Halfords cycle service

Burnsie1983

After a bit of advice.

I had my bike serviced by Halfords in June/July.

I took it in as I had a couple of issues that I wanted fixing.

Firstly, the rear breaks… When used, the left brake pad wouldn’t retract to its starting position and would gently rub on the rim of the wheel

Secondly, the bottom bracket needed replacing and it creaked when I stood up and put more weight/power through the peddles.

After checking my bike, Halfords agreed that I needed a new bottom bracket. They said they would look at the bakes, however, they don’t make the brake spring anymore, so they’d see what they could do.

So, I got my bike back…

The first think I noticed was that the handlebars were adjusted to 90 degrees i.e. so they were in-line with the frame and not at a right-angle to the frame as you would have when riding. I assumed this was normal…it did make it harder to wheel back to my place however. I didn’t ask the man as he disappeared off into the back again. It was only when I got home that I realised I didn’t know how to adjust this alignment. It was a simple job of course, but you don’t really expect to have to get your own tools out and YouTube an adjustment after collecting your bike from a service shop.

The rear brakes… so there is a lever on the brake housing (sorry, not great at the technical terms). This lever will open (“off”) or close (“on”) the brake pads so you can take the wheel on/off easily. Since the Halfords fix, if the lever is “off”, the pads are already very close to the rim. If the lever is “on”, the pads are so hard against the rim that the wheel doesn’t move. So, the brakes do work in a fashion. However, my cycling friends suggest that they might not even be road legal! I’m not sure…I’ve lost functionality, but they do still work…its just it’ll be harder to remove the rear wheel.

The bottom bracket seems to work okay, however, there is a lot of noise from the chain (they said I didn’t need a new one), sounds like an old washing machine in some gears and a constant sound of two guinea pig fighting!

I have tried to call the store a few times since the fix, but no one answered. I have since moved out of the area. I have contacted customer services online who said I needed to write an email to an email they supplied. Its been 2 weeks so far and no acknowledgement of any kind.  

I’m no pro, and kinda think my brakes work in a fashion. My friends however question that. I also have a few questions re chain/noise, but cant seem to contact anyone.

Any ideas what I should do? Just leave it? Any advice welcome.

BikingBud

One of the best life skills is being able to fix your own bike, if you have a few tools look at this site and try out for your self:
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help?query=&area[]=48

macman

Take it to your LBS and get it done properly.
BB: sounds like the one they fitted is not the correct width, as a result your chain is out of alignment. 
Brakes: they've fitted the cable far too tight. The release lever should normally be 'on', and then the pads should sit near but not touching the rim. It can't work properly as it is and is a safety hazard.
Sadly this is often what you get at Halfords, many of their staff don't have a clue.
Work out how to do your own brake and gear maintenance, it's very easy and requires only basic tools.

Herzlos

Halfords leave handlebars loose and flat by default so that they'll fit in cars more easily, apparently. They really should ask though as we've had to go back in to get them tightened to go on a roof rack as I didn't have any tools.

Their bike expertise is pretty hit and miss - some of the staff just don't have a clue. If you've got a local independent bike shop (preferably a grubby one), then I'd take it there for them to check out.

macman

Herzlos said:

Halfords leave handlebars loose and flat by default so that they'll fit in cars more easily, apparently. They really should ask though as we've had to go back in to get them tightened to go on a roof rack as I didn't have any tools.

Their bike expertise is pretty hit and miss - some of the staff just don't have a clue. If you've got a local independent bike shop (preferably a grubby one), then I'd take it there for them to check out.

No, that's the way they come out of the shipping carton. They are supposed to do the final assembly, along with fitting the pedals, in store.