Is this Chain Set Normal?! Photos attached.

[sleuthey]

Hi

My Giant Rincon Arived from Wiggle on Thursday. Took it for a ride and noticed allot of rattling comming from the chainset despite adjusting it several times. Turned it upside down and discovered what you can see in the photos (assuming they uploaded OK).

Its hard to explain but there are 4 cracks in the middle sproket which penetrate from the bottom of the teeth to about 6-7 mm into the metal work. Also some of the teeth on the middle and inside sproket are randomly smaller.

This is a Shimano FC-M 191 24/34/42 crank. WHAT ID LIKE TO KNOW IS, IS THIS NORMAL OR FAULTY? Wiggle promissed to dispatch this in ready to ride order - they didn't because I had to adjust the rear derallier and the front brakes. The white saddle had oily hand marks all over it. Any one else had problems with them? Are they likely to want me to send it back or will they send me replacement parts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Young Un]

even with my limited knowledge i can tell that looks very wrong and faulty, almost looks second hand??

 

[Dayvo]

Given the fact that it's a new bike, and you received it in sub-standard condition, you should return it to wiggle, at their cost, and insist on a new, clean, fully-working and assembled model.
wiggle have always had (AFAIK) a good reputation with regard to products, so hopefully it'll be a straight forward, no-questions-asked swap.

 

[yello]

Nah, that's bollockeds mate. That ring looks as if it should be in the reject bin, if not then entire chainset.There doesn't even appear to be any oil on that chain. It's a complete f*ck up, beginning to end and it's got to go back.

Send them the photos and let us know what they say. I'd be interested. There just can't be any excuse. So many people must have messed up there it's unreal; production, assembly, quality control. I'm stunned to be honest.

 

[mickle]

Woah woah woah! Guys! They're not cracks or manufacturing faults, they're shifting ramps which are deliberately formed in the chainring to assist the chain's movement between rings. The smaller teeth are supposed to be that way too, and are there for the same purpose.

The rattling is probably caused by a slightly maladjusted front mech.

 

[yello]

mickle, take a close look at that 1st picture and tell me that's normal. Imo, that ring is not formed correctly. It looks to have something like casting residues still left on it... or whatever the technical term might be!

 

[mickle]

Everything is normal, that's what the shift-ramps of cheap rings look like up close. Trust me I'm a bike anorak.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Sorry Mickle I'm with yello here. Certainly it's normal for some teeth to be a different shape or size, and the small raised areas on the side of the rings are chain ramps, but those cracks should not be there. That ring could be dangerous. Send the bike back pronto.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

To clarify, my hybrid has a cheapish Shimano chainset and it does look like the rings have been filed by a ten year old metalwork pupil, but it certainly has no cracks or burrs as on that first picture.

 

[mickle]

Sorry Mickle I'm with yello here. Certainly it's normal for some teeth to be a different shape or size, and the small raised areas on the side of the rings are chain ramps, but those cracks should not be there. That ring could be dangerous. Send the bike back pronto.

I beg to differ. Take a look at any '08 Giant Rincon, it'll be exactly the same. Exactly the same because the chainsets all come out of the same machine and are identical, it's not pretty I admit and it's probably not Shi**no who tend to do a better finishing job. But it is absolutely normal. I promise.

Oh, it is Shi**no. Still, theres nothing wrong with it apart from that.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Mickle if you are right, I'd send the bike back as being poor quality anyway!

 

[mickle]

If you rotate the crank precisely 180 degrees there'll be another one exactly the same. Evidence, if it were needed, that they're supposed to be there and designed to be where they are.

 

[yello]

sluethy, I'm no bike mechanic. I do not know. It might be that that is what a new, cheap chainset looks like but it looks very wrong to me! I certainly don't like the look for what seems to be a 'rip'. I'd be interested to see what other forumers think.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

If you rotate the crank precisely 180 degrees there'll be another one exactly the same. Evidence, if it were needed, that they're supposed to be there and designed to be where they are.

As an engineer I think "designed" is giving undue credit

 

[4F]

That 2nd picture seems to have an extended crack. I find it very hard believe that it has been manufactured that way on purpose.