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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
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    Angry No confidence in shop-am I overreacting?

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    My beautiful 2011 Madone has had problems due to bad shop maintenance. Today my pedal fell off because they neglected to install an integral part - the cotter pin that holds the pedal on. Could have been a very bad accident if I had not noticed the wiggling & stopped to check. When I did, it fell off in my hands. They admitted it was their fault.

    Previously, the wheel rim tape didn't meet (1/4" gap) and I had several blow outs - one exciting one as I was descending at 35MPH. They swear that the rim tape wasn't the cause but since I put a heavier tube in - no flats. I told them to check the bike over completely & they assured me that they had. Apparently not.

    I'm not a mechanic & don't want to be. I want to ride a bike long distances. But I have lost confidence. Am I within my rights to ask for a refund? I'm sure it will be denied & I'll end up with a lawyer. The bike cost $7,500.

    Or maybe this is a fluke & I should forget it & ride with crossed fingers? I know I tend to overreact, so need the calmer, more experienced heads of the TE sisters.
    To train a dog, you must be more interesting than dirt.

    Trek Project One
    Trek FX 7.4 Hybrid

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    507
    Don't bother going back, it won't be worth it to get a refund. The bike technically is OK it's just a stupid mechanic and assembling. Pedals are not included in the price of a bike, so really you would only get a refund on the installation costs and I don't imagine that would be huge.

    Find another bike shop, ask what training do the mechanics go through (Shimano does a training course, so does Specialized) and see their certificates. Ask other cyclists for store reccommendations.

    I know of one lady whose crank was mis-installed and on a sprint her whole crank arm came off attached to her shoe. Lucky she had just started the sprint so she was able to stop safety. She had only had the bike 3 days.

    The bike wasn't damaged so we all told her "find someone else to look after it and never go back to that store unless it's under new ownership".

    If you are really still angry about this write to Trek advising them about the poor service from this shop for their product. They won't like that their brand is being mis-handled and probably will talk to them.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Columbia, MO
    Posts
    2,041
    Pick a mechanic, not a shop. Try to get recommendations from others who have had good experiences and respect their mechanic.
    2009 Trek 7.2FX WSD, brooks Champion Flyer S, commuter bike

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    10,889
    I agree with the others, it is about the wrenches at the shop. Find a good one that other cyclists recommend and have them go over the bike carefully. Sorry this happened, glad you are ok

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Uncanny Valley
    Posts
    14,498
    That s*cks. I'm glad you didn't get hurt.

    I agree - you won't likely be able to get your money back. Ask around and find another shop. Training and certification aren't the only questions - they have to care enough to apply their training and pay attention to what they're doing. I'd be surprised if Trek authorizes anyone to assemble a Madone who hasn't been through some type of Trek seminar.

    Club riders usually know who the good mechanics are. Ask a few people you know. It shouldn't cost that much to have a competent mechanic check the bike over (I would think $75 or less) - unfortunately I think you're just going to have to eat that much.
    Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    MI
    Posts
    2,543
    I agree that you should ask around. There are a lot of guys and some gals in our local clubs that enjoy working on bikes and are very good at it. They're usually willing to work on someone's bike in exchange for a six pack or baked goods.
    2005 Giant TCR2
    2012 Trek Superfly Elite AL
    2nd Sport, Pando Fall Challenge 2011 and 3rd Expert Peak2Peak 2011
    2001 Trek 8000 SLR
    Iceman 2010-6th Place AG State Games, 2010-1st Sport, Cry Baby Classic 2010-7th Expert, Blackhawk XTerra Tri 2007-3rd AG

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  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    On my bike
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kiwi Stoker View Post
    I know of one lady whose crank was mis-installed and on a sprint her whole crank arm came off attached to her shoe. Lucky she had just started the sprint so she was able to stop safety. She had only had the bike 3 days.
    That is what happened to me - it was the entire arm.

    The shop owner assured me that their mechanics had been through the schooling, plus had gone through special Shimano Di2 schools. Yet, when I picked the bike up, nobody could show me how to remove the unit to charge it up. I ended up getting the info from U-tube.

    Hard to find a good mechanic but I know a federal judge who is also a tri-athlete. I'll ask her.

    I guess my concerns are other "hidden" types of things that could potentially be dangerous. But I also have several other bad things happening in my life right now, so I know I'm not thinking with my most sensible brain. That's why I enlisted my TE sisters!

    This is a regular Trek store - that is all they sell. I have been waiting for a carbon fiber stem for over 3 months. After that comes in, I'm going to find me a mechanic. I will need a relationship with a good wrench anyway, since I'm never going back there. And I will write a letter to Trek.
    To train a dog, you must be more interesting than dirt.

    Trek Project One
    Trek FX 7.4 Hybrid

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Tucson, AZ
    Posts
    1,973
    Hey Dogmama,

    There is another store that carries Treks on the east side of Tucson(Broadway Bikes). One of my friends goes there, and I can ask her about the mechanics. I think Fair Wheel also works on Treks and they have a great reputation.

    If you get that thing fixed- let's go for a ride sometime!
    2016 Specialized Ruby Comp disc - Ruby Expert ti 155
    2010 Surly Long Haul Trucker - Jett 143

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Boise Idaho
    Posts
    1,162
    Sometimes Sh** happens, sounds like you have had more than one concern with the shop though. Do let the shop owner know why you won't be returning.
    As others have said, the bike itself isn't the issue. Find someone you can trust and have them check it over.
    Best of luck
    Sky King
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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    WA State
    Posts
    4,364
    Wow.... that sounds just like my story. I just had my crank arm fall off (of my newly built bike - new frame transferred components) *in a race* and yes I went flying. Fortunately I did not take out any other racers in the process. I wasn't seriously injured, but I did sprain/stove my thumb and it doesn't feel like it is healing very well. I wish it had given me some kind of indication, but I had no clues that anything was wrong with the bike. I've since also discovered that one of the brake pad holders wasn't tightened down. It makes me seriously wonder what else....

    I also had a set of wheels in at the same shop to be rebuilt and that turned into a fiasco as well. They had them for a couple of weeks and I heard nothing, nothing, nothing..... so finally I called up and oh.... yeah the rims were back ordered from Mavic- yadda-yadda- end of May- yadda - yadda - they just told us.... So I told them to find something else (the mechanic told me she hadn't been too worried because I told her I had other wheels..... *actually* I told her that having to rebuild those wheels was leaving me in a spot because that left me without my race bike - getting a new crank installed- *or* my rain bike because I did not have spare set....) Anyhoo yet another week goes by with absolutely no contact from shop A and I'm in a different shop on an unrelated matter and I ask him if he as any 650 rims. He proceeds to find a set that meet my approval in about 10 min (no light, racy, fancy rims please - this is my *rain* bike they need to take a beating) and I say go for it - order them I want my commuter back. 5 min later, I call shop A and talk to the owner, tell him forget it, I'll pick up the wheels in a day or two. Shop A mechanic calls me back the next day - oh but I found a set of rims and ordered them..... Sorry honey too late... you should have *called* me as soon as you knew - I at least gave you that courtesy. This is the same person who called me during my bike build to make sure that I was OK with a rear derailleur that was matte silver instead of shiny silver (like I care....), but she didn't call to ask for my approval and at least to let me know that she'd ordered me a set of rims!?!?!

    I don't see seeking any damages out of them, but I'm definitely finished with this shop. I get the feeling the damage to their reputation is probably bad enough - it was at a race.... lots of people saw it happen and it's not exactly a secret who did the work.
    Last edited by Eden; 04-26-2012 at 06:51 AM.
    "Sharing the road means getting along, not getting ahead" - 1994 Washington State Driver's Guide

    visit my flickr stream http://flic.kr/ps/MMu5N

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    On my bike
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sky King View Post
    Sometimes Sh** happens, sounds like you have had more than one concern with the shop though. Do let the shop owner know why you won't be returning.
    As others have said, the bike itself isn't the issue. Find someone you can trust and have them check it over.
    Best of luck
    I know that people make mistakes & I certainly do! But when I start adding stuff up, it sums to negligence. For example (little stuff) they scratched my handlebars installing a new stem, they've been putting me off for 3 months on a new carbon fiber stem that they owe me, there is the rim tape & flat issues & now this. Other stuff too, that I'm sure I just buried in my mind.

    DH says I should have another bike shop check it over completely & give the bill to the Trek shop. I'm not sure I even want to deal with them anymore, though. After awhile, my peace of mind (or lack thereof) becomes paramount.
    To train a dog, you must be more interesting than dirt.

    Trek Project One
    Trek FX 7.4 Hybrid

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Columbia, MO
    Posts
    2,041
    The Bike League's Smart Cycling program teaches the ABC Quick Check:
    Air, Brakes Cranks & chain, QUICK release levers, CHECK shifting & function with a short ride.

    I do this every morning before I get on my bike. I turn the pedals backwards, stopping every quarter-turn to give them a wiggle. I stand on the left side of the bike to do this so I might not notice if it was the right crank that was loose.

    Does anyone know, would this routine detect a loose crank? Eden mentioned that there was no warning before her crank fell off. So that got me to wondering if I'm safe from this happening because of my ABC Quick Check habit.
    2009 Trek 7.2FX WSD, brooks Champion Flyer S, commuter bike

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    WA State
    Posts
    4,364
    The right side crank is integrated into the spider that holds the big ring on and the axle (on my Shimano cranks at least). Being all one piece I don't think that it's possible for the right side to pull off the way the left can.

    I didn't notice anything amiss before I pulled the crank off - no funny noises, no slipping. I don't think that it simply loosened up though. I think it was installed improperly in the first place... The mechanic that worked on it started saying something about how many bikes had it been on, it was just moved around too much and the bolt holes had stripped.... um no.... that was the original frame it came on and I think it had only been off once maybe twice when I'd had the bottom bracket overhauled... If the bolt holes were stripped well...
    Last edited by Eden; 04-26-2012 at 07:34 AM.
    "Sharing the road means getting along, not getting ahead" - 1994 Washington State Driver's Guide

    visit my flickr stream http://flic.kr/ps/MMu5N

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Troutdale, OR
    Posts
    2,600
    I'm sorry to hear of your accident in your race. I wish you speedy recovery and I hope your bike is okay too.

    you can't strip that bolt on the crank arm. You would need to be a 500 pound gorilla or use an impact wrench. Regular bike shop would have neither.

    I wonder if there is some weakness in the design as well. I've had my crank come loose on SRAM force. I do my own wrenching and I tightened down that bolt super tight. Last time it came loose, I ended up using a very small drop of lock-tight, the kind you can break loose as an added precaution. Granted, I'm no where as strong as a regular sized men, so my super tight may only be so so tight to an average guy.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eden View Post

    I didn't notice anything amiss before I pulled the crank off - no funny noises, no slipping. I don't think that it simply loosened up though. I think it was installed improperly in the first place...
    That's my story exactly. No warning. Do you have a cotter pin holding it in place? The shop manager said that was part left out of mine. If the cotter pin had been in place, the cap (or whatever) may have come loose but the cotter pin would be the saving grace to keep the crank on.

    What makes me crazy is - this ain't rocket science but sure spells bad consequences for sloppy workmanship - as you found out. Sorry about your spill!
    To train a dog, you must be more interesting than dirt.

    Trek Project One
    Trek FX 7.4 Hybrid

 

 

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