What are my rights here?

[gouldina]

I bought a cross bike in Jan in Halfords in Cardiff (I mainly live in London). A few weeks ago the front derailleur stopped changing and just thereafter, the crank started knocking against the frame. I took it to the nearest bike shop to get it fixed rather than Halfords as it was damaging the frame and I needed to use it. It turned out that the crank bolt was cross-threaded and so the entire spindle was moving around. The shop also noted that the 105 shifters were broken and suggested that might well have been because the lateral movement of the front cogs had pulled the front cable too hard and broken something in the shifter. Interestingly, my brother-in-law bought exactly the same bike and he had a problem with the front shifter after about a week and Halfords in Cardiff replaced it.
I took the bike to Halfords (London) this morning and they were umming and aahing and saying that they didn't think that the shifters were covered under the warranty and they'd get back to me. They were also suggesting that I'd have to take it to the Cardiff branch which I think is completely unreasonable. Do I have a reasonable case here under the Sale of Goods Act that the problem was caused by a fault in the bike or are they going to say I should have taken it to them when I had the problem with the crank bolt and try to wash their hands of it? The reason I didn't take it there incidentally was that it's bloody miles away and I didn't want the bike damaged any more.
Anyone got any ideas?

 

[MacB]

Push it hard, be prepared to cause a scene and let them know it, things should dramatically improve.

 

[PpPete]

If the branch you bought it from won't sort it, then let them know politely, that in your opinion they are in the wrong, but that rather than get in to an argument with them you'll let Trading Standards sort it out.

Bet they change their tune real fast.

Alternatively, Small Claims Court. But get a written statement from the LBS that found all the probs first.

 

[e-rider]

Generally you could go to any Halfords branch as that seems to be their policy.

Your description of the problem sounds a bit mixed up - probably because someone involved doesn't know really what's going on (either the crank arm came loose or the BB came loose - a cross threaded crank bolt wouldn't cause the BB bearings and therefore the BB axle to come loose!
Anyway, it sounds like you have some parts that need replacing so I'd be polite but firm at halfords and I'm sure that they will sort it out sooner or later.

Note: if the crank bolt came loose and you continued to ride until the crank arm came loose and caused damage then this wouldn't be covered by any warranty as checking the crank bolts for tightness comes under general maintenance and is something that needs doing, especially with a new bike. It would be like riding with a flat tyre and claiming for a damaged rim!

 

[gouldina]

Thanks for the advice guys. I await their phone call and am prepared to kick up a right stink - 105 shifters don't come cheap.

 

[scook94]

When my 105 shifter broke, it was replaced (eventually) under warranty.

If it broke that quickly after it was sold (as was the case with mine), the appropriate consumer law states that it was deemed to have been faulty at the time of sale, and therefore the shop must fix/replace it in a timeframe that does not inconvenience the buyer, otherwise you are entitled to a refund.

I'm sure if you google you'll find the right bit of legislation.

 

[e-rider]

Thanks for the advice guys. I await their phone call and am prepared to kick up a right stink - 105 shifters don't come cheap.

...as I said, that's not always the best approach, especially when you are asking for more than they need to give you!

 

[gouldina]

Note: if the crank bolt came loose and you continued to ride until the crank arm came loose and caused damage then this wouldn't be covered by any warranty as checking the crank bolts for tightness comes under general maintenance and is something that needs doing, especially with a new bike. It would be like riding with a flat tyre and claiming for a damaged rim!

The crank bolt wasn't loose. It was extremely tight but cross-threaded so not actually done up properly which is why I didn't spot the problem. This allowed lateral movement - although it wasn't obvious initially because it wasn't exactly rattling around. That's not my fault is it? That's a construction problem.

...as I said, that's not always the best approach, especially when you are asking for more than they need to give you!

Why am I asking for more than they need to give me exactly?

 

[gouldina]

Note also that my b-in-law had _exactly_ the same problem with the shifter (although not the crank) so it may be nothing to do with the crank and everything to do with a faulty batch of shifters. Halfords replaced his with no quibbling.

 

[e-rider]

Well, because you didn't want to go back to Cardiff but wanted to get it fixed in London (like I said they will probably do this)

I don't know what is wrong with the shifter as I haven't seen it, it may well be faulty.

If the BB came loose so you had lateral movement in the chainset so that it started to touch the frame; this would have no link to a cross-threaded crank bolt. You did say that the axle was moving. If the crank came loose as a result of the crank bolt coming loose (because it was cross-threaded) this would the the fault of the bike factory that assembled it, but this wouldn't cause the axle (spindle) to move. And you said that the bolt was very tight; not loose!

You need to know exactly what the problem was. But as I said, if you are polite but firm I'm sure Halfords will sort everything out for you - for free!

 

[gouldina]

Well, because you didn't want to go back to Cardiff but wanted to get it fixed in London (like I said they will probably do this but they don't have to)

I don't know what is wrong with the shifter as I haven't seen it, it may well be faulty.

If the BB came loose so you had lateral movement in the chainset so that it started to touch the frame; this would have no link to a cross-threaded crank bolt. You did say that the axle was moving. If the crank came loose as a result of the crank bolt coming loose (because it was cross-threaded) this would the the fault of the bike factory that assembled it, but this wouldn't cause the axle (spindle) to move.

You need to know exactly what the problem was. But as I said, if you are polite but firm I'm sure Halfords will sort everything out for you - for free!

Well I'm no bike mechanic but before it was fixed, the cranks and chainset could (with some effort which is why it wasn't obvious) be moved from side to side. After replacing the crank bolt this is no longer the case. I was charged for one new crank bolt and a few quid labour by my LBS.

 

[e-rider]

It sounds more like the crank coming loose and not the BB (spindle). Was it the right or left crank?

 

[gouldina]

It sounds more like the crank coming loose and not the BB (spindle). Was it the right or left crank?

The left.

 

[e-rider]

That's interesting. The left crank is usually the one that comes loose on a new bike.

The left crank coming loose in general wouldn't be covered by warranty but the cross-threaded bolt would be.

If the movement wasn't obvious and it took some effort to create the movement I'm amazed that it was damaging the frame - you must have some seriously close clearances between crank and chainstay.

One final point: the lefthand crank coming loose will have absolutely no connection to a dodgy gear shifter.

I've just had a thought though: is it a Hollowtech 2 chainset with integrated BB axle or a normal 3 piece with seperate cranks and BB? Your talk of crank bolts suggests the latter in which case my statements stand.

 

[gouldina]

That's interesting. The left crank is usually the one that comes loose on a new bike.

The left crank coming loose in general wouldn't be covered by warranty but the cross-threaded bolt would be.

If the movement wasn't obvious and it took some effort to create the movement I'm amazed that it was damaging the frame - you must have some seriously close clearances between crank and chainstay.

One final point: the lefthand crank coming loose will have absolutely no connection to a dodgy gear shifter.

I've just had a thought though: is it a Hollowtech 2 chainset with integrated BB axle or a normal 3 piece with seperate cranks and BB? Your talk of crank bolts suggests the latter in which case my statements stand.

It's an FSA Gossamer 34/50T chainset with FSA MegaExo bottom bracket.