Okay, and yeah, sounds like the original shop is giving you the run-around. I'm guessing Trek is going to come through for you, don't forget to mention that you are posting about it here and how many current/former Trek owners have chimed in.

Personally I had excellent luck with Trek warranty service for a problem rear wheel and a cracked frame. Hoping the same luck comes your way!!

When I inspected my wife's bike the rear wheel spun free as well, thinking my wife did some, like shifting while back pedaling or the like. The wrench here said no, it is related to the hub, the little thingies that make the ticking noise when coasting. One catches and it is all over. That is why he replaced the wheel, even though it was spinning free there, it would occur again he said... if that wheel was not replaced.

I explained that to the Trek rep on the phone and that's when he said that if they do take it in for warranty that they'll replace:

- Rear wheel
- Chain
- Rear Derailleur
- Seatstay (I told him does that mean I get a new frame, he said no, they just replace the seatstay) :wtf:

Okay, and yeah, sounds like the original shop is giving you the run-around. I'm guessing Trek is going to come through for you, don't forget to mention that you are posting about it here and how many current/former Trek owners have chimed in.

Personally I had excellent luck with Trek warranty service for a problem rear wheel and a cracked frame. Hoping the same luck comes your way!!

Thanks for the support man, I really need it. I was about to break down and cry like a baby having to walk out the door without my baby (bike). :cry:

Next time I talk to him i'll mention that I am posting a "warranty journal" on a bike forum FULL of trek owners. The pressure's on ;)

I explained that to the Trek rep on the phone and that's when he said that if they do take it in for warranty that they'll replace:

- Rear wheel
- Chain
- Rear Derailleur
- Seatstay (I told him does that mean I get a new frame, he said no, they just replace the seatstay) :wtf:

From Sheldon's site - Generally, Freehub ® bodies are not repaired when they fail, because the labor cost of servicing them is often greater than the cost of buying a brand-new body.
This is the same thing my wrench said, when the Freehub fails, not worth repairing just replace. This is your likely source of troubles.

From Sheldon's site -
This is the same thing my wrench said, when the Freehub fails, not worth repairing just replace. This is your likely source of troubles.

Yeah, there's 3 things that should be replaced at the very least... the frame (or seatstay if it's possible to replace it by itself), the rear wheel (hub and all), and the rear derailleur.

Did you look at the chain? Was it broken? Could be that it was put together wrong. I would only deal with Trek and/or the original store you bought it from. Keep all of your pics. Dont take anything apart (might be too late for that)

That's the reason I mentioned that yo should PM Bikedork then wait for his help. You can bet that when I emailed Trek, I mentioned that I post on several forums, rec their bikes to others, listed the rides I do, the friends that ride Treks and I also sent them some pics of us on TREKS.

I even emailed them a link to my issues while it was happening and the good results while promoting their product. Plus I have a few Treks.:D

The bike was completely assembled by Anaheim Hills Bicycles and that's who sold it to me.

I hope Trek comes back to say they will replace the damaged parts.

You understand that doing warranty work costs the shop money. You can't expect Jax to pick up those costs without payment from someone.

You'll just have to deal with the original shop. This was a wrench problem. They assembled the bike,. They need to stand behind the product they sell.

BTW - not certain where threats etc get you (trust me - no bike shop cares about BF or any other forum). Generally just pisses people off. I would stay calm. Offer to work with the shop and the Trek dealer, be flexible and be cordial. You know the old saying about bees and honey...

What the Trek rep needs to do is get involved and you, he and the bike shop need to come up with the cause of the problem. I will ask my mechanic friends and see what they say. If there is a defect in the hub (as suggested), then the shop should have no problem referring the matter back to the hub mfg and asking them to cover the repairs. If it's a problem with the assembly, the shop should step in and make repairs. Not certain where the defect is with the bike, but the Trek rep can tell you that.

Lastly, is it possible you over torqued the bike? Were you standing and grinding up hill or something? Just consider, you are on a clyde forum. Clydes need to watch how they treat their bikes. I have to be especially carefully when I stand and grind. I know I can bust something loose with all my weight and power.

Anyway - ask the shop if they have a loaner bike for you while this is getting sorted out - riding will help clear the head and dissipate the anger. Take this as a learning situation - how to handle warranty issues. I have generally always been very pleased with the result but I was dealing with another manufacturer and a smaller, mom-pop shop.

Just another FYI - one of the first things I would do when you get some money - is replace those wheels. Not certain they are clyde worthy. I know many a much smaller guy who'se broken blades of those wheels (I road on Bontrager Race Lites for years without problems but I know friends who constantly broke spokes).

Last thing and I won't bug you anymore... in looking at your other thread and the bike photos you posted... just a question? Was the chain the proper length for your cassette? Looks short! Could just be because it's cross-chained (high gear in front - low gear in back). Riding the bike that way will cause a deraileur to fail.

You'll just have to deal with the original shop. This was a wrench problem. They assembled the bike,. They need to stand behind the product they sell.

This is probably the case. Work with the TREK rep and if necessary the office of the state attorney general. You are in CA, right? I bet they have pretty strong consumer protection laws.

Lastly, is it possible you over torqued the bike? Were you standing and grinding up hill or something? Just consider, you are on a clyde forum. Clydes need to watch how they treat their bikes. I have to be especially carefully when I stand and grind. I know I can bust something loose with all my weight and power.

I disagree. Did they warn him not to buy the bike? If not, they should replace the bike or refund his money.

I just got off the phone with the Trek rep, he said he is going to do research on the issue but he agrees that this type of problem should NOT happen on a new bike. He's going to call me back later today or tomorrow morning with his findings.



I forgot to mention that when I went back to the original shop they tried to use every excuse against me to squirm out of the warranty work. He first said that I shifted the derailleur into the spokes somehow, but I asked him to show me on a new bike how this would happen and he failed to reproduce his explaination. The second thing he told me is that it was my fault because I transported the bike in my trunk instead of on a bike rack... however I am not stupid enough to leave the bike laying on the side with the derailleur. Then lastly he said that I must have slammed the derailleur against something to bend the dropout which caused this whole issue.

The reason I went to Jax is because they have been incredibly helpful with picking out some upgrades for the bike (they helped me find the right sized seat, they helped me pick out some minor component upgrades, they were helping me research which computer would work best for me). They also helped me adjust the bike to fit me better (seat height, angle, handlebar adjustments, etc.)

The bike was completely assembled by Anaheim Hills Bicycles and that's who sold it to me.

I hope Trek comes back to say they will replace the damaged parts.

A couple of things look about as kosher as a ham and cheese on white bread here.....

First, bending an AL hanger, while common enough, isn't that easy to do, typically the way to do it, is for the bike to fall over on the right side, or in a crash. Placing the bike down on the right side is unlikely to do it, unless one is very, very rough with it. People typically aren't that rough with a $2K bike..... Lots of people transport bikes in trunks and in the backs of trucks and SUVs, without destroying RDs,

What is far more common, is that some 5 buck and hour monkey at the bike shop, was in a hurry during assembly, and didn't set the limit screws properly, as the cable seated it allowed the RD to move further left then it should, and caught a spoke. The difficulty is determining whether the hanger bent before or after the dérailleur committed hari-kari, this will probably never be determined,

Trek will most likely come through as the goodwill generated will be spread to as many potential customers as the bad wil would, and it's not that expensive a deal for them at the scale they operate on. Better to have 100 people hear happy words than 10 to hear bad....

A tactic I have used in the past that could come in handy, if not for this situation specifically then sometime in the future...
If I think I am going to be getting the run-around, as it sounds like you have, I show up on a Saturday afternoon when I am sure the store will be quite busy. I wait until there is a crowd around the register and then go up and ask to speak to a manager because I have not gotten a satisfactory answer and am less than impressed with their customer service. Not the kind of thing they want other customers hearing--especially the ones who have not yet parted with their cash.
I did this at a cellular phone store and was amazed how quickly they found someone who could assist me further in the matter
:bang:

I am not 100% certain from your photo, but is the chain lax between the rear sprocket and crank gear?

This is how my LBS indicated the bracket breaks, and they are designed to do so.

The cassette and freewheel are turn forward (clockwise) (chain side), when you stop pedaling, the lost of forward tension in the chain should stop the rear gear to freewheel. The internals of the freewheel lock up and the torque provided by the wheel drags the chain around from the bottom until the derailleur bends around, snaps or in your case bends the bracket around, and then the damage starts to escalate depending on direction all the parts follow.

If the chain and derailleur could not continue around in an arc, then the chain will twist up and over the top, bending the bracket out and over from the bottom. If it broke then likely the loose parts would stay in the chain path, if it bends more likely into the spokes and and around into the frame.

Regards.

I have not heard back from Trek yet, nor have I gotten a PM from BikeDork so I am sort of playing the waiting game right now. The bike shop supposedly stripped the bike down and boxed up the frame to be picked up by UPS tomorrow en route to Trek. So hopefully i'll have some news tomorrow as to whether Trek will do something about it or decide to shaft me for my money. I will be extremely vocal about it either way (whether it be good or bad). Hopefully Trek decides to do the right thing and make this customer happy.

I am not being unreasonable, I just want my bike working and back in like-new condition. I will be more than happy to incur minimal expense to smoothen the transaction, but if I have to pay for everything I find that to be unfair.

I am not being unreasonable, I just want my bike working and back in like-new condition. I will be more than happy to incur minimal expense to smoothen the transaction, but if I have to pay for everything I find that to be unfair.

If anything, you're being too reasonable! If I were in your shoes, I'd have taken the bike back to the original store first thing and offered them three options: they can take the bike back and refund my money, they can replace the entire bike immediately or I can stand outside their doors and explain to every customer who attempts to enter their business just what I think of the service and support they provide with a $2K purchase...

I disagree. Did they warn him not to buy the bike? If not, they should replace the bike or refund his money.

Sorry but shops seldom warn - if at all - purchasers that they may be too heavy for bikes. Not that I believe they bare no responsbility but as consumers we should be aware that there are weight limits on things.

I have a friend who purchased some expensive wheels. Week after week the stokes popped and he kept getting upset at the shop. I finally printed out the website for the wheels that showed there was a weight limit of 175 lbs for those wheels. He weigh about 225 at the time but the shop wasn't going to offend him by asking his weight.

The 5200 I believe should be OK for the rider's weight but still, if the rider is big, just know that undue stress is based on the frame and components. Anyway I checked with my mechanic buds and they believe it's a wrench error. The shop needs to make good. They recommend you don't assume anything about the shop, stay on top, call every day if necessary.

Just as an FYI, when I was bike shopping last year I called Trek. None of their bikes, components or wheels have weight limits, they told me. In fact when I told them I weighed 350+ and was thinking about a Madone, they said it would be a "great choice" and the wheels are "deceptively strong".

If anything, you're being too reasonable! If I were in your shoes, I'd have taken the bike back to the original store first thing and offered them three options: they can take the bike back and refund my money, they can replace the entire bike immediately or I can stand outside their doors and explain to every customer who attempts to enter their business just what I think of the service and support they provide with a $2K purchase...

After they tried to weasel out of warrantying it I am SURE they will not admit it was their fault it happened. Talking to this guy is like talking to a brick wall, I'm never going to get anywhere with him. That's why I am having Jax send the frame in to Trek.

Sorry but shops seldom warn - if at all - purchasers that they may be too heavy for bikes. Not that I believe they bare no responsbility but as consumers we should be aware that there are weight limits on things.

I have a friend who purchased some expensive wheels. Week after week the stokes popped and he kept getting upset at the shop. I finally printed out the website for the wheels that showed there was a weight limit of 175 lbs for those wheels. He weigh about 225 at the time but the shop wasn't going to offend him by asking his weight.

The 5200 I believe should be OK for the rider's weight but still, if the rider is big, just know that undue stress is based on the frame and components. Anyway I checked with my mechanic buds and they believe it's a wrench error. The shop needs to make good. They recommend you don't assume anything about the shop, stay on top, call every day if necessary.

I asked the shop not once, not twice, but 3 times... is there a weight limit on this bike, I weigh 240lbs. He kept reassuring me that I was WAY under the weight limit if there even was one. But I could not help but have a nagging voice at the back of my head that said "hey fatass, you're gonna break this bike if you buy it". :(

Just as an FYI, when I was bike shopping last year I called Trek. None of their bikes, components or wheels have weight limits, they told me. In fact when I told them I weighed 350+ and was thinking about a Madone, they said it would be a "great choice" and the wheels are "deceptively strong".

That's the same tune Trek sung to me yesterday when I asked them about my weight and riding the Madone.

I have heard the same story from trek dealers about the weight limits on the bikes and wheels...hope you get this resolved to your benefit.