How many bike shop workers plus ex on here ????

mountainloz":3akb3y3q said:

Majorsave Cycles - Blackpool (upon leaving school) | '91-'94 ish
The Bike Shop - Bispham/Layton | '94-'96ish
Northern Xposure - St.Annes (such a cool shop) | '96-'99ish
all sales/mechanic/generally running the place
*** 10.5 years out at B&Q ***
Halfords Bikehut Blackpool | '09-now
mechanic, then onto sales manager love it!

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I started out in my local bike shop, www.applebikes.co.uk in ST ANNES where I got my NVQ2 in cycle maintenance, I currently work at Halfords cycle department blackpool where mountainloz AKA the manager bosses me about.

For a short time I worked at 'The North West Mountain Bike Centre' in Cheadle back in 1995.
They've still got some pretty cool stuff hidden away upstairs.

getin":3snd8tth said:

I started out in my local bike shop, www.applebikes.co.uk in ST ANNES

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I have made comments about that hole before on here in another thread about local bike shops... At least you escaped Matthews smarmy clutches...

BertR00t":3g3wrour said:

getin":3g3wrour said:

I started out in my local bike shop, www.applebikes.co.uk in ST ANNES

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I have made comments about that hole before on here in another thread about local bike shops... At least you escaped Matthews smarmy clutches...

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Not been in there for years, although I do remember having a good laugh working there.

sylus":1oab07u3 said:

being the biggest bike retailer will see the biggest collective of bike mechanics and as such will attract a cross representation

My local one had 1 shit one..now fired but 2 very good and very keen retro fans so I feel safe with the work they do and they do it well

engineer

I am a truck fitter not as a mechanic but engineering side, i can cut huge chunks out of a brand new truck, attach whole sleeper cabs body conversions, wire it all up. fit night heaters, air kits, 5th wheels, add blue tank and diesel tank conversions, chequer plate walkways and airbrake conversions, on my motorbikes I can strip all of it down and rebuild it

but for the life of me when it comes to realigning a a cable to operate gears..my mind goes a wandering..thats why I always pay others to do it..on bicycles I have a total brain fart and block

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My dad has the same job and I wouldn't let him anywhere near my bikes.

You're not my dad are you?

mountainloz":22b5kjh1 said:

Majorsave Cycles - Blackpool (upon leaving school) | '91-'94 ish

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Bought my 91 DB Apex, new, from Majorsave, and a few years later, a new wheelset (Campag rims on XT hubs), and plenty of other bits and bobs.

Earlier than that, both me and my brother had probably a couple of bikes, each, from Majorsave.

The unbranded 531 frame in my gallery I bought from Mike Gadds shoppee in his closing down sale (around 95 / 96?). I've seen him working in Apple bikes in recent years.

Halfords is utter bollocks, the amount of shit i have had since i bought that fecking Boardman bike.

Not just me either, my mate has had his Team FS more than me, and his bike is only 6 months old!

Lad at work is constantly booked in for warranty, and the warranty job they did for me 8 months ago failed yesterday. Anyway, its no longer in warrenty, and i no longer own the bike never again!

THEY ARE GARBAGE.

I worked in 4 different branches of Halfords when at school and uni. The training wasn't great back then (15-20 years ago) neither were the bikes. It came down to how good the senior bike mechanic was. I was lucky, I knew how to do most things from starting BMX racing when I was 5 and progressing through. However, my senior bike mechanic was a demon with bikes. I don't think we had a single bike come in for anything other than broken due to being hammered. £100 bikes can't be used off road period, they are not built for it, at least back then. (I snapped a cheapy BMX from Halfords when I was 5!!)

I cringe every time I see Apollo, they were poor, and I think still poor. I am a bike snob though. I have noticed that the quality of Halfords range has gone up in recent years, and I would consider buying from them. I would double check the PDIing though. At the end of the day, if you don't look after your bike, it doesn't matter how it was set up originally, it will go wrong.

Learned bicycle repairs at school, then started working in a warehouse and climbed up to logistics manager before getting an administrative degree.
Last winter I started working in a small bike shop, but had to quit because I always took my time to get everything perfect.

I'll probably start a small bicycle repair shop when I retire. (in about 10 years or so)
The kind of place where customers can have a coffee and talk to me while I fix their bike.

Its a shame as halfords arent considered a proper bike shop (like they used to be? With team etc.).
That said, my lbs has all the gear but that certainly doesnt make up for anything as their service is pretty poor. They are bike elitist pretty much.

I fix bikes as a job currently.