs + taxes. There won't be a whole heap of profit in that.

 

[Nebulous]

It's very much a personal choice. I used to do a lot of work on my own cars- but gradually drifted away from it. Increasing complexity and computer controlled things, busy job, slightly more money, all contributed to that - though in some ways I miss it. On starting cycling I have been gradually building up my tools and knowledge, and I feel I'm getting back some of that satisfaction I used to get from tinkering with a car.

I have been blown away with the cost of bicycle work - an acquaintance put his best bike in for a service last spring and paid £280. I'm assuming there were a few parts included, but it still seems like a lot of money. Then again, last time my car was serviced labour charges were £70 an hour. Overheads for companies are much more than just wages.

 

[rollinstok]

I,m amazed there are a few who believe that the £110 is not excessive. We are known as rip-off Britain because too many people do not question prices. I was in business to business sales for 27 yrs and in all that time I can honestly say we never made more than 50% gp on any sale.. 35-40% was average. Retail is a totally different animal though. Massive profits are made on accessories and services in the bicycle industry by the giant retailers..they will tell you that wages are the highest cost but what they dont tell you is whose wages..its not the guy behind the counter or the guy who does the servicing. The gap between the rich and poor is growing nicely because of our reluctance to dispute. I,m getting all political now and I apologise for that, but because of my background I refuse point blank to be ripped off by anyone if I can help it.

 

[400bhp]

Blimey I've just had swmbos car serviced by a main plate glass dealer and it was only £120.

And they did what for that, change the oil and filters.

Same arguments apply to basic car maintenence. Can be done yourself for a lot less.

 

[400bhp]

Not used Evans for servicing but i have used them for wheel truing and a stuck bottom bracket and i have been more than happy with the service they provide.
What does a service include ??? It cannot be that hard on a bike un-like a piggin car !

I think the main thing they do, perhaps above what a lot of us home mechanics do, is to strip parts and clean/lube.

IMO, for some people this kind of service is worth it. One way of looking at it is a "commute cost". If it means that your bike keeps running for longer then it is perhaps a good thing.

Do remember though that the cost of parts are on top.

 

[400bhp]

Edit: I also believe that Evans may try it on with replacement parts (the old car mechanics) trick. They told me certain parts needed repalcing when they clearly didn't.

I have a friend that took his bike for one of their services-he ended up parting with a considerable amount more on top for parts that I suspect could have had plenty more life in them (a boardman £800 hybrid bike of less than a year old with perhaps 2000 miles under its belt).

 

[oldfatfool]

And they did what for that, change the oil and filters.

Same arguments apply to basic car maintenence. Can be done yourself for a lot less.

I agree but compared to a bike service I would say a car was more than £10 s worth, besides which I get a little stamp in a book :P

 

[wbmkk]

Another one promoting my local bike shop for any repairs / service.

Last year I needed a part for an old road bike, I could have bought it online, but would have needed some special tools etc (and know-how too) .. ended up bringing it tot a local shop (Tynemouth) and he supplied and fitted it, for not very much more than the purchase price alone. He would probably have got some discount on the purchase, but I was 100% happy with work done.

He has my business for life

 

[User16625]

Do not take your bike under any circumstances to Halfords for a service. I stood and watched a couple of Saturday lads trying to run the shop and put a customers bike together and to be honest they really didn't have a clue. Not their fault but the whole ethos behind Halford's and bikes. LBS every time even if you have to put the bike in the car and drive it to the nearest LBS

This.
Dont even buy accessories from them. I purchased a duel piston footpump from halford and even that was useless!

 

[xpc316e]

I would echo the comments about Halfords; I have lost count of the number of Apollo bikes I see when training that have the forks fitted back to front, so letting them service a bike would just not do for me.

I'd buy the tools, study the video clips on Bicycle Tutor on youtube, get a book from the library, and DIY. Money saved, satisfaction gained, knowledge improved - it's a no-brainer.