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Wiggins [Pinarello] cycles stocked at Halfords!

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 11:59
by Albert Cox

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 12:37
by Clive
if it a Pinarello you are after, there are many other chain and independent retailers that sell them. Please, please, please, don't go to Halfords. From experience they represent all that is bad with retail and customer service.

http://www.pinarello.com/eng/about_deal ... at+britain

On a different note; I see Halfords are to start hosting the first driving tests that have been farmed out to the private sector. I can't see that raising driving standards and making road cycling any safer?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... tests.html

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 14:37
by Philip Whiteman
This has got to be a huge blunder by Pinarello. I can just picture a situation on a club run: Member 'A' arrives on a brand new Pinarello and Member B exclaims, "where did you buy that, from Halfords!", with much guffawing from fellow participants.

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 19:40
by Nicks_77
I must admit having owned my Pinarello for 14 months bought from Wiggle I'm a bit miffed that Halfrauds are selling them!

However having spoken to Andy at Bicicelo in town he's of the opinion it's a good thing for the brand given Halfords huge buying power, in addition it's an attempt by Pinarello to prevent the huge discounts that Wiggle had previously sold the bikes for.

Have a look an Wiggle for the new Pinarello models and you will struggle to find them. Whether this tactic works remains to be seen. I'm a bit sceptical and fear it will cheapen the brand even though Halfords are selling them at normal retail prices.

Watch this space but expect a dirty look if I get scoffed at on club runs :)

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 19:42
by HAZBRO
Cheap Chinese imports are the way to go!

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 19:49
by Nicks_77
To be honest Harry most carbon frames are made in the Far East anyway so they are probably no different, apart from the price tag! Have a look on Ali Baba.

I'm pretty sure most of the so called knock off frames are just merely ones that disappear from the factory if you know what I mean?!

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 19:56
by Philip Whiteman
Nicks_77 wrote:I must admit having owned my Pinarello for 14 months bought from Wiggle I'm a bit miffed that Halfrauds are selling them!

However having spoken to Andy at Bicicelo in town he's of the opinion it's a good thing for the brand given Halfords huge buying power, in addition it's an attempt by Pinarello to prevent the huge discounts that Wiggle had previously sold the bikes for.

Have a look an Wiggle for the new Pinarello models and you will struggle to find them. Whether this tactic works remains to be seen. I'm a bit sceptical and fear it will cheapen the brand even though Halfords are selling them at normal retail prices.

Watch this space but expect a dirty look if I get scoffed at on club runs :)
I heard a slight variation to this story. As you suggest Pinarello were less than impressed with Wiggle's pressure to discount, so with the withdrawal of that outlet and a potential drop in UK Sales their agent was pressured into finding a new dealer. Halfords then enters the market with a certain irony considering that they are also the proprietors of Wiggle!

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 20:22
by Philip Whiteman
HAZBRO wrote:Cheap Chinese imports are the way to go!
Considering that many Chinese imports are better engineered that products produced by traditional manufacturing nations, that is not so daft a statement.

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 20:53
by HAZBRO
Nicks_77 wrote:Have a look on Ali Baba.!
Bloody hell nick, this sights a fricken gold mine for the lower class!, $280 for a carbon frame is this to good to be true

hmm the suppliers called mr bruce jiao,, is he some back street dealer in the run down areas of china smuggling frames across on jet boats

anyway doubt the Chinese have the brains to produce something like this
Image

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 22:19
by Pedlo Mudguardo
This whole thing is way more complicated.
A carbon bike is not necessarily a good bike. Eddy Merckx won hundreds of races on a bike made of steel but so was my Mom's shopping bike. In the same way a bike frame manufactured in China or the far east is not necessarily a bad bike. It takes nine days to put together one of Giant's SL frames by hand in their Taiwanese factory which is an immensely skilled and complex process using a combination of the best possible carbon fibre weave and resin. I doubt this is true of your £300 Chinese eBay frame. There's an excellent article along these lines in the current Pro Cycling. There is much smoke and mirrors from the top brands to deflect from the true origin of manufacture. A proportion of both Colnago and Pinarello along with other premium brand bikes are made in Taiwan which doesn't make them bad bikes but may offend our romantic notions of a handmade machine dripping with heritage and smelling of basil and esspresso.

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 22:49
by toby
HAZBRO wrote:
Nicks_77 wrote:Have a look on Ali Baba.!
Bloody hell nick, this sights a fricken gold mine for the lower class!, $280 for a carbon frame is this to good to be true

hmm the suppliers called mr bruce jiao,, is he some back street dealer in the run down areas of china smuggling frames across on jet boats

anyway doubt the Chinese have the brains to produce something like this
Image
Brains to produce that? That has got to be just about the ugliest "bike" I have ever seen! I certainly wouldn't want to be on it in a side wind. Have a word with yourself Harry!

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 22:55
by keith
That bike may or may not exist but that aint a photograph of it! its a rendered CAD image and not a very good one

Posted: 10 Mar 2013 23:51
by HAZBRO
Swap the road handlebars for some TT handlebars and it will be a fine looking machine! Don't underestimate the power of black handle bars toby.

Posted: 11 Mar 2013 08:35
by ripebuds
HAZBRO wrote:
Nicks_77 wrote:Have a look on Ali Baba.!
anyway doubt the Chinese have the brains to produce something like this
Hmmmmmmmm?

Posted: 11 Mar 2013 21:01
by keith
Philip Whiteman wrote:This has got to be a huge blunder by Pinarello. I can just picture a situation on a club run: Member 'A' arrives on a brand new Pinarello and Member B exclaims, "where did you buy that, from Halfords!", with much guffawing from fellow participants.
I would of thought most people would have asked how much? and if the price was a good one would be very pleased for you

Posted: 11 Mar 2013 22:40
by Pedlo Mudguardo
As football pundits like to say ' it's my understanding' that Halfords will only be stocking bikes in the lower region of the Pinarello range ie. not the Dogmas etc. in the same way that they don't stock the high-end pro range of Boardman machines. It's all a bit perplexing in that it's like Aldi selling Fabergé eggs but if it means your average fellow can buy a really well made bike then that's got to be good.

Personally, I'd hate to see a wonderful historic brand tainted but I really couldn't care less what brand of bike a guy rides as long as he can ride safely and considerately in the bunch and keep his pride and joy in good order. It might be cool to own a three grand bike but if it takes you twenty minutes plus to change a tube at the road side you'll be in for some mutterings from your fellow riders.

Posted: 11 Mar 2013 23:52
by Neil Compton
=Personally, I'd hate to see a wonderful historic brand tainted but I really couldn't care less what brand of bike a guy rides as long as he can ride safely and considerately in the bunch and keep his pride and joy in good order. It might be cool to own a three grand bike but if it takes you twenty minutes plus to change a tube at the road side you'll be in for some mutterings from your fellow riders.

lol, and well said.

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:12
by Philip Whiteman
Pedlo Mudguardo wrote:
Personally, I'd hate to see a wonderful historic brand tainted but I really couldn't care less what brand of bike a guy rides as long as he can ride safely and considerately in the bunch and keep his pride and joy in good order. It might be cool to own a three grand bike but if it takes you twenty minutes plus to change a tube at the road side you'll be in for some mutterings from your fellow riders.
As someone who has never been enticed by premium brand products, I concur.

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:34
by rdleaper
Pedlo Mudguardo wrote:if it takes you twenty minutes plus to change a tube at the road side you'll be in for some mutterings from your fellow riders.
Good job I haven't had one on a club run then :oops:

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 14:43
by Albert Cox
I felt sorry for Halfords after the lambasting of it's new new venture regarding the selling of Pinarello cycles.

Many a youngster emanated into our sport via a Halfords acquired Dawes or BSA bike, perhaps to celebrate a 14th birthday, or as a reward for good school exam results.

On the High St, Halfords was where we bought so many items in the war: torches for the blackout, cases for our gas masks, all manner of items. And particularly bicycles: ten bob down and half a crown per week .
Then, later, camping/primus equipment. when we started riding or, perhaps, youth hostelling further afield etc.

'Try Halfords' was common advice for shortages in any type of utility shopping.

Eventually, we enthusiasts started club riding and racing until our Halfords steed would be usurped by a 'lightweight 531' much saved up for ....

Charlie Mann, Joe Green, Tommy Blick, became our cycling shop
owner heroes and Halfords, who had given us the wheeler -bug in the beginning, from then on became scorned.

We all forgot so easily, and Halfords, [whose HQ were near neighbours of iconic Brooks' saddles HQ] became from then on disdained.

Much the same as Halfords is derided today....

But... reading the Halfords story on Wickipedia paints a picture much less 'misty- eyed' for me ..I wish that I'd never read it...Manganese Bronze, indeed!

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 15:22
by HAZBRO
rdleaper wrote:
Pedlo Mudguardo wrote:if it takes you twenty minutes plus to change a tube at the road side you'll be in for some mutterings from your fellow riders.
Good job I haven't had one on a club run then :oops:
you won't be in for some mutterings if you leave it to someone else to deal with!