What went wrong?

[Wes84]

Hi guys,

Ok so I am brand new to mountain biking. Bought myself the 2012 XTC Composite Giant 29er 1, 3 weeks ago. Last night I went riding and went along the side of a steep dirt hill, the angle was very bad so eventually the tyres started slipping sideways and I had to put my foot down. The pedal hit the ground but it was fairly soft. After getting back on the tar road the front brake felt like sand paper (very rough) when i braked, my conclusion was that it was just dirt, this became a bit less after a wile but when i brake hard it feels like there is still the sand paper effect which wasnt there before and is not present on the back brake. After I removed and replaced the front wheel to clean it, I noticed that it looked like the rim was slightly bent (little wobble when i spin the wheel).Upon closer inspection I noticed that the rotor had a wobble too at the same place as the rim!! So when I spin the wheel and touch the brake slightly it contacts only the one brake pad on one place every single rotaion and when i brake a bit harder it you can clearly hear the sound it makes when it contacts on that one place when spinning. So it looks like the whole wheel or something is bent. The rotor itself is not bent. I did losen the wheel up and replaced it again but still the same. This is a brand new bike!!! Last night was the 4th time I went riding and the first time on dirt. What the hell went wrong? I phoned a friend this morning and he told me to return it to the store. But isn't this abnormal??? I mean what will happen if start riding serious single track?? Ride over a rock and the rim bends like jello?

 

Please any advice what caused this and what to do to fix it? (It feels like I broke my brand new bike!!! )

Edited August 30, 2012 by Der Meister

[SwissVan]

Sounds like your front disk might have hit the ground as well and bent slightly.

 

Before you try fixit yourself and as its still new I would take it back to the shop and ask them to have a look, be honest with them and perhaps they will fix it for zot.

 

29er wheel u said.....

[Wet Ears]

Are you also not meant to get your spokes tightened/wheels serviced post your first few rides on a new bike/wheelset?

[Wes84]

Correct, 29er. The thing is, to be really honest, nothing hit the ground as far as I could tell, no rocks, just sandy dirt on a building site. If I fell I could understand that this would happen. This is why I am so unhappy cos I did nothing out of the ordinary. according to me I did put some strain on the bike because of the angle of the hill. But none the less I will take it back to the store as it still under warranty.

 

About the service, that's correct, it needs to go for the first service tomorrow according to date. Do you think that it might be due to the bike being "ride in"?

Edited August 30, 2012 by Der Meister

[SwissVan]

Ok so now test the bike shops integrity, make sure you show them the rim and the disk rubbing. Should be easy for them to fixit at no cost (no parts just labour).

 

Depending on the wheels / hubs / spokes and who built them up, it could happen that they develop a slight wobble after a few rides when still new. If done proeprly it should not keep on happening.

 

29er wheels.....

 

[divernick]

Sounds to me like your wheel isn't sitting correctly in the fork dropouts.

 

Turn the bike upside down, remove the QR skewer and spin the front wheel and see if the problem remains.....

 

Report back after trying that.

[BigGuy]

Disc brake rotors can bend quite easily. I use adjustable plumbing pliers to fix mine. Just make sure to put something protective between the plier jaws and the rotor surface. I use business cards of people I do not wish to do business with for that purpose. Also handy to adjust disc brake pad clearance.

[divernick]

If you need to tweak the rotor to straighten it, use a shifting spanner - the flat "jaws" won't damage the rotor....

[jcza]

XTC does not have QR

[SwissVan]

Disc brake rotors can bend quite easily. I use adjustable plumbing pliers to fix mine. Just make sure to put something protective between the plier jaws and the rotor surface. I use business cards of people I do not wish to do business with for that purpose. Also handy to adjust disc brake pad clearance.

 

Thats like changing your polar HRM battery by yourself isn't it?

Warranty voided

[Wes84]

Here it is...

 

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-za/bikes/model/xtc.composite.29er.1/9000/53410/

 

I am not going to fix anything on a 4 week old bike... taking the fact that my first service is free.

[jcza]

Meister take it back to the shop and let them sort it out.

[sometime]

Nice bike!

 

What divernick said - take the wheel out of the fork, spin it in your hands and look if the wheel and rotor wobble and are therefore bent. If not then there's an issue with the skewer/fork connection but unlikely if it's a thru axle. BTW how much do you weigh?

[Wes84]

Nice bike!

 

What divernick said - take the wheel out of the fork, spin it in your hands and look if the wheel and rotor wobble and are therefore bent. If not then there's an issue with the skewer/fork connection but unlikely if it's a thru axle. BTW how much do you weigh?

 

Thanks...76 kgs

Edited August 30, 2012 by Der Meister

[Wes84]

100% turns out a few minor adjustments did the trick, nothing bent at all. No wobbling at all!!! Regular bike service = Happiness!!