New bike, many problems... Is this normal???

[tudor_77]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to ask your opinion on some of the issues I have been having with my new-ish bike.

Back in June I bought a new Giant Defy Composite 2 from the local Giant dealer. Almost immediately I noticed a problem with the seatpost slipping into the frame despite being tightened to the correct torque. Took it back and it turned out to be a faulty seatpost clamp.

No worries, they replaced the clamp and the problem went away.

A couple of weeks later the headset came loose... I mean REALLY loose to the point it was dangerous to ride as it felt so utterly unstable at speed and was making a horrible crunchy creaking sound when riding out of the saddle. Popped it back to the shop and they re-tightened it telling me the 'bearings' had come loose but it was fixed now.

A week or so later I noticed the creaking sound had returned and the ring spacers could be turned by hand quite easily. Took bike back again for its free 6-week service and explained the situation and they said they would take a look at the headset again. When I picked the bike up they told me the headset bearings had come loose again but it was okay now as they had tightened it. But bring it back if it comes loose once more. I felt the ring spacers and they were tight and did not rotate at all.

When riding the bike home that familiar creak started to appear again when riding out of the saddle and by the time I got home the rings could be rotated quite easlily by hand, therefore I am assuming that it is loose again.

Is this normal for a bike to develop so many problems? The faulty seatpost clamp I could live with, a faulty component can easily make it to the production line occasionally and they quickly replaced it without fuss. However, the faulty headset has me worried. I have had to return this bike to get fixed 4 times since buying it about 6 wks ago. I have really lost faith in the bike itself and I keep thinking what else is wrong with it and what else could fail on me when I am 40 miles from home.

What would you do in this situation? I assume if I take the bike back they will just replace the headset but should I accept this? This does not seem normal for a brand new bike. Am I entitled to a refund on the grounds that the bike has had so many problems since buying it? Anyone here had any similar issues?

Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading.

 

[Globalti]

I've never seen it happen but those spacer rings could be rotated if the cap on top of the stem wasn't tightened down adequately and those two pinch bolts at the back of the stem also not tightened enough. The usual routine is to loosen the pinch bolts, tighten the cap down while rocking the bike against the front brake to check for play in the bearings then check that the steering isn't binding, then tighten the two pinch bolts, which hold the whole system together. In theory that top cap then becomes redundant and you could remove it without harming the setup.

If the stem system is coming loose, the bike shop mechanic can't be tightening the pinch and top bolts adequately. If he is tightening them, there's a fault in the system - possibly something is cracked or has become compressed, allowing the bolts to loosen. That you are hearing creaking noises worries me a little and I wonder if somebody has crushed the stem by over-tightening the pinch bolts or splayed it by over-tightening the top bolt, which forces a bung to wedge itself inside the stem.

A loose or broken seatpost clamp is additional evidence that the mechanic is not torquing bolts correctly.

What kind of shop is it? A proper family-owned business with a serious mechanic who takes his time and concentrates on the job? Or is it a bike supermarket staffed by goons who fool around and bodge things? The only answer is to learn how to fix your own bike, which any experienced bike fettler ought to be able to teach you. If you were in my neck of the woods (Lancashire) I'd do it for you and would love to know the name of the shop.

 

[tudor_77]

Cheers for the response, much appreciated.

It is the Giant store in Liverpool. However, to be fair I have bought two Giant Roams from them (the 2013 model and the 2014 model the following year) and they still function as perfectly as the day I bought them. The staff in there are great and always give a great service and are really highly rated by the local cycling community.

The problem almost certainly lies in a fundamental defect in the bike itself ot its components, the seatclamp issue and now the headset constantly coming loose. I am worried what potential issues are lurking elsewhere such as the bottom bracket etc Its to a point where I do not enjoy riding the thing and constantly worry about what is going to go wrong with it.

I know the Giant Defy is very highly rated, is it possible that the Defy Composite has some fundamental design flaw?

I will see what responses and advice I get on here tonight and then go back tomorrow. Really though, having to take a bike back to get fixed 4 times in the first 6 weeks of ownership is far too much. Never had a single problem from either of my other Giants that were half the price of the Defy Comp.

 

[Globalti]

Giant is one of the biggest makes of bikes so they must have got it right. The problem needs proper investigation so you've got to bite the bullet and ask ever-so-politely but firmly to see the manager. Explain your concerns, ask why the bike keeps going wrong and tell him you need a replacement or the thing fixed properly. It doesn't have to be acrimonious, if you stick calmly and politely to your story he will be forced to act. Don't be fobbed off, stick to your guns. The Sale of Goods act says the bike must be fit for purpose and at the moment, yours isn't.

 

[tudor_77]

Indeed, this is what I was thinking. However, do you know if I am entitled to ask for a full refund under such situations or am I only entitled to have the problem fixed or a replacement bike? I didn't buy the bike to keep having to take it back every other week to get fixed and faulty components replaced. I know Giant is a reputable brand so I am assuming this is an isolated incident and just rotten luck on my part. I have never heard anyone complain about the Defy being prone to breaking constantly. Maybe the Comp is not as reliable as the aluminium Defy.

 

[Globalti]

The headset system used on that bike is no different from all the others so it should be just as reliable. As I wrote above, that a major component creaks and works loose is reason for concern and needs proper investigation. By rights you could demand your money back but they might be a little resistant to that. I suggest you state clearly that you want a proper investigation and resolution of the problem or a full refund.

 

[tudor_77]

Cheers Globalti, I will get onto them in the morning over it. Will try for a refund if they cannot resolve the situation although this will be the third time I will have returned the bike over the faulty headset. Knowing very little about the mechanical side of bikes I was worried about being fobbed off with 'oh this is normal, it happens all the time, don't worry about it' or something similar. The sound from the headset is more of a 'crunch' than a creak and I worry that the carbon frame is cracked or being gouged by a wayward component. Not a very re-assuring sound to hear when on a sharp descent thats for sure!!

Thank you for your help!

 

[gbb]

While mine's far from an expert opinion, your experience rings a bell.
Previous bike, Bianchi Via Nirone, full carbon fork..I believe your is a fc fork as well.
When new, I had several attempts to keep the headset tight. I did all the normal stuff, loosen the stem, tighten the topcap, tighten the stem, but days later, it'd be slightly loose again. I perseviered (sp) until I got an alarming cracking sound as I went over bumps. Convinced the carbon was going to catastrophically fail, I went back to my LBS.
No problem, he said, there's a slightly different fix...undid the stem and topcap then firmly 'bumped' the front wheel on the floor and did everything back up. Never was a problem since.
Something to do with the bung thats in there instead of the starnut. I'm a maintenance engineer but still couldnt figure what he did and the logic behind it...but it worked.

 

[Globalti]

If the bolt in the middle of the bung isn't torqued up tight the bung will be loose and won't pull the system together. Maybe he loosened the bolt, bumped the bung free to drop it down a bit then re-tightened?

 

[tudor_77]

Okay, thank you for the responses so far guys, very much appreciated as always.

Another thing I have noticed is that after the first time the headset came loose and the supposedly fixed the problem there seemed to be a gap between the cap and the frame.

Is this normal??? It was not like that when I got the bike new and this is the second time they have supposedly fixed the problem. Obviously I do not know much about the mechanical aspects of bikes but neither of my Giant Roams have this gap and neither did my old Boardman Road Race. Surely it is meant to sit flush with the frame isn't it??

I have noticed that this bike is slow as hell compared to my other bikes too, could this be caused by a faulty headset and poorer power transference??

Sorry for all the questions, just want to be armed with as much technical knowledge as possible before I go in there and possibly get fobbed off.

 

[mrbikerboy73]

I have a 2013 Defy 1 and there is a gap between the cap and the frame so it's quite normal. Unless mine is wrong too but I'm sure it's the way they are meant to be.
A faulty headset would have nothing to do with power transference.

 

[tudor_77]

Okay cheers mrBikerboy73, wasn't sure if it was supposed to be like that or not. I know the Defy alloy is highly regarded and everyone raves about them. I think a good aluminium frame is better than a cheap carbon like with the composite 2 model. It certainly feels sluggish compared to my cheap aluminium Boardman which was half the price. The Comp 2 is a comfortable ride for a Road bike though.

 

[Tom B]

I think new bikes always feel sluggish until everything has freed up after a couple of hundred miles.

 

[ayceejay]

The head set bearings are made by one company to their spec and tolerances which may be different from the frame and so must be seated properly when a new bike is built the top and bottom cups must also be in alignment (there are specialised tools to accomplish this) any discrepancy here and you wil have trouble.

 

[Saluki]

It sounds like you have a 'friday afternoon' bike.
I'd have a chat with the manager and ask them to exchange your bike for another one. Personally, with the problems you've had with that bike, I wouldn't trust it at all and would want another.
Giant's are generally bombproof but there is always going to be the odd one or two that are going to be a bit problematic.