ggbo951a

I only purchased a month ago and rode may be 6-7 times. Now it started seizing during my last Friday and i nearly fell to the side due to inability to steer. Initialy I though it was due to flat tire but i stopped and quickly steer handle side to side quickly to notice it is getting harder to steer. After about another 5-10mins of ride, it become so hard it is impossible to stear with making horrible screeching sound. I am maddened by the fact I purchased this only a month ago. This is probably my 5-6th in my lifetime, and never encountered new bike fail horribly like this.
This is purchased from indie shop quiite expensive than chain store but i guess i made mistake. I was wondering what are factory warranty for Marlin Trek bike? Do I have to ship? WIll shop support and perform fix during warranty time?

79pmooney

Take it back to the store or contact Trek. Sounds like someone screwed up. I don't have a guess as to what happened but I'd give the odds at 80% - mechanic/assembler error and 20% flaw in the headset, frame or fork. Either way, getting it right should be pretty simple and not cost you anything beyond inconvenience.

Mtracer

I get wanting to rant a bit, but give the shop and Trek a chance to resolve the issue.

I agree it sucks, but Trek is known for making great bikes. Sometimes people make mistakes and you even rode the bike 6-7 times before the problem surfaced. So, no reasonable amount of finale QC at Trek or the shop could have caught this. Though no question someone screwed up somewhere. Could be something out of Trek's control. For example, like some sort of defect in the bearings. I doubt Trek makes their own bearings.

You just have some weird problem that you should have no trouble resolving with your bike shop or if needed a warranty claim with Trek.

I'm sure it will all get sorted pretty quickly.

Best of luck and I hope you are on the road soon.

70sSanO

Greg, is that you?

John

veganbikes

While the Trek Marlin is not a great bike by any stretch and is very much a low initial cost bike with cheaper components I have high doubts anything has seized. It is possible the bike may not have been properly exited tuned or built up or more likely things just need adjustment after a month. I generally tell all of my customers to bring their bikes back in a month to check everything out and do generally minor adjustments on things after things have settled.

On a bike like that especially if one is jumping curbs or actually riding off road or using more roughly as some people do they will need more regular service but every bike needs regular service some you might just be doing a little more. You also might not be but if you take care of your bike it will take care of you.

In terms of warranty, your bike is under warranty unless you have done something you aren't telling us about which would void that but generally yes that first month the bike is well covered beyond flats. Your local shop that you purchased it from should support it and probably told you or should have told you to bring it back as I stated above.

A chain store is not necessarily cheaper and if they are it is usually only at the initial point and not long term and a chain store is not always better. There are some shops with some employees who might not be as well versed in a bike shop as they could be and there are also some people who may have given up or are too gung-ho and think they got it when they don't and have no interest in asking questions out of silly fear. In the end most shops are pretty good if not excellent or they have a good mechanic or good staff member somewhere in the the shop. If your current shop doesn't satisfy get the warranty issues fixed and go to another shop.

However always be aware of yourself, sometimes it isn't always the shop it is you. I have seen customers who are really great and excellent to deal with and some that are difficult not for a good reason just to be difficult and don't want to understand anything but like to put blame for anything on someone else. This is not a jab at you this is a general statement to anyone visiting a shop. Having worked in the industry for over a decade now I have seen all types of customers and if you come in with a good attitude you should hopefully get that back from us. Of course we are all humans and we have up and downs so you might catch someone at the wrong emotional time.

calamarichris

Childish. SMH. POS.

veganbikes

What do Childish Gambino, the Sydney Morning Herald and Point Of Sale systems have to do with a Trek Marlin that has a steering issue?

Iride01 

If you don't trust the place you bought it. Then take it to any shop that is a authorized Trek dealer or service. Your PSA is a little lacking in any detail of why your incident will also be had by everyone that owns and rides a Trek Marlin.

You'll do more good for other Marlin owners if you go to a bike shop with this to get Trek some information about what happened. And you have to accept the fact that your incident might not actually be a thing for everyone.

If you don't want to seem like a unhappy person that just rants and flames on the internet, then you need to provide more details and calm reasoned thoughts.

70sSanO

Just wondering, where do you store the bike?

it is odd that a threadless headset would get tighter without some moisture impacting the bearings.

I haven’t had any issues with threaded ones either, but the nature of a threaded cup and jam nut, does offer the possibility of tightening.

John

indyfabz

More than Greg does?

indyfabz

BF has given me the idea to start a life skills academy.

rekmeyata

The Trek has a 1-year warranty on everything except tires and crashes, so take it back and let the shop make it right, not sure why you even bothered coming here unless Trek shop refused to fix it under warranty.

Camilo

Um, you bought the bike at a shop. Why are you posting on this forum rather than just taking it to the shop? Doesn't make any sense to me at all.

Trakhak

Having included "Don't Buy" in the thread title and then disappeared, the OP evidently thought "My work is done here."

indyfabz

Check post history. Hmmmm.

Trakhak

Checked. I see what you mean.

Wileyrat

I suppose if you ran into a tree, hard, you could bend the fork at the steerer tube, causing the headset bearings to bind up.

Or maybe a parked car.

Or more likely, the top cap is screwed down too tight.

Eric F 

Trek has a lifetime warranty... https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/warranty_policy/

wheelreason

That's for the frame.

Eric F 

Oops. You're right. I didn't read it closely enough. It looks like the components are covered for 2 years.

wheelreason

Yes, Trek proprietary parts are 2 years, other manufacturer's parts are whatever the OEM specifies, usually 1 year, sometimes 2. The spec on the headset does not specify a brand, just the size, While it's possible there is an issue with the headtube or steerer, it's more likely a bad headset, or even more likely aan assembly or adjustment issue. As others have mentioned, It is most likely a warranty issue, and easily addressed. "TREK SUCKS, I'LL NEVER EVER BUY ANOTHER": online is well, out of line IMNSHO.

kcjc

Is the front wheel spinning? Is it rubbing on the forks? Is the disc rotor sitting center on the brake calipers? Is it hitting pads? What you described doesn't seem very likely, as there are only a few moving parts. The headset and front hubs don't generally bind as you described unless they took significant impact damage. Binding cabling from an incorrectly installed stem could cause the brakes to seize, but it is unlikely to get worse and not release. My neighbor did that assembling a big box purchase for his kid. A few pictures would help. Take the front wheel off and on to see if the disc brake is causing problems.

Like other have suggested, take it back to the shop. Most shops should offer a follow-up tuning to ensure it runs smoothly after settling in. I'll be surprised if a Trek dealer wouldn't offer it.

Chuck M 

All these questions and more can be answered at the shop you bought it at.

Kai Winters

Generally the headset is properly installed by the builder where the bike is manufactured and the bike shop just checks to make sure it is adjusted correctly. The handlebars are not on the bike but rather along the side of the bike held on with zip ties.
The bike shop, during assembly, should check the headset adjustment during the build process but perhaps it was not and there is an issue.
Generally it is a straight forward setup and if the headset has a problem either with the head tube area, headset bearings or both it is apparent from the start and generally it is not an intermittent problem.
This is a weird one and I wish I could get my hands on it to try to figure out what is wrong...an interesting problem.
Good luck...take it back to the shop...

staehpj1

When someone starts off with "Don't Buy" in the thread title that is typically a good idea. In many cases you can find enough red flags to stop taking anything in the post seriously.