In praise of older bikes

[Ajax Bay]

Those prices are for their ’loyalty’ customers, or ‘Amazon’, because when you turn up at the shop it’s more expensive.

Well it's online prices ime. I saw a couple of (SRAM) chain at a good price and cycled up there (on the back of other shopping). As you say: more expensive. So I went back online (their site), bought them and went up later to pick them up.

 

[teeonethousand]

Well it's online prices ime. I saw a couple of (SRAM) chain at a good price and cycled up there (on the back of other shopping). As you say: more expensive. So I went back online (their site), bought them and went up later to pick them up.

Halfords shops price match any deal anywhere else for the same product…including their own website. Check out the little sign by the till and it tells you this. I stood in front of the chain I wanted and googled where else offered it and got a significant reduction over the counter.

 

[Big John]

Halfords shops price match any deal anywhere else for the same product…including their own website. Check out the little sign by the till and it tells you this. I stood in front of the chain I wanted and googled where else offered it and got a significant reduction over the counter

Agreed. They had GT85 online at £2.75 but in the shop it was £4. Price matched no questions asked. Crazy system but hey ho.

 

[T4tomo]

Halfords shops price match any deal anywhere else for the same product…including their own website. Check out the little sign by the till and it tells you this. I stood in front of the chain I wanted and googled where else offered it and got a significant reduction over the counter.

They also sell stuff online on behalf of others, so it isn't even stocked or shipped by them. If you order 3 or 4 items it can often come in 2 different shipments. Basically using their brand and webshop as leverage.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Well it's online prices ime. I saw a couple of (SRAM) chain at a good price and cycled up there (on the back of other shopping). As you say: more expensive. So I went back online (their site), bought them and went up later to pick them up.

Halfords shops price match any deal anywhere else for the same product…including their own website. Check out the little sign by the till and it tells you this. I stood in front of the chain I wanted and googled where else offered it and got a significant reduction over the counter.

I guess I found an inexperienced guy behind Hal ford's bike counter: there's a surprise. (Matched by my ignorance of the price match wheeze.)

 

[Punkawallah]

‘83 Galaxy with new paint job. Not ‘official’, but as it was not ‘original’ when I got it, I figured I had license.

 

[avecReynolds531]

Great thread, thanks & couldn't agree more.
Maybe a simple life starts with a steel frameset, Suntour & centre-pull brakes.

Consumables are definitely less expensive, especially freewheels, cassettes (7/8 speed), and chains: e.g. Hopkinson Cycles have well regarded PC850 chains delivered for £9 - https://hopkinsoncycles.co.uk/product/sram-pc850-chain-114-links-8-speed/
& bundle deals on cassettes & chains/ freewheels & chains: https://hopkinsoncycles.co.uk/produ...eewheel-kmc-z-chain-set-bicycle-gears-14-28t/

 

[Punkawallah]

Great thread, thanks & couldn't agree more.
Maybe a simple life starts with a steel frameset, Suntour & centre-pull brakes.

View attachment 732982

Consumables are definitely less expensive, especially freewheels, cassettes (7/8 speed), and chains: e.g. Hopkinson Cycles have well regarded PC850 chains delivered for £9 - https://hopkinsoncycles.co.uk/product/sram-pc850-chain-114-links-8-speed/
& bundle deals on cassettes & chains/ freewheels & chains: https://hopkinsoncycles.co.uk/produ...eewheel-kmc-z-chain-set-bicycle-gears-14-28t/

Good to know - I’ll add them to the ‘list’.

 

[rydabent]

This morning's job was to replace the chain and cassette on a neighbour's bike. The bike is a 1987 Claud Butler Black Diamond with 531 frame and fork.

Since buying this bike new the owner has completed dozens of audaxes, toured in Europe and commuted daily on it until about 2010. It's probably been ridden 150,000 miles or more.

Pretty much everything is original and works well. The rims are heavily worn and the freehub is wobbly, but otherwise it's ready for service.

I'm impressed!

Lugged frame bikes of that age were beautiful and great rides. Most had down tube shifters, so there were not many cables flapping in the wind.

 

[Punkawallah]

Lugged frame bikes of that age were beautiful and great rides. Most had down tube shifters, so there were not many cables flapping in the wind.

Still are :-)

 

[rydabent]

This morning's job was to replace the chain and cassette on a neighbour's bike. The bike is a 1987 Claud Butler Black Diamond with 531 frame and fork.

Since buying this bike new the owner has completed dozens of audaxes, toured in Europe and commuted daily on it until about 2010. It's probably been ridden 150,000 miles or more.

Pretty much everything is original and works well. The rims are heavily worn and the freehub is wobbly, but otherwise it's ready for service.

I'm impressed!

And those late 80s lugged frames with down tube shifters were beautiful!!!!!

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

Old steel given a new life… this stuff lasts forever given a little love.