# New bike, broken heart



## minnesnowta55441 (Apr 7, 2011)

I decided to purchase a road bike this spring because I was starting to lose interest in riding around on pavement on my (too small) mountain bike.

After visiting a few bike shops and testing some low-end models (trek 1.1, 1.2), I was nearly ready to pull the trigger until a friend told me about bikesdirect.com. After browsing around for a few minutes, I basically knew I was going to get a bike from them and the reviews of their bikes seemed generally positive. I read the warnings about the company being hard to contact in case something goes wrong, etc, but I figured if I ran into any trouble I wouldn't mind bringing the bike into a LBS and paying to have them fix any minor issues.

Well, I ended up ordering the 2011 Windsor Knight and it arrived yesterday. I gleefully put it together in about an hour and began to inflate the tires for the maiden voyage around the parking lot....except the rear tube had a hole in it. Whatever, quick trip to lbs to get a new tube and in less than an hour I was merrily riding around the parking lot (it was getting dark out) and all seemed well, but I could tell the shifters needed to be adjusted and the front wheel was a little wobbly (was out of true). 

Today I dropped the bike off at a LBS to have them tune up a few things. A few hours after dropping off the bike, they called and said a part was missing. I don't know the technical name for the part, but they described it as the plastic bearing cover on one side of the bottom bracket. Without this bearing cover, the pedals are wobbly and they highly suggested that I don't ride the bike because I could really mess it up.

Just my luck, neither this lbs or another one a few miles away had this part in stock nor did they have a different bottom bracket that would fit on my bike (I was desperate to get the bike ready so I could finally go on a ride!). I sent an email with pictures of the problem to bikesdirect email support, but man, I really am wishing I could speak to someone :sad: 

I hope to hear back tomorrow to see what they can do for me, but until then my $900 bike just sits there waiting to be fixed.

Has anyone had experience with contacting them for support? I really hope this gets resolved soon!

Anyway, here are some pics of the "missing" part (yea, that makes no sense but you know what I mean! The blue-ish ring should be covered by a plastic piece.) :


















And here is a pic of the bike that I wish I could have ridden tonight:


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

You can also PM Mike under his bikesdirect ID.


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## minnesnowta55441 (Apr 7, 2011)

Quick follow-up: I got a response a few minutes ago that the missing part has been shipped out to me. I'm fairly impressed with the quick response time! I'll give a final update once the part arrives and can finally take the bike for a ride.


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## johnny dollar (Jul 21, 2010)

well that was quick.

post up in the Motobecane forum when all's said an done.


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## Kram (Jan 28, 2004)

Nice. Now get your seat level. A tilted seat is a major no-no. Hope you have fun!


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

Glad to hear All's Well That Ends Well. Congrats on the new ride and be sure to post a ride report once you have some miles on her.


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## minnesnowta55441 (Apr 7, 2011)

Thanks for the replies! The part arrived today according to the tracking #, but I am out of town until tomorrow so I have yet to "fix" the bike. I am looking forward to taking it for a spin tomorrow afternoon when I get home!

About the seat: that's the way it came from the factory. I plan on bringing it to a lbs that helped me with figuring out what size bike to get and have them adjust/fix the bike to my size. I haven't ridden the bike for more than two minutes so no adjustments have been made yet.


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

minnesnowta55441 said:


> Thanks for the replies! The part arrived today according to the tracking #, but I am out of town until tomorrow so I have yet to "fix" the bike. I am looking forward to taking it for a spin tomorrow afternoon when I get home!
> 
> About the seat: that's the way it came from the factory. I plan on bringing it to a lbs that helped me with figuring out what size bike to get and have them adjust/fix the bike to my size. I haven't ridden the bike for more than two minutes so no adjustments have been made yet.


Not a bad idea to have expert help, but you can also get a pretty good start on saddle position by yourself. Start with the saddle dead level (use a level) and adjust height and fore aft according to the normal methods like described here: http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-seat/

If it feels great, go for it that way. You can also adjust all three adjustments in tiny increments and just get a feel for what feels best for you. But that should get you riding.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Camilo said:


> Not a bad idea to have expert help, but you can also get a pretty good start on saddle position by yourself. Start with the saddle dead level (use a level) and adjust height and fore aft according to the normal methods like described here: http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-seat/
> 
> If it feels great, go for it that way. You can also adjust all three adjustments in tiny increments and just get a feel for what feels best for you. But that should get you riding.


I would add that some fit 'remedies' being counterintuitive, when going it alone, along with using the internet resources, post here for assistance.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

And here's another one.

What is the deal with people who buy BD bikes and their desire to shoot bikes? Everything is "pull the trigger, pull the trigger"....


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## minnesnowta55441 (Apr 7, 2011)

Well, very upset now. I made it home with an hour to spare until the LBS closed, so I rushed over there with the bearing cover in hand and they installed it...but oops - it's not the right size. When the cranks were tightened, the cranks became hard to turn. They mentioned that it's either the wrong part or it needs a spacer. The rubber ring around the part also broke off - so I'm pretty pissed off. 

I just said f it and ordered a new bottom bracket from the LBS which will be in on Wednesday or Thursday. I have had the bike for almost a week and still have not ridden it and don't want to wait another 4 days for it to "maybe" work (time another replacement part from BD would take to arrive.)

So yea, now I am questioning my decision buying from BD. The bike arrived pretty promptly and the spare part came fairly quickly as well, but the fact it was missing the part to begin with and the wrong spare part was sent out is making me kick myself for not just buying local so I could physically take it somewhere and say "here, this is your problem, fix it."

If the bike had no issues with it to begin with, then I would have nothing bad to say about BD - but since I am going through this crap...:mad2:

edit: picture of the broken part:


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## f3rg (May 11, 2008)

Protip: shoot your friend.


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## Kram (Jan 28, 2004)

*This is why you should never buy a complete bike online*, esp if you aren't experienced in bike mechanics.


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## avalnch33 (Jul 19, 2006)

Just another very good reason not to buy online. There are some shops that if you 'pimp them for knowledge' and buy your bike online and bring it in to them might not be too pleased since they worked with you to get you on the right size bike, tried to educate you on cycling as a whole, and you tossed money at an online shop that doesn't support you or your local cycling community.


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## minnesnowta55441 (Apr 7, 2011)

avalnch33 said:


> Just another very good reason not to buy online. There are some shops that if you 'pimp them for knowledge' and buy your bike online and bring it in to them might not be too pleased since they worked with you to get you on the right size bike, tried to educate you on cycling as a whole, and you tossed money at an online shop that doesn't support you or your local cycling community.


I see what you're saying, but my situation is a little different. The shop that explained things to me wasn't the one I brought this bike into - so there was no case of this lbs having bad feelings towards me. Also, I paid for a tune up and for a new bottom bracket, so they're getting some of my business anyway.

When I was getting fit for the bike at the other LBS, I was intending to buy a bike there as well. Either a trek 1.1 or 1.2, but I also wanted to look around at some other stores to see their selection. That night is when I learned of BD, so I didn't intentionally use the LBS for the knowledge then turn around and buy online.

The point still stands though - if that part wasn't missing, this would be a total non-issue. This has nothing to do with me being a first-time buyer.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

minnesnowta55441 said:


> I see what you're saying, but my situation is a little different. The shop that explained things to me wasn't the one I brought this bike into - so there was no case of this lbs having bad feelings towards me. Also, I paid for a tune up and for a new bottom bracket, so they're getting some of my business anyway.
> 
> When I was getting fit for the bike at the other LBS, I was intending to buy a bike there as well. Either a trek 1.1 or 1.2, but I also wanted to look around at some other stores to see their selection. That night is when I learned of BD, so I didn't intentionally use the LBS for the knowledge then turn around and buy online.
> 
> The point still stands though - if that part wasn't missing, this would be a total non-issue. This has nothing to do with me being a first-time buyer.


Reading through your first two paragraphs, I certainly sympathize with you and agree that intent (to buy at your LBS) matters, but IMO your last two sentences aren't quite right. 

By that I mean, you can't say 'if this didn't happen, or that didn't happen it would be a total non-issue', because there's no test when everything goes right. It's only when things go wrong that a companies customer support is tested. And the very reason many members here advise against buying online is because things can and do go wrong, and when they do there's little or no support mechanism to deal with it. Generally speaking, experienced wrenches would be better able to diagnose and remedy problems, but noobs need the services LBS's provide.

That said, I think this will most likely work out fine for you, and I hope you're happy with your bike.


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## minnesnowta55441 (Apr 7, 2011)

Alright, BD said they confirmed with the manufacturer of the bottom bracket (it's a Truvativ GXP) that they sent the right part - in fact they only have one size seal for non-drive side bearings. I did a bit of research into what might have gone wrong and think it might have been improper installation by the LBS.

From a GXP installation .pdf file I found, it says to tighten the left crank arm onto the BB between 48 to 54 Nm - granted I don't know how tight that is without a torque wrench, but the guy at the LBS was cranking as hard as possible with a regular 8mm allen wrench. I wonder if he tightened it beyond the 54Nm mark which in turn might have broken the seal and caused the pedals to be hard to turn. Hrmph. I may pick up a torque wrench or rent one and do it myself - or at least tell the LBS to torque it somewhere in that range and see how it fits.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

minnesnowta55441 said:


> Alright, BD said they confirmed with the manufacturer of the bottom bracket (it's a Truvativ GXP) that they sent the right part - in fact they only have one size seal for non-drive side bearings. I did a bit of research into what might have gone wrong and think it might have been improper installation by the LBS.
> 
> From a GXP installation .pdf file I found, *it says to tighten the left crank arm onto the BB *between 48 to 54 Nm - granted I don't know how tight that is without a torque wrench, but the guy at the LBS was cranking as hard as possible with a regular 8mm allen wrench. I wonder if he tightened it beyond the 54Nm mark which in turn might have broken the seal and caused the pedals to be hard to turn. Hrmph. I may pick up a torque wrench or rent one and do it myself - or at least tell the LBS to torque it somewhere in that range and see how it fits.


If when tightening, the stresses are placed on the crank arm/ BB spindle, then no, that wouldn't make the pedals hard to turn. If OTOH the stresses were placed _sideways_ (creating excessive bearing load), then yes, it's possible that over tightening would result in excessive drag.

Maybe post the pdf file with text explaining what bolt you're referring to.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

minnesnowta55441 said:


> Alright, BD said they confirmed with the manufacturer of the bottom bracket (it's a Truvativ GXP) that they sent the right part - in fact they only have one size seal for non-drive side bearings. I did a bit of research into what might have gone wrong and think it might have been improper installation by the LBS.
> 
> From a GXP installation .pdf file I found, it says to tighten the left crank arm onto the BB between 48 to 54 Nm - granted I don't know how tight that is without a torque wrench, but the guy at the LBS was cranking as hard as possible with a regular 8mm allen wrench. I wonder if he tightened it beyond the 54Nm mark which in turn might have broken the seal and caused the pedals to be hard to turn. Hrmph. I may pick up a torque wrench or rent one and do it myself - or at least tell the LBS to torque it somewhere in that range and see how it fits.


SRAM/TruVativ cranks can't really be overtightened resulting in binding. There is a stop on the spindle that prevents it. If the crank is binding, the bottom bracket is too wide (needs faced), the cups are installed all of the way, or there's some other issue causing the crank to bind before it's completely tight.


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## minnesnowta55441 (Apr 7, 2011)

PJ352 said:


> Maybe post the pdf file with text explaining what bolt you're referring to.


Here: http://www.sram.com/_media/pdf/truvativ/dealers/TM_MY09_E.pdf

The relevant info is step 8 on page 10.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

minnesnowta55441 said:


> Here: http://www.sram.com/_media/pdf/truvativ/dealers/TM_MY09_E.pdf
> 
> The relevant info is step 8 on page 10.


I couldn't tell much from the instructions and have never assembled that model crankset, so I'll defer to Platy on this one.


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## BostonG (Apr 13, 2010)

Sorry about your experience. I bought form BD for my wife and it was a good experience for me and her. BD customer service was great. We too needed some follow up help and they responded to email concerns quickly and we received the part that was requested quickly (the part did not affect her ability to ride). 

I don't know if I personally would go with them for my bike (I am only a couple seasons into riding but am serious enough to want the support, information, and relationship that a bike shop can give) but I certaily wouldn't tell people not to considering them.


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## minnesnowta55441 (Apr 7, 2011)

Another bearing cap should be arriving in the mail tomorrow and I managed to find a 8mm hex wrench in my toolbox, so I'm going to install it myself (thought I needed a special tool). Last night my gf's Windsor Knight arrived and it wasn't missing any parts, so that's good. 

Since a new BB is on the way for me from my LBS, I decided to play around with the one on my bike. I took off the broken bearing cap and just cranked down the 8mm bolt as tight as I could get it - and it actually "worked". The pedals didn't have any lateral play! Granted, I shouldn't be using it without the bearing cap, but I couldn't resist taking it out for a quick ~2 mile test ride with my gf. Everything seemed smooth!

I would still recommend buying from BD, but take some time to learn some basic bike repair techniques to avoid paying a LBS something that you can do with an allen wrench and 10 minutes of googling. 

I'll update tomorrow if the replacement bearing cap arrives.


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## f3rg (May 11, 2008)

minnesnowta55441 said:


> ...take some time to learn some basic bike repair techniques to avoid paying a LBS something that you can do with an allen wrench and 10 minutes of googling.


YouTube is also a great source of how-to for bike building and maintenance.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

minnesnowta55441 said:


> Another bearing cap should be arriving in the mail tomorrow and I managed to find a 8mm hex wrench in my toolbox, so I'm going to install it myself (thought I needed a special tool). Last night my gf's Windsor Knight arrived and it wasn't missing any parts, so that's good.
> 
> Since a new BB is on the way for me from my LBS, I decided to play around with the one on my bike. I took off the broken bearing cap and just cranked down the 8mm bolt as tight as I could get it - and it actually "worked". The pedals didn't have any lateral play! Granted, I shouldn't be using it without the bearing cap, but I couldn't resist taking it out for a quick ~2 mile test ride with my gf. Everything seemed smooth!
> 
> ...


It's good that you're learning and experimenting, but you might want to be careful how much more you do before you get the correct parts in. You wouldn't want to end up replacing the crankset along with the BB.


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## minnesnowta55441 (Apr 7, 2011)

The bike is now fixed. My LBS got the replacement bottom bracket in yesterday so I had them put it in after work. I also snagged a pair of bike shoes while I was there so I could use the clips. I took it for a ~7 mile ride (it was cold out!) and it seems to be working great! 

I'll just need to watch a few videos on how to adjust the bike so it fits me better and I should be good to go.

Also, BD actually sent me two replacement cups for the bottom bracket that arrived today, so it was overkill that I purchased a new one from the LBS. At least I now have a backup set. 

I'd still recommend BD, but if you do have an issue with your bike, try and educate yourself on what the problem is and be as descriptive as possible when you email them for support. Also, take a few good photographs of the problem. The BD support team responded to both of my emails within a few hours of the next business day.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

minnesnowta55441 said:


> The bike is now fixed.


All's well that ends well, as they say...

Glad it worked out for you. :thumbsup:


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

Too bad that Mr. Bikesdirect guy here on roadbikereview didn't chime in like he always does. Seems he only wants to post when things go right. 

I am a firm believer in the LBS.
Bikesdirect guy, talk to us...what happened?


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