# Wiggle Advice Please - new bike problem



## RBadger (23 Mar 2013)

Hi All,

first post and in need of some advice please...

After years of riding a mountain bikes I recently purchased a Mekk road bike from Wiggle. The bike arrived beautifully packaged just 4 days after placing the order. Great service I thought.

The bike came with some nasty cheap pedals, but as I had still to order some decent pedals I decided to put the cheap pedals on and go for quick ride. I installed the pedals using my fingers only to engage the thread, and only used a spanner to gently tighten them once the thread was fully engaged. I am 100% certain I did not cross thread the pedals.

After covering only 5 miles on my ride I noticed that the right pedal suddenly felt loose. I stopped the bike to find the pedal came away in my hand having completely stripped the thread on the right crank arm. I have no idea how this happened, it was as if the pedal had seized and stripped the thread, although the pedal did now rotate freely.

I contacted wiggle and explained what had happened. After 24 hours they replied say that the warranty did not cover this and I would need to buy a new chainset, which they would sell to me at cost. (£70) 
I wrote back saying that given the bike was brand new and only covered 5 miles before a catastrophic failure of the pedal/crank they should surely pay for the component.

That was 2 days ago and I've head nothing other that the part will be available next week. Can't seem to find a phone number anywhere.

Where do I stand? Can anyone offer advice please? Surely the bike was not fit for purpose. Should I invoke my consumer rights and ask for a full refund? 

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Richard,


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## Raging Squirrel (23 Mar 2013)

In my opinion it isnt normal for said component to fail like that in such a short time. Although I really like Wiggle, I'd be asking for a replacement part or bike or id be heading to trading standards.


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## Ern1e (23 Mar 2013)

Hi just checked on their web site indeed no telephone contact so how did you pay for the bike ? if you have used a credit card they may be able to offer some leverage to your case for you, plus the chainset not covered by the warranty ?


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## Dave 123 (23 Mar 2013)

You could send them a link to this thread....... they might like to do the decent thing in front of a lot of existing customers.


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## Ozzrahog (23 Mar 2013)

As above contact trading standards then they shop again and if no joy and relevant your credit card company


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## smokeysmoo (23 Mar 2013)

I've never had a problem with Wiggle sorting warranty issues. In fact I've had 2 new frames under warranty on two different cf bikes with them, however, I've never had to claim for a failure such as this following self installation of a component.

I can see their point of view as they can't be held responsible for a part potentially being fitted incorrectly, sorry Rbadger but you don't state that you are a qualified bike mech.

Do they supply fitting instructions for the cheapo pedals? I can't remember from the 3 bikes I've bought from them as the supplied pedals have always gone straight in the bin TBH.

If there are instructions though just point out that you fitted them in accordance to the instructions given. If they get arsey though they could want to see the calibration certificate of the torque wrench you used during installation, but, if there are instructions and they don't specify a torque setting then they couldn't use that against you.

I'm not justifying their initial correspondence in anyway, I'm just pointing out what they could do if they stick their heels in.

However, I also agree with the above comments and therefore I'm sure you should get a satisfactory outcome.

Good luck with it


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## RWright (23 Mar 2013)

I like Wiggle but I would send the whole bike back.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (23 Mar 2013)

If I was wiggle I'd be wanting proof that the bike wasn't fit for purpose. All we know is that you(the customer) fitted pedals that rapidly stripped the crank thread.


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## derrick (23 Mar 2013)

sounds like pedals were not fitted correctly, if the thread was damaged you would have felt that when tightening them up, to me it sounds like you did not tighten the peddle enough, i could be wrong i was not there when the job was done.


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## Cycleops (23 Mar 2013)

This is a very difficult one. I have thought about this and I really cannot see any other way the thread stripped but from initial cross threading. The only other possibility is that the thread on the pedal was somehow under size. What would you think if you were in Wiggles's shoes? It does seem they have tried to meet you half way. Maybe you could send the offending items back for them to examine.


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## Mr Haematocrit (23 Mar 2013)

RBadger said:


> ... Can't seem to find a phone number anywhere
> 
> Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated


 
The advise would be to buy your bike from the local bike shop and get customer service, you pay a little more, but get a lot more for your money.

wiggles details are :
3 Optima
Northarbour Spur
Portsmouth
PO6 3TU
+44 2392314816

information publicly available on a whois lookup on the domain wiggle.co.uk


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## biggs682 (23 Mar 2013)

get on the phone and talk straight first


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## RBadger (24 Mar 2013)

Thanks all for advice.

I'm not a qualified bike mechanic, but I do possess common sense and am certain I did not cross thread the pedal. I followed the supplied instructions. Pedals are threaded deliberately to make the tighten with use not loosen. Confess I do not know how this happened. Can only assume a faulty pedal or crank arm.

If pedal fitting should be done by qualified mechanic, then the company should fit the pedals themselves and ship the bike in a bigger box. 

Very frustrated. I will call tomorrow to see if we can make headway. ( thanks Vengedetta for contact details )

Any further advice gratefully received.

Thanks all. Brilliant forum.

Rich


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## festival (24 Mar 2013)

In all my years of working in the cycle biz I would expect any retailer to take the same view as Wiggle.
I have seen this problem before if a rarity, I would bet my house that it was the fitters error, sorry, therefore accept any gesture and move on.
The cheap nasty pedals they provide could have threads that are not as highly engineered as a quality product but that is no excuse for blaming it. 
To be honest the other opinions about it being a product failure are in fact just opinions and have no weight in this issue.


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## doog (24 Mar 2013)

festival said:


> In all my years of working in the cycle biz I would expect any retailer to take the same view as Wiggle.
> I have seen this problem before if a rarity, I would bet my house that it was the fitters error, sorry, therefore accept any gesture and move on.
> *The cheap nasty pedals they provide could have threads that are not as highly engineered as a quality product but that is no excuse for blaming it.*
> To be honest the other opinions about it being a product failure are in fact just opinions and have no weight in this issue.


 
I would say that should go in the customers favour. If they didnt want the cheap nasty under- engineered pedals fitted they shouldn't take the risk and stick them in the box.

This event is such a rarity I would hope they would sort it out in good faith which Im sure they will .


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## ufkacbln (24 Mar 2013)

Whether you are at fault or Wiggle is going to be debatable at this point.

What is needed is an "independent opinion"

Take the bike to a reputable local bike shop and ask for their opinion before proceeding.

If they say it is faulty then you have an independent assessment to discuss with Wiggle, and if they state it is your fault then the present offer is good and should be accepted.


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## 400bhp (24 Mar 2013)

Cunobelin said:


> Whether you are at fault or Wiggle is going to be debatable at this point.
> 
> What is needed is an "independent opinion"
> 
> ...


 
This is fine in theory but in practice?

To have an Independent assessment surely means a written assessment which you'll likely (a) have to pay for and (b) I would imagine not many local bike shops will want to do it.


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## ufkacbln (25 Mar 2013)

400bhp said:


> This is fine in theory but in practice?
> 
> To have an Independent assessment surely means a written assessment which you'll likely (a) have to pay for and (b) I would imagine not many local bike shops will want to do it.


Worked for me.

Had a Giro helmet that the strap came away on the first use.

Ribble claimed it was "fair wear and tear" and not their problem.

LBS certified this was not the case and notified Ribble of a Small Claims Court action..........immediate refund.


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## fossyant (25 Mar 2013)

Have you checked you put the Left pedal on the Left crank arm, right on the right ? If you fitted the wrong pedal, they will tighten up by hand but you'll end up stripping the thread easily.


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## 400bhp (25 Mar 2013)

fossyant said:


> Have you checked you put the Left pedal on the Left crank arm, right on the right ? If you fitted the wrong pedal, they will tighten up by hand but you'll end up stripping the thread easily.


 
Tis what I thought too


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## festival (26 Mar 2013)

doog said:


> I would say that should go in the customers favour. If they didnt want the cheap nasty under- engineered pedals fitted they shouldn't take the risk and stick them in the box.
> 
> This event is such a rarity I would hope they would sort it out in good faith which Im sure they will .


 
The cheap nasty pedals comment, if I wasn't clear, was repeating the original posters description of them. While they may need a little more care and attention while fitting they should not be confused with something likely to cause damage any more than cheap tyres would damage a rim.
I am all for ensuring the customer remains loyal in the long term by going the extra mile but the point is, if the customer can't point to any obvious ( or even slightly obvious) fault then its game set and match.


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## fossyant (26 Mar 2013)

We don't yet know if the OP has fitted the pedals correctly ? Easy for him to check.


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## siadwell (26 Mar 2013)

You should find some useful advice here:
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/problem/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-faulty-product/

The onus is on the retailer to prove that the goods are not faulty, so offering to sell you a new part is not really on.

Ultimately, you can reject the bike if you believe it to be defective and they are not taking steps to remedy the situation:
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rig...ect-a-faulty-product-and-get-your-money-back/


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## RBadger (3 Apr 2013)

Thank you all. I have however checked and can confirm the right pedal was on the right crank as indicated by a large letter R. Regardless given right pedals have right-handed threads and left pedals have left handed thread, I fail to see how I could possibly have got them the wrong way round.

BTW - I'm still waiting for Wiggle to supply the new chainset. Very poor service from Wiggle if something goes wrong. Beware all!


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (4 Apr 2013)

I don't see why wiggle should be in any hurry? Did you buy the replacement?


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## Voch (29 Jul 2013)

Did you ever get a new crank?

The exact same thing has happened to me with a new Wiggle bike. The pedals are 100% on the correct side, there was no resistance when putting the pedals on and the pedal was on tightened with the provided tool. After 3 rides the right crank was stripped.

Wiggle takes the easy way out and says was the issue was the users fault and due to the manufacturers warranty not covering this issue that there is nothing they can do. 

I personally think the crank should be replaced as there is no possible way that they can prove the crank was not faulty.


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## Ticktockmy (29 Jul 2013)

Maybe they supplied the incorrect threaded pedals for the cranks, there are 2 different thread sizes that can be used 9⁄16-inch (14.2875 mm) hole. French pedal spindles use M14 , and thread loosely into a 9/16 pedal hole, maybe best to check the thread sizes, if they supplied the incorrect size, the ball is in there court to sort the problem out


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## DWiggy (29 Jul 2013)

Contact them by Twitter, they usually respond


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## Jayz (26 Apr 2014)

RBadger said:


> Hi All,
> 
> first post and in need of some advice please...
> 
> ...



Hi, did you ever resolve this? Have just been out on my Mekk for the first time and have had the same problem. Put the pedals on screwing in all the way using fingers, so could not be cross threaded. Then tightened with the spanner wiggle provided. Again it wasn't till 5-6 miles into first ride did I notice the pedal coming loose. The thread is totally worn.


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## Big Nick (26 Apr 2014)

Jayz said:


> Hi, did you ever resolve this? Have just been out on my Mekk for the first time and have had the same problem. Put the pedals on screwing in all the way using fingers, so could not be cross threaded. Then tightened with the spanner wiggle provided. Again it wasn't till 5-6 miles into first ride did I notice the pedal coming loose. The thread is totally worn.


Sounds like these crank arms are made of Swiss cheese and it's a manufacturing defect if it's the same make of bike in each case. 

I would be inclined to contact the bike manufacturer if Wiggle are not believing you to see if they will give you any joy


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## Cycleops (26 Apr 2014)

Jayz said:


> Hi, did you ever resolve this? Have just been out on my Mekk for the first time and have had the same problem. Put the pedals on screwing in all the way using fingers, so could not be cross threaded. Then tightened with the spanner wiggle provided. Again it wasn't till 5-6 miles into first ride did I notice the pedal coming loose. The thread is totally worn.


I don't think we will ever know, the OP hasn't been on here since posting over a year ago. Seems to me like it may be the wrong thread on the pedal. What pedals did you use?


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## fabregas485 (26 Apr 2014)

What exactly did it feel like as you did the pedals up? If there were any faults in the thread, you would have felt it. That being said if it went in smoothly by hand it should be ok, unless lethal pressure was used which I doubt.


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## ufkacbln (27 Apr 2014)

400bhp said:


> This is fine in theory but in practice?
> 
> To have an Independent assessment surely means a written assessment which you'll likely (a) have to pay for and (b) I would imagine not many local bike shops will want to do it.



Wiggle did for me.

I had a helmet from Ribble.

Strap came away on first day

Returned it, they sent it back saying "fair wear and tear", and refused to discuss

Went to Wiggle (they had a shop then!) and they wrote a letter confirming it was a manufacturing fault.

HAd to go to a small claims court to get the money back from Ribble and the Wiggle evidence was key to that success


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## Jayz (27 Apr 2014)

Cycleops said:


> I don't think we will ever know, the OP hasn't been on here since posting over a year ago. Seems to me like it may be the wrong thread on the pedal. What pedals did you use?


 Hi, They were shimano pedals, also bought from wiggle. You would have thought they might have said something if they were the wrong thread. Plus it should have had a Ultegra shimano crank to match they rest of the chainsets. However it had one Mekks own (it was in the small print that it would be different and they have now changed the photo)...


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## User16625 (27 Apr 2014)

Cycleops said:


> I don't think we will ever know, the OP hasn't been on here since posting over a year ago. Seems to me like it may be the wrong thread on the pedal. What pedals did you use?



The Cyclechat member known as RBadger was assassinated on April 4 2013 at approximately 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time. The body was then sent to a local farm to be fed to pigs. Consequentially RBadger's issue with Wiggle was never resolved.


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## ufkacbln (28 Apr 2014)

RideLikeTheStig said:


> The Cyclechat member known as RBadger was assassinated on April 4 2013 at approximately 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time. The body was then sent to a local farm to be fed to pigs. Consequentially RBadger's issue with Wiggle was never resolved.



Wiggle's customer relations policy is a little different!


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## Ieuan (9 May 2014)

Hi all,

This has just happened to me. Bought Mekk Poggio 1.5 from Wiggle. On it's second ride, the RH pedal came loose. It has completely ripped apart the crank arm and the thread has completely gone.

I have contacted Wiggle and they have said the same - not under warranty.

It's completely unacceptable that they provide pedals, you fit them and on the second ride, a £800 bike breaks after 8 miles....

Am on their case. Any suggestions welcome.


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## Trevor_P (10 May 2014)

As a retail purchase, albeit covered by DSR, wiggle do have an obligation to inspect the damage BEFORE coming to the conclusion that they have already drawn. ONLY following an inspection can they determine where the fault lies (i.e. manufacturing defect or incorrect assembly.) The fact that they have said it's your fault already without such an inspection gives you some leverage. Costs for returning the bike for inspection and then delivery back would be yours if you were found to be at fault, and you'd probably have to pay the return costs upfront. My 2p worth.


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## donster (26 May 2014)

just wondering how you all got on with wiggle? just had the same thing happen to me. 100% sure pedals were correctly put on, yet 10 miles in and they stripped both threads!!


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## fabregas485 (26 May 2014)

Are all these pedals the exact same type?


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## donster (27 May 2014)

yeah i think they are. just some generic set of pedals wiggle supply with every bike purchase


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## Dogtrousers (27 May 2014)

At the risk of derailing the thread ... how can you incorrectly install a pedal? They have opposite threads, the right won't go into the left or vice versa. 
Dab of grease, screw screw screw, tighten with 15mm spanner. Done. What could possibly go wrong? (seriously).

I'm just a bit worried because if it's balls-uppable I'm capable of ballsing it up. I haven't ballsed it up yet, but I'd like to be forewarned. Are there different pedal thread standards?


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## donster (27 May 2014)

well thats what I had thought...


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## dexter101 (29 Jul 2014)

I know when I have fitted pedals before they feel tight but often haven't actually tightened all the way.

I built a fixed wheel bike for a friend and was sure the pedals were in fully, after a mile or two test ride the left pedal flicked out removing some of the thread! luckily I wasnt pushing hard and after installing properly they were fine.


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## fabregas485 (29 Jul 2014)

dexter101 said:


> I know when I have fitted pedals before they feel tight but often haven't actually tightened all the way.
> 
> I built a fixed wheel bike for a friend and was sure the pedals were in fully, after a mile or two test ride the left pedal flicked out removing some of the thread! luckily I wasnt pushing hard and after installing properly they were fine.


 
What material was the thread? No thread should feel tight until done up completely (unless its a thread designed to be tight etc).

I am glad to hear you avoided any damage you may regret


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