New bike - stem clamp not tightened resulting in catastrophic failure

[Howard]

Client of mine bought a brand new bike (£400ish) from an (unnamed) local chain store - not an LBS.

Couple of rides in the stem clamp drops off, bars with it. Appears not to have been sufficiently tightened. No serious injury, but a long walk home.

I advised that when he takes it back - the bike is now quite damaged - he should be after some serious goodwill. An upgrade to a £1000 bike wouldn't be unreasonable IMHO. If not, a letter to the Chief Exec, naming the manager on duty at the point of sale.

Out of interest, what do you think? What would you do if this happened to you? And how would handle the inevitable confrontation at the store?

 

[david k]

Id ask and expect to be very well looked after. However i wouldnt go over the top, there was no serious injury thankfully. Im sure they didnt do it on purpose. if there reaction is cocky id go full tilt but if they are helpful expect an upgraded bike (maybe no 1k) and a bit of kit and settle for that imo

gud luk

 

[screenman]

Not forgetting that we all contribute in terms of increased prices in today's liability culture. That said I would certainly be writing to the chairman of the company personally, find the name on Google and write chairman's complaint on the envelope and letter, if the company is a PLC this seems to have the desired affect.

 

[4F]

If your friend goes in too arsy then the shop may well question whether your friend was the one who untightened the clamp whilst doing some diy. Whilst out on the ride surely he must have felt some movement in the bars to stop before it got to the stage of the clamp dropping off.

I would approach the shop in a more friendly manner and give them an opportunity in either repairing the bike or replacing it with a like for like offer

 

[Rob3rt]

I agree with 4F, handlebars are one of the parts that are moved to personal preference and setup, so whilst they may have made a mistake, if your friend acts too arsey about it, there is nothing stopping them from arguing in their defense that they tighten everything up using torque wrenches and that your friend must have modified the handlebar possition and not done the bolts up tight again.

Unless the bolts just suddenly sheared, how did he not feel any play in the bars prior to the failure?

 

[funnymummy]

If it had been my first ride on the bike, then i would be kicking up a right stink, but there is the question of how times has it been riden & for how far.? Bolts can work loose, not often but it does happen, unless your friend can prove the blots wern't tightened fully or he hadn't adjusted the stem in any way I think it's abit of a grey area
But i'd still try getting hem to fix/reapir/reaplce the bike for free - Got nothign to loose

 

[Crackle]

It's just come loose, it hasn't stripped threads or anything and parted suddenly. I ask because it would be almost impossible not to notice. It wouldn't be the first time an LBS has failed to set up a bike properly though.

I think your level of compensation is a bit laughable. £400 to £1000 bike. More realistic would be if they gave him a free multi-tool and saddlepack and then next time he wouldn't need to walk home.

 

[Rob3rt]

^^ I was thinking as above, I mean, if it was installed slack, you would notice it flopping about or in the most subtle case, rotating in the clamp. If this is due to poor installation, I'd guess at tightened to tight vs not tight enough.

Agree re. compensation too, £400 - £1k is ridiculous.

 

[Herzog]

Sometimes it's difficult to separate the potential for injury (in this case terrible) and the actual injury (in this case nothing). I think your friend would be lucky to get anything more than a free service.

If he starts getting bolshy, then their line will probably "you were messing around with it" or "it left the shop in perfect working order". Screws do come loose...

Good luck!

 

[mickle]

Stem clamps do not fall off. They just don't. Someone is lying or exaggerating or something has been lost in translation.

If it came loose and some of the componentry was damaged as a result he would reasonably expect the bike to be restored to original condition. Or a refund. Anything more than that is pie in the sky.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

How come your friend did not notice it coming loose? I've had a clamp bolt come loose, it creaked and I could feel the handlebar moving in the clamp. I would understand a failure, snapped bolt or stripped thread but this smells fishy.

 

[Mark_Robson]

I fail to see how a clamp can suddenly fall off?
Most clamps are held in place by four bolts, so the likelihood of them all working loose and the clamp dropping off is remote at best.

 

[Sonofpear]

Yeah I am leaning towards what most people are saying here. You simply would have to feel some sort of movement in the bars before they actually fell off. As for an upgrade to a thousand pound bike, can't see it happening, EVER

 

[deano69]

I would agree not to go in guns blazing as they'll just think another false claimant out for what they can get and at the end of the day its their word agaisnt yours and they'll always state how every bike built is checked and then double checked by a fellow colleague before they go out the door, but on a seroius note it could of been a lot worse and the manager needs to know and would be informed by me exactly what happened and what could of happened as a result of someones friday afternoon build, im fully aware sometimes things get forgotten about or left undone if person is distracted as we are only human but with any vehicle there should be regulations and checks by at least 3 people so nothing dangerous or not checked ever goes out the door.

I would stress how it could of been a lot worse but seek some sort of compensation even if that were to be free services for a certain period or some accessories thrown in just something to make you happier.

I know when I bought my bike the one part built in box had minor scuffs on frame due to the way they were packed so I asked for another box to be opened and again that one was even worse and then a third box also packaging damaged but the first boxed bike was least damaged so accepted that with a discount which they could'nt do due to their sales policy so I said ok I will go elsewhere bye.......half way out the door they called me back and threw in several accessories and extended free services so I went for it but at the end of the day you are the customer and always right so they should come up with a solution that suits you both, as he 'll realise it could of been a legal battle if you had been badly injured of worse still killed

 

[gbb]

Stem clamps do not fall off. They just don't. Someone is lying or exaggerating or something has been lost in translation.

If it came loose and some of the componentry was damaged as a result he would reasonably expect the bike to be restored to original condition. Or a refund. Anything more than that is pie in the sky.

Agree on all points. Bolts that are tightened correctly (assuming they were) dont just come loose. Maybe, just maybe over a long time with vibration etc (and even thats tenuous), but not overnight.

Ideally you'd be looking at repair, replacement and maybe a gesture of goodwill of some kind, but even thats up to the shop in question.