are new drivetrains stiff?

Chivalry · June 2010

Hey.. just a quick question... received my new 09 giant trance x3 today from pauls cycles... who I believe build and check each bike before repackaging and sending out.
Alls good except 1 thing.. the crank / drivetrain feels very kinda stiff...or stodgy.. hard to find the right word to describe it... but if I try spinning it backwards it feels like I'm having to push it through treacle.. to the point if I give it a good push it only manages half or maybe 3/4 of a revolution before coming to a stop...
Seem normal.? I'm sure pauls cycles woulda picked up on it if it was a problem ?
Cheers for any advice..

supersonic · June 2010

Sometimes the bearings free up. Or they may have preloaded the cranks too much.

Anonymous · June 2010

generally, well greased bearings will not "spin" freely. They will be bound a little by the grease. However, they should feel really smooth through the entire rotation.

nicklouse · June 2010

cranks with external bearings use a bigger axle and the OE bearings seem to have more friction/sticktion than some aftermarket bearings.

diy · June 2010

If it doesn't free up after a couple of rides, then try loosening the pre-load. Don't keep riding it tight if its not loose, otherwise the bearings will be toast within a month or two.

123-alz · June 2010

sounds like they've been over tightened.check the torque on the tension bolt.my FSA cranks have it written on the cap but you should be able to get the correct torque off the makers web site.

are new drivetrains stiff?

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