Start again or carry on?

charliew87

Hi all
Bought a Bianchi around 8 months ago. Have clocked up around 800 miles so far, riding only on weekends.

I've had constant problems with the bike, from fixable things like the gears being out of sync and the brake cables being loose, to expensive repairs like an inexplicably out of shape wheel which needed replacing (Bianchi eventually sent me a replacement under warranty, not after I'd spent £80 on a new wheel, tyre & tube), two broken chains, and the rear derailleur needing realigning.

It's got to the stage now where despite a £50 service a couple of weeks ago, there seems to be a new rattle or noise every time I get on the bike. I'm scared to get out of the saddle and put some welly in as the chain has snapped twice when I've done that recently in a big gear. The shop where I got it from say there's not much they can do, but that it's not normal for a bike to have this many problems.

The bike was £800 new, and looks in perfect nick after a wash, other than having mis matched wheels (one black one white). If I can get £500+ for it I'm pretty keen to wash my hands of it and start again with a proper bike fit and a new bike and hope that works better.

Any ideas what it's likely to be worth?

If constant problems is what is normal with an expensive machine like this (I know £800 isn't huge compared to some bikes), then I'll persevere with it, but it's just so frustrating to not be able to ever enjoy a ride properly at the moment without something going wrong! I can't afford to keep spending £50 here and £100 there for spare parts which shouldn't need replacing so often.

bails87

The bike is made up of parts.

Those parts are actually pretty simple, and nothing to do with Bianchi.

I'd say stick with it. Get a new chain (shimano seem to snap IME, KMC have been much better)

Why did you buy a new tyre and tube? You could have just fitted the current ones to the new wheel couldn't you?

So you've had a rear wheel that was replaced under warranty. A bent mech hanger. A tweak of the gear cables (you really should be able to do this yourself, in 30 minutes, with time for a mug of tea). What else?

Sounds like you were unlucky with the wheel. I wouldn't class the other stuff as major problems. Just poor setup which can be fixed in a few seconds.

amaferanga

Snapped chains = gears poorly adjusted or changing gear at the wrong time.

As for the creaks - things either not done up tight enough or needing grease.

So as bails87 says, bikes are simple so it should be pretty easy to get the bike sorted out.

biscuit959

Yeah I wouldn't advise getting rid of it to buy a new one - how can you be sure you're going to fix all your problems??

I had a shimano chain before which snapped twice, since bought a KMC with quick link and its been perfect so far (touch wood).

On the other stuff - tend to agree with the above, all that's really been wrong is some minor adjustments really. The wheel I'm not counting as they replaced it so think you just have to put that one down to the bad luck of getting the 1 in a 10000 dodgey wheel. I'm mean brake cables being lose can hardly be blamed on Bianchi - surely the shop should have checked it before they sold it to you?

Not sure if thats what you wanted to hear lol, but hope it helps anyway,
Mike

charliew87

I might take it in for another service to tweak everything back into shape and see how that works.

I had to get a new tyre when the wheel broke as the old tyre was on the misshapen wheel long enough to bend the wire in the tyre rim out of shape, so the tyre now has a perma-bulge on it.

None of them are major problems, it's just they all turn what should be a pleasant 2/3 hrs on the bike into a greasy expensive mess.

bails87

I wouldn't take it back for a service. What's wrong with it?

Learn to do it yourself, all you need for the gears is a single allen key. If you'r epaying for services everytime they need half a turn of a barrel adjuster then no wonder you're not happy :winK:

secretsam

+1 snapped chain Shimano stylee, don't buy their chains any more!

Get it into your LBS and get its gears sorted, should only cost £35 or so. FWIW, my back wheel on my Cannondale was total sh17, kept breaking spokes, so I bought a new wheel set from Wiggle which has been fine so far (touch wood!) - Fulcrum R7s

Did the LBS that you bought it from not service it a month or so after purchase? I'd have a word with them as it sounds like some of these issues should have been picked up

At least Bianchi coughed up a new wheel, which is more than can be said for Cannondale - so that's the last time I buy one of their bikes...