I know they sometimes get a poor press. However, I was at the local one last week buying essential bits for the car prior to EU trip and had a quick meander into Bikehut, you know, as you do ...
Staff were very friendly, not pushy and seemed knowledgeable. I asked about headset issue on bike no.2 and they gave me some good advice and then told me that the 1 yr service contract was on special offer for £8.99 (- annual service plus fitting of any new bits purchased). As bike 2 is a bit old but in need of a service, I thought "what the heck" and booked it in for today.
Result: full service, incl. gears thoroughly re-jigged (and running 100% better than before), brake calipers readjusted and cleaned, new headset fitted (old one was cracked - they showed me) and 25 point check. Cost me £15 for the headset - they phoned first to discuss.
The mechanic seemed well-informed and very competent. Went to another one not a million miles away a couple of years ago and was not so impressed - just goes to show that it's the local branch that matters ... I'd never have given them a second look, and TBH would probably still hesitate with bike no.1, but this was genuinely good, honest, reliable service and one that needs recognising, I think (Chester, Greyhound Park branch).
Yeah, a good mate of mine at uni worked part time in one and was a bike fettling genius.....all depends on who works in the shop I reckon.
The guy who worked on my bike seemed genuinely knowledgeable and enthusiastic, as did the guy who persuaded me to book in last week. Variable service over the years, I admit, but I certainly wouldn't write them off any more ... pricey for bits though.
I can't get over the idea that they are pushing (obviously in a non-pushy way as you said) a "1 yr service contract" for a bicycle, God bless Halfords they have picked up the bullshit from IT services, car salesmen and electrical retailers and applied it to bikes thus the circle is complete...
All self respecting "Proper" Human males should have a shed or garage full of tools and a rudimentary knowledge of how to use them in order to effect repairs and maintenance on their Bike/car/Steam traction engine, failure to do so makes you a Girly.... FACT!
I personally think Halfords is fundamentally flawed, and the good staff elevate it.
Any retailer that sells an exclusive range of bikes that can't be tested at all really needs their head looking at. Madness!
I totally agree with the sales side of things - this is definitely flawed.
Just a thumbs up for the local service side which was genuinely OK/good, even!
P.S. I am a girly, so no offence taken 😉 😆
Couple of the lads who work(ed) there were ex Deeside/Bike factory iirc
My mum took hers for the free 25 point check and she had to bring it all the way to me to sort out the shit they'd caused. (eg. moving the brake levers round so that they crushed the shifter windows and the gears no longer worked.)
So, yeah. Depends if you get absolute f%^&ing idiots or not. My experience mostly idiots.
lo DezB : but who sets these idiots on in the first place then...hmmm ..amoebas ? 😉
Yeah, a good mate of mine at uni worked part time in one and was a bike fettling genius.....all depends on who works in the shop I reckon.
The same is true of LBS's as well, although the competent to idiot ratio is normally better at proper bike shops
[i]lo DezB : but who sets these idiots on in the first place then...hmmm ..amoebas ?[/i]
I actually have no idea what that post means.
"cookeaa - Member
All self respecting "Proper" Human males should have a shed or garage full of tools and a rudimentary knowledge of how to use them in order to effect repairs and maintenance on their Bike/car/Steam traction engine, failure to do so makes you a Girly.... FACT!"
Or as an alternative, give the bike to your female flatmate to fix as she is the one with all the repair tools, which is what happens in this house. I should know, I am the female that gets to fix everything. Thanks for your vote of confidence in women!
Whats wrong with an annual service contract Cookeaa?
Assuming it's a decent Bikehut (some actually are you know!) then thats pretty good. Some people just want their bikes fixed and don't have a little shed to go and be a grumpy arse in.
Or as an alternative, give the bike to your female flatmate to fix as she is the one with all the repair tools, which is what happens in this house. I should know, I am the female that gets to fix everything. Thanks for your vote of confidence in women!
Yes ... that sounds familiar! My husband says he could get into MTB but wouldn't be able to cope with maintaining a bike. I already do all the simple stuff and need to wean myself away from an over-reliance on the LBS!
My local Halfords is decent too, never given them a bike to service since about 1991 but I got a Carrera Kraken to get me back into riding, second hand... After a few months the hub (Formula) failed, so I dropped the wheel in for repair. They looked at the stickers and knew it was that year's bike, never asked for paperwork, tried to order a replacement freehub body for me on warranty, and when that didn't work (out of stock at their supplier) they gave me a brand new wheel, no questions asked. Most LBSs wouldn't do that tbh. They've also got a reasonable range of parts, spares etc.
Best things I've heard... "I've got £250 to spend, what should I get" "Well, the Vulcan usually but it's a bit expensive just now, you should check out Decathlon, usually we're better than them but just now they're cheap and we're expensive". and "We could replace this fork but it would make no sense, go online and order a Tora, it'll be better and actually cheaper than this one would be through us. Then we can fit it for a tenner"
No I am not going to say what branch in case someone gets sacked 
Halfords at Killingbeck leeds are pretty good.
However the service manager at the Nationwide car garage that share a building is in for an ear bashing as I discovered last weekend that the lazy barstuard mechanic removed trim from under my V40 with a stanley knife last christmas when fixing the brake pipe.( I know the mechanic did this as I only replace the fuel filter myself that needs this panel removed 3 months previous).
Moral: corporations are corporations, some have many good people working there, others have coqs who butcher your car with a stanley knive.