Back wheel fell off!

Stokie

I took the misses out on her new bike yesterday for her 1st experience of off roading. She bought the Vulcan from Halfords. She totally loved it, she loves the bike and how it rides.
Two mature women stopped her along her route asking her for advice which she thought was funny being her 1st time out and all was going well until she had her 1st off. Nothing major but what scared her and slightly put her off was the fact that Halfords built up her bike and the back wheel fell off!!!

I should of checked it i suppose but when someone tells you its built i guess you take their word for it. Do you think its worth complaining about it or would it be a total waste of time and breath?

jeremyrundle

Doesn't everyone who buys a bike from any retailer check thge obvious before riding, sorry :!:

Stokie

I agree with you that i should of checked it but do you use the same theory after you buy anything? If someone tells you that the job is done i tend to take the word for it otherwise id of done it myself really

The Northern Monkey

not really a good excuse though is it?

I take an allen key quickly around my bike before any ride, just to make sure.

Takes 10 seconds to check a QR.

kaytronika

It worries me that they sell so many bikes to people who don't know anything mechanically about bikes. Sure it's easy to say 'Yeah you probably should have checked that before you rode it' but as the OP says, if Halfords say they'll build it they need to check it. Not everyone will know how to check things are correctly tightened.

As far as complaining to Halfords... All our letters to customer services have gone unanswered and the store didn't seem too concerned when they kept my bike for a month.

diy

Why did the back wheel fall off? - I'm not going to make assumptions that it was simply the QR..

Is it possibly that there has been a mechanical failure?

nicklouse

typical wording in any bike manual.

"Before each ride check......"

usually includes wheels.

diy

yes - but subject to the cause - negligence cannot be waived by a disclaimer in a manual, warranty or terms of conditions.

Stokie

I dont check a watch though if it says its waterproof that the casing isnt split and the other end of the scale i dont check the wheels on a car when bought, i know thats extremes what ive just said but its still the same principle i guess. Or am i just whinging :?

The Northern Monkey

whinging... definately 8)

Stokie

Cheers for that northern monkey :twisted:

andrewjoseph

Not checking a watch is secured or working properly is not going to get you injured or killed.

Not checking the wheels on a new car... I check everything!!

Once you take the bike out of the shop it is your responsibility. You can give no evidence that you did not remove the wheel and fail to tighten it yourself.

Yes, people should be able to trust a bike shop, regardless of it's name, but it is well known that not all halfords stores have competent, responsible staff.

Blue Meanie

PDI should've spotted this, just a hurried build?
As OP says it came loose after a few runs so I guess it wasn't wobbly loose? Maybe caught the QR on some singletrack, or somehow undid the QR during the tumble? If' it's bolt-on then it's badly built, check over whole bike, especially bar and stem.

I don't understand people that buy a bike and always reckon it's the shop's fault when something goes wrong (although this does sound like poor assembly quality). Nor do I think that 'fixing a bike' is rocket science, we're all able to safely undo and re-fit wheels (remember to re-attach your v-brakes, if fitted).
I frequently maintain friends' bikes, recently had to re-visit a 'gear-service' because owner had put their bike in the car, and re-fitted the rear at home then cycled to work and complained his gears didn't work (again) - wheel was not fully in the drop-outs

Before a ride/after a crash most manuals tell you to check the bike, but who honestly does? Pick bike up bike and bounce it a few times and listen/feel for new noises/clunks then jump on and go.
I once undid my rear QR (which was properly tight, but facing forwards) on a bush whilst singletracking; thought I'd snapped the frame cos there was a 'whack' (me brushing against bush) and when I looked down as I slewed to a halt I saw the rear wheel against the chainstay - instant thought was bent/snapped rear triangle. Lucky for me it was the pesky QR.

bails87

I've seen another rider's QR undo itself and come open during a ride. I did eventually tell her!

It was tight when the wheel was put on at the start of the ride.

So, it happens, get some Shimano QRs and have a bit more peace of mind. And check them at the start of the ride, it takes a few seconds at most.

Anonymous

Stokie wrote:

I dont check a watch though if it says its waterproof that the casing isnt split and the other end of the scale i dont check the wheels on a car when bought, i know thats extremes what ive just said but its still the same principle i guess. Or am i just whinging :?

When you buy a watch from a shop, it wasn't built by a chimp on site though. It was built in a factory, either by machine, or by people who do nothing but assemble watches all day every day.

nicklouse

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Stokie wrote:

I dont check a watch though if it says its waterproof that the casing isnt split and the other end of the scale i dont check the wheels on a car when bought, i know thats extremes what ive just said but its still the same principle i guess. Or am i just whinging :?

When you buy a watch from a shop, it wasn't built by a chimp on site though. It was built in a factory, either by machine, or by people who do nothing but assemble watches all day every day.

so what about the chimp that did not correctly re tighten the time/date adjuster?

and if it says the seals should be replaced every 3 years do you do it?

when you have a car do you hope there is enough oil in it to last between services?

Do you check you tyre pressures?
your water levels?

yes bikes should come fit to ride and use. but a question how was the bike taken home? and out to the trail?

Also in the Off is there a possibility that the Qr got released by an impact? unlikely but possible.

Anonymous

nicklouse wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Stokie wrote:

I dont check a watch though if it says its waterproof that the casing isnt split and the other end of the scale i dont check the wheels on a car when bought, i know thats extremes what ive just said but its still the same principle i guess. Or am i just whinging :?

When you buy a watch from a shop, it wasn't built by a chimp on site though. It was built in a factory, either by machine, or by people who do nothing but assemble watches all day every day.

so what about the chimp that did not correctly re tighten the time/date adjuster?

and if it says the seals should be replaced every 3 years do you do it?

when you have a car do you hope there is enough oil in it to last between services?

Do you check you tyre pressures?
your water levels?

yes bikes should come fit to ride and use. but a question how was the bike taken home? and out to the trail?

In all those examples you gave though, the "thing" you buy isn't assembled by Halford's staff. Which is often the weak link.

I agree with you about the other points though.

Stokie

nicklouse,
The bike was taken home in the back of a transit van, standing up and strapped and it got rode out to the trail too. we had been out about an hour hour and a half before she fell off, so light was the fall that it didnt leave any marks on her and the bike didnt even get scuffed.

It was one of those things that ive learned from, i should of checked it even the very basic of checks would of spotted it i guess. My fault, and ive the earache to prove it off her.

diy

yes you should have checked it, but they were contractually obliged to. They didn't. They should make good and be lucky that they are not facing a PI claim.

I would certainly complain and expect some sort of gesture to correct the breach.

If the bike was built by one, checked by another and signed off by a 3rd it would be less likely to happen. But they choose not to do it that way and they will suffer the consequences if ever there are any.

supersonic

But we don't know they were at fault, and is no way of proving it. It could have taken a knock in the van, the trail - many things can unhook a QR. Plus if it was loose, it would have probably come undone a long time before one and a half hours!

cooldad

A friend rode to work on his new Boardman road bike the first time last week. (that I’d convinced him to buy after he faffed around with brochures from every manufacturer under the sun for a few months).

I went down to have a look, and noticed that the front QR was open. Can’t blame Halfords though. He’d been trying to pump the tyres up a bit and decided it was easier with the wheel off. Just didn’t know how to put it back on so used the QR lever as a ‘spanner’. (BITD ‘quick release’ was a big wingnut.) He’d been riding it like that for a week, including his commute in heavy traffic.

That’s why we have ‘lawyers lips’.

Dirtydog11

cooldad wrote:

.................... so used the QR lever as a ‘spanner’. (BITD ‘quick release’ was a big wingnut.) He’d been riding it like that for a week, including his commute in heavy traffic.

I wouldn't mind betting that's ^ a common misconception!

I know of at least one rider who thought that that's the way they work.

andrewjoseph

Quick releases can open on their own, this is one reason I have allen key skewers on both my bikes (and all the family's bikes). I don't race so don't need a quick release to save time.

diy

supersonic wrote:

But we don't know they were at fault, and is no way of proving it. It could have taken a knock in the van, the trail - many things can unhook a QR. Plus if it was loose, it would have probably come undone a long time before one and a half hours!

you don't have to prove it, you just show on the balance of probability that it was likely.

If its the case that the shop is not properly checking the bikes then surely its a good thing to bring it to their attention. If its not and they can show a verified job and check sheet then fine.

Anonymous

How does the rear wheel of a bike come off, and the bike doesn't even get scuffed? Were you riding on cotton wool?

Father Faff

In this instance it is difficult to say it was Halfords and you certainly couldn't prove it. As others have said QRs do release sometimes and it happened to me on a test ride of a Commencal Meta 5 after a minor off (it actually transpired that there was a problem with that year's Commencal QRs). Having said that I have not had a decent QR release on me accidentally but I now use maxle lights/bolt thrus cos really I don't want my wheels falling off down some rocky mountain and it also stiffens things up a bit.

paul20v

I always put a cable tie round my QR levers .

The Northern Monkey

shimano QR ftmfw.

Anonymous

Shimano QR For The Man From Wales?

The Northern Monkey

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Shimano QR For The Man From Wales?

or "for the monkey from Wales"... i prefer that 8)

Anonymous

(Cracks knuckles and shoulder as if just about to step into a fight)
Right then, I'll take the man... you take the monkey