Annoyed/ upset over new bike

Yoe

My girlfriend bought me a new bike for my upcoming birthday. It's the Carerra Vengeance and I love it. I'm finding any excuse to be out riding. I'm told my over cleaning of it is a bit OCD

Anyway I noticed the front wheel didn't line up very well and the front disc brake rubbed. Not a problem untill today when I was riding over some pebbles and the whole back wheel came off and I went flying off. Ive hurt my side and knee but I think I'm more annoyed and upset by the chips and scratches its put in my awesome birthday present. I think the bike was just really badly built

Really annoyed with Halfords

angry_bird

Can understand you're upset but at the end of the day you should be making sure the bike's safe to ride before you go out and if there was something wrong with it should have taken it for halfords to sort out.

cat_with_no_tail

LOL!

If the back wheel came out of the dropout it's because you'd not tightened it up properly. When did you last check it?

If I were you, I'd learn from my mistake, put the wheel back, tighten the QR up properly and move on with my life. I assume you've now checked all the other bolts and skewers to make sure they're done up properly?

You may want to brace yourself for the inevitable flaming you're about to receive.

I blame wiggle! (in before cooldad)

Yoe

It's only 2 weeks old, halfords gave me a little slip saying it had been fully checked

The Northern Monkey

so there was an issue with the front wheel and the back wheel came off? eh?

You need to check your quick release is tight before every ride, hardly halfords fault.

cat_with_no_tail

Yoe

The front wheel was plenty tight it just didn't line up perfectly

supersonic

You are supposed to check quick releases before every ride.

Also parts bed in and need readjusting.

Yoe

supersonic wrote:

You are supposed to check quick releases before every ride.

Also parts bed in and need readjusting.

I will be in the future thanks for the advice. But would they really need readjusting so soon. I think I've done about 40miles in 2 weeks since bought. Would it go that quickly?


Edit: Just as a side note this is the first time Ive ever had a bike with quick release. Last bike I owned was about 10+ years ago

cat_with_no_tail

Have you ever checked them? Since getting the bike? Did you even check it before the first ride? They may have left it loose when you bought it, for transportation.

Either way, as has been previously said, this is something you have sole responsibility to check, and should check before EVERY ride. They can loosen off within a couple of miles, or can stay tight for thousands. Point is, you need to check. Trying to palm off the responsibility on to Halfords is just poor form.

Yoe

I honestly didnt know they needed checking. Like I said first time owning a bike in many many years.

I also didn't think I needed to check anything as they advertise there service as build and go. Which is what I did they did there 22 point check moved the seat and gears for me and off I rode

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId=245301

MountainMonster

Yoe wrote:

I honestly didnt know they needed checking. Like I said first time owning a bike in many many years.

I also didn't think I needed to check anything as they advertise there service as build and go. Which is what I did they did there 22 point check moved the seat and gears for me and off I rode

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId=245301

While it may sound a little harsh, none of this was in any way, shape, or form halfords fault. brakes take a while to bed in, so that is why they were rubbing, and the back wheel coming out of drop outs is common if you don't check the skewers. They built it, it rides, and was obviously in form, there is no chance your wheel coming out had anything to do with them.

SirDidymus

It's that old thing about SatNavs... how people nearly drive off cliffs because the satnav directed them that way. Just because halfords say that, it doesn't mean you can rely on it 100%. Still got to use a little caution in places, and when you start seeing the sea through your windscreen, probably best to turn around. I have no idea where this analogy is going. You get my drift.

Anonymous

Injury Lawyers 4U

That's what you need

halfords gave me a little slip saying it had been fully checked

Not that I'd trust a check from them to be anything other than spotty 16 year old said, "yeah, looks like a bike"

The front forks are on the right way round? :P

But seriously, they should really be giving people safety advice and instructions on how to use them in these kinds of shops, including how to safely use the quick release and the basic checks and maintenance you need to be doing. Should be in instructions too but they often fail to hand these over or can't find them.

I know it's easy to knock someone for not knowing about these things, but if it's new to them, they need to know somehow. Especially in places like Halfords where most people go in clueless about bikes and expect them to sort them out. But then, PC World is the same and they don't know anything about PCs and sell them to people who don't know anything about PCs.

p.s. doing up the quick release - do up nut on opposite side so it should be hard to close the lever, enough to leave an imprint in your hand when you do. Also point the levers backwards as there's always a risk a branch can catch them and release them.

concorde

Think I'll check mine tomorrow then, seeing as I haven't for about 8 months!

apreading

Do you all really check them before every ride? Only time I check mine is when I put the wheel back on. Couple of thousand miles in the last year and no problems at all. Am I living on borrowed time?

Rushmore

apreading wrote:

Do you all really check them before every ride?

yep.... The wheel might come off.....

Anonymous

Have had them come loose mid rid even when I've tightened it up pre-ride. Depends on the ride and what may rattle it loose. Happens less now I do it up well tight, but still happens occasionally (was way too easy to undo after my ride today for example).

Even more advised before doing something gnarly.

rockmonkeysc

I have checked mine at the start of a day riding downhill & the back wheel came out on the third run, luckily at low speed. Now I check QR's before every run when riding DH and at least every couple hours on cross country rides.
Even maxle's can come undone

Yoe

deadkenny wrote:

Injury Lawyers 4U

That's what you need

halfords gave me a little slip saying it had been fully checked

Not that I'd trust a check from them to be anything other than spotty 16 year old said, "yeah, looks like a bike"

The front forks are on the right way round? :P

But seriously, they should really be giving people safety advice and instructions on how to use them in these kinds of shops, including how to safely use the quick release and the basic checks and maintenance you need to be doing. Should be in instructions too but they often fail to hand these over or can't find them.

I know it's easy to knock someone for not knowing about these things, but if it's new to them, they need to know somehow. Especially in places like Halfords where most people go in clueless about bikes and expect them to sort them out. But then, PC World is the same and they don't know anything about PCs and sell them to people who don't know anything about PCs.

p.s. doing up the quick release - do up nut on opposite side so it should be hard to close the lever, enough to leave an imprint in your hand when you do. Also point the levers backwards as there's always a risk a branch can catch them and release them.

Thanks I'm finding out so much from these forums, even from the trolls. They sold me a can of GT85 which everyone tells me is pants and I also didn't know not to put it anywhere near the disc brakes as it will ruin the pads.

Thanks for the advice on the quick release really appreciate it

snotty badger

I can honestly say I have never checked my QRs before a ride. Ever.

mcnultycop

I check mine every single time, but mainly because my Avid Juicy 3's have a sticky piston issue so I give them a shove back in before every ride, which obviously involves whipping the wheels off.

cooldad

I use decent Shimano QR, never come loose. Simple.

Yoe

I have a quick question while were talking about quick release.

Someone earlier mentioned earlier clamping it down in a certain direction. My back would currently points up the frame, is that ok or should It be facing backwards away from the direction of travel?

chez_m356

cooldad wrote:

I use decent Shimano QR, never come loose. Simple.

+1, have always aligned mine - front, vertical in front of the fork leg, - rear, between chain and seat stays, never had a problem with them catching anything or coming loose

Anonymous

Yoe wrote:

Someone earlier mentioned earlier clamping it down in a certain direction. My back would currently points up the frame, is that ok or should It be facing backwards away from the direction of travel?

Up, down or to the back is fine really. Whichever way tucks in best depending on your frame. It's just forward that's potentially risky.

cooldad

I point mine backwards as it's more aerodynamic when I'm hitting lightspeed.

El Zomba

cooldad wrote:

I point mine backwards as it's more aerodynamic when I'm hitting lightspeed.

Sounds Like Roadie talk to me!

cooldad

El Zomba wrote:

cooldad wrote:

I point mine backwards as it's more aerodynamic when I'm hitting lightspeed.

Sounds Like Roadie talk to me!

On the road bike I leave them off totally to save weight, just keep the wheels on with awesomeness.

schmako

A guy I sometimes ride with lost his two front teeth/had 10+ stitches due to not checking the front QR was tight. I bet he'll never not check them again, I hope you're the same.

Richie63

Back wheels normally come off for cleaning so check then. Otherwise never bother and as for mid ride I'm to busy holding on for dear life.