Anton's Cycle Worx, Nelspruit

[Handlebar]

Anton’s cycle worx ( Nelspruit) sucks!

 

I’ve bought two bikes from Anton’s Cycle Worx in Nelspruit. While I’m happy with the bikes I’m sad to say that his service sucks.

 

1. After the first service the gears were worse than when it went in. He was happy to redo it but it spoilt a Saturday ride and I wasn’t able to ride at all ride on the Sunday.

2. I ordered a part for a trailer rack from him which would have taken 4 days to arrive. Two weeks later and it still isn’t here. Everytime I’ve been in I was promised that it was on the courier which was supposedly already in town and expected at any moment. I’ve had to hastily make another arrangement to get my bikes to Cape Town.

3. On my last service at Anton's the bike went in with the front wheel flat. Yes you’ve guessed it. I’ve been fixing a puncture this morning instead of riding!

 

I definitely won’t be spending any more money there.

 

What's your favourite bike shop and how much is an average service?

Name and shame your worst experience.

[Goodbadugly]

Learn to service your own bike. And buy spares off the internet. If shops are slow/less helpful with service, stuff them. Let them feel the economic slump.

[doogie]

Hey man,

 

Also in Nelspruit and while one wants to support the local industry it is just so much quicker and more efficient to get stuff sent up from CT. My wife had same issue at Antons, she took in her Pinarello for a service and gears have been messed since then, dont quite know how they managed to stuff them up so badly have been trying endlessly to get them right again...

 

Cyclelab Westlake in CT so far been my best experience! Hope you come right!

[Noneking]

Try Bell's Cycles - On R40 at Riverside Auto Park.

 

I bought my first bike from Anton's and was very unhappy with the service. Been going to Bell's ever since. I've bought 3 bikes from them and always been happy with their service.

[Goodbadugly]

I prefer to support the local industry, but if the service is lame, do it yourself an support Chris Willemse/Kiwi/Icycling/Buycycle or CRC. The local agent quoted me R1700 for my FS bike bearings. Got them (Enduro) from Johan Bornman/Yellowsaddle for R670.

A local bike shop took THREE months to get me the seat post I ordered (and paid for). Stuff them.

[fastbike]

For a first post thats alot of bitching and moaning.

[Ashchest]

For a first post thats alot of bitching and moaning.

well done dude! I see you are working hard towards regaining your popularity

[Felt awesome]

Try Bells Cycling in Nelspruit, just go to their shop and you will see for yourself.

Great Service and lots of stock.

[Guest Big H]

Gears and a flat tyre..... You are seriously lazy sir!!!!!! You deserve the problems you have.

[Pappa Bear]

Gears and a flat tyre..... You are seriously lazy sir!!!!!! You deserve the problems you have.

 

Some peolpe don't have the time to service their own bikes.....some peolp have just started cycling and place their trust in a shop to fix the little gremlins till they have the confidance to do it them selves....

 

Well if the shop can not even fix a tyre or gears...... how are they goin to fix a shock? Bleed brakes? Install a Headset????

 

I would steer clear of Anton's.....

[rouxtjie]

Cyclists Workshop in sundowner...Josh my mech gives the best services ever. Installed a front derailer off his own bike so that i can do a race not so long ago(mine was being ordered) + fair pricing on components. He has also opened his shop at odd hours for me, wonder if some of the bigger guns would...anyway.

[scotty]

Anton’s cycle worx ( Nelspruit) sucks!

 

I’ve bought two bikes from Anton’s Cycle Worx in Nelspruit. While I’m happy with the bikes I’m sad to say that his service sucks.

 

 

3. On my last service at Anton's the bike went in with the front wheel flat. Yes you’ve guessed it. I’ve been fixing a puncture this morning instead of riding!

 

I definitely won’t be spending any more money there.

 

What's your favourite bike shop and how much is an average service?

Name and shame your worst experience.

 

Why when you picked up the bike did you not notice the flat wheel.

 

Also do a quick check before you walk out the shop and if any problems found they can be fixed easily.

 

Spin the wheels, pull the brakes and see if they perform as they should.

 

Run gear changes and see if they change smoothly

 

Turn the bars and cranks and see if they turn smoothly and have no creaks or groans.

[madmarc]

Anton’s cycle worx ( Nelspruit) sucks!

 

I’ve bought two bikes from Anton’s Cycle Worx in Nelspruit. While I’m happy with the bikes I’m sad to say that his service sucks.

 

1. After the first service the gears were worse than when it went in. He was happy to redo it but it spoilt a Saturday ride and I wasn’t able to ride at all ride on the Sunday.

2. I ordered a part for a trailer rack from him which would have taken 4 days to arrive. Two weeks later and it still isn’t here. Everytime I’ve been in I was promised that it was on the courier which was supposedly already in town and expected at any moment. I’ve had to hastily make another arrangement to get my bikes to Cape Town.

3. On my last service at Anton's the bike went in with the front wheel flat. Yes you’ve guessed it. I’ve been fixing a puncture this morning instead of riding!

 

I definitely won’t be spending any more money there.

 

What's your favourite bike shop and how much is an average service?

Name and shame your worst experience.

 

Is he still in business??? - I had big issues with his service a few years back when i lived in Nelspruit. Never used him again

[Goodbadugly]

Why when you picked up the bike did you not notice the flat wheel.

 

Also do a quick check before you walk out the shop and if any problems found they can be fixed easily.

 

Spin the wheels, pull the brakes and see if they perform as they should.

 

Run gear changes and see if they change smoothly

 

Turn the bars and cranks and see if they turn smoothly and have no creaks or groans.

Let us compare it to service in a restautant. You order a greek salad. And get cheddar in the place of feta.

Next you order a Windhoek lager, but you get a Windhoek light. You have to send it back.

You order a medium filet, but get a overcooked piece of charcoal. You send it back. They replace it with what you ordered in the first place. Very irritating. Bad service, even if they replace everything.

I hate it when people rendering services use the words "Bring it back when you are not satisfied." This implies good service, but they leave their back door open. I prefer a service to be done right the first time. It is such a pain in the butt if you have to find time to take the bike back through peak traffic hours, find parking, nag to get the service done, find time to go fetch the bike yet again, because if you send somebody else they might not check up on the mentioned.

Bad service delivery mechanics know this. And depend on the fact that the pain of finding time to bring the bike back will be more than the pain of the maladjusted gears. Once they have your money, they are usually less prone to fix their stuff ups.

 

My idea of good service? Get it right the first time. Without me checking up on them.

This is not aimed at a specific shop, just in general.

[Noneking]

Let us compare it to service in a restautant. You order a greek salad. And get cheddar in the place of feta.

Next you order a Windhoek lager, but you get a Windhoek light. You have to send it back.

You order a medium filet, but get a overcooked piece of charcoal. You send it back. They replace it with what you ordered in the first place. Very irritating. Bad service, even if they replace everything.

I hate it when people rendering services use the words "Bring it back when you are not satisfied." This implies good service, but they leave their back door open. I prefer a service to be done right the first time. It is such a pain in the butt if you have to find time to take the bike back through peak traffic hours, find parking, nag to get the service done, find time to go fetch the bike yet again, because if you send somebody else they might not check up on the mentioned.

Bad service delivery mechanics know this. And depend on the fact that the pain of finding time to bring the bike back will be more than the pain of the maladjusted gears. Once they have your money, they are usually less prone to fix their stuff ups.

 

My idea of good service? Get it right the first time. Without me checking up on them.

This is not aimed at a specific shop, just in general.

:thumbup:

[PaulTCR]

Some of the above may well be true, we all have issues and generally good news is no news. I have friends that have waited a long time for parts from Antons and I even waited a good few months for some brake arches.

 

However, the two road bikes I bought from Anton's were partially due to his approach and attitude to me, a died in the wool MTB'er. I was just mooching as I had a spare few minutes. He stopped what he was doing and took the time to engage me as a valuable customer, answering my ameturish questions. So I bought a second hand TCR 3. Less that a year later I had decided that road biking and I could get along and was in again talking about an upgrade. More time freely given in comparing this and that which eventually led to me buying a second hand TCR carbon.

 

OK fair enough, so far all he has done is the sales pitch (which I must say you don't always get from the other shops in town), but then there was a problem. The bike went in for a service and there was a dint on the frame when I got it back. I told him about it, he assured me it wasn't from the service but, he would get it fixed for me. Took the bike back for the frame to be sent off to Cape Town and in the mean time he built all the parts onto another frame - Alliance I think, which I enjoyed for six weeks or so. Frame returned, bike built over again but a few months later tyhe fix began to delaminate. Back to Anton's and same story this time borrowing a Bianchi frame which I wasn't too keen on - but I had a bike. Few weeks later, frame returned, rebuild and again after a few months the mend was showing signs of strain. Anton made some calls and after a bit of negotiation with Giant as my old frame was just out of it's 5 year guarantee, I got a brand new frame with a lifetime guarantee. I had to wait a while for this to arrive from Thailand but now I have a really decent bike which I might not have had is Anton had of dug his heels in.

 

So, yes, I'm sure some people will have issues with him, but I wanted to give my story. I would buy from him again.

Edited December 21, 2010 by PaulTCR