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Chain set Issues

Hi,

I have a giant TCR advance with an Ultegra groupset. bought the bike late november last year, it had its first service in feb this year.

About a month ago the 4 bolts that hold the small chainring onto the chainset started to come loose and one fell out. This inturn has caused the small chainring to gouge a nice chunk out of my lovely carbon frame.

any advice about what to here would be great. The shop where I bought the bike currently have it and have sent details off to Giant to see what they suggest to do.

I am sure that this is warranty issue or something like this because the bike is far less than a year old, less than 4 months out of its previous service and I havent fiddled with the chainset at all.

Thanks guys.

Harry

 

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14 comments

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Jimmy Ray Will | 6 years ago
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That's an interesting one. I'd argue that a bike shop will at best have run a tension check on those bolts at service. I can't imagine they'd have stripped the rings for the service.

Therefore, why did the rings come loose? 

anyway, I'd argue this has nothing to do with Giant, potentially has something to do with the bikeshop, and something to do with the owner.

That last point however is the tricky one. If you are paying for someone to maintain your bike, then  thats what you expect them to do. As said above, 4 months is a long time not to have someone service a bike, so either the bikeshop needs to be demanding more of your reddies for more frequent maintenance,  or there is an expectation that the user will be doing basic maintenance at home.

Tricky. 

The fac t that the bikeshop ar egoing to Giant suggests they don't feel culpable. 

 

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BarryBianchi replied to Jimmy Ray Will | 6 years ago
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Jimmy Ray Will wrote:

That's an interesting one. I'd argue that a bike shop will at best have run a tension check on those bolts at service. I can't imagine they'd have stripped the rings for the service.

 4 months is a long time not to have someone service a bike,

When I worked in a bike shop, they wouldn't have been routinely checked other than visually.  They wouldn't have been assumbled by the shop, and would have been thread locked at the factory.

4 months over winter might be a long time for you as a "serious cyclist".  Many of the bikes we saw, and I know it's the norm, wouldn't even have got past bedding in cables in that time period.  If someone had got it as a "best bike" in a an end of summer sale and rode a winter trainer, it may well have done close to or actually zero miles.  My shop had a "when it needs it/6 months later longest" policy for free first service, or you'd get people coming in 3 years later having ridden it half a dozen times, when of course it was our of warranty etc.

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hawkinspeter | 6 years ago
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That wasn't properly serviced/installed. It sounds like the chainring bolts weren't installed with some threadlock compound which is just careless and they weren't sufficiently tightened as well. I'd expect Giant or the bike shop to make good on the damage as it's a result of incorrect installation.

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turboprannet | 6 years ago
1 like

I've had two 105 chainsets do this. Each time taking a chunk out the frame. Both manufacturers were willing to look at compensation (Cannondale, Ribble) but I didn't have much faith in them paying so used the £40-odd quid I'd have used shipping them off on a check from a mechanic and a bottle of appropriate nail polish (for the frames, not for Friday Night) 

 

with one id tried to rethread it so that was a warranty write off, the other I sent back to ribble and paid the cost difference between 105 and Ultegra (£27 at the time) and got that as a replacement 

 

they can and will shake loose I check them weekly now and use threadlock

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fenix | 6 years ago
1 like

Back in the day loose chainring bolts were a regular thing - I often lost one or two. Not had it happen in the last 20 years or so.

You really should be spotting stuff like this when you clean your bike - you do clean it don't you?

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FatBoyW | 6 years ago
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Never experienced loose chainset bolts in 25 years of riding except when I forgot to tighten them! What a numpty. So it should be a warranty claim

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bechdan | 6 years ago
2 likes

I wouldnt say 4 months is an unreasonable time for chainring bolts to loosen. Should be up to you to check your bike regularly in addition to bike shop services.

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BarryBianchi replied to bechdan | 6 years ago
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bechdan wrote:

I wouldnt say 4 months is an unreasonable time for chainring bolts to loosen. Should be up to you to check your bike regularly in addition to bike shop services.

I've never ever had a chainring bolt come lose on any bike, ever.  If it has, it wasn't tensioned/locked correctly.

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Dnnnnnn replied to BarryBianchi | 6 years ago
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BarryBianchi wrote:

bechdan wrote:

I wouldnt say 4 months is an unreasonable time for chainring bolts to loosen. Should be up to you to check your bike regularly in addition to bike shop services.

I've never ever had a chainring bolt come lose on any bike, ever.  If it has, it wasn't tensioned/locked correctly.

I agree - I've only ever had it happen very occasionally. But from a warranty or legal perspective, an unlikely  occurrence isn't necessarily an unreasonable (bechdan's word) one.

Users do have responsibility for checking the condition of their machines, especially where it is practical to do so (e.g. you couldn't be held liable for an internal frame fault giving way - but a removable bolt that usually gives plenty indication that it's working loose...?).

But that's a legalistic interpretation: the vendor or manufacturer may decide on a more goodwill response - we can hope for the OP!

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madcarew replied to BarryBianchi | 6 years ago
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BarryBianchi wrote:

bechdan wrote:

I wouldnt say 4 months is an unreasonable time for chainring bolts to loosen. Should be up to you to check your bike regularly in addition to bike shop services.

I've never ever had a chainring bolt come lose on any bike, ever.  If it has, it wasn't tensioned/locked correctly.

It seems to be dependent entirely on individual chainsets. My last dura ace chainset (7800) they came loose all the time and I lost 3 or 4 in the 5 years I had it. Prior to that I had an ultegra set that never had an issue, I had a miche crank set that I had to tighten all the time. They never fell out, just used to come loose enough for the chainset to creak. My current DA chainset (9100) has had no issues in 2 years. 

So far as the OP goes. It seems to me unlikely that the chain ring has taken a frame trashing chunk out of the down tube, so frame is likely ok, and this really is a maintenance issue. It seems highly unlikely the chain ring bolts would have got to that point without some creaking, and for them to be loose enough that the chain ring can touch the frame is pretty extraordinary. Unless it happened in the space of the first ride from the LBS, I think really it's a lesson, and a new frame seems unlikely. Major Kudos to Giant if they do!!

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BarryBianchi replied to madcarew | 6 years ago
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wrote:

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So far as the OP goes. It seems to me unlikely that the chain ring has taken a frame trashing chunk out of the down tube, so frame is likely ok, and this really is a maintenance issue. It seems highly unlikely the chain ring bolts would have got to that point without some creaking, and for them to be loose enough that the chain ring can touch the frame is pretty extraordinary.

 

I don't think there is any question here, despite the OP, that the chain ring damaged the frame - that would obviousy need most/all of the bolts to loosen, rather that the chain bolt/insert that came loose damaged the frame by taking a chunk out on its way to falling out.

Re your DA trouble with bolts lose "all the time" - I can only assume there was no Threadlock involved - why not?

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Tjuice | 6 years ago
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Hmm.  Not sure that's a warranty issue or a service issue.  Either or both of Giant or the bike shop might provide a degree of assistance as a goodwill gesture, but I'm not convinced you have much of a claim against either.  But I talk as a punter with no legal training / experience.

Chainring bolts are subject to some pretty significant forces, and combined with changes in temperature and moisture (winter to summer to winter) can come loose.  And once they start to get a little loose, they can get very loose very quickly.  I've just suffered this problem on both my most regularly used bikes, resulting in a bit of paint damage on one where the loose bolt(s) was scraping against the chainstay.

It was not all that obvious in normal riding that the bolts were loose - what gave it away was that when changing gear up or down at the front, the chain was sometimes not engaging as well/quickly/smoothly as I was expecting, or was falling off.

I'll be keeping more of an eye on this in the future.

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PaulBox | 6 years ago
1 like

Fingers crossed for you, different situation, but for reference I have a Giant moutain bike which has failed three times at the same point (weld of top tube & seat tube). Each time Giant have sent the shop a replacement frame (and rear shock) without a pause. They might not be the best bikes in the world, but their attitude to their customers seems pretty good to me.

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srchar | 6 years ago
1 like

It's a tough one Harry.  On one hand, as you say, the shop serviced it only four months ago and *should* have checked every fastener and Giant *should* have installed the bolts using threadlock.  On the other hand, a chainring bolt that loosens off sufficiently to fall out (and the others must have been loose as well for the chainring to touch the frame) is something that the rider ought to have noticed while riding/cleaning/lubing the bike, giving the shop the opportunity to remedy the problem before any damage occurred.

I would be very surprised if you get a new frame under warranty, but the shop may offer you some goodwill - perhaps contribution towards repair of the frame, or a free service - but I wouldn't expect much.

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