Giant Road E+ 1

[Pale Rider]

Had a call back from dealer today about the Rachet noise I was getting.
They have found the chain rings are worped & while testing they found the headstock was making a cranking noise, so the tried the forks in another bike & it still did it.
They called giant U.K. & they found it odd but are replacing all parts under warranty but for the forks i have to wait around 5 weeks.
I said to them that's the best part of the summer gone, they should give me a new bike.
He said they would but there is none in the country.
Should I be looking for compensation?.

Presumably the bike is still usable while you wait for the new forks.

If so, I think you have been given a reasonable resolution.

 

[TyrannosaurusTreks]

No bike is not safe to ride.

 

[TyrannosaurusTreks]

Good News
I gave giant uk a call yesterday expressing my disappointment in having to wait 5 weeks for the forks & asking why won't they give me a new bike?.
Well I have just had a call from my dealer & a new bike is on the way.
They don't know If I'm getting the same model or the latest walk assist version...

 

[TyrannosaurusTreks]

Picked up bike tonight & they have given me the latest model, few changes from last bike are quick release wheels.
Cables have been tidied up around the head stock.
The dealer thought the forks look a bit different as well?.
They also said that the trek side stand will fit to the threaded holes by calliper for £16

 

[Pale Rider]

Good result all round.

A bolt on stand is a much better job than a clamp one.

My Riese and Muller ebike has a Pletscher stand which appears to be mounted the same way.

Seems like there may be some standardisation of stand mounts, rather like disc brakes.

The Trek stand in the shop would be fine, but you might like to have a root around to find one with an adjustable length leg.

Ebikes are heavy, so the leg length is a bit more critical than with a push bike.

 

[sight-pin]

Picked up bike tonight & they have given me the latest model

Nice one .
I emailed Giant about the kickstand last week, they sent me a reply saying It's this one and can order it from our local Giant store, '1751-R81-01V kickstand'

Edit: Link > http://jumpsport.sk/produkt/106922/stojanek-kickstand-ursus-wave-r81-blk-rear-mount-2-bolts This is the same picture of it they emailed.

 

[sight-pin]

I think i found potential problem with the SyncDrive motor? I can't eliminate chain contact with the derailleur when in 50/11 ish.
Their seems to be what i would say is excessive endfloat with the motor crankshaft. I've noticed that when your right foot is on the power stroke the shaft moves out (slightly) causing the derailleur contact that's not apparent when Not under power of the motor (on the stand).
It's even noticeable in the video that @Foghat linked here at around the 17.50 mark showing the noise on the right foot power stroke.
I would say i have at least 1/64 or more play when pushing the crank in an out........ Any comments about this? Is this normal do you know?

 

[TyrannosaurusTreks]

Is it to do with warped drive sprockets Ike was found on mine?.

 

[sight-pin]

The chainrings look straight, if that's what you mean? But if i hold the crank arm where it attaches by the crank bolt to the motor, i can slide it back an forth a little.
I know their has to be some play there but looks a bit too much to me?

 

[TyrannosaurusTreks]

Best take it back to dealer I think.

 

[sight-pin]

Trouble is i bought it from a dealer online half way up country, If i contact Giant that's probably what they'll suggest, i'm quite happy with it, it's just the chain contacting the derailleur that's the problem. Don't fancy having to box it all up etc lol

 

[Foghat]

I think i found potential problem with the SyncDrive motor? I can't eliminate chain contact with the derailleur when in 50/11 ish.
Their seems to be what i would say is excessive endfloat with the motor crankshaft. I've noticed that when your right foot is on the power stroke the shaft moves out (slightly) causing the derailleur contact that's not apparent when Not under power of the motor (on the stand).
It's even noticeable in the video that @Foghat linked here at around the 17.50 mark showing the noise on the right foot power stroke.
I would say i have at least 1/64 or more play when pushing the crank in an out........ Any comments about this? Is this normal do you know?

Mine has a small amount of play too. And another unridden brand new Road E+ 1 I've seen. So it looks to be 'normal'.

My front derailleur started rubbing the chain quite badly when in the 50t chainring, after a couple of hundred miles, and had rubbed less noisily in 50-11 right from the start - after riding a while, the bedding-in of the gear cables had created some slack that needed taking up with the inline front gear cable adjuster, and the rear derailleur adjuster.

Increasing the front gear cable tension with the inline adjuster did eliminate the rubbing in the 50t ring, but only after I had also altered the throw range of the derailleur with the high limit screw.....and it left it rubbing unavoidably in the 34t instead.

The inline adjusters fitted by Giant are not particularly well designed and are quite hard work to unscrew enough to get enough tension into the cable - I had to adjust it all the way down with the cable disconnected, then pull the cable by hand+pliers as hard as physically possible to get as much pre-tension into it before clamping with the cable bolt, and then screw the adjuster right out to get the required high tension to stop the rubbing in the 50t.

The outer limit screw needed to be let out a bit more so that the derailleur could travel far enough out to not rub with the highest achievable cable tension. The throw range of the RS685/105-5800 lever/derailleur system is a bit limited and not ideal for use with the pulley that inverts the cable direction to the front derailleur. The convoluted route around the pulley, and the associated friction, introduces cable action resistance to the derailleur's downshift, and because the high limit has to be adjusted further out, the downshift to the first trim point is compromised, and it tends to struggle if there is any power going through the chain. So downshifts under a degree of power, that 5800 and Ultegra 6800 derailleurs can cope with easily without penalty when not combined with an inverting pulley, are now more difficult, and often require also shifting again, to the lowest trim point, to get the chain to change rings. And rubbing will probably be switched to the 34t and the lowest gears.

Obviously this is not ideal, but I'm pretty sure the pulley, and its effect on cable resistance to downshifting, is a key element of the difficult-to-escape rubbing problem. In practice, I very rarely need to change down to the 34t ring due to the considerable extra power the bike gives me on hills, so it doesn't bother me too much - not rubbing in the 50t is far more important as I spend 100% of my commute in it! As a perfectionist in the mechanics of my various bikes though, and never suffering this on any others, it does irritate slightly.

I've also bought some better quality Shimano inline adjusters that look like they'll be easier to adjust, and will install them when the gear cable outers need changing.

I have another bike with a Dura-Ace 9000 gear set, also with an inverting pulley (different pulley design to the Giant's), and had none of the problems discussed above, so it seems to be peculiar to the system Giant has adopted on the Road E+.

In short, you should be able to adjust the rubbing in the 50t out on your Road E+, but downshifting to the 34t may well be slightly compromised by the high cable tension needed, and the chain will probably rub in the 34t and lowest gears instead (but this isn't as noisy or annoying as in the 50t and highest gears).

 

[Foghat]

I see those GCN boys have been testing a Giant ebike against a road bike in the Dolomites.

The performance of the ebike was impressive, but that had a lot to do with a fit, light rider.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8tV8cWeY3Y

That's a great video! And yes, on a ride with that much elevation gain (3,113m) over that distance (106km), Matt Stephens must have used Eco mode and relied on his own fitness/strength quite a lot to have 15% battery charge left at the end.

Interesting to see the recommendation for using on tough commutes.......

 

[sight-pin]

Mine has a small amount of play too. And another unridden brand new Road E+ 1 I've seen. So it looks to be 'normal'.

My front derailleur started rubbing the chain quite badly when in the 50t chainring, after a couple of hundred miles, and had rubbed less noisily in 50-11 right from the start - after riding a while, the bedding-in of the gear cables had created some slack that needed taking up with the inline front gear cable adjuster, and the rear derailleur adjuster.

Increasing the front gear cable tension with the inline adjuster did eliminate the rubbing in the 50t ring, but only after I had also altered the throw range of the derailleur with the high limit screw.....and it left it rubbing unavoidably in the 34t instead.

The inline adjusters fitted by Giant are not particularly well designed and are quite hard work to unscrew enough to get enough tension into the cable - I had to adjust it all the way down with the cable disconnected, then pull the cable as hard as physically possible to get as much pre-tension into it before clamping with the cable bolt, and then screw the adjuster right out to get the required tension to stop the rubbing in the 50t.

The outer limit screw needed to be let out a bit more so that the derailleur could travel far enough out to not rub with the highest achievable cable tension. The throw range of the RS685/105-5800 lever/derailleur system is a bit limited and not ideal for use with the pulley that inverts the cable direction to the front derailleur. The convoluted route around the pulley, and the associated friction, introduces cable action resistance to the derailleur's downshift, and because the high limit has to be adjusted further out, the downshift to the first trim point is compromised, and it tends to struggle if there is any power going through the chain. So downshifts under a degree of power, that 5800 and Ultegra 6800 derailleurs can cope with when not combined with an inverting pulley, are now more difficult, and often require also shifting again, to the lowest trim point, to get the chain to change rings. And rubbing will probably be switched to the 34t and the lowest gears.

Obviously this is not ideal, but I'm pretty sure the pulley, and its effect on cable resistance to downshifting, is a key element of the difficult-to-escape rubbing problem. In practice, I very rarely need to change down to the 34t ring due to the considerable extra power the bike gives me on hills, so it doesn't bother me too much - not rubbing in the 50t is far more important as I spend 100% of my commute in it! As a perfectionist in the mechanics of my various bikes though, and never suffering this on any others, it does irritate slightly.

I've also bought some better quality Shimano inline adjusters that look like they'll be easier to adjust, and will install them when the gear cable outers need changing.

I have another bike with a Dura-Ace 9000 gear set, also with an inverting pulley (different pulley design to the Giant's), and had none of the problems discussed above, so it seems to be peculiar to the system Giant has adopted on the Road E+.

In short, you should be able to adjust the rubbing in the 50t out on your Road E+, but downshifting to the 34t may well be slightly compromised by the high cable tension needed, and the chain will probably rub in the 34t and lowest gears instead (but this isn't as noisy or annoying as in the 50t and highest gears).

Many thanks for the reassurance with this, in that the play looks to be normal (breathes a sigh of relief*) and your gear advice. I've noticed the same thing with loosing the 34 gear in order to eliminate the contact, even with the extra throw the gear lever can offer when dropping down to 34 it's still not enough.
As for the "inline adjusters" mine just seem to be very tight to move and not do very much at all, TBH i wasn't sure that's what they was lol.
It could definitely do with a cable adjuster where the outer cable ends on the seat tube.

Had a bad back the last few days so not been out on the bike, It's eased off a bit this afternoon, i could of had another bash at adjusting the chain contact out but it's been blasted raining...typical!

 

[TyrannosaurusTreks]

Great post foghat, I had numerous problems with both 50t & 34t & chain rubbing front derailleur especially when trying to put some power down.
I'm not that good at adjusting & tweaking so luckily for me the dealer is 5 minute ride away & there always keen to help.
This new bike now seems to be set up better than my first so all good at the moment.