Frame warranty

[JohnT]

Hi everyone,

This message should not be interpreted as a criticism of Ridley. I am disappointed but that's all. My Damocles frame has been a 'workhorse' to quote Geoff W.

Yesterday Richie from Velofix put it on a stand as the first step in building a new 11-spd/Bontrager Aeolus speed machine (yes - I was too cheap to actually buy a new bike, but given that I've been wearing that red jacket for 14 years, this new gruppo + wheel set was a big step). Richie immediately discovered a crack on the front side of the integrated seat tube (I think an image is attached). He then seemed to enjoy telling me a story about a friend in Australia that had a seat tube break. What happened to his boy-bits after that is enough to give one nightmares.

So, the build came to an abrupt stop. In the 24 hours that have passed since then, two people have offered loaner bikes, so I am feeling much better. But I have also heard of a few more generous warranty replacements that put the response from Ridley (below) in perspective.

Their 5-year term is clear on the web site and the e-mail response was rapid and polite. I got that frame from Oak Bay Bike 5 years and 4 months ago. There's one other thing I should state up front. I bought a white Ridley and that was replaced for free with the black one after a year. During a service, Oak Bay Bikes decided it needed replacing - I never knew what the issue was that time.

My questions: 1. Do you have any good or bad stories about frame replacements under warranty that might be helpful to the club? 2. Do you have any frame repair stories that would help me (and others) decide when to repair and when to replace?

(POP = Proof of Purchase)

Hi John,
I took a look at the POP sent in a separate email. The transaction date spoils this as a warranty claim. It's simply dated outside the 5-year coverage period. I think the options are limited to replacing the frame, or having a carbon fiber repair technician take a look at it to determine if repair is feasible.
I'm very sorry this has happened to you.

Best regards,
Ridley USA

[jbarrett]

Hi John,
You're right to pursue this. You could have been riding for quite a while with the cracked frame without knowing it. Certainly within the 5 year warranty period.
Cervelo replaced my 2012 R3 frame in 2015 when a crack on the derailer hanger was discovered while at the shop for repairs.
Straight-Up contacted Fort St. Cycles and a new frame replacement arrived within a few weeks.
If you need more details, let me know.
Good luck.

Joe

[Alan]

John, sorry to hear of your frame problems. Two bits of unhelpful commentary:

1. If your bike was made from titanium then you wouldn't have this problem.
2. If you were a 'real' man like Alan Boden, you'd do an overnight DIY fibreglass fixer job on that puppy and keep riding.

you know my new motto: "Better living through Metallurgy"

[AlW]

+1 for Ti....

[JohnT]

Note to self: Don't ride in a TTT with anyone named Alan tomorrow.

JT

[thallett]

You will love this...

Cut to the chase first.

My original Trek 7.3FX broke in half (see attached picture). I bought it at Rider's (which went out of business) as a brand new 2 year old bike. I rode it for a year and then broke the frame. I took it to the Trek Bike Store without a receipt, they looked at it and said it was fully warranted for life. Two weeks later, I had a brand new bike!

Now for the story. I was riding from Green Point campground in Pacific Rim National Park to Tofino, then to Ucluelet, and back to the campground (90ish km). About 10km before I got to the campsite the bike started to feel a bit wonky, I thought maybe I had a flat. I took a look, the tires were fine. As I continued to ride, it felt like the pedals were bending, I took a look and they were fine. For some reason the bike just didnt feel right, so I took it slow for the last few km. I got back to the campsite, parked the bike and had breakfast with my family, forgetting about the bike. Two hours later I remembered the troubles I was having, and took a closer look... it didn't require Sherlock Holmes to find the problem. By the looks of it, if I had driven 5 more minutes the down tube would have sheered in half (notice the seat tube was already detached).

My experiences with Trek have garnered my loyalty. And thanks to Craig B. (who gave me my new to me Trek), my brand loyalty to Trek continues.

[Robgrant]

That's too bad John. When Trek wouldn't warranty my cracked carbon frame, I sent it to Robert's composites in Vancouver. It came back looking and feeling perfect. $350 well spent.
RG

[EricS]

I've heard Cannondale has a lifetime warranty (but I sort of doubt it), and I love my Super-6. It's been cracked just like yours John, same place, about 3cm long (so far), for about 3 years now. I bought it used, so no receipt, therefore no replacement. The frame is about 7 or 8 years old, so I'm trying to decide whether or not I should get Rob Mulder (Robert's Composites) to fix it. Why I've continued to ride it for years with the crack? It's not a seat mast like yours. There is a seat post inside and it is a very long aluminum seat post. I'm thinking it may be a good time to give the frame back to my son.

Eric

[John Guthrie]

Rob Mulder does excellent work, it's worth a call just to get his opinion. Better still to take the bike to the shop in you're in N. Van. When he fixed my bike he told me it would be stonger than factory, and it's been A-OK since.

A few years ago my Scott CR1 derailleur hanger snapped off, I emailed Scott Canada, and the CEO phoned my cell the next day. After a discussion he said, hey, not your fault, not our fault, why don't we just give you a replacement at cost. I thought that was a fair resolution. Still riding Scott bikes!