Bought a new bike and it was delivered missing parts
 

Hello,

I bought a bike which was supposed to be 100% assembled however when I unpacked it there were no pedals. I contacted the office and they assured me they would send me the pedals within 2 working days. I checked their registration and it turns out that the bike was fully checked signed and stamped before dispatch and I found it quite weird they have missed both pedals! I took it to a bike shop nearby to fit new ones and on the left side it fitted okay but on the right side it didn’t fit at all! All this fitting and trying scratched the black surface of the pedal arm ever so slightly. I told the company that the mechanic said it had a malfunction right arm, and they asked for pictures. I want to know how I should respond to the bike shop if they accuse the issue is mine and I shouldn’t have scratched. After all, they said they would ship pedals for me to install anyway! So regardless of the situation there would have been few wench scratches on the arm. Plus they should have sent the bike fully assembled as checked by their wrong quality control.
any inputs on how I should approach this please? Shall I ask for a replacement/refund or even mention court action if they try to blame me? Plus should I pay for any collection or delivery for returns etc? Thank you!

did they say it shipped with pedals installed? most bikes ship without pedals installed since it makes the box so much bigger. pedals are also very, very easy to install, especially on a new bike.

what kind of “malfunction” was there on the right arm? improperly threaded?

In my view (and I might be in the minority), pedals are the least important piece of original equipment on a new bike. In many cases for top level bikes, pedals are not even included because the rider will already have a preferred pedal or pedal-to-cleat configuration that he or she will install for the initial fitting.

As for scratches to a crank arm, you can simply touch them up with a Sharpie or a matte black modeler's paint, like Testor's. Cranks get scuffed and scratched from use anyway.

What's most disconcerting from your description is how the bike shop had difficulty with the right crank pedal threads and DID NOT CHASE THE THREADS with the proper tool prior to forcing the installation. This is an unprofessional error.

You need to go back and read the specifications for whatever it was you bought. I would not expect a bike being shipped to me to be fully assembled, nor to even include pedals.

It's pretty hard for us to say one way or the other about your specific purchase since we have no clue who you bought it from and what exact model you bought.

They sold the bikes with pedals
 

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the replies. I am aware that some bikes don’t come with pedals but I made sure this one would. The description says the bike would have the pedals installed. No pedals came in the box. The customer service said that it was their error and would ship the pedals in two days for me to fit. The website site said 100% assembled, and so did the customer service which didn’t know why it passed quality assurance without the pedals. The thing is we tried different ways but the right hand side threading wasn’t letting the pedal screw in. This of course caused some minor scratches on the arm. Should I refuse to pay for a return postage if they clearly send it not as described and malfunctioning?

Hi yes, I had many bikes before and this is the only only fully assembled and it states on their site and the customer service assured me it was their error. Another point is that the right hand side one isn’t locking in! ;/

Hi, thanks for your reply! Their website says it’s fully 100% assembled (including the pedals) but not even one pedal came inside the box mounted or dismounted. The customer service told me it was their error and they would send me new ones for me to fit them in. Assuming what I know now about the right arm, the pedals wouldn’t fit anyway.

Hi yes, and the customer service confirmed it was their error and would send me new pedals. I had many bikes before which I myself installed the pedals but this particular one came without pedals and a malfunctioning right arm. The left hand side was installed in less than a min. The right one wouldn’t even fit at all and by forcing I believe there has been a scratch.

It isn't that unusual to have to chase the threads of a crankset before installing pedals. You mechanic should know this and have the tools to do it.

Your main issue is the condition of the crank-to-pedal threads, and whether the manufacturer verified that this interface is "good" prior to shipping. Assembly appears to be a non-issue, as is the absence of pedals. Manufacturer pedals are "meh" at best, and are considered to be disposable.

Focus on having the shop correct the crank-to-pedal threads for you. The rest is minor or even less so. PG

This is exactly why you should buy your bike from a reputable shop. When they receive a bike from the manufacturer they will take care of any issues before selling it. You will receive a bike with no issues and likely a free one time tune up. Simple.

In having put together dozens of pre-assembled bikes straight from the manufacturer, I have never encountered pedals pre-installed in the box. Of course, folding bikes with retractable pedals are excluded. The extra width required would drive shipping costs up volumetrically, which you do not seem to comprehend.

Forget about pedals. Concentrate on the crank--to-pedal threads. That's where your problem is. Trust me.

Helpful link:

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair...on-and-removal

https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/...Figure_1-1.jpg

New to me "chase the threads!" I had never heard that term. But it is popular in this thread (oh, no pun intended!)

Common in the machinist world. It has to do with improving the depth and regularity of fastener threads, particularly on the female side. It's a routine matter if you work in metal item fabrication or repair.

Sounds like you got given two left pedals
 

Which would account for the difficulty in fitting a left pedal to a right crank arm. The threads would be wrong.

It would appear that just like a New Walmart or a used Pawn Shop bike you need to scrutinize your bicycle from Stem to Stern and Port to Starboard. No matter the Manufacturer or Supplier. Unlike most other forms of transportation inspecting a bike is not that hard and fun. Adjust a cable here, get a new set of pedals, adjust that seat height and don't forget the stem and bars. Its all a process. And then there is your "Pre-Flight Checklist" too. Unexpectedly receiving a bike without pedals is no big deal if that's the only problem. Finding a crack in the paint in the middle of your top can be, or heaven forbid that loose front wheel. So ya gotta look hard and careful. It's all Fun... Fun... Fun...

All bikes are unproven, till proven otherwise...

What bike was this and where did you order it from? Do you have a link?

Bikes don't usually come shipped with pedals.

Yes, a link to the website of the shop/store that sold the bike, and the model of the bike, would be helpful.
Unfortunately, I think the OP is now going to be in a bad position. The seller is going to send the pedals, but if the threads are damaged, the seller is going to blame the LBS for improper installation. And, of course, the LBS is going to claim the crankarm threads were defective.
Good luck with that.

I don't understand why the shop scratched the crank while trying to thread a pedal. If the shop knows that each pedal is threaded differently, there would have been no need for force---either it fit or it didn't. Not sure anyone along the line knew what was up here.

I would ask the manufacturer to either replace the crank or the whole bike ... but since the shop damaged the bike (however minimally) the manufacturer might say "No."

The only chance you might have is if it was the factory replacement pedals which didn't fit (not entirely clear if you used the replacement pedals.) If the factory sent you two left pedals you have a chance.

I never have to chase threads for pedals...never. I build everything from $200 kids bikes to $13,000 S-Works and Santa Cruz.

I never chase threads either. If a starting thread is buggered up, then I either clean it up with a file or grinder just at the place where it's messed up.

I can't think of any time I've even had to do that to a pedal or crank arm. I did once run a pedal in from the backside of the crank. And then it went in fine from the front side.

Yeah, I did that once ... to reduce the Q-factor. It didn't work that well.

The only thing I can think of is that the mfg sent two left pedals??? Either that or at least one person in this story is incompetent. Since we still don't know any details, is all this drama for a <$200 bike?

I'm guessing this is a department store bike or something. No reputable bike company is going to ship a bike with pedals installed.