Eric F 

I'm curious about this ^^^. How did the brake lever coming loose make the front brake stop working? Did the brake lock up? Did the brake lever just twist around the bar, or did it also slip down?

I'm also curious about this...How much experience do you have working on bicycles?

I can see that someone new to cycling might not have the knowledge to do simple field repairs in order to be able to continue riding after a mechanical issue. I can also see that someone new to cycling might not be familiar with the steps a bike goes through from manufacturing to customer delivery, and might make some incorrect assumptions when confronted with issues.

wheelreason

"Sunk on her maiden voyage"...

Eric F 

As has been previously mentioned in this thread...On bikes with internal cable routing like yours, cable rub is pretty typical. This is not a design flaw specific to Salsa. It's a side-effect of the internal routing configuration that is prevalent with modern bikes. You have been provided with factual info on why no protection has been applied to your frame by the manufacturer.

urbanknight

I guess that depends on how loose the lever ended up being, but I can't imagine it went from firmly supporting the rider's hand to completely inoperable in just a few seconds.

mr,grumpy 

Yes, it slipped down and hen rotated. Why or how this effected the front brake, I don't really know. It stays "messed up" even when I returned the lever to the "normal' position. I have a lot of experience working on bikes in general, disc break bikes? Not so much. I had zero intention of taking a tool to a two hour old bike in any event. I didn't want to do ANYTHING that might void the warrantee or cause any problems in the speedy resolution of the issue. The shop too care of me immediately and professionally. It's been fine since.

Atlas Shrugged

Does this just apply to tightening the brake lever or are you also including the application of a small protective pad where the cables were rubbing?

Eric F 

Messed up, in what way...Locked up? Dragging a little? Was the bike unrideable, or did you just not want to ride it since it wasn't perfect?

tomato coupe

Bike companies used to put those little protective pads on all their bikes, but they learned to leave them off, so that they could deny warranty claims when owners put them on themselves.

urbanknight

If adjusting a fastener was all it took to void a warranty, there would be no point in offering warrantees.

Camilo

I haven't ridden my 1X very much yet, so am withholding final judgement. My "gravel" riding tends more towards the "rough road" style end of the continuum, as opposed to some gravel riders who tend more towards the "MTB-lite" end. Therefore, the gearing I like and need is more like road gearing and so far, I'm missing a bit on both ends compared to my 2X gravel ride. It is about 1/2 gear missing the low end (easily rectified with a new cassette though) and at least one or two on the high end. This is not so easily rectified: a larger chain wheel would have to be significantly bigger which would in turn exacerbate the low issue. We'll see if I truly miss the high gears that are lacking. I do like the simplicity, but otoh, I've never had a problem with tuning and shifting 2X.

That's exactly what I've never liked very much about Shimano shifters - the long brake lever shift throw. It just doesn't work for me with the soreness I have in my wrists and elbows due to age and injuries. Sram and, now I've found Microshift, suit me much better, less motion in the joints that cause some pain. Just a preference, but I'm glad I took the plunge to try Microshift. It is a good option for me in addition to Sram.

Maelochs

Word of warning---Microshift levers will move if you don't tighten them enough ...... which sets one down the dangerously slippery slope of a BiekForum rant. Be warned .... you could slide a long way .... or even reveal where one started.

rsbob 

If you lie about something small…you may get an almost 200 responses to your thread.

shelbyfv

Kudos for recognizing your limitations.

dedhed

I expect to take tools to a 2 hour old bike to make adjustments to fit my riding preferences.

pdlamb

Two hours?? I usually don't make it five minutes before I decide the saddle is too high or too low.

Eric F 

Yep. Saddle height, tilt, fore/aft position. Handlebar rotation. Stem height (moving spacers). That's at least 9 different bolts.

genejockey 

Grossly, yes, but the more subtle adjustments take longer. "This saddle is 2 cm too high" is easy. "This saddle is 3mm so low" is tougher.

genejockey 

All requiring a torque wrench. Well, maybe not the saddle tilt and fore/aft, unless you're running carbon rails.

Camilo

I have a multi tool in a saddle bag on every bike, every ride. If I think I will need to adjust a torque-sensitive bolt (like early in a new bike's life, or something else new), I'll take a torque key and bits, since most of them are within a reasonable +/- of that.

Eric F 

I feel confident that I've been twisting bike bolts long enough to have a feel for "about right" without needing a torque wrench when I'm out in the field. Everything I messed with gets double-checked in my shop with a proper torque wrench. I understand that other folks might not have the same confidence.

Black wallnut 

But you are so missing the opportunity to rant on Bike forums about a soulless company lying... and shirking responsibility for a fastener that the LBS failed to tighten per their obligations under the dealer contract.

Eric F 

I'm okay with missing that opportunity. I have other ways to put my ignorance on display.

AdventureManCO 

Sounds like the Huffy protected you in both cases (regardless of its involvement in potentially creating the issue it protected you from)

LV2TNDM

They're kinda right. Not totally, but they have a point.

I get the feeling that this bicycle was not properly test-ridden after assembly. Any mechanic and shop worth their salt has a mandatory test-ride policy. You do it to TEST the bike to find any issues or errors in the assembly and final adjustment. They failed on two counts: to catch the loose brake lever and then to catch it during the test ride. That's QA/QC 101 in bicycle retail.

PS You're also making an assumption here: that the mechanic never touched the brake levers during assembly. It's very possible the mechanic DID loosen the brake lever and simply forgot to tighten it. Preferred brake lever position varies from person to person and shop to shop. (Aside: a middle school coach moved my kid's brake levers after I SET THEM UP PROPERLY. Annoyed me for him to be so arrogant.) The shop may indeed prefer a certain brake lever position that's different from how it comes from the factory. Another variable to add to the discussion.

This is why shops have, in addition the mandatory test rides, another golden rule: All the way on, or all the way off!

You NEVER leave something loose to answer the phone, take a break, or help a customer. You either TIGHTEN it properly, or remove it before you walk away. Failure to do this can injure or kill. Good shops follow this rule without exception.

smd4

How many bike shops have you wrenched in?

Arrogant? Some people, huh? If brake lever position varies by person to person, how do you know you had THEM SET UP "PROPERLY?" How do you know the coach didn't know more about proper setup than you do?

I ask again: How many shops have you wrenched in?