Bad service from Trek.

Looking at the Trek website, I notice that the wheels on their commuter
bike are also Bontrager Select (same except using disk brakes). So
unless the hub is radically different when using disk brakes, it seems,
to me, that they, Trek, expect the wheel to be acceptable for commuting
purposes.

Now, when I've commuted by bike, I commute rain or shine. I don't stay
at home because it's raining.

It is not reasonable to have to service the hub on a commuter bike
after a couple of rides in the rain. I've no idea whether it would be
reasonable to have to do so on a racing bike.

I think Trek is in the wrong here.

On a side note, has anyone tried the Trek commuter bike? Depending on
where I land my next job, I hope to be in a position to commute by bike
and I might need to buy a new bike (be it new or just new to me).

Jeff

I have also had problems with the Bontrager wheels. After 6 months the Selects on my 1500 started come apart with the spokes pulling the rims apart. Got the rims replaced by warranty, put had to pay for the wheels rebuilt and new spokes. the rims were replaced with the Race version, but the back wheel has no lateral strength and bowed out of shape within a month.

Add to all this the hubs also started the clicking noise that they are well know for.

Sent a email to Trek, no reply; called Trek and spoke to someone who promised to call back and never did. its a pity because Trek build good bikes, crappy wheels, but good bikes.

I ended up buying a set of DT Swiss 1.2's with Ultegra hubs and they are great. do yourself a favor don't replace with Bontrager wheels.

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

After 3 months the rear wheel (Bontrager Select) on my Trek 1400 is
knackered. No problem I thought, just take it to the nearest Trek dealer
and they will get a replacement under guarantee. Not so. LBS rings up Trek
to say that the bearings are shot and gets the reply that it's *my* fault
as I've let water and muck get into the hub!

So now LBS tries to sell me two (they only come in pars) new Bonty
wheels - as if I want anymore to do with the manufacturer of a wheel that
falls to bits after 12 weeks! Now I have to buy an odd Shimano 105 rear
wheel for 60 quid and to add insult to injury, I knackered the RHS STI
lever when putting the bike in the back of the car which is 80 quid plus
labour and they won't have any in until mid April.

OK, the bike was a "free" insurance job, but I won't be buying Trek or
Bonty in the future. In fact, if and when the weather picks up they can
keep the thing until next winter and I'll get out the Fondriest with some
decent Mavic Ksyrium wheels on. Oh and Campag levers that don't bend when
they press against a car roof.

OT: To those who remember the spy number station Radio 4 programme I was
on - the MOSSAD sent a message saying "goodnight" the other evening! See:

http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/page69.html
--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

oops, sorry, I sent my message to your email address instead of here.

I'm not condoning poor quality hubs/build, but I always strip down new hubs
to apply my own grease and to make sure the adjustment of the cones is
correct.

But to use a bike over a few weeks and for this to happen strikes me that
either the hubs weren't set up correctly or there was a distinct lack of
grease.

John

"James Annan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in

Quoted message said:

IMO a wheel that fails so soon was not fit for purpose, so you could sue
them if you can be bothered.

No point really for 60 quid - maybe a letter to a cycling mag might do more
damage ;-)

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

No point really for 60 quid - maybe a letter to a cycling mag might do
more damage ;-)

And putting this info on your website which has a *very* high Google ranking
indeed..

If this wheel can't hold up to an average winter in the North of Britain,
than clearly it *is* rubbish.

The (sealed) Shimano hubs on my tourer are still in fairly good shape after
4,500 miles including some fairly muddy conditions such as the
Chilterns/Thames Path in autumn/winter and the Ridgeway in early spring.

I reckon Trek have actually done a lot of damage to their brand for the
fairly insignificant cost of the wheel - if you search for *anything*
relating to cycling on Google UK either Simon or Guy's sites feature *very*
prominently - both of them have become pretty much authoritative British
on-line voices and reference sources in this field, rather like a modern
version of those DIY manuals or engineering books of the 1950s.

Must be the moustaches 🙂

Alex
--
Mr R@T / General Lighting
Ipswich, Suffolk, Untied Kingdom
http://www.partyvibe.com
TBH this

Simon Mason said:

"James Annan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in

Quoted message said:

IMO a wheel that fails so soon was not fit for purpose, so you could sue
them if you can be bothered.

No point really for 60 quid - maybe a letter to a cycling mag might do more
damage ;-)

Would an email to trading standards help? The purchase was between
you and the retailer, it is the retailer who should replace the faulty
part, it is then they who can take the matter up with the
manufacturer.

At least, I think this is how it works - trading standards I have
found to be very efficient.

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/

More specifically the site below spells out what you should expect:

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/calitem.cgi?file=ADV0043-1011.txt
--
Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who
are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club
to ride a stationary bicycle. -
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

"Mr R@t (2.30 zulu-india)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

And putting this info on your website which has a *very* high Google
ranking indeed..

My ranking comes from the Shortwave Espionage section, not cycling related
stuff. I was surprised though to type in "Safety Videos" once on Google
using "pages from the UK" and be the nr 1 hit, even above ROSPA and the
Dept. for Transport. I see that I'm in 3rd place behind them today though!

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

"Tom Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Would an email to trading standards help? The purchase was between
you and the retailer, it is the retailer who should replace the faulty
part, it is then they who can take the matter up with the
manufacturer.

The problem is that it's an insurance job and the bike came from a depot in
S. Wales that the insurance company uses to replace stolen bikes. If I'd
bought it locally I could deal with the shop directly. Trek's advice is to
visit their local dealer who will inspect it then report their findings back
to Trek, which I did. Trek then said it was my fault for letting water get
into the hub.

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

Simon Mason said:

"Tom Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Would an email to trading standards help? The purchase was between
you and the retailer, it is the retailer who should replace the faulty
part, it is then they who can take the matter up with the
manufacturer.

The problem is that it's an insurance job and the bike came from a depot in
S. Wales that the insurance company uses to replace stolen bikes. If I'd
bought it locally I could deal with the shop directly. Trek's advice is to
visit their local dealer who will inspect it then report their findings back
to Trek, which I did. Trek then said it was my fault for letting water get
into the hub.

An email for advice to Trading Standards can't hurt. Perhaps they'll
tell you that the contract is between you and the insurance company -
in which case you can put pressure on them to chase up Trek.
--
Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who
are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club
to ride a stationary bicycle. -
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My ranking comes from the Shortwave Espionage section, not cycling
related

stuff.

Indeed so - I used to read your site long before I started cycling...

it seems that once you have a high google rank on a site almost anything you
put on there (provided its not a deliberate attempt to increase this
ranking) also seems to get a high rating - fair enough given that many sites
have a diverse range of content which could reflect many interests and sites
with content such as blogs/wikis/messageboards cover many different
subjects.

"Cycling in Hull" also shows your site as a high rating, and for those
actively researching cycling related matters (worldwide) its practically
impossible to do a google search *without* coming across your site, Guy's
site, or Sheldon's (if you are also looking across the pond).

Alex
--
Mr R@T / General Lighting
Ipswich, Suffolk, Untied Kingdom
http://www.partyvibe.com

John said:

I'm not condoning poor quality hubs/build, but I always strip down new hubs
to apply my own grease and to make sure the adjustment of the cones is
correct.

I've just retired a Campag Chorus rear hub after six years service, the last
three of those on my winter bike. In that time I never once regreased it,
opened the hub or did anything to it. It finally failed when the flange
sheared in half.

*That's* what I expect from a modern hub.

--
Arthur Clune

Arthur Clune said:

It finally failed when the flange
sheared in half.

*That's* what I expect from a modern hub.

I hope not!!!

--
Tony

"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham

Tony Raven said:

Arthur Clune said:

It finally failed when the flange
sheared in half.

I hope not!!!

Given the hard life and total lack of maintence, I wasn't that bothered.

What was bizarre was that I rode the bike 30 miles home from work one night
and all was fine. In the morning, the hub had gone.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

Simon Mason said:

The problem is that it's an insurance job and the bike came from a depot in
S. Wales that the insurance company uses to replace stolen bikes. If I'd
bought it locally I could deal with the shop directly. Trek's advice is to
visit their local dealer who will inspect it then report their findings back
to Trek, which I did. Trek then said it was my fault for letting water get
into the hub.

That's preposterous. If all you did was ride it in the rain, how could
you possibly have prevented water from getting into the hub? What are
they going to say next, that you shouldn't expose it to the atmosphere,
or temperatures below 5 deg. C?

In the circumstances under which you've used your bike it's clear to me
that signs of water damage indicate some kind of fault with the hub,
either manufacturing or assembly. To say you let water get into it
implies negligence on your part. However, it's the hub that let in
water, not you who let water get into the hub.I wonder if they've had a
high incidence of this problem and have decided to adopt this stance to
avoid a high replacement cost.

--
Dave...

Arthur Clune said:

John said:

I'm not condoning poor quality hubs/build, but I always strip down
new hubs to apply my own grease and to make sure the adjustment of
the cones is correct.

Worth checking the cone adjustment even with the best hubs (with types
that have cones, that is).

Quoted message said:

I've just retired a Campag Chorus rear hub after six years service,
the last three of those on my winter bike. In that time I never once
regreased it, opened the hub or did anything to it. It finally failed
when the flange sheared in half.

*That's* what I expect from a modern hub.

An expensive hub, that is. And those who aren't expecting the flange to
fail might want to regrease every now and then to help the hub last longer
than six years, especially with certain cheaper hubs that aren't so well
sealed.

~PB

"dkahn400" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

The problem is that it's an insurance job and the bike came from a

depot in

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

S. Wales that the insurance company uses to replace stolen bikes. If

I'd

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bought it locally I could deal with the shop directly. Trek's advice

is to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

visit their local dealer who will inspect it then report their

findings back

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to Trek, which I did. Trek then said it was my fault for letting water

get

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

into the hub.

That's preposterous. If all you did was ride it in the rain, how could
you possibly have prevented water from getting into the hub?

I agree with that but the practical problem is more continuing to use it
once water has got in.

Quoted message said:

What are
they going to say next, that you shouldn't expose it to the atmosphere,
or temperatures below 5 deg. C?

In the circumstances under which you've used your bike it's clear to me
that signs of water damage indicate some kind of fault with the hub,
either manufacturing or assembly. To say you let water get into it
implies negligence on your part. However, it's the hub that let in
water, not you who let water get into the hub.I wonder if they've had a
high incidence of this problem and have decided to adopt this stance to
avoid a high replacement cost.

With a hub that isn't well sealed, it's sensible to service it after it's
had a lot of exposure to water, even if that's after just one ride! It's
also sensible not to use that hub in the first place for winter commuting.
Cheapo basic type hubs just have "dust caps" that easily let water
through, where it can emulsify the grease and wreck the bearings. You
could claim that you've been sold hubs that aren't fit for the pupose,
assuming the seller knew or was told the purpose.

The water thing may be a red herring if the cones weren't adjusted
properly in the first place (assuming non-cartridge hub).

~PB

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message

Quoted message said:

Cheapo basic type hubs just have "dust caps" that easily let water
through, where it can emulsify the grease and wreck the bearings. You
could claim that you've been sold hubs that aren't fit for the pupose,
assuming the seller knew or was told the purpose.

This is a bike that retailed at 1200 quid new! You would expect better
quality parts for that amount of cash. My Raleigh hybrid has 40 quid Halford
parallax wheels on, has been through 6 winters and had all sorts of [censored]
thrown at it and is still running perfectly well.

Trek's reply today: They seem to be shifting the blame onto the dealer now.

I am extremely sorry to hear that the store did not feel your wheel was a
warranty claim. Without seeing the wheel myself I cannot comment on the
issues raised by the store, however our stores are generally very good and
will offer a few options, if there is not a warranty claim. Did the store
explain why they did not feel that your wheel was a warranty claim? I may
be able to source a replacement wheel as a good will gesture although I do
notice that you have sourced yourself a replacement already. Please contact
me and let me know. I would also be quite keen to hear why your wheel was
refused.

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

Simon Mason said:

Trek's reply today: They seem to be shifting the blame onto the
dealer now.

IME, it's the dealer who hs to make the claim.

Simon Bennett said:

Simon Mason said:

Trek's reply today: They seem to be shifting the blame onto the
dealer now.

IME, it's the dealer who hs to make the claim.

It sounds to me like the LBS couldn't be arsed with the bother of
taking on the warranty claim.
--
Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who
are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club
to ride a stationary bicycle. -
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)