UKC

Just wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience with Evans Cycles and can suggest a solution. I bought a new Specialized Camber Elite mountain bike from them in 2013 and it's been back over a dozen times. The bike has been a pup from day one. The bike was handed to me with a frayed stitching on the seat, then the brakes were the first issue and needed to be returned to their workshop and "fixed" three times before they'd work properly and I still have to adjust them each time I remove the front wheel. Then the drive train issues started once I was able to pedal the bike properly. The chains kept snapping9more than one), then the rear mech hanger then the rear derailleur broke when the snapped chain clogged up in it. I found out from the professional mechanics from another firm that all the problems were due to poor set up and incorrect chain length. That's not before the jackals at Evans took £300 from me not to fix the problem. I contacted their customer services department and a John Ford Smith in particular and received rude, dismissive and derisive messages back telling me I was on my own! Like I say, I subsequently paid a proper mechanic to fix the bike at extra expense. Just wondered if anyone had ever had any good service from them. My local store is in Gateshead, Tyne & Wear. It seems all they were bothered about was taking my money and once they had, they couldn't care less. Thanks in advance, M

In reply to dakidunn:

Have you gone right up the tree and stamped your little feet as hard as ever you could? Or taken it in to the shop on a busy day and refused to leave until it was sorted?

It's going to be really difficult to prove that the problems were down to them and not you. Also, what do you mean by 'adjusting the brakes' every time you take the wheel out?

As for Evans, they're no better or worse than any other big chain store in my experience.

In reply to dakidunn: talk to specialized direct they have great customer service why didn't you do this when evans asked you to pay.

In reply to DaveHK: sounds like avids

In reply to itsThere:


Avoids you mean?

In reply to dakidunn:

Ouch!

I'm guessing that its all now sorted so its going to be a bit hard to retrospectively hold Evans to account. Does seem strange that a bike from a known manufacturer at that price point would have so many issues. Being 100% fair is there anything your not saying about this situation?

In reply to Indy:

Brakes will need adjusting when the wheel is removed if the wheel is not carefully re-located when it is re-installed.

That is not really a 'fault'.

In reply to DaveHK:

I have had rude emails from them all, next letter is to Mike Rice the Trading Director. I am not a foot stamper as a rule but when faced with having an £1800 paperweight gathering dust in my spare room, I asked very nicely to begin with but just kept getting large bills to fix the terrible set up and not getting it fixed. Now I have paid a proper bike mechanic to set the bike up and fit the correct size chain, it runs like a dream. I feel like once they had my money, they couldn't care less. I was handed the bike and ushered out the door without any explanation of how it worked. It was my 1st full suspension bike however I had had Specialized bikes all my adult life and am a keen and reasonably experienced cyclist. They tried to blame me for all the problems but the bike had been so hard to ride it hadn't covered any miles. When I take the front wheel off the bike to transport it in my car, I shim the gap in the brakes and when I reattach the front wheel, I need to adjust the brake mech as it shifts every time. I can get it adjusted perfectly, take the wheel off for a second and then have to start again once the wheel goes back on, it's infuriating.

In reply to Removed User:


I'd be adjusting the wheel at that point not the brakes!

In reply to DaveHK:

Precisely!

In reply to Removed User:

When I take the front wheel off the bike to transport it in my car, I shim the gap in the brakes and when I reattach the front wheel, I need to adjust the brake mech as it shifts every time. I can get it adjusted perfectly, take the wheel off for a second and then have to start again once the wheel goes back on, no matter how precisely I install it, it's infuriating.

In reply to itsThere:

I'm taking with Specialized and they're waiting to hear the last word from Evans, hopefully they can help, as Evans have stonewalled me for over a year.

In reply to dakidunn:


Was it the wrong width (9 speed instead of 10 say?) or the wrong length? It might help if the other shop was willing to give a written statement of what was wrong.


This sounds like what Hardonicus is talking about, the wheel not being properly centred.

In reply to dakidunn:


You mean you have to adjust the position of the caliper every time? If the caliper is shifting then you haven't done it up tight enough, it's hard to see another explanation.

In reply to Indy:

I have given Evans first crack to sort it for over a year, and a dozen trips,(really 12 times) to their workshop. They didn't sort it so I had to get someone else to do it. It's all documented in the big pile of receipts I have from them. It seems very strange as I have had lots of Specialized bikes and I am a big fan of their brand. The only thing I haven't mentioned is my suspicion that the bike was not new, even though they said it was and definitely not set up correctly when they gave it to me.

In reply to DaveHK:

I think a bit of everything. I took the bike to four separate workshops after Evans and they all said the same thing. It's had 4 chains on it and three rear derailleurs now. I might add I have been cycling all my life and know how to change gear etc. Had my last Specialized bike for 5 years and never snapped a chain once. This bike stretched chains out in weeks. Once the correct length chain was fitted, the problems were solved.

In reply to DaveHK:

Yes, the caliper. I have tried everything tight, not so tight, re seating the wheel time and time again, but just resigned to the fact I have to do this. At least they work once they're positioned and I can ride the thing.

In reply to dakidunn:

Don't suppose you kept the original chain?

In reply to dakidunn:

I've never heard of a tight brake caliper moving and if it did it would move whilst riding or under braking force. I'd suggest the problem lies elsewhere.

In reply to DaveHK:

Yep. I have the original chain, the next one, the next one and the two paggered rear derailleurs and broken mech hanger.

In reply to dakidunn:
you might get a new bike out of specialized I know a few people who have. Be very very nice and polite to them.

How often do you clean it.

In reply to dakidunn:


And the next question is...

Have you taken it in to them to show it was the wrong length?

In reply to DaveHK:
In fact the fourth bike shop I used put a chain gauge on the 3 month old chain Evans alleged to have fitted and said it had as much stretch as an 800 mile chain. I didn't ride 800 miles in 3 months on this bike.

In reply to DaveHK:

Yeah they're just not interested. Tried everything, useless

In reply to dakidunn:

I like the challenge of working out a bike problem without seeing it. It's like talking someone in to land a plane after the pilot has succumbed to a dodgy prawn sandwich.

Why the need to readjust the caliper? Will the wheel not go in? Or does it go in but then catch on the pads when spun?

In reply to DaveHK:
Ha, good one, they are all prawn sandwiches at Evans!!!! The wheel goes in fine. Once I tighten the wheel skewers either before of after adjusting the brake caliper, the disc then rubs on the pads where it didn't before. The skewers look straight, not bent or warped. This wasn't the initial problem with the brakes. That was that they hadn't been set up correctly and the pads were binding on the disc. After three attempts, the mechanics at Evans sorted them even replacing the pads they were so badly fitted.

In reply to dakidunn:

You know that once you've got even a slight warp in a disc it's really difficult to get it spinning without contact? Most folks tend to live with a little bit of skiff.

If it is more than that then look at it this way: everything was hunky dory then you took the wheel out and put it back in. Its pretty certain the problem lies with how the wheel has been put in.

In reply to dakidunn:

honestly that does sound like you've had sh*te service from Evans. I buy my bikes second hand and even then I've never had that much trouble with a bike! Try emailing the CEO: nick.wilkinson@evanscycles.com

In reply to Bob Hughes:

Thanks Bob, they've refused so far in giving me any of authority's contact details. Much appreciated. M

In reply to DaveHK:

Very possibly. I'm sure it's not the disc. I can get it spinning without contact, so will be even more careful next time aligning the wheel and see if that makes a difference. Thank you for your help, it's very much appreciated. M

In reply to dakidunn:

the UK MD is Michael Rice, the email format would be the same. It's worth putting them both on copy and making sure the shop knows that you are doing it. I've read a couple of complaints on internet forums about Evans and in both cases the complainers said that emailing the CEO and UK MD got the problem sorted within a couple of days. Good luck.

In reply to Bob Hughes:

Thanks Bob, very much appreciated and good to know I'm not the only one to be in this position. M

In reply to dakidunn:

I filed small claims against Evans (the one at Xscape, Castleford), and they folded immediately. Got a full refund on a £3,000 bike. They were pretty useless.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

I think that's my next step. Thanks for the info. I hope you got a decent service on the next purchase. M

In reply to dakidunn:

I didn't buy one, haven't got a bike at the moment and haven't had one for a few years. Looking to get a cheap one soon hopefully, I sold my car to buy the £3,000 one, and I'd like to keep my car this time.