What caused derailleur to fail and what to do now?
08-05-15, 11:17 AM
#26
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Bike is missing basic safety features. No derailleur guard. Bike is not DOT approved. Should not be operated within the continental US.
08-05-15, 03:56 PM
#27
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This is one of the pitfalls of online bike in a box deals. While you can get some pretty good bargains, there is more to setting up a new bike than just bolting on the handlebars and attaching the wheels. I don't recommend bike in a box to anyone who doesn't have experience with basic bike mechanics like adjusting derailleurs, adjusting brakes, greasing hubs, and so on.
Three scenarios come to mine for the original poster's problem. The first is that the derailleur simply wasn't adjusted at the factory. Second, the derailleur or hanger was damaged during shipping. Third that there was a defect in the product.
In addition to the final assembly instructions that come with the bike, the new bike in a box owner should expect to a) inspect absolutely everything for damage when you first open the box and during assembly, b) properly lubricate and adjust shifters/brifters, brakes, and front and rear derailleurs, c) check every factory screw and bolt for proper tightness, check the bottom bracket and headset for proper assembly and tightness, and d) test everything, first on a work stand or improvised work stand, then on a test ride in an area where finding a problem wouldn't result in danger to the rider. Test front and rear brakes separately and together, shift through all the gears, and anything else you can think of. Any quality bike shop will do the same, even disassembling and readjusting things that were set at the factory. The OP did a good job by making the first ride short and close to home.
I'm still waiting to see some enterprising bike wrench start a bike-in-a-box assembly business where they avoid the overhead of inventory by just having BinaB drop shipped to them and then calling the customer when it is assembled and upselling by offering fitting services, accessories, and general repair and maintenance services. It wouldn't be all that much different than the Sears and Montgomery Ward catalog stores that were in every small town in America in the 1960s and 70s.
Spoke protector (aka dork disk) might have helped but is unnecessary on a properly adjusted bike.
Three scenarios come to mine for the original poster's problem. The first is that the derailleur simply wasn't adjusted at the factory. Second, the derailleur or hanger was damaged during shipping. Third that there was a defect in the product.
In addition to the final assembly instructions that come with the bike, the new bike in a box owner should expect to a) inspect absolutely everything for damage when you first open the box and during assembly, b) properly lubricate and adjust shifters/brifters, brakes, and front and rear derailleurs, c) check every factory screw and bolt for proper tightness, check the bottom bracket and headset for proper assembly and tightness, and d) test everything, first on a work stand or improvised work stand, then on a test ride in an area where finding a problem wouldn't result in danger to the rider. Test front and rear brakes separately and together, shift through all the gears, and anything else you can think of. Any quality bike shop will do the same, even disassembling and readjusting things that were set at the factory. The OP did a good job by making the first ride short and close to home.
I'm still waiting to see some enterprising bike wrench start a bike-in-a-box assembly business where they avoid the overhead of inventory by just having BinaB drop shipped to them and then calling the customer when it is assembled and upselling by offering fitting services, accessories, and general repair and maintenance services. It wouldn't be all that much different than the Sears and Montgomery Ward catalog stores that were in every small town in America in the 1960s and 70s.
Spoke protector (aka dork disk) might have helped but is unnecessary on a properly adjusted bike.
08-05-15, 04:46 PM
#28
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Well, that's a bit much. All bikes should be adjusted properly. Adding a spoke protector is a good idea for bikes that are not well maintained.
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08-05-15, 04:54 PM
#29
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