My Triban 3's chain broke today

[Crosstrailer]

Glad to hear you didn't get pitched off Typhon !

I have only returned to cycling a month or so ago too, when I was younger my brother used to do all our mechanics but since I got my new bike I am really getting into home mechanics, basically so I don't have to rely on the skills (or lack of) at local shops and secondly because I obsess about a silent running and smooth changing bike which I now have !!!!

 

[PaulSecteur]

It was from Birmingham.

I applied for a job there when they opened, but didnt get it.

Seemed like the interviewer wanted kids or yes men. There would have been no clunky gears if I was there, nor would there be things on shelves without prices on, my personal pet hate.

Bitter, me?

No, I`ll have a mild please!

 

[Widge]

Hi Typhon,

You've got me thinking now!

Sorry to be bit dense.....but I can't work out from your posts whether your busted chain was a result of mal-adjusted gears ot a fault with the chain itself?
Apart from wear and tear.....I can't see what can really be intrinsically 'wrong' with a newish chain unless it had a badly fitted connector link, buckled side plate, stiff link or wonky pin?
Did the Halfords man blame the chain itself or the set-up of the derailleurs etc?
I would have thought that just out of adjustment gears would not be likely to actually BREAK a chain.......mysterious.

I fondly imagine that my chain has gradually become quieter as I have ridden it a few times and-apart from occaisional user error...everything seems to shift ok...but now I looking at it as an accident waiting to happen!!!

Perhaps I should whip it off and put a different 'make' on? I hate changing chains-I never seem to end up with the right number of links and snap-on connectors either never do or spring out of my hands across the garage never to be seen again!

I always preffered old fashioned rivets and chain tools.........but that's progress I suppose.
I also wonder whether there really IS much quantifiable difference in quality between brands and designs-particularily since 8spd chains are pretty low budget kit these days.

All a bit confusing!

Sorry to ramble

 

[Typhon]

I had a bit of chain clattering at the start on my Triban 3 but only when in the middle ring in front. It stopped after about 50 miles, maybe just a bedding in issue with mine. I've had no other problems so far, gear changes nice and smooth and no slipping or clunking.

Chain came off the other day, but that was my fault as I was on a path with a small wooden bridge on a bend that I usually blast through on my MTB, done it on the Triban, skidded and ended up almost coming off, must have caught the chain with my foot or something.

Hmm interesting, I guess it's not all of them. I suppose that's not surprising though, there's nothing wrong with the gears. Just the way they are built it seems!

Posted a couple if times in here about the gearing on my triban. Just never felt 100% confident in it even after taking it back to the shop for a tweak. It has been clunky, grinding at times through gear changes, noise at points whilst just cycling and slips out of gear randomly from time to time.

Might take it up to another bike shop and get them to have a look

Yes I would definitely do that. A proper bike mechanic should be able to get it working smoothly and it will feel so much better after that.

Glad to hear you didn't get pitched off Typhon !

I have only returned to cycling a month or so ago too, when I was younger my brother used to do all our mechanics but since I got my new bike I am really getting into home mechanics, basically so I don't have to rely on the skills (or lack of) at local shops and secondly because I obsess about a silent running and smooth changing bike which I now have !!!!

Thanks I'm looking more and more into bike mechanics myself, hoping to become self-sufficient by the time I am ready to upgrade to a carbon bike. So I'll know for 100% sure that it's well looked after!

I know what you mean and a silent running and smooth changing bike! I feel a lot more comfortable on it now. It was rather embarrassing when you'd change gear and someone 200 yards away would stare at you thinking you'd just screwed something up!

 

[Typhon]

I applied for a job there when they opened, but didnt get it.

Seemed like the interviewer wanted kids or yes men. There would have been no clunky gears if I was there, nor would there be things on shelves without prices on, my personal pet hate.

Bitter, me?

No, I`ll have a mild please!

It's their loss! They are opening a new store in Coventry on the 18th, if you still need a job you could apply there maybe? Tell them at the interview that you'll put the Tribans together properly unlike the branch in brum!!

Hi Typhon,

You've got me thinking now!

Sorry to be bit dense.....but I can't work out from your posts whether your busted chain was a result of mal-adjusted gears ot a fault with the chain itself?
Apart from wear and tear.....I can't see what can really be intrinsically 'wrong' with a newish chain unless it had a badly fitted connector link, buckled side plate, stiff link or wonky pin?
Did the Halfords man blame the chain itself or the set-up of the derailleurs etc?
I would have thought that just out of adjustment gears would not be likely to actually BREAK a chain.......mysterious.

I fondly imagine that my chain has gradually become quieter as I have ridden it a few times and-apart from occaisional user error...everything seems to shift ok...but now I looking at it as an accident waiting to happen!!!

Perhaps I should whip it off and put a different 'make' on? I hate changing chains-I never seem to end up with the right number of links and snap-on connectors either never do or spring out of my hands across the garage never to be seen again!

I always preffered old fashioned rivets and chain tools.........but that's progress I suppose.
I also wonder whether there really IS much quantifiable difference in quality between brands and designs-particularily since 8spd chains are pretty low budget kit these days.

All a bit confusing!

Sorry to ramble

He said it was because the set-up of the gears and derailleur. I don't think there was anything wrong with the chain itself. It was a pretty strange incident because I generally thought chains broke when you were really going for it e.g. standing up to pedal or when you stretched the chain but for me I was in one of the middle gears on the back and changing from the top to the middle gear on the front. I was only doing about 15-18mph and my cadence wasn't high at all.

If you don't have the clunking problems when you change that myself and other Triban users have I wouldn't worry about the chain. I think if I had just taken the bike to Halfords as soon as I got it and they had fixed the set-up this probably wouldn't have happened.

No idea about the quality of chains I'm afraid. I did wonder whether in order to make the bike just £299 they would cut some corners somewhere but I have no idea whether it was a cheap chain or not. The replacement one from Halfords was £15 + £6 to fit (very reasonable given the time it took!) I'm hoping this one lasts a bit longer!

 

[Deleted member 20519]

Very strange, I haven't experienced and clunking from the drivetrain though.

 

[WelshyLuke]

Having not long bought a triban3 my self I have to agree with the clunky gears and chain. The gent who set mine up in the brum store actually complained about the gear sets on the 3 saying they where a pig to setup and get quiet.
Took me about half hr tinkering in my trainer to get the gears smooth and it was mainly down to the front mech being out of Alignment.

All working spot on now and for £300 you can't complain as the triban3 is a good bit of kit.

 

[andsaw]

That sounds a bit worrying, i have had my Triban 3 just under a month and up to now no problems but mine clunks but only when changing to a higher gear (smaller cog on back wheel) i only use the the biggest cog on the front and my usual cog on the back is third from the highest so not much twisting, i will be keeping an eye on mine and hopefully all will be ok.

 

[Darren Jeffrey]

Ok I had a fettle with the rear mech today and don't seem to be havi g and gear crunching and skipping today however there is a very distinct grinding noise when I'm in the largest front cog and the smallest back. This seems to correct itself if I hold the left hand gear changer in whilst riding. Noise goes away but comes back once in its normal position.

Discovered that the chain is rubbing on this

And that's what's making the grinding noise. This had been adjusted previously by decathlon Edinburgh

Thanks

 

[HovR]

Ok I had a fettle with the rear mech today and don't seem to be havi g and gear crunching and skipping today however there is a very distinct grinding noise when I'm in the largest front cog and the smallest back. This seems to correct itself if I hold the left hand gear changer in whilst riding. Noise goes away but comes back once in its normal position.

Discovered that the chain is rubbing on this
View attachment 13549

And that's what's making the grinding noise. This had been adjusted previously by decathlon Edinburgh

Thanks

Sounds/looks like the cable tension needs increasing a bit to bring the front derailleur away from the chain. You can do this by unscrewing one of the barrel adjusters on the front mech's cable.

It only needs small half turns at a time until it's right - Best to remember how many turns you have unscrewed the adjuster just incase you want to set it back to its original position.,

 

[andsaw]

Same here, HovR beat me to it.

 

[Darren Jeffrey]

Sounds/looks like the cable tension needs increasing a bit to bring the front derailleur away from the chain. You can do this by unscrewing one of the barrel adjusters on the front mech's cable.

It only needs small half turns at a time until it's right - Best to remember how many turns you have unscrewed the adjuster just incase you want to set it back to its original position.,

Please excuse my lack of knowledge but when you say barrel adjuster on front mech do you mean the left one or right one and clockwise or anti clockwise?

Thanks for the advice

 

[Darren Jeffrey]

Sounds/looks like the cable tension needs increasing a bit to bring the front derailleur away from the chain. You can do this by unscrewing one of the barrel adjusters on the front mech's cable.

It only needs small half turns at a time until it's right - Best to remember how many turns you have unscrewed the adjuster just incase you want to set it back to its original position.,

Please excuse my lack of knowledge but when you say barrel adjuster on front mech do you mean the left one or right one and clockwise or anti clockwise?

Thanks for the advice

 

[Darren Jeffrey]

Sounds/looks like the cable tension needs increasing a bit to bring the front derailleur away from the chain. You can do this by unscrewing one of the barrel adjusters on the front mech's cable.

It only needs small half turns at a time until it's right - Best to remember how many turns you have unscrewed the adjuster just incase you want to set it back to its original position.,

Please excuse my lack of knowledge but when you say barrel adjuster on front mech do you mean the left one or right one and clockwise or anti clockwise?

Thanks for the advice

 

[HovR]

Please excuse my lack of knowledge but when you say barrel adjuster on front mech do you mean the left one or right one and clockwise or anti clockwise?

Thanks for the advice

Your front mech will be linked to the left hand shifter. If I remember rightly, the barrel adjusters which adjust the cable tension for the Triban 3 are in-line ones located in the cable coming directly out of the shifter.