Halfords Free Bike Health Check - Worth it?

[Drago]

I suspect the free Halfords health check is worth about as much as they charge for it.

 

[sabcycling]

Yes it sounds like your repairs might not be all that cost effective if it was a cheap bike to start with, I think I'd be going down the Cycle to Work scheme path. I did exactly that ten years ago and got a new Trek 7.3 FX and all the add-ons to enable me to start commuting.

I checked, and it looks like the window for that opens June to July with my employer.

You may be better off investing some time on YouTube to learn a few basics of bike maintenance.

Any video recommendations? Happy enough to learn

You could fix the brakes yourself for not much. Post a picture of them here. You sound like you need to give the drive chain a good clean and probably need new cables.

I'll post a few pics below, just went out and took some. Good idea.

All machinery needs some maintenance, failing which you will find yourself in this situation!

If you decide to buy a new bike, that's great, but please don't scrap your old one. It almost certainly has the potential for another 50 years of use, if treated to a little regular maintenance.

Give it to a recycling project, get it repaired, or best of all do-it-yourself, with help from YouTube.

That's true! I actually service / repair my car myself, so I reckon a bike - with some practice - should be within my means... what is it the advertisement says... if you can fix a bike, you can fix a Type 45 destroyer?! ;-) Lol

 

[Grant Fondo]

I suspect the free Halfords health check is worth about as much as they charge for it.

I picked up halfords bike for my son once, rear wheel wasn't dished.... they did well to get it in the dropouts!

 

[weareHKR]

I wouldn't let Halfords lace my boots tbh!

 

[Big John]

I think Halfords are great. They're just round the corner from the bike charity where I'm a volunteer and we get an awful lot of business from them. Customers can't believe the quotes they've been given or the assessment of what needs doing so they come to us instead! Keep it up, Halfords 👍

 

[T4tomo]

I would assume they do a free check so they can sell you something you may or may not need - new brake blocks and cables, which is nice job for the trainer bike mechanic to get a bit a practice on. Your chain is a bit stretched sir, shall I replace it for you?

 

[weareHKR]

I think Halfords are great. They're just round the corner from the bike charity where I'm a volunteer and we get an awful lot of business from them. Customers can't believe the quotes they've been given or the assessment of what needs doing so they come to us instead! Keep it up, Halfords 👍

I rest my case me lord...

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I suspect the free Halfords health check is worth about as much as they charge for it.

Companies do this stuff to drum up business. I guarantee if I deliberately run my car battery right down, then bump start it and drive directly to a certain fast fit chain that offers free checks, they will tell me I need a new battery and try to sell me one.
All I actually need is to stick the existing battery on a trickle charge for a couple of days and it will be as good as new. It's the same with bikes. The "mechanic" will tell you you need new cables, chain, possibly tyres (plus tubes of course!) in order to make your bike "safe". It''s all about generating more revenue, and mostly unnecessary work.

 

[weareHKR]

Last time I went into Halfords this strange looking guy, about 6ft 3" & 6 stone wet through came over & asked if I wanted a Health Check!
I said I think you need a health check more than I do son! - he did see the funny side though...