Ribble Ale - Failed Freehub, what's a reasonable response?

[mjr]

My good luck continues and I have just (ish) been punted off my bike on a roundabout, so don't really feel like reading and thinking too much.

It was a minor off in the scheme of things, no broken bones, I could see that I was going to be hit so changed direction and got hit from the rear not the side.

Well done. Hope you had a soft landing and the punter stopped and made a full confession and so on.

.

How's the bike?

 

[NickWi]

From the opening post and ref the consumable part exclusion.
"you don't seem able to replace the just freehub as it comes with the motor outer plate"
By making the unit so the freehub is intergral with part of the motor you could not unreasonably argue that it has ceased to be a consumable part if it is impractical to replace it and furthermore it is an intergral part of the motor assembly and there has to be covered by the warranty.

 

[ColinJ]

".. you could not unreasonably argue that it has ceased to be a consumable part..."

Putting it that way scrambled my brain!

How about... "You could reasonably argue that it is not a consumable part"?

 

[albion]

Think about it.

What if your tyre wore through. Spot the similarities that exist before you take small claims action.
It might be a grey area.
Also, most bikes do less than 1000km per year yet the average car would be 7500km+

 

[T4tomo]

Good evening,

Thanks everyone for the thoughts.

My good luck continues and I have just (ish) been punted off my bike on a roundabout, so don't really feel like reading and thinking too much.

It was a minor off in the scheme of things, no broken bones, I could see that I was going to be hit so changed direction and got hit from the rear not the side.

Bye

Ian

p.s. For sale, one Fulcrum 900 wheel only a couple of hundred miles use.

hope you are Ok.

Might be a win though - new wheel complete with motor and freehub courtesy of the car driver - or were you on the non ebike?

 

[gbb]

Go to court for something specifically excluded from the warranty as being a consumable?

Most moving parts on bike wear out. 5,000 miles may or may not be a reasonable wear period for a freehub, , but it is unlikely you would win a case after that much usage.

I say sadly, but I kinda agree. The torque 'washer' (its more is a shaped boss) on my Carerra Subway ebike broke at around 5k miles.
Luckily (depending on your point if view) it was a £30 odd item you could easily replace.
I wouldnt have thought of it as a warranty item unless the bike was very new.

 

[fossyant]

Most freehubs can be serviced/replaced, although I'm not sure about that particular hub. Potentially, after 5,000 miles you've got dirt in the pawls, and removing the freehub should be a way to fix them.

I'd not consider them a warranty item unfortunately, especially after 5,000 miles.

 

[ColinJ]

Something may actually have broken in the freehub. I had the wire spring break in one Campagnolo freehub. In that kind of situation, you do have to get inside to repair it.

Other failures though have been due to the pawls getting gunged up. I would be tempted to drill a hole somewhere on the freehub and try to flush it out and then squirt in some light lube. It must be worth having a go at that?

 

[richtea]

Putting some perspective on it, I'd say your potential loss of £80 for 5,000 miles use is pretty good value at 1.6p / mile cycled.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good evening

Thanks for the responess.

There is one thing that I am not at all sure that I have got across, to replace the freehub I have one of two options, well I do at first glance.

Go to a local dealer and ask them to change the part or buy the part and the tools needed to do it myself.

However I asked around three ebike dealers near me all of whom sell bikes with Mahle hubs and not one of them would either do the work or sell me the parts

This wasn't one of them but the thinking is similar https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/products/x35-freehub-body

Please Note: This product is only available to customers who purchased their bike direct from us. This part is held in stock and is available to our customers for a quick and convenient solution.
I am quite happy to tinker, but many are not and those may see long journeys to get their bike running again.

As you can see from the above it is £140 to replace the freehub as you really do need the tools. Okay as the freehub is apparently so fragile I will be needing the tools frequently so the cost will drop over time.

As to the question of who makes them I don't know as there are no markings and it could well be anybody as it is an unusual design.

Normally I am fine with items having a lifespan but to argue that it is a consumable and then say that it requires an £80 tool to change it doesn't gel with me. To replace a chain you need a chain tool, under a tenner, a tyre or tube change, some tyre levers, a Shimano hub a cone spanner/lock nut spanner and a 15mm allen key, £20 but you would already have 2 out 3 of those.

Yes the cost per mile does look attractive, but what is the cost of not being able to get where you are going because of an unexpected failure rather expected wear and tear?

Sadly I was on the Taiwanese Raleigh but as far as I can tell the frame didn't bend and nothing really hurts much. Thats the advantage of being hit from behind rather than side, the closing speed is less, you roll over the bonnet slowing down gradually and then roll onto the road.

Bye

Ian

 

[biggs682]

@IanSmithCSE you are having a streak of bad luck.
Hope you are ok after your tumble ?
Keep cycling and don't let grind you down

 

[wafter]

Hope there's no lasting physical / mental damage @IanSmithCSE!

Sadly this thread only serves to reinforce my reservations about both Ribble and e-bikes.

The retailer in question have always struck me as trying to peddle middling-at-best products under the auspices of a premium image they've largely failed to achieve; as evidenced by their less-than-stellar after-sales service. IIRC they were struggling some time ago (I think they expanded heavily post-covid and probably got stung like many others) so this avoidance of responsibility may be driven by an existantial crisis..

The situation with the parts speaks of everything I dislike about modern bikes (and e-bikes especially)- propriatory standards, poor availability, short service life, high cost, need for specialist tools... if the situation is this bad now what hope is there when the bike is five, ten, fifteen years old..?

 

[albion]

Bosch mid motor hubs do not like the rain !

Near everything branded is sold as and marketed as premium.

 

[Dogtrousers]

The fact that a freehub, which I've always found to be a bomb-proof thing that "just works", is considered a consumable on an e-bike might suggest that higher standards are required for thing that have to deal with power from motors than things that just have to deal with my weedy legs.

There are consumable things that you know will definitely wear out: brake blocks/pads, chains, chainrings, cassettes, cables, jockey wheels, etc... And there are things that, while obviously not immortal, you expect to keep going for a couple of years at least - and with regular maintenance and regreasing of loose bearings/ replacement of sealed bearings - carry on indefinitely. From my experience on ordinary pushbikes I put freehubs into the latter category

The fact that Ribble have put freehubs in the former category of consumable things says to me that Ribble have deliberately under-specified the freehub and used one that's not fit for the rigours of dealing with motor power. They are knowingly selling dud equipment and covering their arses with a dubious small print claim that freehubs are consumable. Shysters.

 

[wafter]

The fact that a freehub, which I've always found to be a bomb-proof thing that "just works", is considered a consumable on an e-bike might suggest that higher standards are required for thing that have to deal with power from motors than things that just have to deal with my weedy legs.

There are consumable things that you know will definitely wear out: brake blocks/pads, chains, chainrings, cassettes, cables, jockey wheels, etc... And there are things that, while obviously not immortal, you expect to keep going for a couple of years at least - and with regular maintenance and regreasing of loose bearings/ replacement of sealed bearings - carry on indefinitely. From my experience on ordinary pushbikes I put freehubs into the latter category

The fact that Ribble have put freehubs in the former category of consumable things says to me that Ribble have deliberately under-specified the freehub and used one that's not fit for the rigours of dealing with motor power. They are knowingly selling dud equipment and covering their arses with a dubious small print claim that freehubs are consumable. Shysters.

Agree with much of that in principle, however from the design of the hub (specifically its integration with the motor housing) the shortcomings of the design appear to rest with Mahle rather than Ribble..