The Apollo is gone

[dee.jay]

Well I thought it would last a bit longer than it did but frankly it was a bit crap.
Taken it back to Halfords.

Did a 13.5 mile ride today though. I managed to get the chain trapped off the end of the front cog and then the gears were not right. They were crap anyway regardless of that.

Managed to get it home and then back to the shop.

Had full refund without any quibbles so that was good.

Popped into LBS a mile away and going back tomorrow to talk about a new one. Guy I needed to see wasn't there today. Tried a Claud Butler one - and ok - massive difference even if the one I sat on was only £329!

Hopefully order/buy something tomorrow!

 

[Globalti]

Thank God you got your money back! You'd have had to throw the damned thing in the canal.

 

[gurninman]

Good result getting your cash back
When I bought my Trek , I'd only gone into the bike shop to try a few for size.
Was the only bike with the right frame size, in my price range with no suspension - and the bonus was that one of the sales guys had mistakenly reduced it by 10% (it's a 2015 model so shouldn't have been in the sale )
I sat on it, had a little pedal around and loved it, so bought it there and then

 

[User16625]

Well I thought it would last a bit longer than it did but frankly it was a bit crap.
Taken it back to Halfords.

Did a 13.5 mile ride today though. I managed to get the chain trapped off the end of the front cog and then the gears were not right. They were crap anyway regardless of that.

Managed to get it home and then back to the shop.

Had full refund without any quibbles so that was good.

Popped into LBS a mile away and going back tomorrow to talk about a new one. Guy I needed to see wasn't there today. Tried a Claud Butler one - and ok - massive difference even if the one I sat on was only £329!

Hopefully order/buy something tomorrow!

Silly muppet! What made you go there in the 1st place.

I purchased a bike once from halfords. Being an even sillier muppet I took it back several times due to a persistant rear wheel problem. It was a Carrera Valour if I remember rightly. I did get it refunded in the end but not without much arguing with the shop and having to take it directly to the manager and all that carp.
Being an even sillier muppet, I still purchased the odd bits n pieces I thought couldnt possibly go wrong. Fair enough I hade a few spare tubes which were ok. BUT I was cycling along one night when the front headlight fell off and smashed on the road. I also had a dual piston foot pump from halfords. I would have thought having an extra piston would make short work of filling a tyre with air but I literally had to jump on the thing and still couldnt get much past 30 PSI or so. freaking rubbish!

 

[dee.jay]

Yeah, yeah I know. I couldn't justify spending on a "nice" bike if I didn't know I was going to like it.

Now that I've proved I like it and the bike is poop, it is now gone.

EDIT: I didn't have to fight hard to get my money back. Say what you like about Halfords, I did actually receive very good service and as a shop I think they are OK.

EDIT2 - I got a pair of City Jets spare now, done like, 20 miles on them. LOL.

 

[Garry A]

I had an Apollo bike for 19 years and it was good and only recently gave it away. Its is still a hell of a difference when you try a higher end bike though and my Giant Roam 2 is just so much better than the Apollo and I wouldn't want to go back to it again. Go on buy yourself a good one.

 

[dee.jay]

Oh I will. I think I sat on a Claud Butler Explorer 100 which looks nice enough but has suspension (not fussed) and I don't think it has lockout. So I'll see what they've got in the shop tomorrow.

Looking forward to getting it, I assume I'll be able to cycle much more and have a far better quality ride on anything I buy if it's a nice bike!

 

[Garry A]

Better with a lockout if you get suspension. Steep uphill or standing pedaling is wasted effort with suspension.

 

[dee.jay]

Yeah I hated it on my Apollo. I want lockout or not at all.

 

[User33236]

£329 seems expensive for the Claude Butler Explorer 100 as RRP is £269.99.

 

[dee.jay]

Yeah It might not have been one of those, I'll double check tomorrow. Tempted to to just order something online but I don't know what to do now.

I'll make sure I get a decent price and a better idea tomorrow. I'll take my phone so I can check online - if the price is that big a difference I'd be better off ordering online, but I think that would be rude after consulting them for advice. I don't particularly want that one if it has suspension anyway so that's not a problem - was just pointing out how much of a difference that was in quality to the £130 Apollo mightymachine I had in Halfords - even for only £200 more. If it was up to me I'd probably blow £600 on a Trek, but I have to be sensible at the same time.

Anything I get now will be what I use as a daily driver for the next 1-2 years then I can think about stepping up again later on. Right now I need to concentrate on getting out there and getting the weight down and I can get into different bikes later.

 

[dee.jay]

Actually it might have been the 200.... I really don't know - was a quick visit.

 

[Lilliburlero]

Oh I will. I think I sat on a Claud Butler Explorer 100 which looks nice enough but has suspension (not fussed) and I don't think it has lockout. So I'll see what they've got in the shop tomorrow.

Looking forward to getting it, I assume I'll be able to cycle much more and have a far better quality ride on anything I buy if it's a nice bike!

They do a 16" CBE 100 for £219 here http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B4871.html But I bet that`d be too small for you.

£247 here with more frame sizes http://www.ashcycles.com/site/claud-butler-explorer-100-gents-2013

Giant Escape III for £299 (free delivery)

....and so on.

Shop around. It took me about 2 months of searching before I decided on the 4 bikes I wanted for me, the wife and the 2 teenage sprogs. I`m now looking at getting a couple of road bikes for me and the lad for next spring/summer long rides, but dont tell the wife

EDIT: I did buy a 1 week old Carrera Fury from a mate at work on impulse ... glad I did though, love it.

 

[User33236]

Actually it might have been the 200.... I really don't know - was a quick visit.

Might well have been. As you say go back to the shop and check out the spec and anything that concerns you, such as lockout. Let the head rule and not the heart and I know from personal experience it's hard to do.

 

[dee.jay]

I had a 17" apollo, but I think it might have been too small. The one I sat on was definitely bigger than a 17 and I felt a lot more comfortable on it even though I'm a short arse (5'7")