Planet X London Road – Problem – What Would You Do?

Right.

I bought one of the silver London Road frames that PX were selling half price a while back, and I’ve been ordering parts and building it up. The last jobs to finish the build were setting up the gears and brakes. Yes, I know I should have done it myself, but rather than fanny about in my garage for half a day just to find out I’ve got the wrong size rotors or something, I booked it into Spa Cycles to finish these jobs off so I could just ride the thing.

I’d been hoping to enter the Rapha Supercross next weekend, then I have trains and B&Bs booked to ride Coasts & Castles the weekend after that. I just wanted the bike finished.

SO… I get a phone call from Spa Cycles at lunchtime:

Spa mechanic guy: “I’ve been trying to fit your back brake all morning, but it won’t set up properly. It needs facing and I haven’t got the right tool.”

Me: “Surely it shouldn’t need facing? It’s a brand new frame and you’re fitting a standard Shimano part…”

Spa mechanic guy: “Yes I know. I’s about 1mm out. It’s like the frame mount isn’t aligned properly. Sorry. I can’t do it.”

So now, my bike is still in bits, I’ve written off riding the CX race next weekend, and I have my trains and hotels booked for the weekend after, but no bike to ride.

My options as I see them:

1. Book it into my LBS for a second opinion. (Will take time and no guarantee of sucess)
2. Ring Planet X and say “the frame isn’t right. Please sort it.” (Will take time and no guarantee of success)
3. Cry.
4. 1, 2 then 3, in that order.

OR 5. Anyone know of a reliable bike guru with a big parts bin and a big tool collection [might need to face the brake mounting], in W Yorks or thereabouts, who I can just give some money to to make this all go away?

Thanks.

Given its post mount, and facing would only level the mounting face, im not sure what ‘1mm out’ means or how to fix it. If its in the right place but wonky, a file and some patience could work. If its not in the right place, you cant fix it.

Its clear px cant make the frames straight or with any sort of tolerances, so you need to decide if you want the hassle of trying to get one that is correct, stick with what you have, or spend a bit more and get something that is built properly.

Yeah, I’d get the file out too. You can file the adapter rather than the mount. That and some shims will sort it in half an hour.

When you’re done smack yourself in the nuts for getting a shop to fit parts for you. 😉

This ^^

1mm out in what respect?

Hope rotor shim washers or a file should sort DIY but sounds very odd 😕

Well you’ve a week to sort it so I wouldn’t worry about next week. Plenty if shops have a disc mount facing tool perhaps spa was a bad place to take it tbh given it was disc brakes and not a dynamo 🙂

I’d try elsewhere as you’ve time at worst try file it. I’ve had to have all my new frames faced. You probably need the bb doing too

I wouldn’t bother even speaking to planetx as it’s normal I’d say that it would need facing

As they say file the mount to suit or frame if you prefer.

Agree if you’re using an adaptor file that down. Had to do it to my son’s bike when fitting some brakes, bit of trial and error but only took 30 minutes.

LBS that doesn’t have a facing tool?

Did you take it to Halfords, and not the LBS? 🙂

Get them to build it up, buy the facing tool & DIY?

Actually if it’s a 160mm rear disc you won’t have an adaptor to file as it’s post mount. It is possible I’m being dense as I’m currently rehydrating with Ale after doing the Bristol Oktoberfest, so happy to be proven wrong.

File. Thanks 😀

Will post next question in new thread.

I would take it along the road to stuart at riders cycle centre. Give him a call

Sorry, but if it’s Post Mount, what are you going to file?

The only scenarios I can currently envisage are;
(a) the mount is welded on squint.
(b) the top of the “posts” are covered in paint.

In (a) the only thing you might be able to do is ovalise the hole(s) in the caliper, hoping to get it to sit straight over the rotor. For (b) I guess that it might be making the caliper sit at a slight angle and removing the paint would get it straight. Unusual for it not to sit straight once torqued up though.

I’ve got a Titus Fireline.

Caliper changes were fairly minimal to make it fit.

Post mount welded on wonky?

Frame warranty. I did this to a number of brand new bikes with wonky mounts.

Distributor insisted on photo that frames put beyond use before shipping new frame.

Use an Avid caliper (e.g. BB7) that has slotted mounting holes and conical washers so adjusts in all directions. I wish all manufacturers used that system.

^ I can understand people wanting a perfect frame, but that is an awful waste of what could be a perfectly usable bike 🙁

Right. I’ll try Stuart in Skipton in the morning. Hopefully he can fit everything then file/**** it as required.

@mick_r

The bikes had avid brakes with cps mounts. Sometimes it’s so pissed its no joy.

From another brand:

We had a few guys in the shop coming into the workshop proclaiming what a waste of a new frame, but warranty is legally bound so no free frames for the staff 🙁

Use an Avid caliper (e.g. BB7) that has slotted mounting holes and conical washers so adjusts in all directions.

Thanks – if all else fails I’ll do this but I’m trying to keep costs right down. Sub-£500 including frame 🙂

just wait ’til you try fit a seatpost…

just wait ’til you try fit a seatpost…

Seatpost fitted fine!

(And so did that cheap BB that someone recommended that wasn’t supposed to fit)

It’s an odd one, as the disc mount isn’t welded on – the disc mount is actually part of the dropout – it’s forged in one piece.

Esher – fair enough with the warranty (esp with aluminium).

I’ve just finished brazing my mrs a CX frame – heat has moved the upper mount out by 1 mm – I’ve consulted with the warranty department (me) and I’ll not be putting a hacksaw through it 🙂 Avid brake and a washer and we’re good to go.

Brant – this mount is one piece with the dropout and it still moved after heat was applied.

sorry to hear of this, I have had similar problems with PX and On One including a deformed post mount on a rockshox due to over tight bolts.both were sorted in the end, but I could have had a structual failure at the wrong time.

I like the whole idea of PX and On One, but quality control is something other companies do. In this day, it cannot be acceptable and could become a law issue. Once upon a time the biggest worry was paint falling off Cannondale frames….

I don’t want to pillory Planet X just yet. I’m only reporting what the mechanic at Spa said. Which, precisely, was, “It needs facing but I don’t have the right tool”.

It may be that the frame is out of tolerance (although I accept Brant’s comment that it’s a one-piece stay).

It may be that Spa don’t fit many disc brakes so the mechanic didn’t get it right.

If it can be sorted by a resourceful mechanic with a file or a drill, all well and good. If not, I’ll be taking the bike back to PX and asking them to strip the frame and build my bike back onto a new frame… and if they do that, along with a voucher or two for diesel and inconvenience, then, again, all well and good.

But if the frame IS out of tolerance, AND Stuart in Skipton cannot get the brakes to fit, AND Planet X knob me off, THEN it’ll be pitchfork time 😀

But I don’t expect it to get that far down the line.

Try fitting the brake yourself, it really is easy and you never know the guy at spa might have been having a moment, or talking shit!!

Brake mounts on my PX LR are fine btw.

(And so did that cheap BB that someone recommended that wasn’t supposed to fit)

did you mean BB or headset? I know in the epic L-R thread there were a few recommended headsets that shouldn’t have fit, but did.

Hope you get it sorted. I sent the L-R I bought for the other half back. She replaced it with this…

😀

Ah yep I meant headset.

All in all it’s been a trouble-free build, but I can’t be arsed doing the brakes and gears. I’ve never done it before, and what would take me a day of pissing about would take an experienced mechanic an hour.

I’m not convinced there’s anything wrong with the frame. I’m going to let another bike shop have a crack at it.

LBS that doesn’t have a facing tool?

Actually they sell there own line of bikes, including bikes with disc brakes

Just built my 456 evo 2 up this weekend and the drive side BB needed facing, called PX and they were fine about it. said I could send it back to them to do for me or take it to a LBS and they would pay for it. Sent a scan off to them for the bill and all is good.

I’ve had loads of frames from all makes and quite a few of them needed facing.

Yeah, I’d get the file out too. You can file the adapter rather than the mount. That and some shims will sort it in half an hour.

When you’re done smack yourself in the nuts for getting a shop to fit parts for you

Exactly this!

taking the bike back to PX and asking them to strip the frame and build my bike back onto a new frame… and if they do that, along with a voucher or two for diesel and inconvenience

Good luck with that! You may need to realign your expectations more towards what they are legally bound to do.

Sigh.

Everyone has to start somewhere. I’ve never built a bike before. I’ve pored over websites and Youtube videos, bought a workstand, ordered all the tiny parts and tools required, even though I’ll only use some of them a handful of times in my life, and have fitted the BB, headset, cassette, cranks, rotors and mechs. As a mechanic, I’m learning.

I need the bike sharpish, so I’m putting it into a bike shop to fit and set up the gears and brakes. If I had more time to teach myself how to fit and index the gears, I’d do it myself. But I don’t. Next time I build a bike, I’ll give it a go.

If I’d have tried to fit my own brakes yesterday, I would have come up against the same problem as the guy at Spa, and have had no idea why. Would it have been something I was doing wrong? Would it have been I was trying to fit an incompatible part? Would it have been a tool I needed? I would have had no clue. I would have wasted an entire day and still have had no bike.

I wish I was a workshop hero like so many of you, but right now, I just need my bike to be rideable. Quickly. So I’d rather pay someone to sort it out.

Sorry.

Calm down dear, you asked the question “what would you do”.

Had the same problem on the forks on my PX london road also rear brake threads had to be chased and a hole in the sear stay bridge weald, if i did not live in France px would have had it back,we used to make this quality projects at school, in the metal work shop and everyone appologizing for this level of crap is just crazy I have had 20+ frames and this is the worst,but i love my inbred its a bit of a lottery with PX but I won’t buy any more tickets.

The disc mount on my London Road frame was also a bit off, one of the threads needed chased but in my excitement to get the frame built up I battered on when I should have stopped and took it along to the LBS. I’ve had to fanny around a bit with washers to get the caliper nice and straight but it works fine. Put me off getting another PX bike though as I’d expect frames to come properly faced etc although I did OK in the seatpost size lottery 😉 Pity, as I really like the frame, the geometry suits me perfectly and it rides real good.

Sometimes frame’s need prepped before you can do a decent build, I had problems with my cove hummer frame that i bought back in late 2012 – i took it up to Ben @ kinetics and he reamed and faced the heat tube , cut the threads properly in the BB and faced it and finally faced the rear disc mount. Prob why merlin were selling them cheap for £800.

original thread here

Jobs like facing etc and cutting threads are all unseen jobs that some people don’t bother with or sometimes get lucky and don’t need to do. It’s not just px bikes that need this as stated above.

A quality bike shop will do these things as standard on a build which is why it usually costs more but will ultimately work better.

A quality bike shop will have these tools as standard but they do wear out, perhaps theirs was on back order.

If you are near to Hebden bridge try blazing saddles in Hebden, pedal sport in king cross, cycle gear in Halifax or my recommendation firths in Queensbury.

Good luck.