My new bike was improperly setup and dangerous... what would you do?

[EMTBehave]

Hi guys. So, I bought a Cube 140 HPC Action Team last week from a sports chain (the only place that had it in stock) which cost £5500 and picked it up earlier this week. Until today I had only done a couple of rides to work (20 mins each way) so didn't notice any problems. However today I did an epic 76KM ride and about a third of the way though it the chain kept constantly slipping off of the cassette when shifting. It worst affected the middle gears, but by the late stage of the ride the highest and lowest gears too were affected. It was happening so frequently and strongly that my feet would often fly out of the pedals, which wasn't good as there was a fair bit of uphill and downhiill along the route I took. However, in the end I made it back safely (if not happily) in one piece and took it straight back to the shop.

At the shop a mechanic had a quick check after I explained the situation to him and he looked really shocked. Apparently, the cassette itself hadn't been properly fastened to the bike and was loose and in addition the chain had not been properly shortened and was way too slack for the gearing. He said whoever built the bike really messed up and did a bad job.

So, then I found the manager that sold me the bike and explained the situation. Considering how when I had collected it he had made a big show of telling me how perfect the bike was, and how it had been set up by his best mechanic, he was he was understandably mortified and apologetic and said he would sort it out and get it back to me early next week. He also said I would get an £80 voucher.

In the end of course I made it home safely but I am understandably extremely miffed that a £5500 bike was not properly and competently set up, leaving me at risk of accident and injury.

So guys, what do you think and would you be fine with an £80 voucher in this situation? Thanks in advance for any feedback.

PS: No I do not want to sue, claim or whatever. I just want to ensure that their response is appropriate to how serious this was to me in principle.

 

[Pyr0]

When I picked up my levo, the front brake was faulty. I took the bike back and ended up with some xtr's as a free upgrade for my trouble.

 

[Astom22]

If it was me, I would be torque spec-ing every bolt on the bike. If they didn't torque the cassette on I doubt the checked any other bolt on the bike.

 

[118]

"where there's blame, there's a claim.."

 

[EMTBehave]

When I picked up my levo, the front brake was faulty. I took the bike back and ended up with some xtr's as a free upgrade for my trouble.

I don't think I will get any big upgrade (it's not an LBS).

If it was me, I would be torque spec-ing every bolt on the bike. If they didn't torque the cassette on I doubt the checked any other bolt on the bike.

Pretty sure it will be checked to hell and back now after this!

"where there's blame, there's a claim.."

Definitely no claim... ugh.

 

[Macone]

I'd check it over myself (whats half an hour in your life in the big scheme of things), then go riding!

 

[EMTBehave]

I'd check it over myself (whats half an hour in your life in the big scheme of things), then go riding!

Time is of no concern to me when it comes to my hobbies but I'm no bike mechanic and have very little knowledge about them in terms of technical maintenance. But yes, I can do some research and learn some stuff of course.

 

[Elover]

Worse things happen at sea..... I have had bikes serviced at a shop for years and once I had a whole new chain, assette front ring set up and on my 3rd or 4th ride, being a biggie, the same thing happened as you... We hobbled back, but I just tightened it up when I got home... I think an apology at £80 voucher is fine. Life is not perfect and you lived to tell the tale.

 

[Waynetta]

I agree with @Elover . Shit happens and no ones perfect.

 

[EMTBehave]

Worse things happen at sea..... I have had bikes serviced at a shop for years and once I had a whole new chain, assette front ring set up and on my 3rd or 4th ride, being a biggie, the same thing happened as you... We hobbled back, but I just tightened it up when I got home... I think an apology at £80 voucher is fine. Life is not perfect and you lived to tell the tale.

Yeah, I think you are right.

 

[GrahamPaul]

I'd happily accept the voucher and the apology. I don't think I have ever bought a new bike which has not had something either loose or badly adjusted. A bit like cars, really: there's always something loose, rattling or just plain missing. (I'm looking at you, Alfa Romeo!)

 

[EMTBehave]

I'd happily accept the voucher and the apology. I don't think I have ever bought a new bike which has not had something either loose or badly adjusted. A bit like cars, really: there's always something loose, rattling or just plain missing. (I'm looking at you, Alfa Romeo!)

This was pretty bad as far as negligent setups go... I was extremely lucky to not have come a cropper or had to walk many miles home.

Whether someone spends £1500 or £5500 it's reasonable to expect nothing less than an extremely diligent build and setup that does not result in any dangerous situations. There is no excuse for a mistake as glaring as not properly fixing a cassette in place. It's careless, negligent, easily avoidable and it is very possible that someone could be badly hurt as a result of it.

 

[Kaelidoz]

@EMTBehave words of encouragement: I knew nothing about bicycles 2 years ago and now I'm building my friend's bikes. If you find the information, take all the time you want and have the right tools, it really is pretty simple.

I'm not mechanically inclined to begin with, not even handy except for computers & electronics.


- I'd be very fine with an £80 voucher. I do hope that they'll replace the chain & cassette tho. They both took some hits.

 

[NULevo]

This sort of thing happens everywhere, I bought my Levo online from a store that didn't have any in stock locally and said they couldn't get any. The bike turned up with a flat tyre, no air in the shock, some bolts not suspension tightened and a few other niggles.

I ended up with £100, but more importantly, the local store appear to be good and explained the online business was so busy, they were bound to miss things.They seem to be less busy in the the store and have promised to give it a good check over when it's in for its free service next week (should have been last week, thanks storms).

I'd take the £80 and chalk it up to experience, with the knowledge that the store staff will probably remember you and your bike on future visits.

 

[Simoto123]

I would gratefully accept the £80. You need these people on your side when you may come to need a motor or battery on warranty. You’ll be off your bike weeks if they hate you and think your a whiney knobhead.

 

[steve_sordy]

OK, something bad may have happened to you, but it didn't.
I don't believe that is worth spending any more time or effort in pursuing this further. Just chalk it up to experience and check the bike yourself in future.

I once paid £30 to rent a bike for an hour and I was told it was all ready. The guy handing me the bike was dismissive when I said that I needed to adjust the sag "it'll be good enough for around here!" is what he said. The suspension sag was radically different front to rear, the rebound and compression settings also and were at extremes, as though the previous rider had deliberately decided to cock it up for the next rider. One tyre had 43psi, the other had 17psi. But the brakes worked OK and the gears shifted just fine. I never thought to check the chain length though (I'll file that one away for future use).

Unless you have reason to trust whoever set up the bike, then don't.

 

[Mikerb]

I don't wish to malign any LBS and there are certainly some very good ones but I place no blind trust in any work carried out by a bike shop. The problem is largely that not every bike shop or outlet has a team of experienced and competent bike mechanics such that busy periods or periods when the chief mechanic is on a day off or holiday is adequately covered. Even the best bike mechanics have limited knowledge or experience of dealing with electrical components. At the very least I would check any work done but out of preference I would simply do the job myself.

 

[Pdoz]

Negligence is a big word, and before waving it around perhaps you should check the local definition - most countries measure negligence by the standard of your peers.

Personal responsibility is another concept - new bike, your life , check everything. Heading out on an " epic ride" - check everything. Don't know how to check everything? Well, looking at the above responses do you think you met the standard of care expected by your peers? ( sorry, but " negligence" accusations trigger an entirely rational response from me - most people are human)

For what it's worth, I bought my wife a new bike for xmas and may have sent an angry sms to my lbs after checking it and finding a disturbing number of predelivery blips. ( ok, I may have called them frk ups at the time ) . I understand your annoyance and understand why you are highly unlikely to use that shop again . Perhaps go to bike shop no 2 next time, and ideally ask the decent mechanic to let you sit in / learn during the predelivery / subsequent checks (and offer to pay / donate some relaxation juice etc)

 

[Nicho]

If on collecting your new bike you were assured by the manager that it was set up correctly, and you later found out that it wasn't, I would think about any damage to drivechain and motor the problem might have caused, such as premature wear, chain stretch etc, (either now or in the future) after you rode it and discovered the problem.

In the U.K. this should come under the consumer protection laws regarding supplying goods "fit for purpose", as building the bike was part of the necessary process of supplying it.

As well as the compensation I would ask for an agreement, preferably in writing, that they will agree to repair, free of charge, any damage caused by their failure to build it properly.

 

[Simoto123]

Today I went to my lbs to collect a set of pads. The nice girl in the shop made me a brew and the mech fitted my pads on the spot without being asked. Indexed me gears whilst in stand. Thorough job I noticed, even the earbuds were out ha ha.
Me, I write emails to Specialized when I feel I’ve been looked after well.

moral bla blah blah, true story though.

 

[EMTBehave]

Thanks for the replies guy, I read them all and appreciate it. In future I will do more of a thorough check with the mechanic when I pick up a bike (or insist it is subject to the review of another mechanic) instead of blindly trusting in competence and professionalism. Lessons learnt.

@EMTBehave words of encouragement: I knew nothing about bicycles 2 years ago and now I'm building my friend's bikes. If you find the information, take all the time you want and have the right tools, it really is pretty simple.

I'm not mechanically inclined to begin with, not even handy except for computers & electronics.

- I'd be very fine with an £80 voucher. I do hope that they'll replace the chain & cassette tho. They both took some hits.

Thanks mate and I agree with you. I will start learning.

Negligence is a big word, and before waving it around perhaps you should check the local definition - most countries measure negligence by the standard of your peers.

Personal responsibility is another concept - new bike, your life , check everything. Heading out on an " epic ride" - check everything. Don't know how to check everything? Well, looking at the above responses do you think you met the standard of care expected by your peers? ( sorry, but " negligence" accusations trigger an entirely rational response from me - most people are human).

For what it's worth, I bought my wife a new bike for xmas and may have sent an angry sms to my lbs after checking it and finding a disturbing number of predelivery blips. ( ok, I may have called them frk ups at the time ) . I understand your annoyance and understand why you are highly unlikely to use that shop again . Perhaps go to bike shop no 2 next time, and ideally ask the decent mechanic to let you sit in / learn during the predelivery / subsequent checks (and offer to pay / donate some relaxation juice etc)

Lets just agree to disagree and leave it there.

If on collecting your new bike you were assured by the manager that it was set up correctly, and you later found out that it wasn't, I would think about any damage to drivechain and motor the problem might have caused, such as premature wear, chain stretch etc, (either now or in the future) after you rode it and discovered the problem.

In the U.K. this should come under the consumer protection laws regarding supplying goods "fit for purpose", as building the bike was part of the necessary process of supplying it.

As well as the compensation I would ask for an agreement, preferably in writing, that they will agree to repair, free of charge, any damage caused by their failure to build it properly.

I will maybe ask for an additional service at 6 months or 200km (currently it's one free service at 3 months or 100km).

 

[slippery pete]

Many lbs have a standard practice of offering a post delivery check up. I.e. things get missed; cables stretch. I'd not take a newly delivered bike on an epic without doing a few checks of my own and a shakedown or two.

It's not just the bike industry. You should see the typical snag list you get on a multi-million £ super yacht.

 

[B1rdie]

What I would do is to set the bike up properly and go ride it. If the shop did the mistake once I would nor give it a chance to do it again.
But the best advise in this situation is not to insist in riding a bike if it making noises or behaving awkward, if I cant stop and find out what it is and evaluating the risk of keeping on riding I will walk home.

 

[Gary]

So guys, what do you think and would you be fine with an £80 voucher in this situation? Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Unless it was a custom build the chain length is factory spec'd. so nothing to do with the shop mechanic.
Generally the cassette is also factory fitted. Sounds like yours simply was not torqued properly during (factory) assembly. Very few shops will check the actual torque of a cassette/lockring on any complete bike. (just custom builds). The fact that it was fine over a few commutes points towards the lockring coming loose during use and is something the owner (YOU) should check. as is checking the general condition of the bike and tightness of bolts etc. Most shops will explain this to noobs on their first high end FS mtb.
Neither of these issues are actually dangerous.
The shop owner has been very generous offering you £80 and taking the hit (he'll be unlikely to recoup) for something outwith his hands.
Go back to the shop to thank them for their great service and leave them a big box of sweets.

 

[EMTBehave]

Unless it was a custom build the chain length is factory spec'd. so nothing to do with the shop mechanic.
Generally the cassette is also factory fitted. Sounds like yours simply was not torqued properly during (factory) assembly. Very few shops will check the actual torque of a cassette/lockring on any complete bike. (just custom builds). The fact that it was fine over a few commutes points towards the lockring coming loose during use and is something the owner (YOU) should check. as is checking the general condition of the bike and tightness of bolts etc. Most shops will explain this to noobs on their first high end FS mtb.
Neither of these issues are actually dangerous.
The shop owner has been very generous offering you £80 and taking the hit (he'll be unlikely to recoup) for something outwith his hands.
Go back to the shop to thank them for their great service and leave them a big box of sweets.

Please stop making assumptions and passing them off as definitive conclusions when you don't have the facts, as it just makes you sound silly and over the top.

The shop specifically told me twice now that it was an issue on their side when they set up the bike. I am not saying I do not have any theoretical responsibility to check, but you are acting as though the store who presented it to me bears none which is just ridiculous.

 

[Gary]

Please stop making assumptions and passing them off as definitive conclusions when you don't have the facts, as it just makes you sound silly and over the top.

Not as silly or over the top as crying to the internet that you might have been seriously hurt for the sake of tightening a lockring on what sounds like an obviously loose cassette.

 

[Gary]

When you deliver those sweeties, buy yourself a cassette lockring tool.

 

[KennyB]

When you deliver those sweeties, buy yourself a cassette lockring tool.

And ask the shop (nicely) to show you how to use it.

 

[EMTBehave]

Not as silly or over the top as crying to the internet that you might have been seriously hurt for the sake of tightening a lockring on what sounds like an obviously loose cassette.

Plenty of people in this thread have offered constructive and reasonable opinions that cover your arguments in some regards so please read the thread in more detail and lets leave it there. Cheers.

 

[Sapientiea]

So you rode 75 km knowing something was wrong with the drive train? Your action is more dangerous than that loose lockring. You should have stopped biking and called for transport home. Sounds like you are trying to get more out of a simple mechanical issue that potentially, due to your own behavior btw, could have ended in injury......They offered money and fixed the problem, why you need to ask the internet peeps if you should be happy with this..?