Triban 3 Owners Club

[andyoxon]

I think they are meant to be more than finger tight - otherwise I could see potential for movement of cone nut slackening off, I know the when I undid mine they were much tighter than finger tight... rear wheel the same, but more fiddly... (I'm no expert on this matter, it was the first time I had done them as well).

Yes, you're right - re. locknut - that occurred to me too after a while.

rr - will read the SB article - thanks.

This...

Quick-release hubs are trickier to adjust, because the quick-release mechanism compresses the axle slightly when it is tightened. If you adjust the cones so that they feel just right off the bike, they will bind up when you tighten the quick release. You must set the cones so that there is a little bit of play when the hub is off the bike, or when the wheel is installed with the quick release just barely tightened.

 

[Onthedrops]

Looks to be a case of fine adjustment to get the right pressure.
I had no idea the QR levers had so much of an impact on the wheel hub cones. Had a quick browse through the site from the link above posted by Roadrash (many thanks) Some good advice.

 

[Typhon]

So the gears are starting to play up again on mine. They were quite bad when I bought the bike and eventually the chain snapped as a result. However I took it to Halfords and after spending over an hour putting it right it rode a lot better but still didn't feel quite right. The highest gear on the back has always graunched whether in the highest or middle gear on the front and the two or three lowest gears on the back don't work properly if you are in the middle ring on the front. Really the only combo that works smoothly is the fourth lowest on the back and the middle on the front. Which isn't too bad for me as given I average about 15.5 mph that's about the right gear.

However it seems to be getting worse, the graunching is getting worse again and sometimes it skips gears and/or won't change gear. I guess after a few months and 1300 miles or so it could do with being looked at again by a professional as this is my first bike since I was a kid and I don't have a clue about maintenance.

Is it normal to have this many problems with the gears though? Has anyone else has this problem? Would I have this problem if I had a more expensive bike with say a Shimano 105 groupset?

 

[Edwards80]

It's not normal to have problems no. I had mine serviced about 2000 miles ago and the gears still shift well. With it being a triple, you have to be a bit more aware of "Cross-chaining" (Big front ring + big rear cog and vice versa) but it shouldn't be skipping/sticking.

I'd take it to a recommended local shop rather than Halfords. I certainly wouldn't have been happy if it had been serviced but still didn't feel quite right!

I can't vouch for more expensive kit being easier to work on, but generally you pay extra for smoother shifting/nicer features/lower weight etc. You aren't paying for "Stuff that works" vs "Stuff that doesn't, but it's cheap"

 

[Typhon]

Not crossing the chain was one of the few things I remembered from childhood and I have always avoided it, in fact I don't even get into the biggest 5 gears whilst on the big ring or the smallest 5 when on the small, yet the chain still snapped after 150 miles which perhaps shows how badly Decathlon put it together.

To be fair to the guy at Halfords it was about 90% better after he had fixed it and he did all that and fitted a new chain for £15 whilst I waited, whereas my LBS wanted £30 just to look at it and told me to bring it back "sometime in the next week". I can't say it's ever felt quite right though. Then again I have pretty much nothing to compare it to except my old MTB from when I was a kid. And when I dug that out of the shed after eons of rusting away in there the gears on that didn't shift properly either! In fact almost none of the gears worked.

Specialized let you have a lend of one of their bikes for an entire weekend for the cost of carriage (£40) and if you buy one they refund you it, so say my LBS. Tempted to do that just to see what a more expensive bike, or even just a different bike, is like!

 

[Edwards80]

I guess it depends which decathlon is local to you. Mine was put together well. It didn't get a full bike shop service until about 4000 miles in. Obviously I changed the brake pads/chain etc. when necessary.

Nothing wrong with getting a nicer bike (I'm currently saving for a sunday best/race bike) but the kit on the Triban should work well if set up properly . . . or even less than properly as the case has been when I've done bits myself Can't see myself getting rid of it any time soon, even after I buy a shinier bike. It's too good as a commuter/winter trainer etc.

 

[Rob3rt]

The Triban my gf got was reasonably set up, passable, but I did tweak it and the front mech was mounted too high. But nothing major was wrong, so not perfect, but it is not really normal for the be assembled poorly either.

This "grainching", is it not just the chain scraping against the front mech a bit?

Further, cables do stretch so what was once perfectly indexed, may no longer be indexed perfectly, this calls for cable tension adjustment. I usually just re-index completelly, it is a 2 minute job.

 

[Typhon]

My local was Birmingham at the time but now it's Coventry as they've opened a store there, which is a lot more convenient for me. I bought it about a week after the Olympics so I guess they were extremely busy then.

Yes I will definitely keep mine even if I do buy another bike. Hopefully one day I will have a job where I can commute by bike. A 100 mile a day round trip isn't really feasible for me!

 

[Typhon]

The Triban my gf got was reasonably set up, passable, but I did tweak it and the front mech was mounted too high. But nothing major was wrong, so not perfect, but it is not really normal for the be assembled poorly either.

This "grainching", is it not just the chain scraping against the front mech a bit?

Further, cables do stretch so what was once perfectly indexed, may no longer be indexed perfectly, this calls for cable tension adjustment. I usually just re-index completelly, it is a 2 minute job.

I haven't really looked at what's causing it to be honest as it mostly happens when I am standing up to pedal or I'm in the smaller gears on the back and the highest on the front i.e. really going for it! I'll have to do that but on the turbo so I can look down and see what's causing it.

I think that's what's happened to mine, it wasn't quite perfect but after 4 1/2 months of winter and 1300 miles or so they've stretched and are no longer in line. Maybe I will take it to a different LBS and see what they say. The skipping gears/failing to change is the worst part. For the first mile or two today I just couldn't use the two gears I wanted as it wouldn't stay in them, I had to shift up and pedal harder than I wanted to meaning I over-exerted myself in what was supposed to be my warm-up.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

My local was Birmingham at the time but now it's Coventry as they've opened a store there, which is a lot more convenient for me. I bought it about a week after the Olympics so I guess they were extremely busy then.

Yes I will definitely keep mine even if I do buy another bike. Hopefully one day I will have a job where I can commute by bike. A 100 mile a day round trip isn't really feasible for me!

about a week after the olympics? so its what 6-7 months old?
then you could simply take it back for that 6 month safety check, say you are having problems with the gears and let them sort it out for you. Mine was not great to start off with, the front derailuer was too low and when on the middle front ring, the teeth of the bigger front ring were catching on the chain guard. I moved mine myself. Having run into a few issues with the bike, I rang my local store and asked for some help - they were exceptionally helpful and the bike is considerably better and I ended up with a number of new parts all under warranty to boot even though they knew I had done various maintenance tasks myself (like regrease the wheel hubs) etc.
A phone call to the coventry store selecting the customer service option would not hinder matters and you may get surprised (like I was).

Edit: I will say my bike is better than it ever was even when brand new after the safety check - I just raised a few issues with them to make sure they were also looked at. Now I have a very smoothly running bike and the gears are great & easy again (I have a weak left hand and had started to struggle with them).

 

[Rob3rt]

I haven't really looked at what's causing it to be honest as it mostly happens when I am standing up to pedal or I'm in the smaller gears on the back and the highest on the front i.e. really going for it! I'll have to do that but on the turbo so I can look down and see what's causing it.

I think that's what's happened to mine, it wasn't quite perfect but after 4 1/2 months of winter and 1300 miles or so they've stretched and are no longer in line. Maybe I will take it to a different LBS and see what they say. The skipping gears/failing to change is the worst part. For the first mile or two today I just couldn't use the two gears I wanted as it wouldn't stay in them, I had to shift up and pedal harder than I wanted to meaning I over-exerted myself in what was supposed to be my warm-up.

If it is skipping gears or failing to change then that sounds like cable tension, look on youtube for a video showing how to index the gears, it is very simple. As simple as setting cable tension on minimum using the barrel adjuster, putting it in the smallest cog at the back, pressing to change up to the next larger cog at the shifter, then turning the barrel adjuster on the mech while turning the cranks until it actually climbs up, then a little more until the clattering sound ceases. It will save you some cash, time and will serve teach yourself a bit about maintenance

 

[outlash]

FWIW, the gears on mine weren't that well installed on mine either. I had a go at re-indexing mine which made it better but it still wasn't right. I ended up taking mine down to my LBS, they spent an over hour on both mechs getting it right and now they run better than new . As I found out, just re-indexing might not cure the issues.


Tony.

 

[simon.r]

Here's the answer for those of you struggling to set up your gears correctly:

 

[Typhon]

about a week after the olympics? so its what 6-7 months old?
then you could simply take it back for that 6 month safety check, say you are having problems with the gears and let them sort it out for you. Mine was not great to start off with, the front derailuer was too low and when on the middle front ring, the teeth of the bigger front ring were catching on the chain guard. I moved mine myself. Having run into a few issues with the bike, I rang my local store and asked for some help - they were exceptionally helpful and the bike is considerably better and I ended up with a number of new parts all under warranty to boot even though they knew I had done various maintenance tasks myself (like regrease the wheel hubs) etc.
A phone call to the coventry store selecting the customer service option would not hinder matters and you may get surprised (like I was).

Edit: I will say my bike is better than it ever was even when brand new after the safety check - I just raised a few issues with them to make sure they were also looked at. Now I have a very smoothly running bike and the gears are great & easy again (I have a weak left hand and had started to struggle with them).

Yep 6 months old in about two weeks. At the time they said it just got a year's service for free, nothing about a safety check. It's a bit of a pain for me as the nearest store is 40 miles away but I think I will contact them about it and see what they say. Although it's a hassle, if it makes my cycling better/easier it will be worth it!

If it is skipping gears or failing to change then that sounds like cable tension, look on youtube for a video showing how to index the gears, it is very simple. As simple as setting cable tension on minimum using the barrel adjuster, putting it in the smallest cog at the back, pressing to change up to the next larger cog at the shifter, then turning the barrel adjuster on the mech while turning the cranks until it actually climbs up, then a little more until the clattering sound ceases. It will save you some cash, time and will serve teach yourself a bit about maintenance

That doesn't sound too difficult then! I should do that really, I need to learn simple things like that. Especially as it seems like it's something that I need to do regularly.

FWIW, the gears on mine weren't that well installed on mine either. I had a go at re-indexing mine which made it better but it still wasn't right. I ended up taking mine down to my LBS, they spent an over hour on both mechs getting it right and now they run better than new . As I found out, just re-indexing might not cure the issues.


Tony.

Quite a few Triban owners have mentioned it, it seems to be a bit of a theme. I'll see if I can get a safety check and whether indexing helps, if not then I may just have to shell out and take it to a LBS. Perhaps a different one this time though.

Here's the answer for those of you struggling to set up your gears correctly:

It's far too hilly around here and I'm far too unfit to give up my gears just yet!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Yep 6 months old in about two weeks. At the time they said it just got a year's service for free, nothing about a safety check. It's a bit of a pain for me as the nearest store is 40 miles away but I think I will contact them about it and see what they say. Although it's a hassle, if it makes my cycling better/easier it will be worth it!

Read these 2 entries of mine http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/triban-3-owners-club.121260/post-2277631 and here http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/triban-3-owners-club.121260/post-2278988
We only have to take ours 15 miles each way but the mechanic has done a good job on both bikes we took in and it was all done free of charge (!) We had had no mention of the 6 month safetly check either. Has been well worth while and your bike is the same age as my OH's and even he agrees the bike feels better. Mine had quite a few new parts - just be specific about the problems. Can you pedal backwards in the cold weather (below freezing - if not tell them, I could not so the freehub needed stripping down, is the rear hub knocking - tell them if it is. has the bike got creaks when you pedal - tell them, tell them about the gear change issues etc - worked wonders for us). You may get lucky and get a good mechanic - we spent 15 mins or so talking with him, telling him what issues we had and what we had already done etc (new chain, re-greased wheel hubs, etc).