have i been jipped... oh and my chain is creaking and jumping under pressure

[splreece]

hi all...

i have googled for some general advice, but i am a bit hesitant about getting the issues checked out by the shop i bought it from as i havent had a good experience with them.

the bike is just out of the 6 month warranty and it is now creaking on every peddle under pressure i.e. when going uphill and it also click like the chain is jumping...

the bike has done 600 miles and i have had it serviced twice within the 6 months with a similar issues where they didn't actually do anything with the bike (i know because the dirt around the cogs and peddles/chain etc was untouched), they just blamed the peddles which didn't really help.

I have a giant roam 4 2013. I use it mainly on cycle routes and roads, so no major off road, however there are a couple of steep hills so it needs to handle pressure.

Does anyone know if this bike is particularly useless or should it be ok this young and this few miles?

And question 2, the way i understand it, the creaking and jumping is likely from a chain stretching and/or cog set. If it is the cogs, do i have any recall to return it as I believe new cogs shouldn't be going this quick at 600 miles?

I really want to get into cycling but this is worrying me as a few comments have been "you get what you pay for" and for £400 i would have expected the bike to do better than this. I could have just used the money for petrol and gambled the rest. (apologies about the rant but have really enjoyed the bike just frustrated at the hassle this has been).

many thanks


Steve

 

[Spinney]

Hi Steve
The creaking thing actually could be the pedals. I had a cheapish bike few years ago that used to make a clicking noise every time the pedals went round - but unlike you the shop I bought it from tried changing things until the noise went - it was the pedals. If the shop thought it was the pedals they should have changed them for you.

Even though it is out of the 6 month warranty, you have a case for getting a new set of pedals fitted at their expense - this was a problem that appeared within the six months that they failed to fix.

As for the chain clicking thing - are you sure it is the chain, and not the pedals too - i.e. check that it does not occur (say) every time one foot is at a particular position as you pedal. Also, check the chain carefully - this kind of thing can be due to a broken link - you might need to wipe oil/dirt off the chain, as all you might see is a crack. It is more likely to be the chain than the cogs, I think (but no doubt someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly !)

And welcome to CycleChat!

 

[L14M]

The chain jumping sounds like its the rear derailure needing adjusting, has it all been lube'd etc often?

 

[andytheflyer]

Hi,

Welcome to cycling! I have a Giant and it's done over 5000 miles now. At 600 miles nothing on yours is worn out. But, after 600 miles you will need to be regularly maintaining your bike - otherwise you will get creaks and clicks and these can be frustrating and very difficult to find.

I suspect that the gears may have gone slightly out of adjustment and giving you the clicking as the mis-aligned chain passes some point on the chain rings or cassette, and the creaking may well be pedals - but could be the seat or seat post, or even the handlebar stem or clamp. A lot of weight moves around with every stroke when cycling and that movement of forces will create movement in the bike structure somewhere - finding it can be tricky. But once you've found it and fixed it - believe me it will bring a smile to your face. And you'l learn a lot about bike maintenance.

Chain jumping sounds like the derailleur at the back needs adjusting because the gear cable has stretched - the cable tension needs increasing slightly - 5 second job once you find the adjuster and which way to turn it. I have to do this frequently!

A 600 miles, it's a cleaning, lubricating and adjusting problem - there's very probably nothing broken.

There's a lot of advice on this forum for gear adjustment, chain cleaning, seatpost lubrication - and that will lead you to other information if the problem is harder to find. Look for the Mickle method too -sounds like your chain needs a clean.

Good luck!

 

[jack smith]

with new ish bikes the cables stretch through use,this causes gears to go out of allignment and breaks to need re adjusting, also check one of your cogs is not bent as this can cause a big clock and jump when pedalling, iv currently got this on my specialized in the smallest ring ( typically the one im in the most) and i have spares but i cant find my cassette tool -.-

 

[Fab Foodie]

Sorry to be a saddo pedantic ar5e but ....

Pedals not Peddles
Brakes not Breaks
Capital 'I' etc.

I'm pretty poor on grammar and speeling too, (and it get's pointed out from time to time, which is helpful), but it's good to get some key bicycle words right.
Cheers
FF

 

[wisdom]

Giant bikes are very good.With that mileage as previously mentioned nothing will be worn out.
Personally i dont think that even cheap pedals will be wrecked yet unless the bike has repeatedly been dropped on them.
Is there another lbs that could give you a second opinion?You could then have a case with your original provider should there be a warranty issue.6 months seems a short warranty if the bike was new.
I think a lot of the gear issues are down to adjustment and are easily sorted.

 

[Globalti]

Let's get this straight: Giant bikes are no better or worse than any other bike and no bike is bad unless it's a £99 supermarket special. All bikes are good, they have to be otherwise they would snap. What varies is the components, usually made by somebody like Shimano and the longevity of those components depends firstly on regular adjustment and maintenence and secondly on their quality.

Your gears are probably skipping because you haven't maintained the shifting system in the current wet weather and your pedals are probably creaking because they need maintenance. If not the pedals, the creak may be coming from your saddle rails, which might need the clamp tightened, or another component in need of general tightening and lubrication. Entrusting small but important maintenance jobs once every few months to a distracted mechanic in a busy bike shop is a very poor substitute for regular checking and adjustment.

 

[gbb]

A few things i'd remark on...
600 miles since new...how many times have you oiled the chain ?
My 10 speed chains, which are prone to wear quicker, only last 1200 miles with good maintenance.
IF your chain has seen little maintenance AND hasnt been cleaned AND is used in poor conditions, it wouldnt seem impossible for the chain to be worn in 600 miles.
Cassette worn after 600 miles, not likely. You should get three chains to one cassette and chainrings, all things being even.
LBS serviced the bike, but didnt do the chain because there was still dirt on it ?...depends on what service was done. If it was the free 'service' they do after a few weeks, that is usually just a safety check, adjust cables etc...ive never had chains oiled as part of that 'service'..and i dont think you will.

The bike itself is good, no problems with its quality. Creaks and stuff is the bane of cyclists, we all get them, bottom bracket, pedals, seatpost, headset can all get creaky and as said, often take a bit of tracking down...your LBS possibly hasnt been to far off in its assessment.

Unless you check for wear on the chain...you're guessing. If its worn, it could cause skipping/slipping.
Creaking ? check the following..
Pedals tight ?
Cranks tight ?
BB tight ?
Seatpost tight? try standing as you pedal, if it doesnt creak, its probably the seatpost.
Headset ?, they are very prone to creaking, a tiny adjustment can make a big difference.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

My first thoughts reading your description was worn pedal bearings. On my Triban 3, (£299 road bike) the stock pedals failed after 200 miles of use - worn bearings inside. I just replaced them with something better.

If you hold the crank arm (bit the pedal is attached to) in one hand and the pedal in the other, try moving the pedal up & down (in a manner it is not meant to do - hard to explain, don't rotate the pedal, just try to move it around without the crank arm moving, move the end of the pedal upwards vertically and downwards vertically or try to at least). If there is movement on either of them, then it is the pedal. Clicking would be from the bearings inside showing wear. These are not usually serviceable and are simply a straight replacement.

 

[summerdays]

Sorry to be a saddo pedantic ar5e but ....

Pedals not Peddles
Brakes not Breaks
Capital 'I' etc.

I'm pretty poor on grammar and speeling too, (and it get's pointed out from time to time, which is helpful), but it's good to get some key bicycle words right.
Cheers
FF

But @Fab Foodie if you are going to complain about someone's spelling then getting the word spelling right is a good start

(From someone equally bad at spelling).

 

[Fab Foodie]

But @Fab Foodie if you are going to complain about someone's spelling then getting the word spelling right is a good start

(From someone equally bad at spelling).

I got it exactly how I wanted it to be ....

 

[splreece]

thanks for the

Sorry to be a saddo pedantic ar5e but ....

Pedals not Peddles
Brakes not Breaks
Capital 'I' etc.

I'm pretty poor on grammar and speeling too, (and it get's pointed out from time to time, which is helpful), but it's good to get some key bicycle words right.
Cheers
FF

Many thanks. I knew that GCSE in Enlighish I got looked fake.

I will pay more attention next time.

 

[oldfatfool]

Could also be a loose BB. Grab the cranks and see if there is any movement in them other than circular, ie http://www.madegood.org/bikes/repair/check-a-bottom-bracket/

 

[splreece]

Many thanks for all the replies and apologies to Fab Foodie for the lack of correct punctuation and grammar ... all those years listening to radio4 really havent rubbed off.

I have self serviced (if thats a term), my bike 3 times including a full clean and components oiled as well as fortnightly basic cleaning... so I will check but hope its not the components or chain physically...however tweaking and tightening I haven't really done aside the obvious brakes/gears, so I will have a lot to play with this weekend and sounds like tweaking is more of a regular activity than I originally anticipated. Many thanks for the list of possible causes. I wished I'd known/been told/researched this prior to getting the bike I would have kept a regular tweak.

Many thanks for all the comments and with the greatest of respect to Globalti. If I used that excuse with my new clients...........I wouldn't have any long term ones.. luckily I don't so I still have plenty!