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Ridgeback Speed : durability?

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Ridgeback Speed : durability?

Old 05-27-23, 04:27 AM
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Chambres
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Ridgeback Speed : durability?

I bought the above 12 months ago and have done 2500 miles. (Had never cycled before.)
In addition to the usual maintenance and servicing, due to normal use wear and tear, I've had to replace both wheels, front and rear cassettes and the bottom bracket.
I'd like to know if this is the normal cost of commuting cycling or indicative of a poor quality bike?
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Old 05-27-23, 05:40 AM
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shelbyfv
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The bike is low end but functional so I don't think your issues are related to component quality. Having to replace the wheels suggests you are either overweight for them or abusing them in some other way. Similar thoughts with the drive train. Do you keep the chain clean and lubed? Do you leave the bike out in the weather? The premature wear points to user error. You could post more specifics as to how you use and maintain the bike.
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Old 05-27-23, 05:43 AM
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alcjphil
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That sounds like a lot of parts failures in only 2500 miles. Having to replace a crankset at such low mileage is very unusual. What happened to the wheels? Good quality wheels should last many years
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Old 05-27-23, 05:56 AM
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Chambres
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Originally Posted by shelbyfv
The bike is low end but functional so I don't think your issues are related to component quality. Having to replace the wheels suggests you are either overweight for them or abusing them in some other way. Similar thoughts with the drive train. Do you keep the chain clean and lubed? Do you leave the bike out in the weather? The premature wear points to user error. You could post more specifics as to how you use and maintain the bike.
My bike's rubbish, I don't use it properly and I'm fat. Thank you for your response.
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Old 05-27-23, 06:01 AM
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Maybe I wasn't clear. I wouldn't blame the bike.
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Old 05-27-23, 06:07 AM
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No, that is not normal if he bike was brand new and you had to replace all of that in 2500 miles.

I suspect this is due to the level of components on the bike, especially the wheels. Generally, bikes on the lower end don't always get the best wheels. Shimano Tourney is not the best, but, the chain rings, cassette, and BB should have held up far longer than 2500 miles, unless you are leaving it outside in the weather 24\7 and riding through deep water. I'm going to make the assumption you are not, but also providing some level of basic maintenance and keeping the bike clean.

My bike I used for commuting was on the lower end of the spectrum, but I had over 8K miles on it and I only replaced the drive train components at 6K because I wanted some nicer components, otherwise they were solid. I did upgrade the wheels around 2500 as they were pretty low end and I had broken 3 or 4 spokes on the rear wheel and I was a larger dude at that time, so I had some new wheels built, but after that, never had any issues.

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Old 05-27-23, 09:09 AM
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What did your wheels do that you had to replace them? If they taco'd on you then it's probably that no one ever checked the spokes to make sure they were all evenly tensioned. And loose spokes can even be the difference whether the wheel will survive a pothole or similar.

It's not uncommon for wheels that aren't skillfully built to need their spokes re-tensioned after a 100 - 300 miles. Usually that one time of getting them serviced is all they'll need and it's usually not much cost at all.
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Old 05-27-23, 12:16 PM
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It is not a quality bike and possibly was never properly put together but I don''t know the brand well enough and don't have any data from you to know if it was purchased online or at a proper shop. However replacement of all those parts could be partially quality issues but also as shelbyfv said lack of maintenance as well which happens and can easily be prevented and doesn't mean anyone is attacking you. I would recommend bringing in your bike at least once a year but maybe more if you are riding often to a shop and let them do a proper tune up on it and make it clear to them issues you are having or have had and also you are a potentially heavier person which I will go into below.

Fat can mean so many things I hear people say I am fat and they are slightly overweight but not enough to cause major issues on a bike, like maybe they are supposed to be 150 and they are 160. However on the flip side I have heard it or seen it for folks who are big enough to cause issues on a bike like that without it being set up properly for them. In the end a bike like that is designed more as a occasional usage bike for an average person. If you start to ride it a bunch as you have and are a heavier individual the bike is not ideal without some modifications I wouldn't do on that particular machine.

As someone who is in a higher weight class with a sizable "aero pouch" (like a ZIPP wheel...toroidal bulge) I can say most of my wheels are handbuilt and the one pair that isn't was at least hand finished by QBP who makes decent wheels (and double checked by another mechanic who skillful with wheels and wheel building) and the bike is not particularly taxed or ridden heavily and decently kept and maintained. The handbuilt wheels mean I can make sure they are built for someone like me and will be quite durable which they all have been. I can also pick components that will last longer as well. As a big person (though not nearly tall enough to make up for the "aero pouch") I want long lasting components that I know I can use and not worry too much about it costs a little more initially but my bikes last a long enough time where I start to say I want something new after 5 years or more but I can't justify it because everything works fine.
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Old 05-27-23, 04:41 PM
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It would definitely help to know what actually happened to those components.

There's widespread folklore (using that term because getting hard statistics is virtually impossible) that inexpensive machine-built wheels tend to be insufficiently tensioned at the factory. I've seen this on one bike in my family's fleet. I noticed the wheels going out of true, fixed them myself, and they've been fine ever since. Since then, I recommend checking the spoke tension on all new bikes. The wheels that I've built myself have lasted for years and years, no failures yet. Breakage of one or two spokes near the hub is an indicator of a poorly built wheel.

Problems with the cranks could be due to mis-assembly.

Chain and cassette should last longer than 2500 miles. Something like 3000 miles per chain and 3 chains per cassette is reasonable.

Quality of bikes is like the original Ford Model T, where they were never tested at the plant, and expected to be serviced by the dealer before being offered for sale. This means trying to assess the quality across an entire brand is hit or miss. I looked up the Ridgeback Speed and see no reason why it would not be a long lasting bike if it were properly serviced before use. It's a basic generic hybrid.
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Old 05-28-23, 05:23 AM
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https://www.ridgeback.co.uk/ridgeback-speed-varrb2105

https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bi...-speed-review/

Not enough information from OP. How did all those pieces fail? Who told you they needed replacing?

As for the wheels, as others have said, department-store bikes often need wheel maintenance. Usually if you get a 100-mile (or whatever) tune-up (cable adjustment, etc.) and ask for a spoke check, you will be fine ... otherwise improperly tensioned spokes will loosen and start snapping. However ... you can see when stuff is going wrong because the wheel will wobble, and (if the brakes are properly adjusted) the rims will hit the brakes, so you will know you need to get the wheels trued---or do it yourself, a spoke wrench is like $3.

How did you decide that the chain rings needed replacement? How did you determine that the cassette was bad? What made you think the bottom bracket was no good?

Those were all Shimano parts---low-end Shimano parts, but still .... everything but the chain should last four to ten times as long as that. I am an ultra-clyde, and I don't tear stuff up that fast, so it isn't your body weight.

Did you ever bring the bike in for a tune-up after the first month or so? Did you take the bike to a shop when the wheels started to wobble (of course the wheels weren't "wobbling" (unless you broke the hubs) --- the rim was no longer straight.) Also, did you replace the cassette and chain rings because of wear? Was the wear visible, as in, were the teeth shaped like a shark's fin? Or did the bike just stop shifting properly?

As for the bottom bracket ... did it freeze? Make grinding noises? Wobble? Those Shimano threaded BBs are bullet-proof ... not light, but strong as steel, literally. Also shouldn't need service, unless you park your bike in a pool of salt water.The bike is a minimally decent bike, not utter trash. Heavy, but sturdy, and it has cheap but serious gear .... it should, with proper maintenance, have lasted for many years.

The wheels should have been lifetime, the cassette maybe 10,000 miles, the chain rings three or so times that, and the BB at least that long. The chance that you got a bad part from Shimano is really low, and the chance that All those parts were bad ….. nope. Either you did something odd to the bike or the folks at the bike shop robbed you.

Because I started cycling as an adult on a zero budget, I have learned a lot about low-end gear .... I broke most department-store bikes by daily riding. But a Shimano cartridge BB or a Shimano drive train ... those were aspirational, because they didn't break. And they shopudln't have on your bike.
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Old 05-29-23, 06:16 AM
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I think we're all curious as to what caused so much premature failure. Hope OP will come back with full disclosure.
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