Buy Firefox at your own risk!
I really wanted to title this post "Don't buy Firefox", but it hasn't come to that yet.
I had recently purchased the Viper from Firefox Bikes. See my earlier post about the same.
Firefox says that its cycles are "designed in UK and manufactured in Taiwan to the highest international standards". That seems true. So where are the flaws ? One word : Service! I was always wary of the service that I would get once I purchased the bike - and recent developments have proved that my gut feeling was right.
In a recent email to me, Vivek Sharma (of Firefox Bikes) had claimed that "our mechanics are well trained for these imported bikes". Blatant lie, that. When I purchased the bike, Hemant Shah (?), the propreitor(?) of Firefox Bike Station (CMH Road, Bangalore) had assured me that I would get spares in a week.
One thursday, about two weeks ago, I noticed that the front gears weren't shifting to my satisfaction and decided to investigate. In all these three years of cycling, I hadn't played mechanic. I disengaged the gear wire from the shifter and turned the screws a bit. When it came to connecting back the gear wire, I was at a loss. I hadn't noticed how it was fastened in the first place - a cardinal sin for a mechanic. I ended up cutting a majority of the strands of the gear wire - making it close to unusable. It was time to get a replacement...
So on saturday, I dutifully went to CMH Road (12 kms away from my home). I asked the mechanic to change the gear wire. He said it wasn't available and asked me to come on sunday. Next day, when I went there he said "did you say you will come today". I wasn't happy but told him to keep it ready as early as possible. He promised to have it ready on monday. Another futile trip!
I had other work - so I couldn't go to Firefox bikes till last friday. This time he had the gear wire ready. At 300 bucks, the gear wire was pricey. The "trained" mechanic made several futile attempts at pushing in the new gear wire. Sensing his problem, I suggested that maybe he should remove the front grip shift and try. He needed an allen key to remove the front grip shift - which he didn't have!!! The mechanic resorted to hammering the grip shift, with no results. I was shocked at this. On close examination, I found that the covering of the shifter was torn. I was livid at this. I pointed this out to Gautam (who was running the show at Firefox) and demanded a replacement for the grip shift. He didn't seem very keen to solve the problems and was concentrating on his other potential customers. He placated me saying that he would have everything ready, come tomorrow. So I rode back home. Next day, I was back. To my chagrin, they still didn't have an allen key to do the job! Gautum asked for "two minutes" to fix the issue. I pointed out that there was no way that was possible - since they didn't even have the tools for the job! I even told him that, if this state of affairs continued, I might be forced to speak to his other customers about this kind of service. He placated me saying that he would have everything ready, come tomorrow. So I retuned back home - without the cycle... Next day I came back again and the cycle was ready - but surprise - the grip shift was still torn! Not to be undone, Gautam has promised me a replacement in a few days. Don't know how many days that will take.
Overall story : 5 visits (over 5 days) to the Firefox shop to get a gear wire replacement. Gear wire replaced, grip shifter torn. Awaiting replacement for that now 🙁
I intend to approach the consumer court for further such deficiency of service occurences.
These guys sell bikes priced in the range 10k-25k and don't even have the basic tools to repair the bikes! And any fool can make out that they haven't even cared to give basic training to their mechanics. Just imagine, a mechanic at a shop selling pricey bikes who is unable to change even a gear wire! I don't even want to talk about the professionalism of the company. It is high time we consumers take note of such things.
Moral of the story : if you are planning to buy a Firefox, think again...
NB: Service is improving. Have a look at this too : http://www.shreekumar.in/?p=18
April 27th, 2006 - 14:32
Sorry about the poor service…I read ur earlier article on bangalore – madikeri in a single day….That’s really cool…I plan to do one from chennai – pondicherry and back in a single day, but the problem I face is that my cycle(BSA Mach) doesn’t have gears and therefore certain uphill stretches along the ECR road might be difficult to negotiate. Anyway, that’s a long term goal(1 or 2 months)…The immediate thing I want to do is to go from Chennai – Mahabalipuram and back with a stop only for breakfast…A small step, but hopefully it should give me confidence to make the pondicherry trip some day.
Your blog is inspiring, as you can see 🙂 Keep blogging.
April 27th, 2006 - 15:06
Ok, I was lucky. Initially I thought of buying a FireFox. But when myself and friend approached the showroom (In Gandhi Nagar), no one really bothered to attend us. We spent about 15 Minutes waiting and just walked away. The only thing that came in my mind was … if before purchasing the cycle itself their attitude is so bad …then after purchasing the cycle there is no hopes.
I just went straight to Commercial Street (Reliance Cycles) and picked up a Hero Thunder immediatly.
April 27th, 2006 - 15:37
Hey Vijayan,
You made a good choice with the Thunder. It is good value for money.
Even I had a similar experience in their Gandhinagar “showroom”. Guys there didn’t even know how many gears were there in one of the cycles. I was concerned about service even then, but I took the bait still.
FYI : Hero is coming out with a new bike called “Octane”. Aluminium frame, dual disk brakes, front and back shocks, etc at around 8k. More value for money.
Note that I’m not saying that the Viper is bad. It is good. But the service is pathetic.
And Karthik, way to go man!
April 28th, 2006 - 13:15
Hi!
As a avid biker,I also bought a Viper from CMH Road showroom.Ofcourse found some lags (in the showroom), but when i thought of the existing cycle walas believe me i trusted firefox.
Atleast they have a showroom space where i can go and see for myself a bike which looks like a bike and a place where i can feel at ease.
Product experience :Satisfactory
After sale Servuice : Good
April 28th, 2006 - 14:05
Sunny,
Don’t get me wrong. IMHO, you can’t categorise “After Sale Service” as “Good”. You don’t even seem to have an example for it ! (You have an example for Product experience, with which I agree. But, what about After sale service ?)
Believe me, a nice looking showroom starts looking bad when it can’t replace a broken part.
May 12th, 2006 - 00:46
Hi Shree,
I agree with you completely regarding the inexperience of the mechanics.I bought a Cosmic today(Any feedback on the bike?),it started giving me problems from the moment I started riding it.Firstly,the tyres were wobbley,then the gear had some problem,the I noticed that the guy at the shop who assebled the bike had just forced the brake wire into place.The small threads that make up the wire were all tangled up.Lastly,the reflector popped right out,while I was riding the bike :-).Imagine a mechanic who does not even know to fix the reflectors….Now I am kicking myself for not having read this blog earlier…Anyway,there is a silver lining.When I called the dealer at Gandhinagar,he was very polite & said that he would have my bike picked up & get it checked for me(as I refused to drop in to the showroom myself)….The point is that,the same “mechanic” is going to have a look at the bike & the chances are that the job done would be no better that what he did today.
May 12th, 2006 - 11:00
Rahul : The MD of the company spoke to me a day after I posted the news on my website. He agreed that the mechanic hasn’t had any training. He assured me that the mechanic would be going for training in a week or so. He also assured me that my gear shifter’s replacement is on the way. I had given my name and phone number to the dealer. Haven’t heard from him since (half a month has elapsed now!).
Moral of the story : Don’t believe in assurances. Let’s see some results first !
May 14th, 2006 - 22:59
Thank God
Thanks Shree
I just watched on the telly about firefox cycles and was searching for a dealer and found your blog. You know my little brother’s birthday is nearby and i just landed a nice job. I thought of gifting him a firefox bicycle with my hard earned money. Now i’ll refrain from it n wait for the Hero Octane.
Thank you
May 15th, 2006 - 10:13
Sachin : You’ll get good value for money with the Octane. It is already out. My dealer (Raja Cycle Mart, SJP Road, Bangalore) has already sold one cycle at 8000. Comes with all goodies you could imagine – alloy frame, front and back shocks, front and back disk brakes, quick release mechanism for front and back tyres, quick release for quickly changing seat height, 21 speed gears, carrier and mudguards (well suited to Indian conditions). The styling could be improved a bit. I’ll say it again – great value for money.
Now, go get your brother his dream gift !
May 15th, 2006 - 20:37
Yes, I totally aggree with the above coments made by shree, I bought Firefox Reloaded, While selling the bike the person(sharma) promised so many things. First i received a bike in package, which is defective, then I have demanded for replacement on the same day, but he reluctently exchanged when his mechanic is not able to fix the problem.
Then after one mont back to the shope because of the disk break is comming loose from the hub- same problem- Mechanic is not having the basic repair tools, insted suggested me to buy one tool kit.
Then i went back again after one mont, but the mechanic denied repairing it because he does,t know how to do it(Sharma not available).
Better don’t buy firefox, insted with that much money you can buy an indian hero swing cycle-you can buy one for each year for 3 years, how is this?
May 16th, 2006 - 00:38
Hey Guys,
I’m a Mtn biker from PUNE (been ridin for 7/8yrs now!) and have a Firefox Viper in my Bicycle Collection for the last one year! ! I currently own 3 high end imported mtn bikes nd a few Indian ones too… so I know the quality thing pretty much!
About the problems u guys’ve been facin is because of the Arrogant and retarded Bikestore fellow, nd nothin else!
Im gonna b the supervising mech @ da PUNE Firefox branch and Ive also seen the Mumbai stores but havent seen any such ridiculous problem where the mech doesnt even know how to f#k#n do a simple job of fixin shifting issues! That Sucks on that shops part!!!
Ne ways what Im tryin to say is that if u really want a firefox buy it from Mumbai or even better PUNE! U’ll have a much better shopin and a riding experience!!!!!
-Vinay Menon
http://www.RIDE2026.com
May 19th, 2006 - 11:28
I had hoped that from an “Internatiol Brand” bike showroom/shop, we would get really good services. Sad to know this.
Also, once I and a friend of mine had been to Gandhi Nagar “showroom”. Hardly anyone showed us bikes. The attitude of shopkeeper was really horrible!
May 24th, 2006 - 13:29
hey guys
i just came across this post when i was lookin for firefox cycles coz a new one has opened in mumbai. U’ll mentioned abt hero octane which is similar, but i m really afraid abt the quality coz i had a hero thunder & it wasnt good.
Although it is bettr than any othr indian cycle but had quite a few defects especially the left peddle that would fall off. Not only mine but others as well
also it isnt ideal for the very purpose it was made for “mountain biking”
My tyres would keep losing its shape. If want to go off road, i dont think it is very good
also its difficult to repair it urself coz out side big cities u dont have too many cycle mech to go to and when treking u cant get too sophisticated
May 24th, 2006 - 16:10
I’ve been riding my Thunder for 2+ years and never faced any such problem.The most irritating part of the Thunder was that the reflectors on the pedals fell off in the first two days.
To my best knowledge, if you have rim bend issues, you should go for a cycle with double walled rims.
I haven’t tried the Octane and dont think that I am recommending it. I am just suggesting an alternative to the expensive Firefox bikes…
May 25th, 2006 - 00:58
Hi Shree,
Read your article,lets face it after sales service in our country sucks! my friend and I bought the hero mtb bikes from good old Reliance …but as soon as we had taken our prized possesions home we started noticing all the defects in the bikes….for example the wheels were not and would not sit bang center with relation to the front and rear forks,(the adjusments were done by us) secondly the bikes came with a whole lot of scuff marks when asked the owner of reliance said that cannot be helped thats how the bikes come!. Small things like the adjusting screws for the brakes were changed to the local ones….and unfortunately the neck of my rear tired had a tear when we went to the dealer namely reliance we were told that spare tubes were not available and wouldnt be so. These tubes come with the schrader valves and not the ordinary ones you get with the regular tubes.
When compared to the Firefox bikes the hero stands no comparison in terms of build quality and design. Basically there are no original spares for the hero thunder.
My friend saw the Firefox bikes and bought the Reloaded model but that had a bent rear derailleur housing …it was bent back into place by the “mechanic” Can you believe that ! this Hemant Shah guy said that he couldnt replace the frame which strictly should have been done!
What I am trying to say here is that these guys have a great product which they are screwing up with their attitude and after sales service.
I sure hope that as time goes they will improve…as I want to buy the Viper model.
PS. can you tell me as compared to the Viper how does the Octane compare in all fields leaving he price alone.
My friend Rabi has done two trips to a place on the Andhra Karnataka border its about 160 km from here.
Will be great to meet you buddy if you feel like doing so e-mail me.
Cheers
June 2nd, 2006 - 17:19
Whoa ! whoa !
good i really love this!! people discussin mountain bikes and bicycles…
i am the most hardcore bicycle enthusiast around !
i’ve been mountain biking since 1993. ridden lots of bikes, i graduated from a rigid to hardtail to full suspension to dirt jump hardtail- the firefox viper. believe me guys, viper is a decent bike, just throw away the front fork and the handle bar and stem, and you got yourself an awesome machine, if your wallet permits you, upgrade the entire componentry. the frame is really awesome, you’ll find the EXACT downtube on many high end bikes made by big companies, some of them are iron horse bikes, versus bikes , viper bikes( yeah thats a bike company) felt bikes. the down tube is hydroformed 7005 aluminum alloy. very strong, i’m not sayin its not breakable–heck even titanium frames break!but its stronger than the competition. you can easily do 5-6 feet drops on that bike. coming back to the topic, the viper is a great bike, talkin about after sales service, i really dont care, cuz i do all the stuff myself. i got the bike , stripped off the handle bar to an imported ‘powertools’ dh riser bar and a CNC machined stem. got shimano XT bottom bracket ( very expensive) avid brake levers, shimano alivio cranks( hmm, not very hi – zoot !!) and yeah, i chopped off the dual crown fork to a single crown. now my bike looks toooo freakin sexed up!! i love it.
talkin about the hero octane, guys…puhleeeez. that bike sux. its got this freakin carrier welded onto the main frame.. i mean, why on earth are indian bike manufacturers so obsessed wid those darn racks. it makes the bike look so cheesy as if it was made some where in the darkest dungeons in the middle of timbuktu. dont be fooled by the disc brakes and dual suspension, if you’re serious about mountain biking and you dont want to get a face plant. DONT BUY THAT BIKE. if you are lookin for a bike to go to the market to buy some veggies and maybe impress that chick who knows nothing how a real mountain bike looks like- buy the bike.
June 2nd, 2006 - 20:37
guys- this is great- me and my friend are elementary enthusiasts!! we will continue to read this blog and learn!!
June 28th, 2006 - 01:53
man…its really good to see lot of bicycle enthusiast here…I’m cycling since 1995 and i’been for many cross country trips…..longest being Goa-Chennai(one way trip). Now, yesterday I went out to buy a new bike .After roaming about for 3 hrs, I fortunately (later I learned it to be a misfortune) ended up with Jayant Cycle store(“The Hemanth Gang”).Hemanth was not there…and he promised to be there in 10 mins.I was waiting for more than 45 mins…and E….so, I left the shop…thinking of buying WOW…but later I found another bike on town which is much similar to WOW, and they claim that the bike is from Taiwan. I’m not sure any of u guys heard bot it earlier…brand=SC…its not SantaCruz or South Carolina…but it is SUNCROSS…u guys heard bot it???(if yes, reply)…its just and ordinary bike like WOW and the only dirty stuff is the graphics…which gives it a country look…and the sadest part is…u cant peel that off!
and guys, many of u lament that none of the bicycle machanics for Firefox were trained…but ‘m sure that is not the case…because, this is the same case with TI and Hero mechanics. I say this because, ‘m an MBA and my final project was bot this…!and i found that these mechanics had a # day workshop-just about gears..and at the end of the training- they get a certificate with photo identity which they usually hung in the shops(u can spot such certifies in Ti’s cyclinic.) but after all these efforts these trained mech knows nothing bot gears…or the tools to be used.so, now the point is..I really dont na who is to be blamed!!! obviously- the seller should provide the service!!!
but i dont have all these trouble because I do it myself…anything and every thing other than the wheel alignment(i mean, setting up the spokes)!!
so guys learn it….because u wont find a mech while on a trip!!!
June 28th, 2006 - 16:20
Hi John,
Thanks for sharing the info with us. Haven’t heard of SC yet, haven’t seen it anywhere too. But I do remember seeing something like the WOW.
You are right in noting that every dealer has the same level of service. Of course, when you buy something worth 14k, you definitely expect something better. Somebody has to start being different, don’t you think ??
PS: Service is improving. Have a look at this too : http://www.shreekumar.in/?p=18
— Shree
July 5th, 2006 - 07:50
Grt to hear that there are some gud cycles available in the market today…but after reading the above experiences , i am really wondering wch will be the best cycle…plz do keep me updated or if i go in for an imported cycle wat will be the range and where do i start from…
July 10th, 2006 - 10:18
M also considering doing some cycline these years . Could you please help me out in the selection of the cycle!!
July 17th, 2006 - 23:45
Nice to see so many Biking Enthusiasts around 🙂
Initially had some baad experience with the Gandhinagar ‘Showroom’. An asshole who didnt know jackshit was sitting there, just trying to push some bikes.
But the guy in the CMH road seemed to be Ok. Some of the other guys in firefox like Vivek and the MD seem to be really chill and helpful though. Have spoken to them quite a few times and they were always pretty helpful !
I own a thunder too and was am currently looking to restore a BSA Mach one.
Anyone from Bangalore here ?
July 18th, 2006 - 18:34
all of you, who wants to get into mountain biking or cycling in general, better lean some bicycle mechanics guys, the shops in our wonderful and vast country suck when it comes to fixin bikes, i’ve seen these so called mechanics using hammer to set things right, i remember once, goin to a shop wid one of my friends, whos indian made front shock absorber was stuck , the stanchions would go in and never come back out again !! so much for shock absorbtion !! LOL . anyways, this mechanic comes wid the biggest of all the hammers on good ol’ planet earth and gives the fork a nice whack! lo and behold, the fork expands to its normal position. forget the dent on the sliders. so if you guys dont want these kinda things to happen, better learn it..just open up your bike once and try fittin it again. thats how i learn my art !!
and i read somewhere in this post, bharat was askin about prices of imported bikes, well, if you want a decent..i mean good enough bike, the price starts from 800 us $ to 4000 us $ and above.
July 19th, 2006 - 19:27
Hi guys
All I can say is that I am SHIT SCARED !!!
I have just bought a Firefox bike and paid a bomb for it … just tell me one thing … will this bike like disintegrate in one year … no jokes … how good are these bikes?
Mayank
July 20th, 2006 - 10:29
Mayank:
Relax. The bikes are good. Good quality components. The concerns expressed are over after sales service – which is sort of improving, I’d say!
July 21st, 2006 - 19:12
hey mayank, chill dude!! the bikes are good, me and my friends are thrashing and abusing firefox vipers, and guess what, they’re holdin up good !!
July 23rd, 2006 - 18:08
Hey guys,
This is my second blog here…..after reading thru all the blogs posted here,I am now reassured that mine is not a one off case….My earlier blog (May 12th) was regarding wobbly tires & problems with the gear….the problem was later sorted out, Or so I thought….After riding the cycle twice,I realized that the problem with the gear still persisted…..I called up JAYANT CYCLE WORKS in gandhi nagar.I was promised a quick repair. Little did I know then, that about 2 months later, my problem would still not have been sorted…anyways,firstly,my bike was taken to their showroom (for which they wanted me to arrange my oun transport).After much deliberation Mr Hemanth agreed to send an auto to my house to pick the cycle….I knew this was too good to be true…when I got the cycle back,I realised that the bike was in the very same shape as before & to my horror the auto driver refused to budge without taking some money as he claimed that he would get only 100 rupees for the round trip from Jayant cycles…(I obviously did not pay)…Gautam later told me that he would have someone sent over to my house in 3 days,which later got extended to another ten days.I called him only after about 15 days & finally a mechanic was sent over to have a look at the bike….he brought with him,a new shifter and a barrel…he tried till afternoon to fix the bike but the effort was futile…He then told me that the work would take some time & that he would first finish another repair that he had elsewhere & would return in an hour….Me being a gullible idiot, waited the whole day & the chap did not return….I called up Gautam again & boy !!!these ppl sure seem good at empathizing with their customer(Its a diff issue that they do nothing abt the problem)….He said that there was another (“Mysterious”) part that needed replacing & that he has asked it to be couriered from Delhi…(I shud have chkd what the part was)…Anyways,he asked me for another ten days,which I agreed for & also took a promise from him that he would refund full amnt,If he failed to get the job done in ten days…..No prices for guessing that nobody came in the next ten days…When I called him on the tenth day,he told me that the part had come & that he would send someone first thing in the morning to fix the gear….To my disbelief & horror,the mechanic came with just a hammer,screw driver & cutting player,the next day….he tried his best but could obviously not fix the problem…This kept me wondering what the Mysterious product was that took ten days to come from Delhi.Perhaps the product was just my sanity,which did not prevail at the time & was a way for the guys at Jayant cycle to bite some time…anyway,the guy came later(yesterday) with shimano gear barrel but it did not fit as my COSMIC does not come with shimano gears….the mechanic left yesterday after promising to return today but needless to say that he hasn’t…Jayant Cycles have refused to refund my money(which I was promised of) & have been promised that it would be done first thing on monday……I have now started taking all this with a pinch of salt as I have lost all hopes of riding my cycle,which I payed for with my hard earned money…If a day comes when that happens,it would just be a bonus…Oh! by the way,did I mentioned that I have ridden my cycle only twice since I bought it 3 months ago & also that it does not look new anymore with all the hammering(literally) that it has gone through…..I end my loooong blog hoping that any potential buyer in bangalore would have learnt a valuable lesson from my experience….ALSO GUYS,I WOULD WANT TO SHARE WITH U WHAT I LEARNT 20 DAYS TOO LATE…..FIREFOX CYCLES ARE AVAILABLE IN METRO STORE IN YESHWANTHPUR(BANGALORE) FOR ABOUT 25-30% CHEAPER….HOPE THIS WOULD ATLEAST HELP THOSE WHO INTEND ON BUYING THE BIKE NOW…..& DONT WORRY GUYS THE SERVICE CAN NOT BE ANY WORSE THAN THAT OF JAYANT CYCLE MART….
PS:-shree could u give me the email Id of Mr Vivek Sharma
July 31st, 2006 - 13:34
well, as i must have mentioned in other posts, the octane is good for city riding, anyone into hardcore mountian biking and into jumps and stunts, stay away. and guys, i know, its venturing into unchartered territory, learn some bike mechanics, a bike is an easy thing to repair, just try, when you have the time, to open up a bike, firefox or hero or cannondale or specialized or nicolai, but just open the machine once and try fitting it , m being honest, thats how i learnt to fix bikes.. else you have any queries just ask me, i’ll be glad to help you out guys.. i can also tell you whether you’ll need to replace a part or not.
August 10th, 2006 - 15:08
hi guys
i used be a complete cycling maniac few years back but had to refrain myself from my passion cos of hectic studies during the last 3 years of my mbbs now that i am done with it i am itching to buy a bike and start all over again. but dono what to buy n where to buy.Searching on the net i stumbled on this blog and was very happy to so many bangaloreans.
i am eagerly waiting for your advice.dont disappoint me
August 31st, 2006 - 17:17
I am looking for a Bicycle to be presented to my son who is 12 year old.
I am not sure whether a geared bike is safe/good considering traffic in Bangalore.
I am not aware of the latest bicycles in the market. I am looking for a sturdy yet a smooth bicycle in rs 3000- 4000 range.
Maintaining a Geared cycle is quite a botheration according to my limited knowledge.
One of the dealer suggested a Turbo version to be Good and smooth yet without gears. I am not able to decide.
I had owned a Raleigh Cycle costing Rs 330 During 1970 ( I am 49 years old now) which I purchased from raja Cycle Mart. It was a wonderful experience of Product aswellas service.
Could somebody Guide to choose a bicycle for my son?
September 5th, 2006 - 16:09
Yes this is interesting. I have a Tata Sumo, an Enfield Bullet and also a Viper from Firefox all these vehicles are fantastic… until you take them for servicing. Sadly all these companies are not interested to invest in good tools and so as a result you either have to make sure that you maintain the vehicles yourself or just grin and bear it!
In the case of Tata I ensure that I monitor the repairs that I cannot manage myself at the workshop. For the Enfield I do them myself. For firefox so far all is well but one observation is that the company is basically a marketing company, they are marketing the bikes in India and as a result don’t expect too much in terms of service. In the Delhi shop they sell a tool kit, I would suggest that you buy it as it will serve you better than the showroom mechanics! Good luck!!
Ian
September 6th, 2006 - 13:22
IMHO, We DO NOT have enough unbiased testimonials of Hero Octane yet. Any Octane users out there? Please speak out.
I already have a Thunder MTB and haven’t been convinced that FireFox bikes are much (if any) better than Thunder/Octane.
e.g. The FireFox guys told me that their bikes use “Shimano Tourney” and that’s one big reason they rock! I did not buy that because even my Thunder uses a Tourney.
For us, the Thunder did a fine job in rides around Pune – in the Enduro3 adventure race, rides to Lonavala, Tamhini ghat, Sinhagad top, and finally on single-track trails down ARAI hill in Pune that meet Patrakar Nagar near S.B. Road
(I am not into serious BMX, and looking for a bike that does well in road, mountain biking. FireFox bikes are probably much better suited for BMX events.)
P.S. Ian, I ride a Bullet Electra too. Still dependent on the mechanics. 🙁
Hope to change that soon.
September 14th, 2006 - 23:06
come on guys, the Firefox’s do offer a much better ride than the Hero Thunder. I have ridden the Thunder to work almost everyday for over a year and have been using the Target the last month or so.
In my opinion the Thunder is a good bike (if you are on a budget). But the Target is totally worth the cost. The ride is more comfortable, the brakes are awesome, it is nice to have front shocks and it feels much more stable than the thunder.
Just that the dude running the show in Bangalore is total bullshit.
And Sukesh, since you are willing to spend up to 4K for a nice bike, just streatch a little more and pick up the Thunder MTB from Hero. Its an alluminium alloy bike (which means its pretty light) and it does come with 21 gears (which will not give you any trouble. Earlier we used to have some crappy gears shifters which used to be a pain to maintain. But now these bikes come with Shimano Gear shifters which are decent). If you want more info please mail me, I would love to help you out. My mail id is rohan.kini(at)gmail.com
September 18th, 2006 - 15:15
Guys,
This is really a great eye-opener. Thanks so much for your posts.
I have a Hercules AXN DX which I bought pretty recently just to keep myself fit. The hard saddle caused some health problems and made me search for a good saddle cover and that is when I happened to stumble upon the “firefox” website.
I called up these guys well before hand and after ensuring that the saddle cover was available, I made a 25Km trip to the shop in CMH road. And guess what..the saddle cover was out of stock!! and got to hear the regular statement: “please come tomorrow saar”. Later, I was almost coaxed to buy a new bike from his shop on a “Give your old bike one buy a New” scheme. Some how my I instincts stopped me from doing it.
However, my problem/requirement still remains. Can one of you please suggest a place where I can get a good saddle cover?
September 18th, 2006 - 18:09
Hey trilok,
i dont know much about the octane, but having owned a thunder and currently riding a firefox viper, the difference is mind boggling..
first off, is the design of the frame. the thunder is one of the flexiest bikes i’ve ridden. the bike flexes a lot under hard pedalling. just try stomping on the pedals , you can see the bottom bracket move back and forth!! i’m not sayin other bikes dont flex, but in the case of the thunder its a bit magnified .. the firefox uses hydro formed alloy down tube ( in hydroforming, the tube is kept in a die and water/oil is passed through it in excess of 25000 psi. the result is an extremely strong tube section.)
and the viper i own has sram 3.0 drive train. the latest vipers have shimano, but its not the cheesy tourneys found on hero’s and hercules bikes.
if possible check out the firefox show room in NIBM kondhwa ( you’re based in pune right?!) the gear shifters are under the bar shifters, similar to rapid fire found on expensive versions of shimano, a la XTR, XT deore, even SAINT. and firefox(viper) has an excellent frame geometry . i’ve been bashing up my viper for the past one year ( i’m into hardcore mountain biking. some bit of dirt jumping thrown in for good measure!!) till now there are no complaints , atleast with the frame and wheels, the reason i’m sayin so is, bcuz i’ve changed most of the stock parts from day one. i’m using 6061 alloy ‘powertools’ handle bar, 6061 CNC machined stem, shimano XT bottom bracket, shimano alivio cranks, wellgo platform pedals with pins, kalloy seatpost. shimano 160 mm front disc brake rotor.
bottom line, firefox is better, if not the best
September 24th, 2006 - 22:12
Hi,
Thanks for this this discussion on cycles, particularly so as I had been to the Firefox showroom at Malad, Mumbai. Want to buy a good cycle, one that is ideal for long distance trips. Am middle-aged, essentially a nerd who woke up late to things adventurous. Started off with trekking, then hard trekking, rock climbing, did my mountaineering course and finally two small expeditions in the Himalayas, one of them succesful. Climbing is an intense experience; it rewards and humiliates the soul with equal force; it also left me with injuries that can heal only through rest. So, I thought of cycling and hopefully, do some long trips. Get a feel of travel as opposed to climbing, where you are never really free of pursuing a summit.
I was not happy with the Firefox showroom experience. The bikes looked good to me but the people were indifferent to questions beyond that required for a typical consumer durable. As any trekker or climber would tell you – you can buy a backpack off the shelf but you can also custom fit a backpack. Which, is what sets a cunsumer experience apart. That was totally missing at the Firefox showroom despite what appeared to me, was a range of beautiful bikes. I fell in love with their `Target’ model but nobody could tell me if it was suited for my need – long distance trips, hilly terrain included. And I am absolutely new to cycling.
There are three of us weekend climbers here, looking to add cycling to our activities. So, I wrote to Firefox at the provided e-mail id about a month ago. There has been no response. Does anyone have any opinion to share on the Target? Are there other models from Firefox you would recommend for long distance trips?
I have seen both the Hero Thunder and Octane. The only observation a novice like me could make, was the obvious – that they were heavier than the target. I liked the Target precisely for that reason, it was light, was housed in the classic diamond frame and didn’t seem to show off its frills. But I have serious concerns on accuracy of assembling, for there were quite a few bikes around at the Firefox showroom that betrayed careless assembling. And, they didn’t seem bothered a bit by that, which in turn makes you worry about the long term commitment of the company. To make matters worse, every Hero showroom rubbishes Firefox!
I would be grateful for any views you people would have on the Target or any other models (from Firefox and otherwise) suited for long distance trips. By the way, any views on Raleigh cycles being sold in Mumbai? Today’s newspaper had an article on such a shop.
Regards
Shyam.
October 4th, 2006 - 00:19
Hi Shreekumar,
Have a similar experiance to share about a bike purchase. Was at reliance cycle stores, decided to buy the Hero Thunder. Paid by card picked up the bike and came home cycling. Just before I could reach home the pedal assambly gave way and just came off the bike. some how managed reach home. Later took the bike back to the dealer to get it sorted out. He fixed it and asked him to adjust the gear shift as well. He did the job and still it used to make all sorts of noise. He suggested me to use the bike for a few days and things would be alright. I did the same but the noise persisted. eventually I called the guy, returned the bike and got back my money.
Decided not to buy a cycle.
Pathetic product quality checks in this country.
October 11th, 2006 - 17:31
Hi , great to see so many bikers , have been riding for a few years now, mostly for the fun of it, was interested in knowing the address of the Firefox bike showroom in pune.
Thanks
Vikram
October 15th, 2006 - 16:55
Hi,
It seems that customers are entirely against the FIREFOX BIKES. Anyway, i bought a Bike Model Target -26″ from Firefox Bikes Station, Ghitorni, Delhi and I am happy with the bikes. All staffs – technical & sales are well trained and they are capable enough to provide after Sale service and They know how to attend the customer.
I think No compnay can achieve 100% customer satisfaction.
Regards,
Sanjay
October 25th, 2006 - 20:43
Sanjay : My grouse is against the Firefox retailer in Bangalore. I haven’t seen the other Firefox dealers yet!
My last problem with the bike has been a broken spring in the front brake lever. No sign of a replacement yet. It’s probably been a month…
And you know what ? The dealer(Hemant Shah) was cheeky enough to refer to my website (I think his grouse is against this particular thread) as a reason not to provide me service! And he has promised me that the situation will not improve. That’s 0% customer satisfaction for me.
The bikes may be good but serious users look for reliability as well. I had purchased the Viper in the hope that it will be a reliable bike, but that hasn’t been my experience!
November 2nd, 2006 - 00:38
hi friends,
Its a very informative blog that you have going here, I am currently based out of Pune and am looking for a nice bicycle (I am currently not in a position to do serious offroading ) which can be taken sometime over rough terrain, from what I have read on this blog it appears that couple of brands are very prominent like Firefox (Targets/ Vipers) and Hero Thunder . My query is two fold
a) I need your expert opinion on a model HERCULES OMEGA 18
b) Can I get a second hand Firefox (Target/ Viper) in my budget of 3.5 – 4 K in Pune
I would surely appreciate if you guys can provide me with some info ASAP,as I need to take a decision very soon , I guess over the weekend
Regards
Satish
November 9th, 2006 - 21:56
Hello Friends
I am a cyclist I want to buy A road cycle Please tell me from where I will get the good one. Can anyone tell me the brand’s like cannondale or Trek’s Dealer In India. If yes Thank U
November 16th, 2006 - 20:11
hey jasdeep, you wont find cannondales yet( second hand, maybe)
but dont loose hope yet.. there is this interesting piece of news for you, soon …yeah, you read it right, SOON, you’ll be able to buy TREK road bikes (as well as mountain bikes) from your neighbourhood firefox dealers!!!! yes dude! i read this info in business times!! the highest end TREK will cost around 36,000 Rs. that means, no carbon fiber bikes.
November 16th, 2006 - 20:14
satish, this reply is for you
i’m in pune too.. been into serious mountain biking since 1994.
hmm
i dont know much about the omega ..but firefox yes..
it would be impossible for you to get a viper for 3.5 to 4 grands..the target maybe..
November 21st, 2006 - 14:33
I got myself a Firefox LA GOOD from a showroom in Hyderabad and let me tell you, it was a great experioence. They opened a new box, assembled it in front of me and as I was doing a test round I realised there was a bit of a problem with the front shift mechanism. They tried to fix it for about half an hour and then they told me they would open up another box and assemble a new one for me. I thionk the problem you experienced would be a dealer issue. The bike is pretty (no, I lie…it is very) good. It would be a good idea to learn how to maintain and take care of most repairs yourself. I can dissassemble, fix punctures and change tubes and tires and handle most general maintenance. There is little else you need to go to the showroom for if you know all this.
I guess the real test would be when I need to get spares and replacement parts. Especially the original shimano and sun race components.
December 20th, 2006 - 22:20
Shree i have heard that a firefox is 25-30% cheaper at metro but will i be able to service the bike there?i am 13 years old and have really been savin up for a firefox and ive had a few test runs on my frend viper and believe me it was smooth.So i f u could pleeeeeeeeeeeez help me out with this query i will be very grateful.
January 4th, 2007 - 12:25
I am looking for a true BMX cycle . Can any one suggest me what brand and where(dealer) are they available in Bangalore ?
January 9th, 2007 - 13:03
G’day Folks…
Nice to hear so many cyclists around… I had wanted to buy a Firefox some months back but its too expensive. The Cyclone seemed the best for me but it is 8k. I went in for a Hero Thunder for 5k. I cycle to work at least 4-5 days a week (about 90-100 km per week) – the bike works fine. i’ve become a mechanic (since the the cycle shop guys cant fix much of the new stuff). It’s quite easy to fix the Shimano Tourney 7 speed rear (though they are not the best derailers).
January 10th, 2007 - 13:29
Hi Guys
Let me first intoduce myself—-I run Firefox, I’m the MD.
I have read very carefully the comments that you have made—they are very instructive for us & also very necessary for us to understand our weakness & to do something about them. I would first like to give you some info on Firefox & our philosophy.
When we first decided to bring in such bikes to India we realised very early that the existing retail set up for bikes would not work for us. The reason is precisely what you have highlighted—service. It would have been very easy for us to sell our bikes to all & any retailer who approached us—& many did & are still doing. This would have given us instant volume sales but we feel would have ruined the brand. We therefore, decided that we would select specific retailers, demand exclusive Firefox showrooms & try to the best of our ability to ensure that the buyer has a good buying experience & also is properly handled in terms of after sales service.
This process was extremely slow, however we felt that this was the only way to sell such bikes. We now have 3 company owned showrooms in Delhi/NCR & Chandigarh & 11 exclusive franchisees with 3 more opening shortly. At every stage the effort was to ensure that the franchisee was able to perform as per our terms & conditions.
As all of you will appreciate in such an exercise some franchisee will be better than others & it is really sad that the major complaints have come basically about only the Bangalore franchisee. I think you have have read about cyclists based in other cities who have not had such problems.
We might be a marketing company, but we are very aware that selling bikes with such features & at such prices requires that we go way beyond normal marketing hoopla & ensure that customer satisfaction is guaranteed. However, we are not infallible & we can make mistakes—pls send us your complaints & I assure you that we will make every attempt to resolve it. You can send to my mail address shiv@firefoxbikes.com or to sandeepkumar@firefoxbikes.com. I promise you that you will get a reply.
As I said before, we have not flooded the market with our bikes by selling to all & sundry. We have taken the hard road of setting up exclusive franchisee to ensure better service—pls help us in making it a success. I feel we have really good bikes at prices that compare very favourably with overseas prices of models with similar specs. We have stocked spares etc—in short we have tried to be as professional as we could. Now it is up to you to push us to get better.
January 18th, 2007 - 16:45
Hey guys!!
kk.. honestly i know shit bout bikes and thier technicalities. Thanks to this blog I can actyually spell the word Bicycle now.lol. between im buying a viper tonite..Just needed to buy something that will change the rutt im stuck in. office gym home. Im sure a viper mgiht help. It better do( shelling out a fortune)..lol.. nice to hear from the man himself (firefox Md). Its nice to know that you are building a niche brand image for your product, but seeing the views and problems of people something somwhere is wrong for sure. Why dont u have a special training session for your customers as a after sales service program, or offer some freebies or tie up with a magazine o sumthin to change the whole customer experience.
I am impressed with your product and will buy it soon when I recieve my next months salary. I had one suggestion to make though Its a expensive product that you are selling. It was suprising to see that you are not offering finance. Shelling out 14 grand in one time is expensive plus the credit cards intrest is kinda high. Why dont u offer some schemes on that front as well, you might just increase your market share.
Anyway guys ill be travelling to bangalore for the Aero India 2007,( no bikes only F16 and F18s) lol.. representing Boeing, will defintetly visit these shops u have been talkin bout. lets see if theyr as bad as u describe em to be..:-))
Bike on.. Cheers!! Parag Aurora