Is this really how it is?

[Aggie_Ama]

DH got his FS Specialized Stumpjumper in mid-July. Yesterday he took it in for his first tune up and was told:

1. They need to warranty the fork. No biggie but it will take a month of no bike. However this is a plus because this winter he wants to road race so spending time off the dirt won't hurt and winters here can be rainy.
2. Rear deraileur hanger was bent, could be adjusted but probably will need to be replaced. No biggie I know those do that pretty easy.
3. Chain was toast, needed to be replaced. Huh? After 300 miles when he lubes it with Rock n' Roll everytime? Luckily they warranteed that so it was free.
4. The rear wheel is bent and will need to be replaced at our expense in the future. It is rideable but when it will totally be messed up in unknown.

I was absolutely floored about the wheel. This is a $2500 bike so I would assume good wheels as well. DH told me "That is just mountain biking, the bikes get beat up and need repair. It is just bad luck on the wheel." What the heck? I mean I figured when we spent a great deal of money on this bike it would be better than his old $700 hardtail that was constantly needing something. He doesn't ride stupid when I am along, looks like he is doing what every other competant mountain biker I see is doing. How is it really that rough on the wheel? He said he probably bent it on a rock but really? I am still floored that this is not more shocking to him. Is this really how it is?

I get chains, deraileur hangers but wheels? I am still annoyed about this as you can tell.

[Grog]

That sucks indeed!

Regarding that chain: I've been told by my shop guys that there is such a thing as too much lube. Unless you also clean it thoroughly every time you lube it, the lube will actually help the nasty stuff get into the depths of your chain's links and increase the wear and tear. Now I'm more careful about oiling the chain, but unfortunately I don't always have the time to thoroughly clean the bike, especially in the winter when it would be every day.

About the wheel: I hate to ask, but how heavy is your DH? I know that in road cycling the weight limit on most wheels is 170 lbs, beyond that they don't guarantee them. Of course on a mountain bike you'd expect the wheels to be sturdier than on wheel bikes. But I'm wondering if that could be a factor for you, and if sturdier wheels could help.

Definitely not a happy day for you at the bike shop!!

[fastdogs]

I hope not.
I've already bent my derailleur once, but I worry about my wheels due to my weight. Mine is not a high end bike, but I don't jump or anything like that. I would expect to have to replace the front shocks after a year or so, but it sounds kind of like it could be sooner!
I would have thought on a higher end bike the wheels would be strong enough to take just about anything. Are they covered under warranty at all?

I wonder if the 29er wheels are pretty tough- if I were to upgrade it would be to a 29er (maybe even full suspension too- I made the mistake of stopping the alpine shop and saw a gary fisher hi fi), but it would have to have strong wheels.
vickie

[Irulan]

wheels and derailleur hangers are disposable. All it takes is one whack on a stump or a hard landing on a small jump and something is bent. If you are riding hard, you can easily bend rims. I went through at least three rear wheels adn two derailler hangers on my top of the line Kona.

Mountain biking is hard on bikes. Dirt, grit, impacts.... if you want it to stay all pretty and nice, keep it parked.

You might invest in a $12 chain checker tool. Then you can check your chain wear yourself, no need to have the shop do it.

[PscyclePath]

You might invest in a $12 chain checker tool. Then you can check your chain wear yourself, no need to have the shop do it.

Or even cheaper, get an ordinary ruler. Lay it against the chain, and measure the chain along that length. A new chain should have the pins centered on the 1" and the 12" mark. When that measurement stretches to 12 1/8" or longer, it's high time for a new chain.

I've had good luck with the wheels so far, but have gone through at least one derailleur hanger last winter after a close encounter with a pine tree...

Tom

[Jones]

Or even cheaper, get an ordinary ruler. Lay it against the chain, and measure the chain along that length. A new chain should have the pins centered on the 1" and the 12" mark. When that measurement stretches to 12 1/8" or longer, it's high time for a new chain.

Great information. Is this true for all chains? Mountain and road? I always wondered how to tell if your chain was worn. Thanks.
Jones

[Aggie_Ama]

Grog- It is Rock n' Roll Gold and he wipes the stuff super dry before going, I think it was just a weak chain that comes stock. He fluctuates more than anyone I have ever met but even at his heaviest 185 (and he is 6'2" so that is THIN), right now I think he is at 175 and dropping. I am skeptical looking at how thin and lean he is that weight could be the wheel issue.

Irulan- Not the answer I wanted on the wheels!! I have messed up my road deraileur hanger and I have never crashed the bike, so I knew they weren't exactly durable.

Chain is relatively cheap, as is the hanger. The chain we were a little baffled by but what the heck. Actually the chain wasn't stretched, it just kept breaking at the universal link. We will see how the new one lasts, whatever they are also cheap compared to a darn wheel! Grrrr..... At least the wheel didn't break yet, I just didn't realize we would be investing in wheels in the first year which has me floored.

[Irulan]

maybe he's riding like a wildman when you aren't around.

I don't know that I'd buy the concept of a worn chain at 300 miles. Even the guys at the shop that I know really well will always tell me a new chain, and they know better because I do so much of my own work. "thanks, I'll check it at home".

[MtnBikerChk]

Do you trust your shop??

If not, take it to another dealer! Around here there must be 5 Specialized dealers well within driving distance.

[bike4ever]

Aggie_Ama - I have measured chains new on bikes (right out of the box) with 50% stretch already showing. The OEM chains can sometimes be a lower quality part in comparison to the other components. The bike companies can save money on this small part.

[Aggie_Ama]

Well Mtn we trust the shop but the mechanic he really likes was not the one who did the work. And this is the only Specialized shop with mechanics worth a darn in town. Well this one and their sister store.

He went to pick the bike up yesterday and saw the one we prefer (he seems to have the most knowledge and is a straight shooter). This is also the one that wrapped my bar tape like a rock star and put the cassette on my bike gently noting "You will have one more gear but you aren't going to be made a mountain goat if you aren't one yet." He told him:

1. He doesn't think the Fox fork should be warranteed for the noise he hears. Since we have 9 months in the year warranty see what we think next check up but he finds those forks do creak some like DH's is creaking and they still do it when they come back. He thinks from the number of Fox forks he sees this is something they don't care to correct out at Fox. He test rode the bike and checked out the fork, he just isn't convinced it is defective so we should keep an eye on it but not jump to send it off yet. Two of the three mechanics said no warranty, the one working on it originally said yes. I hate when they don't agree!
2. The chain was a POS out of the box. He is actually the one who made the call to warranty it.
3. The wheel is bent but it is not as drastic as the guy truing it made it sound. He said it is not compromised for saftey and with the bike being FS and hydraulic disc my husband probably would have never known. Most mountain wheels do eventually fail but there is no big concern with his at the moment.

[bluebug32]

It's true that mtb stuff is more disposable than road bike components. After bending several chains, I invested in a Whipperman (sp?) for like $30 and have never had a problem with it for the past two years. They make a great chain that's virtually indestructible.

I know everyone has her comfort zone with bike shops, but I've trusted shops in the past, only to find out that I had other options or a warranty that was never mentioned to me. If someone said you needed a number of repairs on a car you'd only had for several months, you'd be suspicious and get a second opinion, right? In my experience, it also pays to do the same with bikes.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Is it a SRAM chain? I broke my first and last SRAM chain on my first ride with my first bike. Depends on what components are on it, I think there is this happy medium with different components but SRAM chain+XTR+Ellsworth doesn't work for me.

My bike has over 1000 miles on it pretty much with the same chain, minus a couple of links to fine tune it to length. Are you using the 'right' lube? Since your conditions are alot like where I rode in CA/NV, you want to read the bottles and look for one that is good for dry conditions. I would ride in alot of decomposed granite and you know, I can't remember the name of the one I used. It was one specifically for 'desert riding' and never had a problem.

The fork-does he wipe it down after riding? A friend of mine clued me in on this one.

Haven't bent any rims yet. I have heavy duty Rhino ones for winter and Bontrager Race lites for all other good times dirty. In fact I have the same tires. Which is nuts. The only problem I was having was with my Juicy 7 brakes where sometimes they are there...and sometimes they are on vacation.

I bent my hanger once because I shoved my bike into the back of my jeep. Luckily the bent it back.

The people I ride with usually break their bikes down and rebuild them over the winter...including their hubs and suspension. One does it every other winter but he rides significantly less. I think this might be a hub year for me since putting so many miles on this bike in a year. Well, it's alot of miles for me.

One of the guys at the LBS broke his Specialized FS but he went off of a 20 ft drop. Is he doing stuff like this? Then expect it to get expensive

[fastdogs]

sometimes the brakes are there and sometimes they aren't??
this is a really bad thing, right? Is this a disk brake thing? I don't have disk brakes, but if I upgrade I'd probably be looking at them. But, are they reliable? mine may be noisy and not grab as good when really muddy, but at least they still work to at least slow me down. I'd hate to suddenly be without brakes!!!
vickie

[sundial]

Get a bomb proof rim like Mavic Crossmax SLRs. They are kinda pricey but will hold up well.