Bicycle Mechanics - Bent the Crank!

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hosehead
06-25-02, 02:51 PM
@#%@ I bent one of my chainrings. I have a Specialized Strongarm II. Yesterday I was riding on the street, shifting from the middle chainring to the largest chainring. The chain snagged, got stuck, and bent the middle chainring. Let's just say that at this point I am not happy. That bike is about 2 months old. This kind of crap should not be happening.

I'm going to call up the LBS and check and see if it's still under warranty. I don't want to deal with this right now.

I've heard a lot better things about the Specialized cranks vs. Shimano cranks, but maybe it's just frustration in general.

mike
06-25-02, 03:46 PM
If you bent your chainring, that is one thing, but if you bent your crank-arms, that is usually more costly.

Sometimes you can straighten chainrings, but I have never been able to straighten bent crank arms.
hosehead
06-25-02, 03:59 PM
My title is misleading. I only bent the middle chainring and I'm having it replaced tonight.

ljbike
06-25-02, 04:06 PM
There's a special tool that will straighten crank arms. Park makes or made them. Haven't noticed them in any of the recent catalogs --but then I haven't been looking. There's also a tool to straighten chainrings on the bike, but you can do a better job if they're off.

I would hope Specialized would make this right, anyway.

The only time it has ever happened to me was when I made the chain a few links short and then, unwittingly, tried to make it shift from the Large ring in front to the large ring in back. It didn't want to go and bent the CR and dumped me on the ground, in the process. I don't do that anymore.