I recently decided to splash out and get my bike fully serviced (inc forks and shock etc) by my local bike shop. Normally this is something I do myself but my bike never feels quite ‘tip top’ and I thought getting the pros to do it would probably be a good shout. Turns out it wasn’t.

First off I get the bike back and it keeps dropping on the middle ring on my first ride out of the shop. To be fair to them I took it back and they tinkered with it and sorted that out immediately.

However, I then took the bike up to the Lakes for the weekend and my crank fell off mid-ride. Upon close inspection it looks like when they replaced the bottom bracket they failed to tighten up the left hand crank bolts (it’s an external BB).

If you were the customer what would you expect the bike shop to do about this? And if you were a bike shop what would you offer to do to try and rebuild my trust in your ability to safely service bikes?

I’d put the crank on and offer you free admission to a fix your own bike class.

What damage did it cause?

If you were the customer what would you expect the bike shop to do about this?

What damage did it cause that you need reimbursed for?

Also, did you not notice that your crank arm was wobbling all over the place prior to falling off?

And if you were a bike shop what would you offer to do to try and rebuild my trust in your ability to safely service bikes?

10% off your next gold service

Take it easy guys, you’re coming across a bit cranky.

Also, did you not notice that your crank arm was wobbling all over the place prior to falling off?

I had my first generation MKI Saint cranks from when they first came out (2004?) right upto 3yrs ago. The none driveside crank arm fell off on an easy climb. The spindle/spline etc had worn over the years so had worked itself lose fairly quickly.

To keep it from loosening again I had to really torque everything to death.

So I’d say you can get little warning- especially if you are descending etc over rought ground.

IF no damage- I’d tell the shop and wouldn’t trust them with my bike again. My mechanical build/skills have only ever failed me on one ride and I wouldn’t trust anyone but me to touch my bike.

Just send them a nice email

“just to let you know…”

Things sometimes wriggle loose even after a service.
Bikes really aren’t that complicated and there are hundreds of helpful videos on youtube.

No damage caused as I was going up hill. Slowly. And no, weirdly I didn’t notice a warning wobble. Was as surprised as you are ‘legend’.

I guess it’s more the fact that I could have hurt myself it happened 5 mins later when going down a rocky lakes descent.

Worth saying that I am vaguely capable of sorting my own bike out and usually do but given I’m not a pro (and never will be as good as a bike shop should be)I thought it might be nice for a change to get my bike really nicely set up

Sorry, should also say I did obviously get the crank back on myself and completed the ride… I recognise it’s not that complex, but do I now trust that my forks have been correctly serviced etc etc…

Are you lot all lbs owners?
I’d be bloody livid. I can tackle most stuff on my bike but sometimes you haven’t the time or like the op you feel maybe it could be done a little better by someone who does it day in day out. To have something fail which is pretty basic and which might well have damaged the splines on the crank I’d be pretty p1ssed off. Lesson would be learnt and I’d never trust them again but I’d want at least the cost of the service reimbursing.

Especially when the crank bolts aren’t tightened up 🙂

If I were the lbs, I’d be very apologetic, check it over for any damage (replace if any found), fix it properly & offer next service for free. I’d then check my systems to ensure it couldn’t happen again. But then again they are probably the exact same reasons I am not an LBS.

That’s a bit poo.Mistake can happen ,they’re only human after all.It’s how they deal with it afterwards that counts.

guess it’s more the fact that I could have hurt myself it happened 5 mins later

I never understand the getting upset over something that did’nt happen thing (but could have….along with a million other outcomes).

my mate had a loose stem on a PDI’d new bike.

They re-PDI’d it and gave him a free full service (at a later date) seems fair.

I’d be a tad miffed and like you, if i’d paid money, i’d be concerned ‘what else has been missed’.

Mistakes do happen but i’d be dropping the bike off again and asking they go over it again.

I’m glad you/the bike are OK.

If it was the rear not shifting nicely, or some brake squeal etc I’d probably rationalise that it might be an issue I’ve created since the service. But something like a crank falling off isn’t a day to day incident, and would make me wonder about the competence of the shop. Albeit that it could just be one failed torquing out of a service which was otherwise fantastically professional.

And if I was the shop owner, if someone reported that to me I’d be effusively apologetic, offer a completely free service when you’re next in town and then call you two weeks after that service to check that everything was absolutely tip top. And hopefully win back your business in the long run.

Considering that bog standard services are probably done by some 17 year old apprentice I’d hesitate before using the word ‘professionals’, and certainly wouldn’t assume a better service than you could do yourself. You’re paying for the time saving and the lack of hassle of doing it yourself rather than a better job (unless you’re a terrible mechanic). As for the cranks falling off, it’s a stupid mistake but they do happen. If no damage or harm done I’d just put it back on and chalk it up to experience.

I never understand the getting upset over something that did’nt happen thing (but could have….along with a million other outcomes).

Well I’ve spent the last ten minutes lobbing bricks out of the window into the street. As I’ve not hit anyone yet I assume you can’t see a problem with that?

What about if the stem was loose?

I’d be bloody livid.I’d never trust them again.I’d want at least the cost of the service

At least you would’nt over react.

Lesson would be learnt and I’d never trust them again but I’d want at least the cost of the service reimbursing.

At least.

I’d expect a minimum of £500 in compensayshun too 🙂

You need to practice more…your aim is crap.Start with stiklebricks first.

Make sure you tell them. They can’t do anything about it or prevent it from happening again if they don’t know its happenned. It is possible that in a busy work shop it was overlooked or it tightened sufficiently. Not excusing it. Just saying it’s possible.
They should be massively apologetic and offer to rectify it. They should also offer a future service for free.
But I would defo say you need to politely talk to them and explain what’s happenned.

how much was this gold service Op?

£90 for the service and then parts on top. I also paid extra to have the forks and shock serviced on top of that. It was a spenny trip to the shop…

If the wheel fell off your car shorty after it was serviced what would you expect from the garage?

Whoever did the service ballsed it up.

I think I did something similar once, in that I most probably didn’t do up the wheel nut tight enough on a single speed. I obviously thought I had, but there was no other plausible explanation. I apologised personally to the fella and offered free labour next time he came in-if he still trusted me!! And he did come back.

The mechanic who made the balls up on your bike needs to know really, so he can concentrate his mind in the future and not balls up again.

As an ex shop worker and mechanic, i’d be highly apologetic, take the bike in for another once over, arrange a time to do it on the spot if need be, and work out some form of reimbursement or shop credit.

That’s where my expectations would still lie.

I’ve experience of spannering in a big chain and a teeny LBS, the big chain store did actually have a thorough tick list you’d sign off during/after the job, was actually really at ensuring everything was atleast safe. In the teeny LBS, processes were less established, more on your own head be it, so i just resorted to doing the job, do a test ride, hops etc, trying to loosen anything, then another retighten of every bolt front to back, a second person would often repeat this second check.

I guess it’s down to the individual though, they might have just been having a busy day, someone off sick, shop full of agitated customers, deadlines to meet, interrupted in the middle of the job.

Maybe I’m missing the point here – but gold service or no, why would the cranks have been taken off? I wouldn’t expect that doing unless they were replacing the cranks or bb[bearings], they’re not exactly serviceable parts really.

<edit> and forks? I’m now very intrigued by what is covered by said gold service.

they changed the bottom bracket

Maybe I’m missing the point here – but gold service or no, why would the cranks have been taken off?

Degreasing the drivetrain I’d imagine.

EDIT – Ninja’d

the forks was on top of the Gold service. Gold service is fairly standard strip down

Did you read the first post ? Third para.

i’d be highly apologetic, take the bike in for another once over, arrange a time to do it on the spot if need be, and work out some form of reimbursement or shop credit.

That’s where my expectations would still lie.

I’d be more than happy with that.

If the wheel fell off your car shorty after it was serviced what would you expect from the garage?

This happened to me (held on with a couple of threads of 1 bolt) after getting new tyres.
I got a pub lunch and a pint 😀 Winning.

Considering that bog standard services are probably done by some 17 year old apprentice I’d hesitate before using the word ‘professionals’, and certainly wouldn’t assume a better service than you could do yourself.

This +1, it’s proabbly 50/50 (or worse) that I walk out the shop thinking the person I’d asked the question to knew more about the answer than me. Although in fairness by the time I take something to a shop I’m properly stumped and run out of tools so it’s usualy something unusual.

I never understand the getting upset over something that did’nt happen thing (but could have….along with a million other outcomes).

No problem with drunk drivers, as long as they make it home ok then ?

Or near misses when commuting and the driver didn’t bother looking, or passed too close on purpose ?

The mechanic was drunk?, that’s not on really is it..

Funny though