How to proceed with bike damage within 100km of having a service

[Edereese]

Happy Friday everyone.

I recently bought my girlfriend a road bike, the previous owner was servicing it at a well recognized local bike shop in the southern suburbs. I went to go check it out there and it seemed like a perfect fit for her requirements.

The owner and I decide to rather sell/buy without wheels as I have a set and his were causing issues. I drop my wheels (without tyres as I needed to take these off another set) and cassette off at the service center and they get building.

After I pick up the bike, I take it home and fit tyres and as we are about to setting off my girlfriend tries to put her bike in the big ring and it won’t shift up. The front derailleur clearly hasn’t been indexed properly and having paid someone else to index it I take it back and they do it, excuse being that it didn’t have tyres so they couldn’t test ride it. Fair, but if you are working on a stand you should be able to spin the wheel and test all the shifting.

Less than 100km later, I am riding her bike as mine is getting serviced and I shift into the largest cog at the back, and the chain slips between the cassette and the spokes, causing a cool skid while the rear derailleur is pulled into the spokes.

In the collective wisdom of hubland, who is at fault? Do I take the bike back to them and ask them to please fix it? I certainly don’t feel like paying them again and would rather go to my usual trusty mechanic... is it my fault and just bad luck? How do you reckon i should proceed?

If you close to the Plumstead area, drop by me and I’ll sort it out... I’ll become your trusted mechanic too.

[Edereese]

My 2c. The gears weren't indexed again on the new wheels provided. 

Might have been fine on the old wheels but the new wheels could have a tiny bit different hub / cassette spacing and boom, problem. 

 

Shop is at fault. 

How bad is the damage? Is it worth the fight and time spent on getting them to fix it?

 

I think the issue is with the limit screws. If the limit was set correctly it would not have over shot the big cog.

[Steady Spin]

I think the issue is with the limit screws. If the limit was set correctly it would not have over shot the big cog.

 

It is with the limit screws indeed. I see I left out the part about setting limits and indexing. 

 

It was limited correctly on the old wheelset and when the new wheels were fitted the setting could have been out since the hub size / spacing wasn't the same. Maybe the gears were indexed but limits not set again. 

 

Same way gears aren't indexed 100% anymore when you switch wheels. 

 

It's been years since I've had this issue but I remember this happening once before after switching between wheels. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Steady Spin

[Jewbacca]

Didn't the issue happen on the front rings?

 

If I read this correctly, the chain dropped while changing from the big ring to the small ring, which caused the chain to drop, then snag and pull the RD into the wheel?

 

So IMHO it has little to do with the rear indexing and more to do with the front end.

 

In my opinion the front rings drop due to either really bad limit setting of the FD or worn cable outers, causing the FD to sit on the tension then suddenly spring down making the chain 'bounce'.

 

That or shifting under pressure, which is less of an issue these days.

 

The thing is, it's difficult to prove what the cause was. If the shop is rad they will assist. If not, they will umm and ah and say it is hard to say they caused the issue.

 

It 'could' have been user error or really bad luck/timing too.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

The owner and I decide to rather sell/buy without wheels as I have a set and his were causing issues. I drop my wheels (without tyres as I needed to take these off another set) and cassette off at the service center and they get building.

 

As someone who  works on bikes I'd just like some clarity here. When you say they "get building", what were they building? Did you ask and pay them for a full bike service?

 

A worn deraillure or one that's taken a bump and bent the hanger can also cause this issue. I'm not sure the bike shop will be willing to take responsibility here.

Edited April 9, 2021 by BuffsVintageBikes

[FootballingCyclist]

I say make them aware, even if they aren't willing to rectify their mistake, atleast the owners of said LBS will now know to keep an eye out for shoddy workmanship. If you don't bring it to their attention atleast, then the next customer may not be as lucky as you were with your incident and could end up with a damaged bike aswell as medical bills because the mechanics think they've done a good enough job as you haven't returned. Just my opinion.

 

Oh ya and Customer service customer service customer service, or take them to court for poor customer service    Sorry, it is Friday after all.

[FootballingCyclist]

 

I recently bought my girlfriend a road bike,

 

PS, Is this even a thing??

[Sid the Sloth]

It seems like I didn't explain perfectly... I provided the wheels to have the cassette fitted and the bike shop "built" up the bike (without tyres) with my wheels... So not really a build more just fitting cassette, minor service and clean of bike, and the expectation of indexing (and setting limits) of gears. I would receive the bike back ready to ride except, without tyres on. So in my opinion the issue was that they did not limit correctly on the wheels I provided and this caused the rd to shift the chain between the large end of the cassette and the spokes, if the hanger had not been bent already (I am 99% sure it was fine as the shifting was fine up until the point where it was not). 

 

Damage was only to the rear derailleur and hanger luckily, once again proving that aksiums are farily bomb proof. Luckily no carbon damage.

 

I have decided not to take it up with them and consider it school fees. I understand that it could have been a slightly bent hanger or RD cage that caused it so not necessarily their fault. It had been a while (3 weeks) but she had not ridden much (as stated less than 100km) and can't be certain it wasn't our fault. I think I am going to pop in and explain what happened anyway, seeing as they should probably know just so it does not happen again. 

[Sid the Sloth]

PS, Is this even a thing??

 

Haha I say bought but... I found a great bike for her, exactly what her dad was thinking she should go for, bought it, and then they paid me back. Needless to say I am now fixing it all out of my pocket.

[Mark James]

Haha I say bought but... I found a great bike for her, exactly what her dad was thinking she should go for, bought it, and then they paid me back. Needless to say I am now fixing it all out of my pocket.

Good on you to have done this for her. I did the same thing, but a few months ago when my wife was pregnant (baby is now 3 weeks old), and it means that for the time being I have 2 bikes to ride  

 

I would definitely take the bike back to the shop and make them aware of what happened, and ask them nicely to please sort it out for you. I would be very surprised if they don't assist you.

 

Best of luck! 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Mark James

[Shell Belle]

PS, Is this even a thing??

 

Well my husband is busy making me a steel frame soooo...... 

[splat]

PS, Is this even a thing??

 

Some people buy jewellery, and others buy bikes.

 

I prefer the latter...

[splat]

Well my husband is busy making me a steel frame soooo...... 

 

Is he cutting and welding it up himself ?

 

Please start a thread with some pics and details. 

 

[Shell Belle]

Is he cutting and welding it up himself ?

 

Please start a thread with some pics and details. 

 

 

He is - we are using Columbus tubing   

He has just finished his frame, got it sprayed and built and now he is busy with my frame!  It is going for paint next week!

 

I've told him to start a thread.  We will get on that this week 

[Alouette3]

While I can agree that the limits should have been set better, in the LBS defense you can't confirm that a derailleur is indexed and set correctly without taking it round the block. Often you can get a perfect shift on the bike stand, but it needs a slight tweak when you actually pedaling... they can't do that without tires on the bike unfortunately.

 

In the greater scheme of things, probably schools fees. 

[WR 1.0]

I say make them aware, even if they aren't willing to rectify their mistake, atleast the owners of said LBS will now know to keep an eye out for shoddy workmanship. If you don't bring it to their attention atleast, then the next customer may not be as lucky as you were with your incident and could end up with a damaged bike aswell as medical bills because the mechanics think they've done a good enough job as you haven't returned. Just my opinion.

 

Oh ya and Customer service customer service customer service, or take them to court for poor customer service Sorry, it is Friday after all.

WWCD