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Always worrying to see the shop mechanic undoing the top cap to straighten the handlebars!

by freetime101
Sun, Oct 28, 2018 18:20
15

I'm off to spend an hour or so checking their other work!

Long story short, the front deraileur snapped clean off my decathlon bike so I returned it to the shop for a warranty repair (there's a story to this too but I'll stay on point!). I then get a call a few hours later to say there is a problem with the front shifter and that they have ordered a replacement part - I hadn't noticed an issue but they're repairing it so hey ho. 

Fast forward a week and my freshly repaired bike is ready to collect, I pop into store, give the receipt and get the bike - simples! Well, they had turned the handlebars 90 degrees, presumably to make the bike easier to store - in order to straighen them the employee started to undo the top cap?! He then straightened the bars and started to loosen the cap again, once he worked out that it's righty tighty he cinched down on the nut and said there you go - didn't touch the stem bolts once, and not a torque wrench in sight!

Now I'm often astounded my peoples idiocy but this was down right dangerous - he handed me the bike "ready to ride" but with bars nowhere near secure - I'd have been off at the first corner! Luckily I know what I'm looking at but I'd imagine plenty of decathlon customers rely on the shops work - accidents waiting to happen in my opinion!

I guess the lesson to be learned is never trust the shops setup!  I'm sure your freindly local bike shop is different but the big box stores seem to let anyone swing an allen key!

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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15 comments

Avatar
freetime101 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Yup, definately band on - it's a Microshift R8 FD on the Triban 500. The 500SE does appear to be braze on with an adapter though from looking at the photos. 

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aegisdesign replied to freetime101 | 5 years ago
0 likes

R8 on the 500SE also. There's two versions https://www.microshift.com/en/product/fd-r253-bf/

Must say when I bought my 500SE I'd read the reviews of Microshift not being as well made as Shimano but so far it's been fine. I've worn out the hoods on the shifters but Microshift will post you two sets from Taiwan for about £6. They got here in about a week.

I had to switch the rear derailleur out for a Sora rear but only because the cable adjuster rusted and jammed solid. My fault for not cleaning off road salt. I snapped it trying to get it to move. I may see if I can drill it out and re-tap the adjuster. It shows scuffs less than Sora, which is a bit plasticky/painted.

The raw metal bits on R8 seem to oxidise a bit too readily for the UK but clean up with a bit of GT85.

No compaints otherwise. I'd rather have Microshift R8 than Tourney or Claris. No question.

 

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freetime101 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Took my bike and left - as above, I have other issues with Decathlon. It's not so much his knowledge that was the problem, but the fact that he is allowed to work on bikes at all. 

Decathlon is a great place to pick up cheap kit but is not a place to go looking for advice or knowledge in my opinion. 

Avatar
Rapha Nadal | 5 years ago
2 likes

Did you show the "mechanic" the error of his ways or just walk off and leave it?

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Jack Osbourne snr | 5 years ago
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I've come across a few Microshift FD's... the bands are truly awful.

Poorly cast, equally poorly finished and unless you're careful, very easy to install in such a way that pressure is unequal around the band. 

However, even if properly aligned, these Microshift bands feel so poor that even a slight over-torquing may be enough to do it.

Avatar
freetime101 replied to Jack Osbourne snr | 5 years ago
0 likes

Jack Osbourne snr wrote:

I've come across a few Microshift FD's... the bands are truly awful.

Poorly cast, equally poorly finished and unless you're careful, very easy to install in such a way that pressure is unequal around the band. 

However, even if properly aligned, these Microshift bands feel so poor that even a slight over-torquing may be enough to do it.

 

Yeah my money won't be spent on mircoshift again - as above, you get what you pay for!

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aegisdesign replied to Jack Osbourne snr | 5 years ago
0 likes

Jack Osbourne snr wrote:

I've come across a few Microshift FD's... the bands are truly awful.

Poorly cast, equally poorly finished and unless you're careful, very easy to install in such a way that pressure is unequal around the band. 

However, even if properly aligned, these Microshift bands feel so poor that even a slight over-torquing may be enough to do it.

I've over 10,000km on mine on a Triban 500SE run through the winter(s). It's been totally reliable.

The only adjustment it's needed is to compensate for cable stretch after the first few weeks. Still running the same cable from new.

Avatar
Jack Osbourne snr replied to aegisdesign | 5 years ago
0 likes

aegisdesign wrote:

Jack Osbourne snr wrote:

I've come across a few Microshift FD's... the bands are truly awful.

Poorly cast, equally poorly finished and unless you're careful, very easy to install in such a way that pressure is unequal around the band. 

However, even if properly aligned, these Microshift bands feel so poor that even a slight over-torquing may be enough to do it.

I've over 10,000km on mine on a Triban 500SE run through the winter(s). It's been totally reliable.

The only adjustment it's needed is to compensate for cable stretch after the first few weeks. Still running the same cable from new.

Yours was clearly fitted by someone paying attention to how it sat as the bolt was torqued up and they stopped tightening when they sould have.

In fairness, I suppose they are (at their price point) more "unforgiving" of lazy installation rather than being downright crap.

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vonhelmet | 5 years ago
0 likes

You get what you pay for. Go to the LBS or fix it yourself and take your chances with your own handiwork.

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freetime101 replied to vonhelmet | 5 years ago
0 likes

vonhelmet wrote:

You get what you pay for. Go to the LBS or fix it yourself and take your chances with your own handiwork.

 

I agree, normally I do all my own work but this was a warranty repair so I let the shop do it. 

Thinking back, what probably happened is that the employee was from another department and was just being helpful - instead of getting the actual mechanic to do it. I just think it's dangerous to allow this as my "ready to ride" bike was far from ready to ride...

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freetime101 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Shifting from middle to big rings it went ping then crunch - no idea! It's a band on microshift jobbie and the band just snapped, too much tension I guess? 

I called decathlon though and they said there was nothing they could do as it was only a 6 month warranty (convenientely the bike was 8 months old at the time). I then left a negative review and the team replied saying it's actually a 2 year warranty so back to the shop I went - luckily I hadn't gotten round to fixing it myself yet!

The problem with the shifter was that it would shift up fine, but would jump straight from the big ring to the granny ring, skipping the middle when shifting down. I hadn't noticed this but then I never used the granny ring. It's possible that the faults are related but I don't know. 

In any case, I've completely lost faith in the bike (well the microshift components) and would prefer to upgrade to shimano/sram. If the deraileur had snapped at speed it could have been messy! The bike is a Triban 500 btw. 

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aegisdesign replied to freetime101 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Freetime101 wrote:

Shifting from middle to big rings it went ping then crunch - no idea! It's a band on microshift jobbie and the band just snapped, too much tension I guess? 

Are you sure it's band on. On my 500SE it's a braze on FD with a separate clamp. 

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Drinfinity | 5 years ago
0 likes

So, how did the FD snap off then? We need to know

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freetime101 | 5 years ago
1 like

That's exactly what happened - easy enough to fix but down right dangerous if not spotted. He shouldn't have needed to touch the top cap at all (except to check the headset compression, which he didn't do either).

I know I sound like an old fart (still the right side of 30, just!) but he clearly didn't know what he was doing so shouldn't have been allowed near the workshop. 

Not an issue this time around as I spotted it, but decathlon sells to many "average joe's" who may not know how a stem should be fitted and expect the bike to be ready to ride...

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hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
0 likes

Sounds like the stem bolts were loosened when they turned the handlebar 90 degrees and they forgot to tighten them after tightening the top cap. Definitely sounds dangerous to me.

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