Loose bolts on chain ring

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Tank

New Member
I recently bought a sram chain set from chain reaction to go on my Cannondale caddx.i had this fitted at Edinburgh cycles the chain set has only done about 250miles . I changed from big ring to smaller ring . On ping this the chain came off . On closer inspection i noticed all but on of the bolts had came out. On speaking to the warranty department at chain reaction I was told this was down to bad maintenance not a faulty chain set . Any adiadv welcome
 

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Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
I'd be demanding new bolts from CRC. In half a century of cycling I've only ever lost one chainring bolt and that was on a set that was far from new. Yours were never tightened properly on assembly.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
This does seem to be a common problem with new chain sets and new bikes. I've had this a few times, but not so loose they removed. Thing is you can't prove the bolts were loose to start with unless you checked them when you got delivery. You could get tough with CRC as @Smokin Joe suggests. Wish you luck.
 

midlife

Guru
BITD when fitting a new chainset I'd check the chainrings bolts. I would have expected Edinburgh Cycles to have checked the chainrings bolts.....
 

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
I've never had a chain ring fall off, but the bolts do seem to loosen over time. I apply anti-seize compound to bolts before assembly and have a tool that fits in the nut on the inside that allows bolts to be tightened. Mine is made by Park tools and has slightly different ends so it works with just about any chain ring nut. I think the lube allows for tightness without stripping the bolt. Over the years I've acquired a lot of these bolts and nuts which I keep handy for single speeds, two chain ring and longer applications. In this case I think your bike shop just dropped the ball and have proven themselves somewhat untrustworthy since they won't take responsibility for their work.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
I had a similar annoyance with Merlin Cycles near Leyland from whom I bought some Reba forks. From day one they leaked fork oil from the top of one leg and when after a few months I took them back a ginger beardy bloke snarled rudely at me: "You're supposed to maintain them!" I fitted a rigid carbon eXotic fork in their place, realised I liked it so sold the Rebas once repaired and never bought anything from the rude man again.
 

CXRAndy

Guru
Location
Lincs
Just buy some bolts, before fitting apply blue thread lock to threads. This will ensure bolts remain tight, until you decide to undo them. Take business elsewhere as punishment if company wont supply parts FOC, let them know this
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
My Boardman arrived with a loose chainring bolt (who ever has put it together had stripped the thread on the chainring (SRAM use threaded chainrings on 2x MTB) - That was a new chainring and bolts as I couldn't be bothered waiting for them (bring bike in, we will take a look and order it) and I'd got the bike at a massive discout due to some marks on it). Far quicker to order the parts for next day delivery.

It happens. Just occasionally check.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
On closer inspection i noticed all but on of the bolts had came out. On speaking to the warranty department at chain reaction I was told this was down to bad maintenance not a faulty chain set . Any adiadv welcome
I would just get on and buy a set of bolts/nuts, use threadlock and get riding. No point in arguing the toss as the 'fault' is divided three ways in indeterminate portions: chainset supplier (should be sold with bolts/nuts secure), chainset installer (should check the bolts/nuts during installation) and the OP.
Even if the ringbolts were not checked before the ride - and I would guess that (like me) the vast majority don't - the OP ought to have recognised a bit earlier in the ride that 'something was a bit funny' with the rings - which is what alerted me to 4 of my 5 bolts coming loose (mercifully not lost) 50k into a 200 this autumn.
 
I've had this happen once just after I got my bent trike back after a major service.
No idea if the chainrings got taken off during the service but I see no reason why they would have been.
But they had done around 15k miles without trouble before the service.
Just put it down to experience and didn't even mention it to where the trike got serviced, just got a new set of bolts and some locktight.
 
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