Just bought a brand new 14" wheel Raleigh kids bike - all boxed up from Go Outdoors. Put it together this week, and couldn't believe how overtightened everything was. Bottom bracket and wheel hubs could barely turn without grinding, catching and generally running rough as a dog.
How can they sell a bike like this? It took me ten minutes to even get the cones loose on the hubs, they were that tight. Fortunately I know a bit about getting a bike to run smoother, but I imagine the vast majority of parents would be none the wiser and would have no idea that all their kids' pedalling effort was doing little more than grinding the bearings into dust.
Or am I just oversensitive to these things after spending hours sorting out the smooth running of my own bikes? All I know is that I wouldn't dream of riding a bike running as rough as that, so I shouldn't expect my 4 year-old son to.
Anyone else had this with a new bike, or was I just unlucky in getting the one that the factory work experience kid with an oversized monkey wrench was let loose on?
Pay peanuts, get monkeys, or in your case a Raleigh.
When I was a kid, everyone had a Raleigh cos they were the best. Times change I suppose!
Tighten them up again and call it training for the 2024 Olympics!
Islabikes. 🙂
I know what you mean though. My lads school have a fleet of bikes that they use to teach the kids to ride on. (Yes, they actually teach them to ride, & stabilisers are banned), anyhow I got roped in through the PTA to help look after the fleet. Most of them just needed proper setting up. Kids don't mind a wobbly bearing or two if its half the effort to get it moving. Bloody things weigh almost as much as they do to start off with.
muzzle
How can they sell a bike like this?
Because most parents balk at the idea of paying £200 for a decent kids bike and believe tescos is a perfectly reasonable place to buy a bike.
Or am I just oversensitive to these things after spending hours sorting out the smooth running of my own bikes
No, you're not. It'll be be dung. Sorry. Oh and good luck getting parts for it. Sorry.
You wouldt believe how many bikes are like this from box
One of the benifits of supporting your lbs is you "should" get a pro
perly built bike .....