City Link / Practical Cycles Fail

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City Link / Practical Cycles Fail

39 posts & 16 voices | Started 10 months ago by toys19 | Latest reply from toys19

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toys19 - Member

Damn damn I ordered some child seats for the kona UTE last tuesday in plenty of time for a little trip we have planned tomorrow for a few days, from practical cycles whose webshite said they were in stock. Get an email form them on friday saying they had dispatched today and I would have them on monday. Just called city link as I wondered where my parcel was apparently the driver "couldn't find my address".

Practial cycles -1 for slow despatch
City Link - 10 for not being the UK’s leading Premium Express Delivery
Company providing high quality, flexible and innovative courier services across the UK, Ireland and Worldwide
The couldn't innovate to find my address despite the person answering the fone admitting that he googled my post code as we were talking and found my address easily..

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Posted 10 months ago #
davidtaylforth - Member

Frustrating. Citylink are shit, I just prefer it if everyone used royal mail as they either leave it with a neighbour or drop it off at the local depot so I can pick it up after work.

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

I could pick it up from city link tonight, but I need to stay at work late to make up for not working for the rest of the week, so I cannot make it..#

Posted 10 months ago #
bruneep - Member

-10 for fone

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

ya fone is a great word..

Posted 10 months ago #
davidtaylforth - Member

The nearset citylink depot to me is Preston, **** miles away!

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

Well this got better and then worse. City link have come up trumps, I think despite their driver being a twonk, the customer services lady was brilliant and delivered my order tonight.

The bad news is that Practical Cycles have sent me the wrong item...

Posted 10 months ago #
showerman - Member

city link at shit, we use them at work all we have to do is lave a green box out side for them to collect. last week the guy was outside my house on the phone to my office saying nothing was there got home you quessed it box was still there still has not been collected

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

Right UNFAIL, credit where credit is due. As mentioned above, City Link made up for their crap driver, and Practical Cycles have solved the wrong item issue in double quick time. All power to them, mistakes are easy to make, its how you solve them that counts.

The ute has double child carrying capacity!

Posted 10 months ago #
downshep - Member

toys19 - What seats did you use?

I've got the 8 year old on a rolled up yoga mat and the 5 year old on a GMG classic. Both hold the same stoker bar. Thought two pukka seats would be a bit tight to keep the weight forward of the rear spindle.

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

I've got two gmg yepp maxi easift (same as the peapod).
Mine are 4 and 1.5, will be doing the gmg classic thing in a year or so as my 4 year old is not quite ready to be doing her own holding on..

It is a bit wobbly but only at low speed

Fotos tonight..

Inspired by this thread

Only issue is restricted access to the panniers, still usable but not to full extent. The front seat foot area comes down just in front of the panniers so thats ok, and when the 4 year old gets a new classic seat then pannier access will be fine.

PS the gmg classic is about to be replaced by this see the pic on the rhs its called the yepp junior you can buy it from holland here

also found if you scroll down in this pdf

Also I didn't use the ute deck, I just drilled holes in the wooden deck.

Posted 10 months ago #
orena45 - Member

Kona Ute - check
GMG Yepp seat - check
Child having fun - doesn't look like it here but she was honest - check

Got mine from Practical Cycles - nothing but praise for them

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

Nice piccy. I'm going to post mine tonight!

Posted 10 months ago #
Stoner - Member

Posted 10 months ago #
PeterPoddy - Member

Holy Smoke, Stoner! Do you need an HGV or PSV license for that???

*Doffs cap* That's a LOT of carrying capacity!

Posted 10 months ago #
Stoner - Member

Do you need an HGV or PSV license for that?

No.

An engine.

Best way of getting me +2 to the pub and back legally.

Posted 10 months ago #
downshep - Member

Interesting links, that Classic replacement looks quite neat.

I drilled out the rivets and bolted the Classic seat directly to the wooden deck of the Ute. It's lighter, lower, more stable and less prone to theft. Initially it was mounted towards the rear, behind the older child but that put the wee one so far back that stability was affected unless my eldest was also on board. I've now moved the Classic to the front of the deck (8 drill holes and counting), so that junior can snuggle in right behind me and senior can still use the stoker bar and foot pegs without moving her too far to the rear. Keeping both sets of foot pegs behind my heels and ahead of panniers has been the trickiest part of the whole thing. Dad keeps plenty fit with both children and some shopping on board.

Posted 10 months ago #
Handsomedog - Member

Slight thread hijack but what tactics have people taken to mount footpegs on Utes? Mine has a stoker bar but no pegs and as the OH is quite tall she sometimes drags her feet on the ground

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

downshep - yes I noticed that I could remove about 70% of the metal work to bolt it down directly and I'm going to as soon as I have decided on the correct config.

handsomedog - I've seen these and considered them for the future..

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

Stoner I have that exact same trailer but decided to go two up on the deck rather than be a longo vehiculo..

If anyone wants an awesome trailer email me as I am considering selling..

Posted 10 months ago #
seth-enslow666 - Member

I was thinking of getting one of those trailers for my dog the ones that zip up with mesh etc. Anyone tried this with a 3-4 stone pointer or similar medium thick set dog?

Posted 10 months ago #
downshep - Member

Thought about M/C pegs too but they require a really solid mount. Eventually bolted BMX stunt pegs onto the lower mount of each side of an Aldi 3 piece rear rack. The top and bottom of the two sides are held onto the Ute integral rack with steel P clips. Might need to upload pics to clarify.

EDIT Another option for older kids / adults would be to replace the rear QR hollow spindle with a solid one and bolt the BMX pegs directly onto the axle. I may do this once the kids outgrow the current setup.

Posted 10 months ago #
downshep - Member

There you go..

Posted 10 months ago #
Stoner - Member

That's bloody nicely done, that is.

BTW, cut down the bars, or you'll start hanging yourself up on them

Posted 10 months ago #
ferrit32 - Member

Personally I wont have a bad word said aginst Zaynan and Practical Cycles. I have had two Surly frames from them ( A Big Dummy and a Pug)and Zaynan even built up my Alfined Large Marges even though they weren't doing wheel builds at the time.

This is a small family business and things can go wrong but he will go to the end of the earth to put things right. Its far to easy to fire off half cocked on the t'interweb before giving someone a proper chance to put a genuine error right when one gets annoyed

Posted 10 months ago #
downshep - Member

No danger of hang up as I step through rather than swing over.

The stoker bar is a cut down Azonic CF1, previously damaged by overtightening a brake lever bolt. It is just wide enough for two pairs of little hands. I may put the original Ute bars on the stoker stem as the backsweep would move the grips closer to the rearmost passenger. Still lots of tinkering to do.....

Posted 10 months ago #
lardman - Member

to second what ferrit32 said about Zaynan at practical cycles......

they went out of their way to rectify a minor fault with a Yuba Mundo frame i have. Cant fault the service.

I have a Pollysport clamp on childseat, which easily clamps directly to the rack. Solid, and easy to fit. Although the straps are already too short for my 3 year old.

So, Practical Cycles = good.......

Posted 10 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

did you read what the OP said?

toys19 - Member

Right UNFAIL, credit where credit is due. As mentioned above, City Link made up for their crap driver, and Practical Cycles have solved the wrong item issue in double quick time. All power to them, mistakes are easy to make, its how you solve them that counts.

The ute has double child carrying capacity!

Posted 10 months ago #
ferrit32 - Member

Funnily enough I did but thats not what caught my eye it was the title on the main page. It just struck me that it is so easy to post something up before giving someone a chance to put a mistake right.

Not everyone one will even bother to read the thread but may just see the post title on the front page and make the assumption that said company is shi'te. Does the title say unfail?

Thats what got up my nose when I personally know the service this small business gives and its owner very well.

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

tbh if the bloody forum software would allow me to edit the title (like on every other forum in the world) I would change it, or even delete this thread. There is no firing off half cocked here sunshine, it took them 4 days to even bother to respond to me and dispatch my order, they naffed it up and they use the worlds most universally despised courier. I am happy to forgive anyone who can put a problem right and they did, happy days, so wind yer neck in. Anyone who can read can see this thread was ending nicely for Practical Cycles with lots of friendly chat about cargo bikes and kids seats - advert central. Until you came along that is.

Posted 10 months ago #
samuri - Member

How awesome are stoner's and downshep's bikes there?
Good work chaps.

Posted 10 months ago #
ferrit32 - Member

Easy now no need for nastiness.

Do you really feel that 4 days is a significant delay? personally I remember the days when mail order could take up to a month and bare in mind not everyone has resources of CRC/Wiggle/(insert any other generic large internet retailer). Practical cycles are a very small (1 guy) and very specialist retailer.

If you were so concerned about delivery times and the company they use for courier services did you ask the questions directly? If not I am pretty sure the phone number is on the website and I have always received an answer straight away when I have called.

The point is even though you did retract your comment and say you were happy with the service when they rectified your order, the title of the post is there and stays there ad infinitum. Yes that's not in your control but I assume you know about the issue. Do you think that is fair for the guy, who in all likelihood wont come on here to defend himself?

Surely it would have been better to hang fire until your issues were sorted out before posting? Particularly since your “unfail” post appears less than 48rs after your initial slating. Maybe you could have just posted something nice.

With that off my chest my neck is now fully wound in.

Posted 10 months ago #
aracer - Member

4yos on kiddy seats on long bikes? Get them pedalling!

(was still only 3 when he first rode that).

Posted 10 months ago #
Stoner - Member

slave driver!

Posted 10 months ago #
toys19 - Member

Its a good idea, I duuno if I've got permission to get another bike..

Posted 10 months ago #