What gets checked on a first service?

[mickle]

It's not an opportunity to let ourselves off the hook BTW . If a frame cracked we wouldn't refuse the warranty on the basis they'd not had their gears tuned up.

 

[maxfox44]

Wow guys, thanks for all your comments. Ive checked it over and torqued all the bolts. All is true and smooth. I've also quarter turned the brake cables, but nothing serious.

Thanks

 

[mrandmrspoves]

What they can actually count.

To two ........mostly! (To be fair some of their staff are very good - but having seen 2 bikes leave our local store with the forks on the wrong way round, I don't think they can claim to have quality control sorted yet)

 

[MattDB]

I just took my bike to a 'Dr Bike' at work and they did a full safety check and gave me a sheet to show what had been checked - I'll dig this out if it'd be of any interest.

 

[lpretro1]

Its a bit of a misnomer to call it a 'first service' - its basically an after sales bike check - as previous posters have mentioned - check everything is tight & adjusted as it should be (incl gears). Most places will do this free of charge. Servicing means different things in different bike shops - some will have 2/3 levels of service from basic check over & lube through to strip down and rebuild and prices will reflect that - and prices vary from shop to shop from town to town.

 

[Andywinds]

I've lost faith in lbs.

 

[lpretro1]

That doesn't mean to say every lbs is bad! There are some excellent shops and mechanics

 

[Andy_R]

Contrary to popular statistics, our local Halfords has a couple of cytech qualified mechanics. They don't know how to deal with customers, but they're bloody good with bikes. I service all of ours, but when I go in for parts they know exactly what I'm after and offer solutions sometimes too (one of our bikes has an FSA Pig headset, and the mechanic was able to steer me straight towards the right sized bearings for this without looking online)

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Contrary to popular statistics, our local Halfords has a couple of cytech qualified mechanics. They don't know how to deal with customers, but they're bloody good with bikes. I service all of ours, but when I go in for parts they know exactly what I'm after and offer solutions sometimes too (one of our bikes has an FSA Pig headset, and the mechanic was able to steer me straight towards the right sized bearings for this without looking online)

I admit that I do sometimes feel guilty when I bash Hellfrauds, because as you say, some of their staff in some of their stores know what they're doing. The problem is that as a company, they have not ensured that ALL their staff in ALL their stores are competent and an incompetent person putting a bicycle together is positively dangerous.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Halfords are like Kwik Fit or any other large chain. The general standard is pretty low but occasionally you get a very good mechanic who is there because he loves bikes rather than just someone who has been shifted across because he's considered too thick to sell car bulbs.

 

[Andywinds]

An LBS is only as good as it worst tech. I've had issues with all three near me. Anything front cheap incorrect MTB shock services, to incorrect diameter crank sets which hit the frame, to a bad attempt to sort out my rear gears.

That doesn't mean to say every lbs is bad! There are some excellent shops and mechanics

 

[MattDB]

Halfords are like Kwik Fit or any other large chain. The general standard is pretty low but occasionally you get a very good mechanic who is there because he loves bikes rather than just someone who has been shifted across because he's considered too thick to sell car bulbs.

I've met some good people at Halfords, unfortunately they never seemed to have much time and sometimes were making the best they could of repairing poor own-brand bikes. Saying that I've been to several Halfords stores and had really terrible experiences, enough to make me vow to never set foot in a store again! On a positive note this has prompted me to learn how to do as much as I can myself.

 

[DEFENDER01]

Halfords are like Kwik Fit or any other large chain. The general standard is pretty low but occasionally you get a very good mechanic who is there because he loves bikes rather than just someone who has been shifted across because he's considered too thick to sell car bulbs.

Strange you should say that.
Just had a phone call saying could i take a look at their car as its making a terrible noise from the front.
Got the car in the workshop and as i jacked it up the n/s/f wheel kicked.
I said have you had any work done on the car the reply was yes not long had new tyres fitted when i took the hub cover off three wheel bolts fell out.
Not good and there were two child seats in the back.
Not surprising they are quick they don't do the job properly.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Strange you should say that.
Just had a phone call saying could i take a look at their car as its making a terrible noise from the front.
Got the car in the workshop and as i jacked it up the n/s/f wheel kicked.
I said have you had any work done on the car the reply was yes not long had new tyres fitted when i took the hub cover off three wheel bolts fell out.
Not good and there were two child seats in the back.
Not surprising they are quick they don't do the job properly.

You can't get thicker than a Kwik-fit fitter!

 

[Globalti]

The idea of "servicing" a bicycle is daft; bicycles are robust in many ways but delicate in others and their delicate systems need occasional tweaking and maintenace to keep them working perfectly. If you leave these tweaks until the bike has done 1000 miles you will certainly be struggling to get good performance from it and will be on here asking about noisy or jumping gears and poor brakes.

With a car it's different, servicing is mostly about changing oils and filters nowadays and that needs doing at regular intervals. There are no adjustments you can make until the car has done a high mileage.