stin

OP Here.

Customer service sent a massive reply, stating that neither the bent chainring, bent rotor or cracked fork was a problem.

I'll be opening a payment dispute.....

Thanks for your input.

shelbyfv

They are probably right about the fork. All carbon forks just have the nut glued into a hole in the fork, AFAIK. Obviously some do a nicer job of tidying up. Nevertheless, you'll probably never be happy with it, may as well return it.

Bah Humbug

Whelp, this thread is curing me of any thought of jumping for one of their "great deals".

Tacoenthusiast

YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PEOPLE PAY FOR OBLONG CHAIN RINGS? YOU GOT A GREAT DEAL AND ARE LUCKY YOUR CHAINRING IS OBLONG


lololol great customer service

datlas 

But...But...you could be missing out on the DEAL OF THE CENTURY!!!

#BDCopy

Bah Humbug

Shill.

seypat

If you look at the large pic on the BD site, that could be a bonding seam, but, but, it certainly doesn't have paint flicking off like the OP's. Looks like a problem.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...rance-road.htm

CliffordK

I assume the bike has either aluminum or steel dropouts that extend up into the fork somehow. An X-Ray or Ultrasound might give some idea of the structure. However, perhaps there would also be a low-tech method such as using a tap test to try to divine out borders of material composition.

Bah Humbug

Also, if a bent chainring is "acceptable", it puts paid to the popular notion (which most people don't seem to actually follow up on) that the bike is the price of a groupset and you get the frame and finish kit "free".

Greiselman

Bikes Direct's website is... something else. Ooof.

SethAZ 

I've wondered if it couldn't be just an example of a horrendous masking job by someone applying the initial coats of paint and not wanting to get it into the axle hole. Still, whether it's that or an actual structural problem it looks like crap and isn't what I would accept from a brand-new frame.

Cyclist0108

It looks like someone over-tightened the bolt. It might be worth taking the wheel off and inspecting the rest of the fork. Or just dispute the charge and send it back.

A bent rotor should be replaced, no questions asked. They shouldn't tell you it isn't a problem.

I suspect you won't be the first person who sent this bike back to them. (Not this model. This bike.)

mstateglfr 

Even if the fork is safe, its poorly finished and paint is already separated and chipping off.

I've built up 4 of the diamondback century models for friends/coworkers and none had this issue. oh, and a raleigh was built too, that also didn't have the issue(same company back then). I know for sure as I trued rotors and showed each person how to install thru axles, so this would have been easily seen.

BD's sister website bikeisland is for this very issue. They have tons of bikes listed there that are 'scratched on the dropouts'. Just return it so it can go to the island.

lykbutta

Man. All of this is unacceptable brand new. I took delivery of my new GIANT today and went over it with a fine tooth comb. No way man. Send it back.

mstateglfr 

this isn't a BD frame. Its a Dback frame. BD will buy up old stock of other brands(fuji, kestrel, etc) and sell them too.

Seattle Forrest

Even if it's 100% safe, the resale value of that fork is $0, and while it's in the bike, the whole thing is pretty close to 0 too. Send it back.

eduskator

It could just be the case. That's what I initially thought. Then I saw the purchase price (650$) and to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised it this was due to low-quality paint job.
But you probably paid 3-4x what he paid, right? I'm not saying that a 650$ bike should have flaws, but you know...

topflightpro

To me, it always looked like a finish issue at the thru-axle, which is why I suggested removing the wheel, inserting the TA and seeing if you could move it or if it remained locked in place. (Someone else also suggested this, and even suggested threading from the outside in to see if it moves.) If it doesn't move, it's fine.

How bad is the rotor bent? Is it taco'd or just lighly bent and rubbing? I ask because rotors bend or warp pretty easily. So, that is not an unexpected issue, and you can buy tools for bending them back.

The one thing that concerns me is the bent chainring. I'm still unclear how that happened, and I'd like to see pics of it.

merlinextraligh

My experience with BD has been quite good. I bought a Motebecane Phantom Cross, an aluminum frame cross bike with full Ultegra for $700, and a titanium Motebecanne mountain bike with XT for $1900. Both bikes have limitations. BD cuts corners on non group set components, and I’ve upgraded a few things. But I’ve successfully raced both bikes, and avoided spending a lot of money on bikes that I only use occasionally.

i think with BD you get what you pay for. And in this instance, $699 today is pretty much a bottom end road bike.

Not a big deal to straighten a chain ring, or straighten or replace a rotor.

The fork is admittedly a worry, but until someone with some expertise inspects it in person, it’s impossible to know whether the issue is more than cosmetic.

The BD proposition is that you give up a lot of customer service, and accept some trade offs for a very cheap price.

Personally, I’d get the fork inspected. If it’s only cosmetic, I’d go enjoy the bike. If there is a real issue in how the nut is bonded in the fork, then I’d raise hell with BD, and dispute it with the credit card company if they didn’t resolve it.

merlinextraligh

Chainrings have gotten better, but back in the day, it wasn’t unusual for a chain ring to get bent, and you just straightened it with an adjustable wrench as a lever.

OP could likely do that to his chain ring.

msu2001la

Would you accept a brand new bike that required you to bend the chain ring with a wrench so that it could be ridden? I wouldn't. $650 may be pocket change for many on this forum, but it's still a lot of money to pay for something that has clearly been damaged during shipping.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills reading this thread. Even if the fork is just a sloppy paint finish, I would still be initiating a return with Bikes Direct over the chain ring and rotor issues if they are both really "bent" or "warped" as the OP described. It might take a few emails or phone calls to make this happen, but I'd be shocked if they just said "tough, it's your problem now... grab a wrench and bend it back".

msu2001la

Also FWIW I have a friend who bought a CX bike on Bikes Direct years ago. It arrived with a bent rear derailleur hanger and a rear wheel that needed truing.

Neither are complicated fixes for a shop. Bikes Direct offered to either provide a credit for him to take the bike to a shop and get it fixed, or the option to return and they would send a new bike. He chose to return, even though I think he had to pay return shipping costs, but they sent him a new bike (no issues) within a week, and later refunded his shipping costs.

eduskator

This company sucks. A client should never have to pay out for returning a damaged good he purchased new.

GeneO 

??? Said they refunded his shipping costs.

procrit

I still wouldn't buy from them from just the customer service and quality control standpoint. Either you stand by your products or you don't. Clearly they don't and will keep sending out the "overstocks", which I read as factory blems or problem frames that didn't make the cut for the retail bike shops.