Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Flat tyre - Bikefix comes through (kind of)

On my way home from Condor yesterday, I got a flat. In the back, no less, which is really hard to repair because of the fiddly SRAM hub gear and non-QR spindle. Impossible, in fact, with no tools.

But since I was just around the corner from Bikefix and had some time to spare, I decided to drop it in and pick it up today. Now, I've had my problems with this place. The owner (Stuart) is generally helpful and friendly. At the Cycle Show two years ago, he was particularly chatty when Kim and I turned up on his stand. But he seems to have little influence over the workshop, where they're usually abrupt, condescending, and surly.

When I dropped off, the guy was friendly enough - he said they might have it done by 18.30, in which case, they'd ring me. Never happened, so I guess they didn't get to it until today.

So I picked it up today as planned, and everything was fine. £12 for a new tube and labor, not bad. The guys who were there today were the surliest of the lot - one of them I've heard berating other customers after they've left the shop. Not too impressive.

I'll stick to Bicycle Workshop when poss, where they seem more technically competent but infinitely more friendly. (In fact, it's only two weeks until my first major Fahrrad overhaul! I only had to book three months in advance...)

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