Axiom

I bought a brand new Trek 7.2 FX from my local licensed Trek dealer about two months ago. I asked the guy if the rims would handle my weight (was 320, I am now 289) and he told me that they are double walled rims so I shouldn't have a problem. The rim has bent twice, and a few spokes have broken quite a few times. I also experience a weird clicking noise and my chain makes a popping noise when I go uphill. They maintenance your bike and fix any problem you have for free three times, and after that it will cost you money.

This will be my third time, and I am not going to pay to have something fixed because the bike has problems that weren't caused by me. I have used them before and the mechanics that work on the bikes always do a great job, so I am not sure if it is their fault or because the bike had problems since the beginning. I kind of think it's the model of the bike and the entry level components causing the problem. Other than that, I really like the bike, except for the uncomfortable seat.

What should I do? I will also point out that I ride on a smooth concrete trail, and I stand up when I go over a bump when I encounter one, so it's not the way I treat the bike that causes the problem.

Also, are the Bontrager comfort saddles worth the $45 asking price?

Mr. Beanz

I for one am one of the guys that says the low end stock wheels and bikes aren't right for the big guys. Sometimes you gotta listen to your clyde buddies and not the guys trying to make a sale.

Either way, you need to spend money for a good wheel. Maybe $300 which most guys interested in low end bikes aren't willing to spend. Fighting with a stock low end wheel is a waste of time and nothing but heartache.

The chain popping could be something as simple as derailleur adjustment or a stiff link. Take a look at a do it yourself repair site or have a friend help you. It's actually very easy. I do it myself and won't let a shop mechanic touch my bikes.

Axiom

$300 for a wheel set o.O?

I went to another LBS and they said I should get "BFR's" and from I hear, they are huge. I would LIKE the same size rim that can handle my weight, and not a 700c+ size rim.

Neil_B

Bent rims? Sounds like either abuse or defective wheels. Make the shop replace them. Not repair, replace.

1nterceptor

Maybe you should contact Trek directly,
just explain the situation and maybe they can help.
Perhaps give them a link to this thread

Sixty Fiver

The guy that sold you the bike gave you incorrect information at the time of purchase in that the stock wheels on the 7.2 are not rated for a rider who was 320lbs or 289 lbs (awesome btw).

I am a runt but build wheels for extreme use... tandems, touring bikes, and for folks who often hit the curb at twice my weight (or more) and it is well worth it to get wheels that are built for the job they need to do.

Talk to your dealer about the information you received at purchase... they should be replacing your wheels or putting the value of the stock wheel set toward an upgraded set of wheels for you.

Trek tends to be pretty good about these things btw.

Sixty Fiver

This is not a bad price for decent wheels... I built a set for a guy who is 6'6 and 360 pounds who can't un-weight the saddle because of an upper body disability so his bike and wheels need to take every hit full on.

Built them at cost and the parts came to $500.00 for wheels you could run on a tandem with no issues.

Axiom

Do you think I could get some sort of discount for the incorrect information that the sales person provided?

recumbenttoad

Several years ago I bought a Schwinn Frontier mountain bike as a backup commuter. It was an entry level bike and I ended up commuting on it quite a bit. I broke a couple of rear spokes, fixed them myself and went on my way. I am a heavy rider, too, and I just don't seem to have the problems that I keep reading about with other riders my weight. A broken spoke here or there, but never a bent rim or stripped crankset or whatever else I keep reading about. I've always told people that I ride lighter than what I am, so, maybe that's it. I avoid rough spots, potholes, etc., and get up off of the seat if I can't avoid something. I used to do a 30 mile round trip commute at close to your weight and never had any issues. Maybe the bike just isn't getting checked out like it should be.

socalrider

here is a nice set of wheels, you need to make sure your bike supports 135mm spacing.. Dyads - 36 hole.. Good ebay seller.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Velocity-Dya...item2ebb2b9bed

nymtber

Get some handbuilt wheels. Velocity Deep-V rims, Ultegra hubs, Wheelsmith/DT Swiss/Sapim spokes and brass nipples.

Never worry about it again.

That is my opinion

Sixty Fiver

Technique does play a role in how much abuse your wheels take... my wife is not petite and after thyroid surgery she lost some strength in one shoulder so cannot un-weight her saddle easily (and this is still a skill that takes practice).

She rides a heavy city bike and is usually carrying a good amount of gear and she rides on some very decent 26 inch wheels on an IGH hub which is 0 dish which also adds some extra stiffness and strength to a wheel and the higher volume tyres also smooth out the ride for her.

I also know lightweight riders who pummel their wheels as they have not developed the skill of riding light and being able to smoothly un-weight and post over bumps and when you stay connected to the saddle all your weight is coming down on the rear wheel which tends to suffer the most problems.

For bigger riders the front wheel should also be stronger as there are higher stresses on the wheel during braking and while negotiating rougher terrain.

Do you think I could get some sort of discount for the incorrect information that the sales person provided?

I think this should be one of the primary complaints in that the salesperson was uninformed and gave you information that was not correct in regard to the capacity of the wheels which are usually pretty decent at that price point.

It goes beyond having double walled rims... the build quality of the wheel needs to be first rate and many off the peg bikes do not come with hand tuned / well checked wheels.

Sixty Fiver

Excellent suggestion.

We built up a similar set for my father in law's road bike as he wanted to get back into riding to lose weight and get in better shape... he has been riding his deep V's for two years and they have never needed to see a spoke wrench.

He is almost two of me and is often mistaken for a slightly fitter version of Santa Claus which is a good reason for me to treat his daughter right and make sure he has some great wheels under his bike...

Drew Eckhardt 

There are oodles of 700C (622mm bead diameter) rims. Some 400g box section examples work fine for 145 pound riders and bend easily at 200 pounds. Many 500-600 gram rims are fine under 350+ pound tandem teams.

Velocity Deep V, Velocity Chukkers, DT RR585 rims should all be fine.

The other side of this is spokes. They fail due to fatigue from repeated flexing. The number of cycles survived is a function of average stress and the variation, with up to 65% of your xxx pounds reducing and increasing tension about 750 times a mile as a spoke goes by the bottom of the wheel.

Where the spokes are at sufficient tension to stay straight, the average can be high because there were pieces of the elbows that weren't bent far enough to take a set so they retain high residual stress from the forming operation.

Where the spokes are too loose they can flex like paper clips and break from higher.

Both situations can be fixed with a competent wheel builder's attention.

jethro56 

I have a Trek 7300 and in 2500 miles I've had one spoke break period. If I remember correctly. Trek (lawyers) rates their bikes MTB bikes at 300 and road bikes at 275 so your weight shouldn't be a problem. I think you have a quality control problem that Trek would stand behind. Now if you had a few thousand miles I'd think low end issues.

Trek seats.... Take a pass. Brooks B17

Axiom

I'm going to visit the bike shop today and post any new information when I can. Thanks for all of the help :-)

thefunnyman

I recently had very similar issues with a Trek 7.1 fx. Here's my thread which looks very similar to yours.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...es-and-my-LBS.

Also, I am a similar weight....The Camino wheel that trek sent to replace mine seems to be holding up so far, just call Trek directly (they'll still make you work with the shop) and they'll help you out!

HTH.

**EDIT**
After doing some reading, it appears the Camino rim is an OEM part from the Trek 7.3 FX, so they upgraded me a decent bit at no charge.

SortaGrey

EXACTLY.

Dunno if I'd wave this thread link in their face though.. just be polite, firm and consistent. Email first.. then call if no one replies. Give them a few days though.

This breed of LBS sales boys.. I just LMFAO. Usually young and clueless.. and only $$ motivated. Occasionally I drop into them and see what kinda story they'll spin as I look over new bikes.. then I spring the knowledgeable hard Q's. Only the most naive types will hold onto those lies..............

IF.. you get the point of getting new handbuilt wheels.. make sure to get them from an experienced builder who DOES wheels for the heavy loads. Around half or more.. of the 'builders' are just LBS kids who migrated into building by default.

contango 

I don't know the law in your area but if they sold you a bike that clearly wouldn't take your weight (and assuming you were open about your weight, so they couldn't hide behind fluffy excuses like "I didn't realise the rider was so heavy" and "S/he carries the weight so well I had no idea" and "I didn't want to tell the customer they were fat") then they have sold something that clearly isn't fit for purpose.

Depending on your local laws that might be something you're supposed to know even if the salesman tells an outright lie, it might be something that the shop has a high degree of responsibility to get right even if you get everything wrong.

At the very least I'd hope they would give you the full value of the unsuitable wheels towards a new set, although if it were a legally valid option I'd be looking to give them the whole bike back for a full refund (not a partial refund) so I could buy something better elsewhere. You already know the rims won't take your weight and from what you've described of the popping sound it's possible something else has failed as well.

If the bike shop isn't interested talk to Trek directly. I'd hope they would be interested to know if their name is being discredited by one of their dealers selling bikes that aren't suitable for the rider.

SortaGrey

Possibly.. the person that should review this thread/complaint first is the origin LBS owner... ?

https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...2+FX&Type=bike

This is your bike I assume?

32 hole is definitely marginal via a machine built wheel for your weight level. No experience with Bontrager wheels..

At that purchase price/price level.. what in the opinion of those viewing is Trek's responsibility? After all.. the LBS sold the bike deceptively.. IMO. Seems to me that local shop are the ones on the hook.........

Neil_B

Sorry, when did Trek rims not hold weight? I've ridden my Trek 7.5 since 2007 and the only wheel problems I've had have been spokes after a LOT of use, and then with replacement wheels. (I'm around the OP's weight.) The stock wheels were fine. He's had two bent rims, for goodness sake! That's either abuse or a manufacturer's defect.

SortaGrey

Good points Neil.

Bontrager rims the data sheet sez.. again I have no idea of their design. Most all bikes are just foreign manufacture sold by marketing companies with US name plates from the past... to say the obvious. But a Trek product it is. Could be a set with poor joints.. who knows.

'Bent' to some is lateral wobble to others. Usually new riders relate problems in a different sense than more experienced riders I find. Frankly the last machine built bike/set I bought.. albeit very lightly used 36H.. performed perfect. Yet.. walking around a few bikes shops checking tensions I find a few well off the mark.. some way too loose. Which is where the problems start. The machine musta had a bad hair day...

In the end.. putting this rider on those wheels is definitely a grey area.. being charitable. Thing is.. to move on.. get any help from the origin LBS one can.. get some strong ones under him.. and them RIDE<<

subzeroLV

Maybe I'm a lucky one. I have a 2010 Trek 7.2 and have never had a single issue. I'm not far off the OP's weight either. At my heaviest, I was 254 ( down to about 240 now).

I liked my 7.2 so much, that I just went and got a 1.2 as an entry level road bike. Even those skinny little 23's don't have a problem holding me.

chefisaac

I ended up going with a 36 spoke rim and heavy DT spokes. The stock tires for my commuter (happened to my road bike too but it took a long time to happen) broke a lot. I know it was my weight for sure.

magohn

+1. I have a 2010 Trek Fx 7.3. Close to 1000 miles on the bike and never even had a spoke go bad. All stock except for the saddle - I switched to a B17. Im at 285lbs but do ride "defensively". I avoid pot holes, kerbs and generally anything that might invite my head to prematurely meet the pavement.