Ribble Cycles After Sales

Martin2903

After some advice here.
Bought a Ribble TT Aero six weeks ago from Ribble.Done 200 miles on mixture of turbo and road when pedal started to work lose.Immediately dismounted and caught train home.Took pedal off and discovered threads had collapsed completely inside Shimano 105 crank arm.I fitted the Ultegra pedals myself and am a former mechanic..you can hardly get it wrong and pedal was originally flush to the crank and offered no real resistance so it was not cross threaded.Ribble have told me theres nothing they can or will do.If they send it back to Shimano,Shimano will return it as damaged by user!! Is this right?Surely they have a right under warranty to do something.I am appalled.When I originally picked the bike up it wasn't til I got home that I realised they had charged me for carbon TT bars and fitted alloy.I made the journey from Cumbria to Preston where they rectified this but no apology or recompense for the inconvenience and added fuel costs.When I asked for a discount in good will on purchased goods they offered me £5 off a £32 Blackburn bottle cage. Would appreciate any advice.

freezing77

Whilst not wishing to sound unsympathetic I do not think that you have a very good case.
It looks like the pedals where not torqued up correctly thus causing them to come loose and destroy the threads.
You did use a torque wrench? I am sure this is the avenue that both Ribble and Shimano will take.

declan1

I don't think they can really do anything about that as you fitted the pedals yourself. I never use Ribble as I've never had a good experience with them - I've only ordered three things from them, all of which were in stock when I ordered them. Between a week and two weeks later for each item I phoned them to ask where it was and they told me it was out of stock...

Martin2903

Torqued up to 35Nm so yes fitted correctly.I have replied to see if they will reach a compromise but I am getting the impression that all the negative feedback on Ribble is justified.I had a XTR rear derailleur replaced by Shimano a while back after two years because the carbon cage had smashed.That was through Evans so Shimano aren't that bad to deal with.

Jon_1976

Got to admit, I'm using Ribble less and less these days as I've had a few problems with them and some of the staff are a bit antsy. Annoyingly, they do have some good prices on Shimano stuff and with the periodic 10% off sales, even better. But on the other hand, most of it is oem and doesn't come with all the parts. Calipers with only size pivot bolt was a recent one. Pain in the arse when you get home and realise its too short.

Usually stick to using Wiggle, Merlin and CRC now

Martin2903

Does anyone sell Shimano crank arms separately or do I have replace the rings too?I was hopiing to try and strike a cpmpromise with Ribble and get a discount on a new chainring and cranks if I have to!!

earthvspace4XTuUWcX

Would it be worth bypassing Ribble and contacting Shimano customer service direct? Explain the pedals were correctly fitted and torqued up etc, no harm in trying.

Martin2903

Might do that actually although they'll probably direct me back to Ribble who I think are just taking the cop out!They just seem so blase when you do ring them.If they only read these forums they might sort their act out and profit from extra sales!

lesfirth

Martin2903 wrote:

Does anyone sell Shimano crank arms separately or do I have replace the rings too?I was hopiing to try and strike a cpmpromise with Ribble and get a discount on a new chainring and cranks if I have to!!

You can get the damaged pedal thread repaired by inserting a steel bush. Only you will be able to tell it has been done. I had one done recently by Gerry Sheilds in Manchester It did not cost much.

Sodafarl

Out this morning same thing happened to one of our group. Think it was his 3rd time on the bike a Ribble sportive. Told him to check this out. It was a 105 crank.

Traindriverrob

I'm wondering if the thread was out of tolerance in the first place. Did it feel loose or tight when you initially hand-tightened it?

It is possible to heli-coil the crank arm which is an acceptable thread repair in industry, not sure if your average Evans or similar would be up to it though.

Martin2903

Felt absolutely fine when I fitted the pedal and fitted flush to the crank.Has your friend with the Sportive gone back to Ribble.I'm convinced rheres a flaw in the crank arm metal.

Sodafarl

Martin2903 wrote:

Felt absolutely fine when I fitted the pedal and fitted flush to the crank.Has your friend with the Sportive gone back to Ribble.I'm convinced rheres a flaw in the crank arm metal.

His first big run was 100 miler and no problems. He is an aircraft engineer and said everything was tightened up properly. The pedal looked like it had pulled the threads in the crank arm as he said it looked like the pedal had slipped out from the angle it was sitting in the crank arm (if that makes sense).
Don't know if he has been on to Ribble yet as it only happened yesterday morning. Told him to check this thread out anyway.

andyrr

Problem with this sort of issue is that a shop like Ribble will deal with many, many people complaining that a part has failed or isn't working as it should : how do they know that the person complaining has any mechanical ability at all ?
Bike is sold without pedals, customer fits pedals and some time later it is found that the pedal is loose and the thread is ruined - customer believes they fitted them correctly, shop has seen many instances of ruined pedal threads probably often caused by cross-threading or insufficiently tightened pedals so they take any such complaint with a pinch of salt, particularly as it isn't a nice cheap and easy fix.

Martin2903

Sounds exactly like mine.Went from to sitting at an angle to the crank within a hundred metres or so.Certainly not as if it had gradually worked loose.Sourced a new chainset exact same for £69 so gonna replce cranks and keep chainrings as spares.

Martin2903

Just had a reply from Ribble who have said they will do a new chainset and pedals at cost which is £70.40 .Waiting to hear if they'll fit them.

dwanes

You are a 'former mechanic' as you put it, why on earth would you go to the trouble of travelling and getting them to fit them?

rOcKeTdOg

dwanes wrote:

You are a 'former mechanic' as you put it, why on earth would you go to the trouble of travelling and getting them to fit them?

so if it happens again Ribble can't get out of it by saying they didn't fit the pedals/chainset?

Martin2903

Thanks rOcKeTdOg....why would somebody doubt me being a former mechanic..hardly a Walter Mitty claim to fame is it??And I was used to working on Challenger tanks and Warriors!!Lol

dwanes

rOcKeTdOg wrote:

dwanes wrote:

You are a 'former mechanic' as you put it, why on earth would you go to the trouble of travelling and getting them to fit them?

so if it happens again Ribble can't get out of it by saying they didn't fit the pedals/chainset?

You would be very very very unlucky to get another 'dodgy' crank thread.

rOcKeTdOg

dwanes wrote:

rOcKeTdOg wrote:

dwanes wrote:

You are a 'former mechanic' as you put it, why on earth would you go to the trouble of travelling and getting them to fit them?

so if it happens again Ribble can't get out of it by saying they didn't fit the pedals/chainset?

You would be very very very unlucky to get another 'dodgy' crank thread.

Those million to one chances come around more often than you think, especially if you buy from the wholesealer who bought a complete OEM batch of chainsets with a potential manufacturing fault*

*allegedly

RideOnTime

rOcKeTdOg wrote:

dwanes wrote:

rOcKeTdOg wrote:

dwanes wrote:

You are a 'former mechanic' as you put it, why on earth would you go to the trouble of travelling and getting them to fit them?

so if it happens again Ribble can't get out of it by saying they didn't fit the pedals/chainset?

You would be very very very unlucky to get another 'dodgy' crank thread.

Those million to one chances come around more often than you think, especially if you buy from the wholesealer who bought a complete OEM batch of chainsets with a potential manufacturing fault*

*allegedly

Like every one time in a million.

rOcKeTdOg

Not a Pratchet fan then? #wasted