<snigger> I've just been into Halfords...

[snakehips]

When we purchased two subway 1's for our twin girls last year I asked the hellfrauds Monkey to take the crappy 'suspension' seat posts off and replace them with standard ones, which was done, they were actually set up properly, the mechanics vary from shop to shop, good ones don't seem to stay for long.

I image that staff turnover must be pretty high, it's not the sort of place you would stay for long if you were any good.
Did they do the seat post change free ? I have the suspension post on mine. It doesn't do much but then it doesn't do much wrong either.

 

[Piemaster]

Can't remember if it was on here or a different forum, but someone who worked there posted and explained the time pressures they are under (especially around xmas) to assemble a bike. Poster did care about his job, but service was secondary to shifting bikes. I can understand the high staff turnover of the decent mechanics in the circumstances.

 

[Halfmanhalfbike]

A couple of years back, when I decided to get back into cycling [a 20 year gap!] I foolishly and naively bought a cheap Apollo MTB from them

I got a mens Apollo from them 5 years or so ago as a "towpath bike" Never been maintained since (apart from new brake blocks) and it's still going strong. Done over 10000kms with no probs at all. Looks like I was lucky and got a bombproof bike

 

[alecstilleyedye]

I got a mens Apollo from them 5 years or so ago as a "towpath bike" Never been maintained since (apart from new brake blocks) and it's still going strong. Done over 10000kms with no probs at all. Looks like I was lucky and got a bombproof bike

that's because you're using it for what it's for. anyone that buys an apollo and expects to do proper mountain biking is going to be disappointed.

 

[Halfmanhalfbike]

that's because you're using it for what it's for. anyone that buys an apollo and expects to do proper mountain biking is going to be disappointed.

You've got a point there. I'd never think about using it on the real rough stuff

 

[Mortiroloboy]

I image that staff turnover must be pretty high, it's not the sort of place you would stay for long if you were any good.
Did they do the seat post change free ? I have the suspension post on mine. It doesn't do much but then it doesn't do much wrong either.

Yup FOC, I expect someone saw an opportunity to sell a couple of 'suspension' seat posts on eBay, probably thought the piece of tube they replaced them with was some how inferior?! It wasn't.