Postby foxyrider » 11 Jan 2017, 10:37am
Some good advice but also a lot of jumping to conclusions.
Just because a bike was bought mail order does not mean it hasn't been set up before shipping - in fact I would expect any supplier doing MO on BTW would have checked it was all working before despatched. Further, the bike should have been safety checked before this point - was it or did the OP take the line that he hadn't ridden much it didn't need it yet. All bikes have a degree of settling in from new, it is not distance related! Even just a ride around the block can stretch cables and affect performance of gears/brakes.
The biggest problem with BTW IME (I've supplied bikes under the scheme since its inception) is that a large percentage of 'buyers' are novices - often ignoring advice on bike choice, selecting the most expensive option whether suitable or not (how can a full süß MTB be suitable for an urban commute?) Broken chains and accompanying gear frame damage is a regular 'complaint' which under 'interrogation' is almost always caused by user error - that does not make the bike or component 'not fit for purpose'.
The OP has stated an uphill gear change which by default puts the system under stress, I can almost guarantee the failure was precipitated by inadvisable gear changing not a faulty chain. Of course we no longer have access to the chain to prove it either way. The LBS may be covering all the angles by suggesting mech and hanger replacement - it's easy to get a big bill on stuff like this, check their hourly rate, could be forty quid but also check what the quote actually covers. There might be a set up/service charge in there.
My personal view is that the bike has/had no fault and the breakage etc was due to user error. I would however expect the supplier to arrange sorting it out at cost or FOC as a matter of goodwill. OP hasn't indicated where it came from so we don't know if they have a B&M shop.
I suppose the moral of this tale is to not buy bicycles mail order, use a trusted LBS you can have a face to face relationship with. If you do (for reasons of availability for eg) buy MO get the machine checked fully before use. Even I would take it to a shop for this and I've been building bikes and maintaining them for 40 years. I check it over its all down to me, shop checks it and it's their responsibility - essential for warranty unless you happen to have full mechanic certification.
Think carefully before going through the courts, it certainly will do nothing to improve relations with the supplier and could leave you further out of pocket.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!