Trouble with bike shops

[greta]

Hi,

I'm new here. I bought a new bike a giant avail 3. One week later I had trouble with the gears slipping and brought it back and they adjusted it. Then the brakes didn't work right also, they were rubbing all the time and we adjusted them. Three weeks later same trouble with the gears and I brought it to a different shop (one I have brought other bikes with no problems) and had it tuned and they told me it was badly put together. They adjusted the brakes and said they were especially bad. Told me I shouldn't take my bike there.

This last week 3 times out same trouble gears slipping and not changing, sometimes when powering through intersections. So I called the shop I bought it at and told the guy I was wondering about the warranty and the gears because as he told me when I bought it the components, sora, were not the best. Trouble with shifting.I mentioned I'd had trouble with it since the first week I'd had it and that I had taken it to another shop to have it tuned. He said that I wasn't being fair and give him time to check it out and really look it over. Well I brought it in and when I picked it up tonight he told me not to bring it to the other shop the brakes were a mess and that I was going to void the warranty. He was mad. The other shop was mad I didn't buy it from them. I have made everyone mad at 2 bike shops. I don't get it. Really I'm kind of mad at both shops for treating me like a I am owned by them.

[Tuckervill]

Take it back and get your money back. Somebody screwed up when they put that bike together and the only one paying is you!

Karen

[ItchyBits]

I would insist on the problem being fixed to your satisfaction or ask for a refund. Don't bounce between shops - pick your shop - in this case stick with the shop where you bought the bike. Makes it difficult to diagnose problems or honor a refund if someone else has been tinkering with it. It is rare that my bike gets adjusted right the first time - always seems to involve multiple trips.

[IvonaDestroi]

Is it this one?: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/women/2285/32115/

If so, you probably paid a lot of money for a nice bike. Obviously you bought it new because you expected it to be working!

Considering the price point, it's more likely the builder that messed it up, not the components. Return it and demand a refund or a re-build, or at least a replacement of faulty components before they can void your warrenty. I wouldn't go to other shops, just because you are risking your warrenty doing that. I would go over it and double check what the rules are on that thing. And keep all your paperwork/reciepts.

Since they sold it to you, they should repair it or replace it for free. There's no excuse for selling you something that expensive in non-working condition. In fact, a shop that treats customers that way is probably a crappy one to begin with!

Don't let it slide. you deserve what you paid for!:mad:

[Cataboo]

What I don't quite get is... Brakes are pretty simple. I can't see how badly put together they can be or messed up - as long as they're not rubbing the tire when you're braking, and your braking is working...And you have to make sure they're screwed on tightly. So I can't see how the shops are accusing each other of doing a bad job on the brakes. (if they were rubbing, you clamp down on the brakes hard, it centers the brakes - and then you tighten them with an allen wrench there)

You sound like you have had several bikes before... so I'm not sure how you've been shifting and whether that's a factor to some of the problems that you're having.

You've described gear slippage when you're powering through intersections or gears not shifting at that point - and any time that you're shifting under load, you make it a lot harder for the bike to shift. I've never used sora, but I can feel my 105 components complaining when I do it to them.

So taking it easier when you're shifting may make it easier on the bike to work better. When I'm coming up to an intersection that I know I'm going to stop at - I down shift to make sure that I can get off to a fast start. You really don't want to be shifting gears through an intersection - you want to get out of there and away from the cars as soon as possible. Same with hills - theoretically you want to be in the right gear to spin up the hill before you get there and not trying to shift while on the hill. (I suck and haven'tmanaged that, but theoretically)... However, if you're going to down shift on the front when you're going up a hill, shift up a couple gears in the back & then shift to give the chain a little bit more play & not make it as stressful on the bike... and then you can downshift in the back if you need it.

[uforgot]

What I don't quite get is... Brakes are pretty simple. I can't see how badly put together they can be or messed up - as long as they're not rubbing the tire when you're braking, and your braking is working...And you have to make sure they're screwed on tightly I can't see how the shops are accusing each other of doing a bad job on the brakes. (if they were rubbing, you clamp down on the brakes hard, it centers the brakes - and then you tighten them with an allen wrench there)



That stuck me odd, also! How can you totally screw up the brakes?

[indysteel]

I had the same thought. Adjustment of the calipers themselves is actually pretty straightforward. Has either shop specified what, exactly, was wrong with how they were installed? Is their something wrong with the brake cables?

[Cataboo]

Also - you just bought a new bike, as you ride it, the cables stretch... So you sort of expect that the bike is going to need another tune after the first however many miles or so, that's usually why bike shops throw in a free tuning shortly after you buy it

[bike4ever]

greta -

Return to the shop where you purchased the bike. Get a copy of each invoice where they have adjusted your bike - most shops today record everything in the computer. The bike needs to be properly built for it to work correctly. Since this bike has introductory quality components, the components will need regular maintenance.

Also at this point, only deal with the store manager and the head mechanic. Calmly explain your frustration in the quality of the build and the quality of their repair. Give the shop one more chance to get the bike working properly. You have two options then - ask/demand a full refund or go to Giant's website and contact them directly explaining your dealings with this particular shop.

Although I no longer sell Giant, Giant will take all dealer complaints seriously.

[greta]

I also thought brakes are pretty simple, although no mechanic here by any means. I noticed black tire specks all over the front fork before bringing my bike to the shop the other day and thought that odd. l always shift down before intersections intentionally but once in a while the light will change at the last minute and I can't shift down. I know odd but it's like when I shift the big gears, it's a triple, from the middle either way it only half shifts and gets noisy and I have to keep shifting back and forth. It would jump 2 either way sometimes and if it was shifted down before the intersection and I start up sometimes it starts slipping. These are busy streets and in Arizona where I live these are not good drivers. We have alot of impatient people and snowbirds here which don't make for safety. I am constantly wary.

I should have spent the extra money for the good components but it's late now. This is the first new bike I've ever bought, except my mountain bike I use in the canals. I have an assortment of used bikes I keep buying:o. When I first got the bike I fell real hard when I went from the road to the sidewalk and my back tire followed the curb division rather than me. The shifters lost paint on the ends of them or I would have asked if I could return and upgrade. I am 52 and want to be in better shape,(I have belly/back fat accumulating:eek:) so I have opted for this and kayaking rather than the gym. I am not experienced.

[greta]

I had the same thought. Adjustment of the calipers themselves is actually pretty straightforward. Has either shop specified what, exactly, was wrong with how they were installed? Is their something wrong with the brake cables?

I thought it all odd too. Seems like they just want to knock the other shop but don't offer solid info. Except this time he said the brake pads were on the tire. They don't seem to stay where they're put!

[greta]

Are the sora components not that good as the bike guy told me when I bought it? Or was he just wanting me to upgrade. I wish I knew more. Thank you for your advice also. It seems very sound.

[Biciclista]

Sora components are heavy. That's all. They should work fine and last you for years.

[pinkbikes]

When I first got the bike I fell real hard when I went from the road to the sidewalk and my back tire followed the curb division rather than me. The shifters lost paint on the ends of them or I would have asked if I could return and upgrade.

Which side did your bike fall on when you had your fall? If it fell "expensive side" down (that'd be the side with derailleurs) and the rear derailleur made contact with the ground, it is possible you could have bent your derailleur hanger. This is a little bit of sacrificial bracket that your derailleur is attached to and then attaches to the rear of your frame. It is supposed to bend/break before your frame does! And then you replace it, which is a lot cheaper than a repair to the frame.

I leant my bike on a wall and it fell over (oh so gently) and it landed on and bent mine ever so slightly. It will (and did) result in sketchy gear changing on the rear (if only slightly bent) right down to gawd-awful horrid not-changing/noisiness if it is really bent (like when some gumby ran into the back of me when he overshot the rest stop on a group ride on time).

While I think the bike shop has been a bit ordinary in their treatment of you, if they haven't been told you have had a little stack, they might not look for a bent hanger and may find it difficult to diagnose the problem and fix it, particulalry if the problem is only slight or intermittent when under load. But if the hanger is bent, it is a quick and very simple fix and your components should work like new (as they should really).

Good luck!

[Cataboo]

The fall also might have contributed to her brakes rubbing initially as well.

[lauraelmore1033]

I've had brake rub from the wheel not being quite true. It was on a new bike and I was told that it is common for new wheels to go out of true rather quickly.

[OakLeaf]

Have you had a bike with brifters before?

I don't know Sora, but in other Shimano gruppi, the front shifter is designed to "trim" the front derailleur with a half-push. It takes a firm push with a long lever travel to shift it. Likewise, the rear shifter can shift one or two cogs at once depending on how far you push the lever.

Cables will stretch on a new bike and need re-adjustment several times in the first few hundred miles.

Honestly, this type of adjustment (including brake pad alignment) is something you should be able to do yourself, because you'll want to make adjustments and replace frequently worn parts without running to the LBS every time. Browse through the Maintenance & Repair section for references to good books (sorry, I don't know any myself). Or if you're already comfortable with hand tools and good shop practices, Shimano's website and the Park Tool website, between them, have everything you need to know.

[alpinerabbit]

I'm too lazy and actually a bit scaired to do/learn these types of adjustments (although last year I did learn how to fine tune the limiter screws). My bike gets a yearly "haircut" from the trusted LBS, and that's that.


Shimano gruppi

argh - bike newspeak...

someone once even suggested only Campy can even legally be called a gruppo; the big S, not being italian bred, would be a groupset; but plural? screws up my ears good :D;)

[OakLeaf]

:p Oh, come on, we all call those-things-that-shift-the-chain-onto-another-cog by their French name even though we all know that Tullio Campagnolo invented them...

(And the limiter screws are a WAY more advanced class than the barrel adjusters for the cables, which is all I was suggesting the OP learn!)

[greta]

I think it actually hurt me way more than the bike. Fingers still swollen nearly two months later. Maybe the wheel is untrue. I was looking for info on how to fix the thing by myself. I don't like to be helpless in this position. Tommorow night theres a free clinic at REI I'm going to and they have a comprehensive bike clinic for $60.00 that I may go to next month. It's full this month.

Is there a section here that helps you know what position you are supposed to be on the bike? Seat adjustment and such?

I haven't had a bike with brifters before and the sora is a bit different where it has thumb shifters on each side. Left one downshifts the big gears, right one upshifts the back gears. They can shift more than one gear at a time if you push it twice as far. Thanks.

[Cataboo]

Greta, I hope your fingers get better - maybe you should get an xray?

While I do think it's really helpful to learn to make small adjustments yourself, you should definitely take the bike back to the original bike shop and make them fix it till it's right - they should also be able to put your seat in the right position. But basically you want your seat height at a level where when your pedal's at the bottom, your leg is almost all the way extended - just have a slight bend in your knee.

Do you know if a lot of your problems happened after the fall? We can't see the bike - but it doesn't completely sound like the bike was put together badly or wrong to me (I'm just not certain about the competing bike shop mechanics - was the 2nd one telling you that so you wouldn't go back to the first in the future and was the 1st telling you that the 2nd screwed up, so you wouldn't take it back to the 2nd? Either way, they both sound unpleasant). But being badly put together could definitely have contributed to things if things weren't tight. But in a fall, you can knock your brake calipers to the side, you can also knock your wheel out of true, and you can bend derailleur hangers. At the same time, the cables in new bikes stretch as your ride - both would contribute to issues with your brakes and the gearing... I'd expect that in the first couple months the shifting wouldn't stay perfect.

And I know when I initially started riding with road shifters, I used to get mad at and think my shifters were broken or not working a lot.... And as I've gotten more experienced... they behave a lot better than they used to. Now I can't say whether that's just 'cause my cables were stretching to begin with, or just I'm easier on the gears than I used to be...


If you pick up your front or back wheel and spin them while looking down between your brake calipers, you can sometimes tell if the wheel is out of true - just because it appears to get closer or further from one of the calipers if it's out of true.

[greta]

I had it xray'd already yesterday, I work in a hospital and thought I'd check it. I'm thinking it's a combination of all things. The brakes did get moved, they locked up and we had to do immediate surgery on them to get home. The cables probably did stretch out. My son looked at it this morning to check if the wheel was bent but saw nothing obvious when he spinned it.

I bought the bike at a bikes direct franchise shop that has mechanics and assembles them. They do a good business there and offer free tune ups forever if you buy it there. I got my mountain bike at a different store that offers free tune ups for one year. I should have just ordered and bought the bike at the one I got my mountain bike at but I was being cheap. I guess that'll teach me.