UKC

So what you all doing about your dodgey chainsets?

I’ve not checked the codes on mine but I’m assuming all in the big date range will be affected by the recall so very likely that will include the one I have.

I’m thinking either cross my fingers that my light use and low power output will mean I never have a problem or order a new 105 replacement now before they become either unobtainable or very very expensive due to demand.

I don’t think I’ll be dropping by my LBS every 6 months for an inspection…

What’s your plan?

Campag users are welcome to drop by and sit smirking in the corner.  

Don’t forget us f*ucking sram users, who can be unusually smug for once

Thanks (I guess? :-/) for making me aware. It seems my road bike is affected, annoyingly by the very last batch number. I think my strategy is going to be to try to get an inspection from a dealer, then keep an eye on it myself. I did find this video from shimano about what actually needs inspecting: https://youtu.be/soRnwb0vR9s?si=rP7dVI_jIwdmAVpl , which is way more useful than the website. 

It is an annoying mess though, and probably worth keeping an eye on in case a proper recall + replacement program comes along

Blooming hell, I have two sets of cranks both with the serial numbers from the affected years.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/information/customer-services/corrective-act...

What a pain in the neck.

Cheers

Toby

Here’s the Hambini view…

https://youtu.be/-uK7FSZ6OFM?si=Z1gq3zDfMs0jDkv-

Thanks for the link.

One more hassle on my least favourite bike of all time (Specialized Roubaix).

I've already had a free 6800 replacement last year from my Kendal LBS when my driveside crank snapped at speed and the whole spider sheared off going down Kentmere and I very nearly took a fall (stone wall, etc). Also got a pre-2019 8000 crank that I replaced this year because of a clicking noise, but I paid for that. Seems the clicking was probably related to the delamination, so I'm going to see if there's any retrospective payment (doubt it!). Then I just bought an Addict with 9000 off the internet, and that now looks dodgy. The replacement for the beautiful silver chainset is black, too, messing with the whole aesthetic. What a complete sh*tshow. 

I’m glad you avoided injury. Someone getting badly smashed or killed due to a failed crank would be incredibly bad press for Shimano. The mind boggles at the sheer numbers of affected cranksets but I’d have thought Shimano were big enough to swallow this without anything worse than a couple of years of the board skipping their dividends.

The SRAM marketing team will be doing overtime, I wouldn’t hold my breath about Campagnolo reacting or increasing their market share significantly.

FWIW, As far as road hardware goes I’m a Campagnolo-or-death bigot but I’m very happy with the Shimano kit on my mountain bike.

I’ve got a 2014 Giant Defy Advanced and missus RedFive has a 2014 Liv Avail both have the affected ultegra cranksets  

Visual inspection by me looks fine so going to wait a couple of months as like others I think Shimano will have to replace all sets eventually and this is just an interim option  

I have a Shimano service Centre 1 mile from me (Giant Newcastle) so will pop in at some point but Incant imagine they will be very happy at the moment.

I believe they are being paid £75 per inspection by Shimano, not sure if that’s enough for the hassle they will have?

I'm sure it isn't; it's a nightmare for everyone!

https://www.bikeradar.com/features/opinion/shimano-crankset-recall-analysis... 

glad I only buy 105! awesome kit
Still though, 2012 is a long time ago, surely issues would have appeared by now if they were going to in the older ones for them to be issuing a recall that far back

I can only dream of being able to put out enough power to wreck my dodgy(?) Ultegra crank

First Ultegra fails seem to appear here in 2018, although I guess there must have been earlier instances.

https://www.instagram.com/thanksshimano/ 

Just ordered a 105 from Wiggle at £125. Seemed like the safest, simplest, solution for piece of mind.

Let me throw in a cautionary tale here. Back in the mid / late 80s whilst peddling hard the chain snapped on a mates bike. He was out of the saddle and pushing hard and when the chain went he went forward over the handle bars and smashed his face up quite a bit. 

That was nothing though, the worse bit was he left a testicle on the stem. 

Now I wasn't there, he tells the tale as it was ripped off in the crash, it may have been damaged beyond repair and removed in the hospital, either way he was down a nut and had a massive scar.

Chain or chain set, I can imagine the result could be the same. 

Hambini thinks it’s primarily a corrosion issue so power might not have too much to do with it.  

Indeed, it's only going to fail under load and people have been hurt in these recent failures. 

It's interesting that the examples show lots of hairline cracks and talk about creaking noises before failure. I would be interested to know - do these hairline cracks appear and the thing snaps the next time someone stands on the pedals, or is it more typical that you get hairline cracks and then 500km later it fails catastrophically? If you get some warning (unfortunately less common with aluminium than other materials), then I would be more comfortable about just giving it a thorough inspection every time I clean it, as it is though, I'm a bit nervous. 

And FSA...

Happily, my road Shimano road cranks are old 105 Octalink and very old Exage!

2 affected cranks for me.  The starting point is inspect it yourself, but if the LBS will be paid £75 each I'll be more than happy to take them down there for them to look, although that sounds more like a fee for fitting a replacement.

My Campag-equipped bike is currently languishing, awaiting the manufacturer's warranty decision on what to do about a rear drop out that's no longer bonded to the frame.  That's another thing to add to the list of 'clicking bottom bracket' causes - swapped a lot out before that was found...

Probably the first and only time I'm glad my otherwise Ultegra bike has an off-series crank...

I think the Shimano mandated process sounds like a pain for LBSs - and while the fee is $75 in the US, not sure it's been made public what the UK/EU fees are, could be less than £75.

For whatever Shimano are paying, shops have to strip and clean the cranks, take photos, upload to Shimano's online portal and I guess refit if they pass. Not clear what liability the LBS are incurring by inspecting and passing cranks if there's a subsequent failure, especially causing injury. It's possible to view the whole thing as a way for Shimano to spread and evade some liabilities.

Coincidently, I took my chain off recently to clean my bike, and because I decided to give hot waxing a go. (totally different topic, but I'm sold on the hot waving idea!). I might just call my LBS and ask if they would rather I just take the whole thing off (at this stage it's just two crank pinch bolts and the pre-load). It would save them some hassle, and if they can charge shimano for the work then so much the better. It will save me getting my bike in the car too.  

My Liv Langma has an affected crank. 

I am going to give my local Giant store a call, as a bought it from them and see what they say. To my untrained eye it looks okay but I'd feel happier if it was stripped down and checked.

I wonder if as this saga goes on if Shimano will issue replacements, I know this would cost a lot but this will surely have an impact on their reputation.

The bike I have on order has sram...

I'd guess the the big problem is one of logistics.

They probably don't have 2.5 million chainsets sitting on a shelf waiting to be distributed to everyone that has a potentially faulty one. All this inspection process, I suspect, is just a way of stalling for time while they make more chainsets. Nice new 105 chainsets with Ultegra and Dura-ace stickers on.  

The really really annoying thing for me is I have 180 cranks and they will only be offering 177.5 as a replacement and from now on.

Grrrrrr

Toby

I agree 100% they won't have the stock.

I guess I'm not particularly powerful so I'm hoping that will help stop any failure but I do ride in all weathers...

Ha ha I reckon you may be right with the stickers!!

I’m relieved that my R8000 chainset is not affected.  I assume that the letter codes denote manufacturing detail, such as date of manufacture, so assume mine is a little newer than those affected.

This is such a big deal for riders, dealers, distributors, Shimano and so on.   I was even wondering what impact this will have on the likes of Stages

Didn’t even know they made 180 cranks! 

Has anyone here snapped a crank before? I did once, but it has to be at least 20-something years ago and interestingly it through a solid aluminium Alivio MTB crank. Ever since then I guess I've presumed its just something that can happen. 

Of course this is different with lots of the same models failing in a consistent way.

I’ve snapped cranks, bottom brackets, ripped pedals out of cranks and so on, back in my days of freeride, dirt jumping and downhill racing.  This was many moons ago but I think this was all from heavy impacts.  An old team mate has snapped a number of chainsets, while sprinting in road races.

The work is minimal and most shops won't work on dirty bikes and some charge a premium to wash the bike. It's the liability that I wouldn't want, how is the average bike shop equipped and bike mechanics qualified to do non-destructive testing?