Anyone have anything they'd like to rant about?

[Skistack]

FedEx has delayed every shipment I’ve had sent to me in the last three months. They routinely “lose” tracking and then show up days later.

Most recently bought some parts and they show delivered. Bullshit. I was home and checked the door within 1 minute of them showing the delivery time. I was also sitting by the window and always see the truck, and I didn’t. So now of course the shipper won’t file a claim because the tracking shows delivered and FedEx says the same ,even though their claims department told me their “investigation” consisted only of checking the tracking because the driver couldn’t be troubled to respond.

Same thing happened to me with a bike rack. They Told me to file a claim, they couldn’t ask the driver where the fuck he left it when he marked it delivered 15 minutes ago. I actually found it myself later out walking the dog.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[HankScorpio]

The FedEx saga continues for me. Frame was supposed to arrive last Thursday, went to pending delivery and now no one at FedEx knows where the package is even though the tracking says its in a warehouse 2 hours away. Oh and I need to be there to sign for it so that adds another level of clusterfuckness. Goddamnit.

[Huskier]

The FedEx saga continues for me. Frame was supposed to arrive last Thursday, went to pending delivery and now no one at FedEx knows where the package is even though the tracking says its in a warehouse 2 hours away. Oh and I need to be there to sign for it so that adds another level of clusterfuckness. Goddamnit.

Another fedex gripe: bought LiFePO4 batteries for the van. Shipped via FedEx. $1500 value. Dropped at my door with no sig req. 4 weeks later, one of the batteries goes bad. Try to ship back to mfg per instructions, drop off at their receiving center; "lithium battery? I'm sorry sir we don't ship those, it's a safety hazard" enter 20 minute argument over how, exactly, the battery came to be in my possession...via FedEx...

[evdog]

If you really want to make their head spin you could try and explain the difference between Lithium ion and Lithium Iron phosphate.

[Telemahn]

the short crank fashion. Fucking bullshit that a 6% (165-175) range of crank sizes is supposed to work for all riders. At 6'-4", my legs are more than 26% longer than most 5 foot tall riders. Give me 180's that don't cost 4 bills!

[rideit]

Tbf, almost everybody that used to run 175’s are now on 170’s or even 165’s, I would think that trend would also translate to most people that used to run 180’s are downsizing to 175’s...but yes, everybody is different.

[Canada1]

the short crank fashion. Fucking bullshit that a 6% (165-175) range of crank sizes is supposed to work for all riders. At 6'-4", my legs are more than 26% longer than most 5 foot tall riders. Give me 180's that don't cost 4 bills!

honest question, how do you not pedal strike with that long of a crank on a modern bike? For me, the shorter cranks don’t offset for lower bottom brackets.

[toast2266]

honest question, how do you not pedal strike with that long of a crank on a modern bike? For me, the shorter cranks don’t offset for lower bottom brackets.

This. I don't get the desire for 180's.

Yes, people get taller. But the bottom bracket on an XXL frame is the same height as on my medium.

[Wes Mantooth]

Tbf, almost everybody that used to run 175’s are now on 170’s or even 165’s, I would think that trend would also translate to most people that used to run 180’s are downsizing to 175’s...but yes, everybody is different.

I'm 6'2 and always used 175's since I was riding mostly a singlespeed but when I got my Rascal I downsized to 170 and I'm very happy with that decision. I still have to be very pedal aware so I don't smash them into everything so I can't imagine what it'd be like with longer cranks. Bikes are real different now

[Telemahn]

Pedal strikes are definitely a problem, and I have slammed a few toes. Still I have decent ratchet technique and am pretty good at avoiding things. I find it really nice to have that extra length for climbing and especially for the short little up and overs that catch me out in too high a gear. I might go 175 on the mountain bike someday, but I have invested in xtr and they seem to last for ages. I would love 180's on my gravel bike, but I really don't want to spend ridiculous money only to have to compromise on chainring sizes. High quality 180's with a 110 bcd, is it too much to ask?

[rideit]

Well gol-dangit all to heck, I just wrassled a Maxxis tire onto a ridiculously stubborn Bontrager rim for my neighbor...and frickity-freakin’ put it on backwards.
At least the logo placement was perfect.

[beaterdit]

Fedex has really gone downhill. "Out for delivery today" becomes "No scheduled delivery info" every damn time. One package was two miles away then disappeared from a hub two hours away and they told me to take it up with the shipper. Took six weeks to get a replacement.

Very disappointed to see that my new rim for the hardtail is shipping fedex.

Aaaaand as expected...

Scheduled delivery tomorrow -> out for delivery today -> no show, no scheduled delivery date limbo for five days -> finally shows up, thankfully -> notification of scheduled delivery for the following day

What a fuckin shitshow. I would wonder how they can do business like that but I guess it’s the norm anymore across many industries.

I always say, if I did my job the way other people/departments/businesses do theirs, there’d be a lot of dead people.

[rideit]

Pedal strikes are definitely a problem, and I have slammed a few toes.

This is part of my decision to try 165’s...

[Huskier]

If I did my job the way other people/departments/businesses do theirs, there’d be a lot of dead people.

Right?? Like consequences have completely gone out the window and complete lunacy/stupidity is par for the course. And no one can be bothered to do anything about it because firing anyone means replacing them with another low-wage worker which is next to impossible to find right now...

[Peruvian]

[Bunion 2020]

Right?? Like consequences have completely gone out the window and complete lunacy/stupidity is par for the course. And no one can be bothered to do anything about it because firing anyone means replacing them with another low-wage worker which is next to impossible to find right now...

And OTOH yesterday (Sunday) Fed-Ex shows up at my house to deliver 2 pairs of insoles.

[EWG]

honest question, how do you not pedal strike with that long of a crank on a modern bike? For me, the shorter cranks don’t offset for lower bottom brackets.

Well, 5mm is only 1/5 of an inch. Not sure changing crank length .19 inches is gonna make a huge difference in pedal strikes.

[One (+) Sentence]

I always say, if I did my job the way other people/departments/businesses do theirs, there’d be a lot of dead people.

My takeaway is that timely delivery of mail order bicycle parts isn’t quite as essential as quality healthcare workers - especially during a global pandemic.

ie. I don’t hold the circulating cast of Lyft drivers moonlighting for delivery services to the same standards as I do my kids’ pediatrician. And that’s why those drivers probably make a lot less money than doctors and nurses, right?

[toast2266]

Well, 5mm is only 1/5 of an inch. Not sure changing crank length .19 inches is gonna make a huge difference in pedal strikes.

That's what everyone says right before they bend a pedal spindle.

[EWG]

That's what everyone says right before they bend a pedal spindle.

Ha. I maintain my position. However, I will admit to having quite a collection of pedals in various states of destruction.

Not kidding. Time ATACs so I keep em for parts. Probably around 10 of them.

[bagtagley]

I'll take a 5mm greater chance of hitting my pedals over a 5mm decrease in leverage. Every time I try 170mm cranks I don't like them. I gave it a good 2 months. I'm going back to 175mm.

[rideit]

I’ll just drop a gear if leverage seems to be an issue...but I’m not going for any climbing KOM’s anytime soon!

[jackstraw]

Well, 5mm is only 1/5 of an inch. Not sure changing crank length .19 inches is gonna make a huge difference in pedal strikes.

Kinda like ski lengths back in the day. 201cm vs the 203cm sl ski. Did it ever make a difference?

What's interesting is I have 175 cranks on my '16 HT 29er and '19 Bronson 27.5 and the HT sits almost a 1/2 lower. I pedal strike constantly with that and almost never with the Bronson. The geo change (not apples to apples) in those few years seems to have made a difference.

[bagtagley]

I’ll just drop a gear if leverage seems to be an issue...but I’m not going for any climbing KOM’s anytime soon!

What's a KOM?

It just comes down to comfort, particularly on long rides. I'm generally insensitive to small changes except for this one. With 170s, I always feel like I'm pushing too hard a gear, or spinning out. I know I'm in a tiny minority on this one, but I have freakishly long legs, and this is the rant thread.

[toast2266]

Ha. I maintain my position. However, I will admit to having quite a collection of pedals in various states of destruction.

Not kidding. Time ATACs so I keep em for parts. Probably around 10 of them.

Ha, yeah, I have a similar collection of ATACS. Although most of my old parts don't fit in the new speciale's. My oldest ones are probably 20-something years old. Although those have a bent spindle from trying to ride stupid long cranks on a low bb bike.