I was in North Wales this weekend enjoying the fantastic weather on the Marin trail when i hear a loud crack. The bolt holding my chain stay to my rear hub has snapped off (lost and not recovered) and there’s a hulking great crack in the piece of metal holding the chain stays together (has that got a name?)

I purchased the bike, a Boardman FS pro, in September 2012 so it is within its 3 year frame warranty. I’m planning on taking it back to Altrincham branch tomorrow (I’m assuming I don’t need to take it back to the same branch I purchased it from).

I’m really rooting for Halfords, but I have a sneaking suspicion I’ll be leaving the store with a bee in my bonnet tomorrow….

Also I was wondering has anyone else has a similar Boardman frame issue?

Is it the rocker link you speak of?
If so I doubt they will have it in stock.
Take the bike there, with the receipt, show the damage, leave the bike there, ask how long it will take, ask them o call you when it’s ready for collection.
Why will you have a bee in your bonnet? It’s not Halfords fault and I’m sure it will be fixed soon.

I know it’s not Halfords’ fault, maybe I’m just a pessimist. I sincerely hope it goes as smoothly as you describe.

*Update*

Took the bike in today. Explained how the bolt came out and pointed out the crack in the frame. Cue much sucking in air through teeth. “You know these aren’t made for throwing around?”
“Yes – I was on the Marin Train in North Wales”
“It’s sold as a cross country bike not an all-mountain bike”

I assured the chap I hadn’t been throwing it off 2m drops….

“There lots of damage on the frame” (points to paint chips on chain stay)

I pointed out that it’s purely cosmetic, and reasonable for a bike almost two years old (am I wrong?)

So he said the mechanic will need to look over it and they’ll let me know tomorrow. Feeling pretty deflated tbh and made to feel as though they were doing me a favour. Not sure this represents the ‘exceptional levels of customer service’ Matt Davies talk about.

I’m not familiar with the bike, but just Googled and it doesn’t look like what I’d call a XC steed. At all.

Had a similar issue with an online purchase of some pedals from an independent. The bearings gave up after about three months, sent them back: ‘Ooh, they look like they’ve had some use’.

No, mate. I bought them to put on my shelf to admire.

Ha, quite.

I wasn’t going to get into a discussion about whether a full suss MTB is really a cross country bike, but as it happens all my riding is what I’d consider ‘XC’.

I hate confrontation, so I’m dreading the call tomorrow.

and i met a chap on saturday with a stripped pedal crank and a long walk home,and a few weeks ago another chap with a stripped pedal crank both strangely from halfords.

Dude on the counter won’t have much to do with it, don’t freak out yet.

I had a very similar issue with a Lezyne hydration pack bought from a very local bike shop. After 10 months and well within warranty the hose split where it’s bonded into the screw on connector at the bottom of the bladder, cue words such as:

‘You’ve given that some hammer’
‘We’ve never had one do that before’
‘Mines be fine’

In the end I got a whole £13 credit from the shop, thirteen chuffin quid, what the actual **** am I meant to do with that? Certainly not buy a replacement 3l bladder!!

What makes it worse is upgrade bikes (the distributor / importer) said it was the shops decision what they offered me, garbage.

The Sale of Goods act is your friend her. Suggest you read up on it, most shops roll over and let you tickle their tummy once they realise you know your proper legal rights

Name and shame those shops that don’t honour warranties.

I don’t get why some shops get iffy over replacement and warranties.

Maybe it’s different in the bike industry, but in my industry (consumer technology) any cost of replacements is filtered back up through the chain with the manufacturer footing the costs in the end.

That is, unless someones done some shady deals during the channel of distribution. then it’s normally a distributor who eats it.

To be fair the OP hasn’t been given a response yet by Halfords.
Let’s wait and hear what the outcome is eh?
They are far from shirking their warranty thus far.

I have a friend who’s on about his 4th or 5th Boardman FS, all under warranty, all cracked around pivots. I wouldn’t worry too much about whether they’ll replace it, but I’d think about flogging the replacement frame..

I’m not “freaking out” (not yet!), just some nervousness.

I actually really like Halfords, and I would recommend the Boardman FS to anyone – assuming there isn’t an inherent problem with frame. Maybe I’m a bit sensitive, but I just wanted a friendly face and a “We’ll sort it for you, don’t worry about it for a minute.”

Overview
The MTB Pro FS is the flagship model in the Performance FS range and with Trail specific geometry built around 650b (27.5”) wheels, Rock Shox Revelation fork and SRAM X9 gearing includes all of the technical features designed to make this bike perfect for all day epic rides and technical trail centres.

Frame highlights:
– New superlight alloy frame constructed of triple butted X9 tubing
– New 4 bar linkage active suspension design with 130mm travel
– Cartridge bearings on all pivots
– Full smooth welding
– 650b (27.5”) XC/Trail Geometry designed for 130mm travel forks
– Custom tube profiles designed specifically for the forces and performance criteria of offroad riding
– Oversize box section chainstays for increased power transfer and torsional stiffness
– PF30 bottom bracket for reduced weight and increased stiffness
– 12mm rear axle for increased rear end stiffness and strength
– Tapered steerer for increased stiffness and steering precision

Doesn’t sound like a XC bike to me.

My brother had exactly the same issue on his – a second hand 2012 model. They replaced the rear triangle no problem but somehow fubared the linkages fitting it on. Cue many trips back and forth to halfords and long story short he ended up with an entire new bike.

The bottom line is that it seems a common fault on these frames so it should be replaced under warranty – just hope the halfords spanner monkeys don’t screw the rest of your bike up.

Edit: Btw this happened after riding around Cannock chase (xc only) so not exactly ramping around

After not hearing anything yesterday I called up and spoke to the store manager.

He said that they were currently checking whether they had the frame in stock.

I think this means, or would lead me to believe, that they are happy to replace the frame (my logic is that why else would they be checking to see if it was on stock unless they had every intention of replacing it).

BTW Mulv1976 mine is indeed the 2012 model.

I suspect you’ll get a new frame.

I snapped a Pro HT last year. Took the bike in with a few photos (I have a couple of mates who work as engineers and they gave me various scans and an endoscope print from inside the frame to prove it really was cracked and not just cosmetic!) – But I didn’t need any of that. The guy phoned head office, they had a new bike sent down and built up…the whole process took 3 days.

He said that they were currently checking whether they had the frame in stock

First of all, very unlikely they just have a frame. Secondly he can check the store stock in about 30s on their computers.

Warehouse stock can be checked with a 2 minute phone call.

Distributor stock checked within an hour I reckon.

Don’t let them hang around, nobody works that hard in Halfords (talking from experience of having worked there).

Recently purchased a reverb from France that has an issue phoned fisher who wouldn’t let me send it back direct needed to go through a dealer. Gave me a list of local bike shops in the area and halfords was the nearest plus I would of felt a tool asking a local lbs as I had purchased abroad.

Took them into halfords manager there had no problems filled out warranty online etc even copied me in on the emails boxed them up and sent them off offered to cover postage he politely declined have to say excellent service considering I didn’t purchase from them. Sent yesterday so will update when I get them back .

First of all, very unlikely they just have a frame. Secondly he can check the store stock in about 30s on their computers.

Warehouse stock can be checked with a 2 minute phone call.

Distributor stock checked within an hour I reckon.

Yea that’s why it’s a bit suss that it’s taking this long. We will wait and see I guess. I thought it was unlikely that they would have the frame – I actually questioned whether they’d have the 2012 frame when I took it back (given the new model is a 650b I think), the chap said he would have to check.

It just seems to me they wouldn’t even bother checking if they weren’t going to honour the warranty.

If push comes to the proverbial Matt Davies only lives round the corner 😀

Looks like you may end up with a 650B frame, forks and wheels then?

Looks like you may end up with a 650B frame, forks and wheels then?

I’m still waiting for them to explicitly state they are replacing the frame under warranty anything above that is a bonus.

I’d be more than happy with 2012 frame replacement, as that is what I bought, I’m not looking for a free upgrade.

Will give the store another call this afternoon.

you may end up with a 650B

I’m not looking for a free upgrade.

Who mentioned Upgrade?

Ha quite.

I guess I meant ‘newer’.

It’s funny, I popped into Evans on my lunch last week and asked what do they do in a 26er. Guy looked at me as though as I’d asked for a pop-tart breakfast and a Betamax cassette….

Odd you mention beta, a superior product which came first but disappeared because it wasn’t in vogue.

VHS had bigger wheels, no brainier really.

I’m feeling pretty disillusioned with Halford’s exceptional customer service at the moment.
I have a road bike less than a year old which developed a crack- but because I can’t find any proof of purchase (paid cash, lost receipt), they don’t want to know.

beefheart – did they not take your name and address when you purchased the bike?

when I had issues with my Boardman CX rear wheel Halfords were very accommodating… every time I took it in, because they hadn’t fixed it properly. The 5th time someone actually did it right, and its been fine since. but all of those times it was FOC, no questions asked.

Yeah, surely they can look up the frame number?

It’s funny, I popped into Evans on my lunch last week and asked what do they do in a 26er. Guy looked at me as though as I’d asked for a pop-tart breakfast and a Betamax cassette….

Nothing wrong with pop tarts , still available in supermarkets countrywide and still a tasty snack , I eat them regularly .

Yeah, surely they can look up the frame number?

Do you really think so ?

beefheart – Member

I have a road bike less than a year old which developed a crack- but because I can’t find any proof of purchase (paid cash, lost receipt), they don’t want to know.

You can’t really expect any more tbh- nice when they go above and beyond but I wouldn’t lose sight of that…

(fwiw, I bought a used, £350-new Carrera, the freehub burst after about 6 months. Took it into my local Halfords to try and buy a replacement, they didn’t want to know about proofs of purchase etc, just went direct to free replacements. When they found it tricky to source the one part it needed, they just gave me a whole wheel from an in-stock bike)

*Update*

I just got off the phone with Halfords. The chap I’ve been dealing with was away today. Apparently the new frame has been ordered, and the guy confirmed it was covered under the warranty. They’ve managed to source a 2012 frame (the guy seemed surprised that I was surprised at this, so maybe they have a load of them knocking about).

I asked for an e-mail confirmation, but apparently they don’t have access to e-mails ( 🙄 ). I reconfirmed everything with the guy (new frame, under warranty and they’d build it up) and he confirmed!

So while I would have appreciated the communication to be a bit better, it looks like Halfords have come out on top. Hurrah for Halfords!

They’ve got a reverb post to fit yet, so there may be a sequel…..

🙂

I am also surprised they had a 2012 frame laying about.

and they’d build it up

This might be where this story takes a turn for the worse. I would treat this as a ‘hang stuff in roughly the right place’ service a little like pin the tail on the donkey at a child’s party. Once they have decorated the frame for you walk it home then set to it with the spanners (or find a competent spannerist to do the job).