Bicycle Mechanics - New bike - pedal came off! Warranty?

Hi,

The pedal came off on my Giant cypress which I just got over the weekend. I noticed the pedal was feeling a bit loose, but kept going since I thought it maybe was a misadjusted toe-strap making it feel strange. A little later I stopped to check it out and the pedal was coming off. The screw (or whatever holds it on there) was gone, and the pedal wouldn't screw back into the arm though the pedal had threds on it. There were some metal shavings, so the arm may be ruined I suppose.

I'd think this would be covered under some warranty since th ebike is so new. My question about that is whether I'd have to go to the shop where I got the bike, or couldn't I just go to any Giant bike dealer? I drove 3 hours to get the bike and don't want to drive that far if I don't have to.

Thanks for the advice!
Brian

was it the left or right side? If it was the left, are you aware that the threads are backwards? You have to turn it left instead of right, or just towards the front of the bike. Did you notice the shavings after you tried to put it back on. Are you sure you didnt do that? Probally not I bet though. Just call the shop and tell them what happened and see what they say.

call the shop where you bought it and tell them the situation. They can tell you about warranty issues. I would certainly have that bike checked out by SOME shop... not just the pedals, the WHOLE THING. Who know what else is loose and ready to fall off... brakes, shifters, cables... etc.

Yikes!

I sincerely doubt that one shop will warrantee the work done by another... many of them probably won't even talk to one another. Maybe if you contacted Giant somehow? Do you have any papers that came with it, saying just what the hypothetical "some warranty" might include? You'd be surprised what is and isn't included in a purchase price, and you have to read the fine print. I'm sure if you went back to the shop they'd be stand-up guys and fix it anyhow, but that doesn't seem to help you out too much...

Just bring it back to the shop where you got it, they'll take care of it.

The pedal was not correctly tightened by the shop. This is most certainly a warranty repair. Call the shop before you take the bike in. They should replace the crank with a new one

You might ask the seller about arranging with a shop near you for the repair. Maybe they can save you some driving.

Definitely take the bike back to the shop where you bought it, but call them first. It sounds like someone didn't screw the pedal on tightly enough, and it damaged the threads on the way out. But make sure the shop has the parts to fix the bike before you make the drive.

Good luck.

IF the pedal just came loose and the crank arm is fine, then buy a pedal wrench or have a local shop tighten it. Yes, the other shop should and would do it for free, BUT the cost to deal with a local shop is MUCH cheaper than driving back to the other.

IF something is broken, then you have to deal with that shop or Giant. It's unlikely another shop would help and they're under no obligation to do so.

One of the things you should check regularly is that the pedals are tight, especially on a new bike. Your owners manual will have a list of things to check and when to check them.

Sorry to here about your misfortune. In a week and a half of ridinr the plastic reflector is the only part that has come loose on my Cypress.Calling the shop should be the first thing to do. I know this does not get you back on the road right away. Since you mention toe straps, were the pedals upgraded at the shop? If they were, politely point this out.
P.S. Did you make your purchase in Peoria?

Hi all,
Thanks for the advice. I was just wondering whether this was like a car purchase, wehre you could go to any authorized dealer. I contacted the shop where I got the bike and they were nice. It's a bit of a long drive, but my car gets decent mileage n the road.

edp773: I bought mine in Indiana, and it actually came with the toe straps (on the sx model). I thought about painting a little "e" between the S and X of the model name, ha ha. I worked in Peoria last summer and rode my old heavy bike around. Fun on that big hill going to and from downtown!

One of the things you should check regularly is that the pedals are tight, especially on a new bike...

I understand checking pedal tightness on a new bike, but check regularly? Aren't the pedals threaded such that they'll tighten as you ride? (rather than loosen)

xsdq,

The torque transmitted to the pedal axle isn't going to be enough to tighten the pedal. What may cause a pedal to loosen is the cyclic bending moment applied through the axle. The high spots in the threads can get flattened resulting in a gradual loss of preload. This will happen more rapidly on new parts but can still happen with some time on the parts especially if the loads on the pedal are suddenly increased beyond what they are used to.

It's good practice to check all of the significant fasteners on a bike periodically.

Unfortunately, it's not that unusual for the threads to get damaged when a peddle comes loose. At the end of the unscrewing, you are putting lots of pressure on loosely engaged threads --and they just can't hold. I've had this happen several times to friends and family. Also, you may think threading them back up super tight will make up for damage to the outer threads. In my experience, they will come apart repeatedly until you get new threads (as in new crank arm). So be a littly wary of the shop reinstalling them and telling you they should be just fine.