I received a Cosmic Pro Carbon SL from a customer.
The wheels that came with the new complete bike
— the tires definitely don't look like they're in new condition.
I removed them in the photos above.
When I spun the wheel, it made a rattling sound like there were pebbles inside,
but it turned out to be rubber debris from the tire mold release.
It was making a hard, crisp noise that didn't seem like it could be caused by that,
but the sound disappeared the instant I removed it, so that was definitely the culprit.
The wheel was slightly out of true.
Fixed it.
Next, the rear wheel.
I thought the RED brake adjustment range was narrower on one side,
but since I haven't checked the rear wheel for true,
I can't rule out the wheel as the problem,
so I'm checking the wheel before adjusting the brake.
I mean, if you're selling a complete bike, fix this stuff beforehand!
With Mavic, 90% of them would probably be out of true anyway.
Fixed it.
This rear hub has quick-release axles,
but there are marks on the left end cap from someone grabbing it with pliers-style tools
instead of using a proper hub cone wrench and vise.
You don't get scratches like this even if you remove the wheel 100 times.
The crank shows marks from pedal installation and removal,
and the outer chainring is obviously worn.
The customer apparently even said "this is wrong," but
this crappy shop still insists it's a "new bike."
There are so many suspicious things that I'm doing a nearly complete teardown and rebuild,
and the grease on the headset was not what comes stock on complete bikes —
they deliberately applied a bunch of cheap multipurpose grease.
I cleaned that off and replaced it with silicone-based grease, and thanks to that
I discovered that the front fork weighs 258g after cutting the steerer, so I'll call that a win.
The 13mm wrench flats on the brake for centering
show marks from being handled with a hub wrench.
The front brake cable anchor bolt is almost completely stripped.
I can manage some adjustment by inserting a Wera hex key into the remaining functioning hex in the back,
but it's not in normal working condition.
For the frame, if I removed the rear derailleur and rear brake,
kept the chain on but held the frame floating,
I could actually measure the frame's weight,
but that's too much hassle so I didn't.
Though I did take it apart that far.
Oh, by the way, the photos above — the SRAM eTap front derailleur was missing
the wedge, which is a wedge-shaped part that fills the gap between it
and the direct-mount bracket.
This isn't something you can just skip — it's actually a pretty functional component.
Even though this is a "complete bike," it's not a catalog complete bike from the manufacturer,
but rather an original build assembled at that shopclearly using used parts and all,
so a missing part from assembly is inexcusable.
The accessory pack that came with it didn't have a wedge either.
Wedges come in three types with different wedge angles,
and you have to select the one that fits properly.
But this bike didn't even have an improperly fitting one!
↑This is the wedge.
It serves the same role as Shimano's support bolt (set screw) on their front derailleur,
but when working around patents, if you think hard enough,
you can end up with something that's actually more elegant.
The wedge and support bolt are both essential for direct-mount,
but for band-type clamps, there's almost no flex in the bracket, so I don't think they're necessary.
On that note, the SRAM OEM front derailleur band clamp
is actually quite well designed,
and has a shape that supports it so snugly that you don't need a wedge.
The wheels that came with the new complete bike
— the tires definitely don't look like they're in new condition.
I removed them in the photos above.
When I spun the wheel, it made a rattling sound like there were pebbles inside,
but it turned out to be rubber debris from the tire mold release.
It was making a hard, crisp noise that didn't seem like it could be caused by that,
but the sound disappeared the instant I removed it, so that was definitely the culprit.
The wheel was slightly out of true.
Fixed it.
Next, the rear wheel.
I thought the RED brake adjustment range was narrower on one side,
but since I haven't checked the rear wheel for true,
I can't rule out the wheel as the problem,
so I'm checking the wheel before adjusting the brake.
I mean, if you're selling a complete bike, fix this stuff beforehand!
With Mavic, 90% of them would probably be out of true anyway.
Fixed it.
This rear hub has quick-release axles,
but there are marks on the left end cap from someone grabbing it with pliers-style tools
instead of using a proper hub cone wrench and vise.
You don't get scratches like this even if you remove the wheel 100 times.
The crank shows marks from pedal installation and removal,
and the outer chainring is obviously worn.
The customer apparently even said "this is wrong," but
this crappy shop still insists it's a "new bike."
There are so many suspicious things that I'm doing a nearly complete teardown and rebuild,
and the grease on the headset was not what comes stock on complete bikes —
they deliberately applied a bunch of cheap multipurpose grease.
I cleaned that off and replaced it with silicone-based grease, and thanks to that
I discovered that the front fork weighs 258g after cutting the steerer, so I'll call that a win.
The 13mm wrench flats on the brake for centering
show marks from being handled with a hub wrench.
The front brake cable anchor bolt is almost completely stripped.
I can manage some adjustment by inserting a Wera hex key into the remaining functioning hex in the back,
but it's not in normal working condition.
For the frame, if I removed the rear derailleur and rear brake,
kept the chain on but held the frame floating,
I could actually measure the frame's weight,
but that's too much hassle so I didn't.
Though I did take it apart that far.
Oh, by the way, the photos above — the SRAM eTap front derailleur was missing
the wedge, which is a wedge-shaped part that fills the gap between it
and the direct-mount bracket.
This isn't something you can just skip — it's actually a pretty functional component.
Even though this is a "complete bike," it's not a catalog complete bike from the manufacturer,
but rather an original build assembled at that shop
so a missing part from assembly is inexcusable.
The accessory pack that came with it didn't have a wedge either.
Wedges come in three types with different wedge angles,
and you have to select the one that fits properly.
But this bike didn't even have an improperly fitting one!
↑This is the wedge.
It serves the same role as Shimano's support bolt (set screw) on their front derailleur,
but when working around patents, if you think hard enough,
you can end up with something that's actually more elegant.
The wedge and support bolt are both essential for direct-mount,
but for band-type clamps, there's almost no flex in the bracket, so I don't think they're necessary.
On that note, the SRAM OEM front derailleur band clamp
is actually quite well designed,
and has a shape that supports it so snugly that you don't need a wedge.