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Months of gear problems with my Pashley - the EBC unable to solve?

(14 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by seanspotatobusiness
  • Latest reply from kaputnik
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. seanspotatobusiness
    Member

    In September last year, I bought a Pashley Princess Sovereign from The Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative for £600. Ever since, I've taken it back repeatedly to get them to try to align the gears properly. It used to be that in first gear, the changer would pull to second (the changer wasn't tight enough or the cable was too taught). Eventually, unable to calibrate them correctly, they changed the insides of the hub gears but still, there were problems with skipping in second gear. I was eventually told that the gear-change cable was rusty and needed to be replaced so that was done at a cost of £16 (I asked, and they said it wasn't covered by the warranty) but it hasn't helped.

    The current situation is that when I change from second to third gear, the gears slip. If I move up to fourth and then back to third, it seems ok, but I think it might be because it stays in fourth (hard to tell). I took it back a few days ago and the mechanic who now knows me by sight took it out and came back and said he'd adjusted it, but it's no different. I don't have time to be constantly taking it back - I was already late, otherwise I'd have taken it back straight away. I think he just doesn't know what's wrong with it and wants me to go away. I don't really know what to do. The only reason I paid this much for a new bike was too avoid problems like this! I thought I was paying to avoid a headache.

    I see a few options:

    Take it to another shop (which?) and see what they can do. Do you think it would be reasonable to ask the EBC to pay if the alternative shop can fix it?

    Everyone at the EBC seems quite young. Is there a manager at the back whom I can speak to?

    I could write to Pashley and express my disappointment and perhaps they will advise me or offer to intervene in some way?

    I don't get a lot of free time, so this experience really sucks. :(

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. SRD
    Moderator

    That sounds really miserable. What sort of gears does it have? I would definitely be tempted to take it somewhere where they fix more internal hub gears (? the bikeworks?). But I would also write to Pashley.

    Above entirely uninformed response; am sure others will have better advice, but the beauty of the hub gear is that it shouldn't need continual maintenance - that's what I love about mine.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I think "other" bike ships probably better at fixing your hub than EBC have been. I gave up using them for repairs as it took ages to get the thing booked in, they took ages to fix it (a week for a single spoke?!), they charge more than any of their competitors seem to and when they did "fix" things, other things came back broken, or they missed obvious faults, taking further weeks to rectify.

    Never having had a hub I'm not sure who's best around town for getting them serviced. I know that Laidback speaks highly of thebikeworks for Roflofs (sp!). You would of course have to pay, but if you just want it sorted, professionally and quickly, and are willing to resolve the issue of warranty etc. afterwards then I'd say that's your best option.

    As to getting satisfaction about the service, I'd write to both Pashley and the EBC. I think the more senior EBC people are generally never around much (well, not when I'm there!) but the people "in charge" would take your letter seriously - they do after all trade on an image of being a co-operative and the cyclist's friend. Pashley also trade on their image and reputation and as the bike is under a year would I'm sure be willing to "do something", particularly if their distributor isn't coming up to expectations. However if you've already had the work done then I'm not sure if they'd be willing to cough up. Perhaps phone / email them in advance to say that you can't get it sorted through the distributor, you need it fixed ASAP, what do they recommend.

    After all, a hub is meant to be about low maintenance and reliability and you're getting neither.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. Its_Me_Knees
    Member

    You are being fobbed off by EBC. By making a purchase from the EBC they have entered into a contract with you. They have supplied you with an item that is not of satisfactory quality, neither is it fit for purpose. Accordingly, they are in breech of that contract and, under the various Sale of Goods Acts you are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund, and the choice of what you go for could be yours, not EBCs, depending (see http://www.howtocomplain.com/info/kyr/TSAdviceonBuyingGoodsScotland.shtml) for a much better breakdown of the 'ifs' and 'buts' than I can provide here.

    I don't think you should have to pay for any repair of components that wouldn't be expected to wear out (or indeed rust!) over such a short period of use (fit for purpose issues again, nothing to do with warranty...).

    Note that you did not enter into a contract with Pashley, and while contacting them will do no harm, your dispute remains with EBC. If you paid by credit card, you can take the matter up with your credit card company, as I believe they are also liable for failure to supply goods fit for purpose, etc,etc.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. wee folding bike
    Member

    I got a Pashley Roadster 26 Sovereign in August because I was fed up with grit damaging exposed bits of bike in the winter.

    Do you have the plastic gear trigger? They aren't up to the job of holding the hub in first gear. You can replace it with the alloy version:

    http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/5-speed-sturmey-archer-sls50-t-thumbshifter-hsj959-prod24028/

    You need to remove the right hand grip to fit it but they aren't glued so some water or WD-40 should help them slide off.

    After the winter it's probably worth checking that the cable runs freely and isn't corroded at the chainstay end.

    You need to adjust the indicator so that the yellow line lines up with the end of the axle when it's in 2nd. Even once you do that it might need tweaked a BH one way or the other.

    If the hub isn't adjusted properly then 1st gear will skip under load and damage one end of the sliding key. Eventually this becomes so bad that it just doesn't work in 1st. The pointy end of the key gets too chewed up to lock the sun.

    The end of the sliding key tapers so that it can slide into the suns and select one or other. The pointy end of this taper carries the load of locking the wide range sun in 1st gear. Sliding keys are available from SJS and cost about £5. It's a half hour job to replace one... after you get the back wheel off.

    This is the key used in the XRD 5 (W)

    http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/sturmey-archer-sliding-key-for-5(w)-hsa663-prod24885/?sessionid=791097e1c512eacee91649c5ca480d18c9824b39

    Exploded diagram is here:

    http://www.sturmey-archer.com/userfiles/manuals/XRD5-Tech.pdf

    The sun and planet cage is riveted so I can't see if there is damage to the sun. At some point I might swap that on the off chance that it was damaged when the plastic lever was fitted.

    Mine sometimes skips when hauling bottom up the big hill but other than that it's fine and the bike managed the winter without any other problems which was the reason for getting it in the first place. It also tows no. 4 son back from nursery and, after some discussion on the Brompton list, I checked the clock. I'm doing more than 20 mph down hill with that trailer when I go round the roundabout but it hasn't tipped over yet.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. gembo
    Member

    It is under warranty still? should be a year? you have been in enough times now, time for them to send away for new hub etc. They did this for me with my hub when still under warranty - got new hub and new back wheel (but that was specialized being generous). Alas the new one also broke, this time outwith warranty. I am currently waiting on the bike chain to convert it to three speed sturmey.

    If still in warranty stick with ebc. Establish e-mail contact and get the bike booked into a slot where they endeavour to fix it properly once and for all or send it back.

    e-mails I have in cookies

    customerservicesthree@edinburghbicycle.com

    enquiries@edinburghbicycle.com

    If outwith warranty go elsewhere.

    I don't think going elsewhere and trying to get ebc to pay will work. Gordon Archibald one of the mechanics at ebc is very knowledgeable about hub gears. So if going for a slot you can request one of his slots? But link the slot to the complaint by e-mail so that the mechanic manger can make the decision to send the wheel back.

    If you can locate Neil Bain down at Newhaven he is also extremely knowledgeable however - shop never open, phone never answered but other strings suggest Tues-Sat evenings [I think he may have a day job]. But that would be if you lived down that way. If Raleigh ever supply tbc with the back wheel I will let you know how they fare with my conversion

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. Dave
    Member

    I had a negative experience of this sort with Edinburgh Bike Co-op when, after about 6 months, I found the forks of my Courier Race had bent (about where canti posts would be if it had such posts).

    As the bike was otherwise immaculate, I took it back expecting them to replace under warranty, but they declined. If I had been as clued up as I am now, I'd have used the Sale of Goods act but instead I took it to the Bicycle Works who put a new fork on (for half the cost EBC quoted to repair something that should have been in warranty - honestly!)

    Shame as we have never really been back for the sort of regular trade that they probably make a lot of margin on, so it's cost them hand over fist compared with just standing behind their bike in the first place.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. seanspotatobusiness
    Member

    I got a call a few days ago from Gordon at the EBC and he said that someone had seen this thread. He apologised and said they'd contact Pashley about ordering a new part. I haven't heard anything since, but I'll post any developments on here whenever I get a moment.

    Thanks for relaying your experiences and suggestions though, guys. I appreciate it. And some of it might come in useful yet.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. Kirst
    Member

    When I got my first bike from EBC a few years ago I took it back several times in the first few months because of gear problems - gears slipping, gears not changing, chain coming off and getting stuck at inopportune moments (like in the middle of busy junctions). They kept telling me there was nothing wrong with it and it must be that I was changing gear incorrectly.

    Then I went on a one-day maintenance day, where it became clear that the gear cables had brake outers on them. They sorted it free of charge, but there was no apology for the months of telling me it was all my fault.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. Arellcat
    Moderator

    That's nothing, Kirst. I spent half an hour this evening trying to thread a left-handed bottom bracket cup into a right-hand threaded BB shell. The worst thing was, I was half successful at it, before realising that the thing was now jammed and I'd forgotten that my bike was upside down at the time. So much for my ninja workshop skillz. :-(

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I suspect EBC may be lacking in the bike assembling department ever since I took my (1 year) old singlespeed apart and realised that the front and rear brake calipers were different makes and models - the rear one being distictly substandard form what it should have been - and that it had either been assembled with what was lying around the workshop that day or it was just due to a lack of attention and they mixed parts up from different bikes.

    Both bikes I have that originated from EBC had a number of parts installed either without or with insufficient quantity and quality of grease for our damp climate.

    Yes it's an unscientific straw poll of only 2 bikes but that's a 100% record for me and I won't be buying from them again. You should not have to resort to a can of WD40 and a very large wrench to get gear cable stops out that are less than a year old. I also didn't expect an 8 month old bottom bracket to be corroding. Especially on "house bikes" that are well cleaned and maintained.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    A year after building my MTB I decided to pamper it with a service at EBC. A week later I re-serviced it myself. It had come out of EBC feeling so much worse than it went in. That was over 6 years ago, and I now restrict myself to buying the occasional bit, but to be honest I don't really like the shopping 'experience' there...

    Speaking of bottom brackets, installed the Cotic X's tonight, part of the groupset bought from the decidedly lovely TBC. And not a mis-threading incident in sight... ;)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Anth it's cheating if you get half way though one build to start another!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. kaputnik
    Moderator

    WRONG THREAD FAIL...

    Posted 12 years ago #

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