rear dérailleur gobbled up into the wheel
07-01-09, 06:38 AM
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rear dérailleur gobbled up into the wheel
I had a very large custom steel Audax made for me three years ago. It
has been a constant joy to ride.
But a problem has developed, and I ask for your advice.
One of the gear cables snapped (they had been replaced 18 moths
previously). I took it to a local bike shop (not in my home town).
Less that 50 miles after the service, yesterday, I was climbing a steep
hill a mile from home (do it often) and the rear dérailleur was gobbled
up into the rear wheel. Back to bike shop. I watch the man use a special
tool to bend the dropout back into lateral alignment, but the slot had
been torn open. He said that would require "a more agricultural
approach". I left the shop.
Today he phoned me and says he has it all back together, and it works,
but he has had to fit a new 105 dérailleur. He reports one of the holes
in the dropout is "egg shaped" and recommends I contact the frame
builder.
I asked him why it happened less that 50 miles after service. He said
he didn't know . . .
I am not free to collect the bike till Saturday, but we could get into a
dispute about payment and responsibility.
I have emailed the frame bulder, but he is a small one man business,
and may not be about for a few days.
How do I stand with the bike shop? I purposefully did not ask them about payment or responsibility. I should like to be reasonable, but not a pushover. The frame new is worth £800? And the repair as yet unknown. The down time too is a big irritation when the weather is so good. My second bike is no fun after riding the custom Audax.
has been a constant joy to ride.
But a problem has developed, and I ask for your advice.
One of the gear cables snapped (they had been replaced 18 moths
previously). I took it to a local bike shop (not in my home town).
Less that 50 miles after the service, yesterday, I was climbing a steep
hill a mile from home (do it often) and the rear dérailleur was gobbled
up into the rear wheel. Back to bike shop. I watch the man use a special
tool to bend the dropout back into lateral alignment, but the slot had
been torn open. He said that would require "a more agricultural
approach". I left the shop.
Today he phoned me and says he has it all back together, and it works,
but he has had to fit a new 105 dérailleur. He reports one of the holes
in the dropout is "egg shaped" and recommends I contact the frame
builder.
I asked him why it happened less that 50 miles after service. He said
he didn't know . . .
I am not free to collect the bike till Saturday, but we could get into a
dispute about payment and responsibility.
I have emailed the frame bulder, but he is a small one man business,
and may not be about for a few days.
How do I stand with the bike shop? I purposefully did not ask them about payment or responsibility. I should like to be reasonable, but not a pushover. The frame new is worth £800? And the repair as yet unknown. The down time too is a big irritation when the weather is so good. My second bike is no fun after riding the custom Audax.
07-01-09, 07:03 AM
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I can think of a couple of things that could cause your RD to get jammed into your wheel.
But first, my condolences. I am sure everything will get straightened out in the end, but that is a very frustrating thing to happen - esp. in the heart of riding season.
The two things that can cause your derailleur to hit the spokes are maladjusted limit screws, and a bent derailleur hanger.
For adjustment, either the screws went out of adjustment themselves (unlikely but not impossible) or they were improperly adjusted during service... but if a client enters a bike shop and just needs a replacement cable on an otherwise properly working bike, there is usually no need to adjust the limit screws.
The derailleur hanger on modern bikes is a major weak point, and if it gets knocked against something - during a crash or being put into a car or during shipping - it will bend, usually toward the wheel and makes it possible to contact and get the RD jammed into the spokes.
It is impossible to say which of these scenarios applies to you.
I personally don't think you can prove negligence or incompetence by the shop.
But first, my condolences. I am sure everything will get straightened out in the end, but that is a very frustrating thing to happen - esp. in the heart of riding season.
The two things that can cause your derailleur to hit the spokes are maladjusted limit screws, and a bent derailleur hanger.
For adjustment, either the screws went out of adjustment themselves (unlikely but not impossible) or they were improperly adjusted during service... but if a client enters a bike shop and just needs a replacement cable on an otherwise properly working bike, there is usually no need to adjust the limit screws.
The derailleur hanger on modern bikes is a major weak point, and if it gets knocked against something - during a crash or being put into a car or during shipping - it will bend, usually toward the wheel and makes it possible to contact and get the RD jammed into the spokes.
It is impossible to say which of these scenarios applies to you.
I personally don't think you can prove negligence or incompetence by the shop.
07-01-09, 07:12 AM
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I agree with Lardass. All the shop fellow has to say is "I didn't touch the limit screws". You can't prove that he did. One more reason for "trust no-one; do everything yourself".
07-01-09, 08:54 AM
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Yes - the shop caused this, and that shop should pay for any and all damages. The tool they used to straighten the hanger is called a 'derailleur-alignment gauge.' The cause of your derailleur going into the wheel is called 'general incompetence.'
07-01-09, 08:55 AM
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That's one unfortunate situation...
It does seem possible that your bike shop misadjusted the low limit screw. Ask them about it openly.
Well, if this proves one thing, it's that Dork Discs have a use after all.
It does seem possible that your bike shop misadjusted the low limit screw. Ask them about it openly.
Well, if this proves one thing, it's that Dork Discs have a use after all.
07-01-09, 07:56 PM
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ello
this might be revamping an old thread, but. when you ride far from home on a geared bike, always remember a chain tool to single speed your bike incase you have any derailer problems
07-01-09, 08:03 PM
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A tight link in the chain can cause this. If a tight link fails to pass through the derailleur it can bend and twist the derailleur into the spokes and can also damage the chainstays and/or the seatstays. It happened to a friend of mine on a new bike with a dry chain that had been cleaned with a power washer. The frame had to go back to the manufacturer for repairs.
Al
Al
07-01-09, 11:39 PM
#8
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Had the hanger or dropout been bent he most likely would have had indexing problems throughout the range of his cassette.
While there is likely no need for the shop to change the limit screws when just replacing the cable if they are adjusted properly there is no telling whether the limit screws were actually adjusted properly to begin with and the shop assumed they did not need to touch them and didn't.
It would be very hard to prove legally that the shop caused the damage by improperly adjusting the low limit screw. What may be easier to prove is that the damage was caused by the shops negligence in not adjusting the screw as replacing the cable should include a full functionality check of the derailleur which should include hi and low limit adjustment. Should you ask the shop if they checked the hi/low limit adjustment when servicing the cable and they reply "no", then they could be considered negligent.
Although I hate US tort law, you can threaten to sue them if they do not accept responsibility...covering the cost of the damage may be more beneficial to the shop than incurring the legal expense of fighting a lawsuit. God do I hate US tort law.
-j
While there is likely no need for the shop to change the limit screws when just replacing the cable if they are adjusted properly there is no telling whether the limit screws were actually adjusted properly to begin with and the shop assumed they did not need to touch them and didn't.
It would be very hard to prove legally that the shop caused the damage by improperly adjusting the low limit screw. What may be easier to prove is that the damage was caused by the shops negligence in not adjusting the screw as replacing the cable should include a full functionality check of the derailleur which should include hi and low limit adjustment. Should you ask the shop if they checked the hi/low limit adjustment when servicing the cable and they reply "no", then they could be considered negligent.
Although I hate US tort law, you can threaten to sue them if they do not accept responsibility...covering the cost of the damage may be more beneficial to the shop than incurring the legal expense of fighting a lawsuit. God do I hate US tort law.
-j
