Viewing 37 posts - 161 through 197 (of 197 total)
  • Quality issues on the 17` Ragley Blue Pig 2011
  • walleater
    Full Member

    I guess this is karma for using yet another bloody head tube / headset standard!

    accu
    Free Member

    walleater….brilliant !!

    it seems that bendedheadtube is still not back on the trails with a proper frame..
    is that really true…?

    bendedheadtube
    Free Member

    sadly, but true. it is a clear yes.
    i don’t think, that the 44mm standard is the problem. this standard offers the possibility to fit tapered ,1.5 or the good old 1 1/8 inch forks.

    and don´t forget the crc warranty dept. they send the frame with the bad paintjob and dented seat tube as a warranty replacement back. And a false installed headset.

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    RagTi
    Free Member

    I dont generaly get too strung out about QC issues that my affect “hobby”, however I feel Ragleys QC issues are not just recent….most of the range was hugely delayed from January, even some of the Troofs (which I wanted!!) are still not available, all down to QC. Posts back to March this year claimed that the delays were down to QC but they wanted things right before they took receipt….., clearly this has not been the case and promised have failed to deliver.

    Everyone who I know who has / had a 2010 Ragley (with the exception of my Ti) has had niggles. Two with oversized seatposts (eradicated by the highly inovative 27-3!mm spike seatpost), and a Blue Pig with a pretty “stuck in” headset. With all the delays and posted comments above, has pretty much declared me out with any products from the current range….this year

    However I see an inovative / less mainstream brand that I find interesting and will again appeal to me when these issues get sorted, I await the FS with interest, or will I just be buying “work in progress” ?.

    WackoAK
    Free Member

    I await the FS with interest

    You might have a long wait…

    robdob
    Free Member

    This last two and a bit years have been a big learning process. Take head tubes. The 44mm standard is wonderful in terms of it’s potential to allow all sizes of forks to fit, but the scarcity of reaming equipment in shops to fettle problems is a toughie.

    I know how to fix that “toughie”. MAKE THEM PROPERLY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

    Simples!

    bendedheadtube
    Free Member

    @robdob
    Good Point
    And don´t forget the “hard to check” paintjob fails.

    richc
    Free Member

    ash – Member

    It’s a real shame that the Ragley brand has been let down by one or more suppliers in Taiwan because, design wise (geometry, ride, etc) these frames are streets ahead of the rest.

    My Blue PigX has been flawless, and it’s finished very nicely, great paint job, etc… Without a shadow of a doubt the best hardtail I’ve ever owned, by quite some distance.

    So Ash, would you say they are that much better than the Dialled Alpines? As I believe you did some of the testing of those, and I am interested in what you think of the two bikes having ridden both of them a lot.

    bendedheadtube
    Free Member

    hmmm. interesting to hear.

    timc
    Free Member

    tesco selling ragleys?

    bendedheadtube
    Free Member

    Uuhm, tesco ?

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    is it just me or does anyone else find jj123’s comments a bit too far.

    toys19
    Free Member

    Jj123 can i ask, did you get your money back?

    grum
    Free Member

    Monty, yup I’m surprised he’s not been banned yet tbh.

    toys19
    Free Member

    Maybe he has..

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    I am for open “lively” debate, but character assassination is not for me.

    soobalias
    Free Member

    you cant just ban people for being immature little twatbags

    bendedheadtube
    Free Member

    I´m not through the refund process, yet.
    Chainreaction had send a Headset, before i could
    mention the paintjob and dents on the frame (and the oval headtube). So i wait for the headset to arrive, that i can dispatch headset and bearing in one parcel.
    I wrote a email, where i claim a full refund for the frame and headset, including the parcel costs for the two frames.
    That seems to be no problem, but only time shows.

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    BHT, if you go back to supplier with an issue regarding supply it is not unreasonable to expect all the problems to be identified at the same time, this will then allow the correct action to be taken.

    chipps
    Full Member

    Thanks for reporting the posts folks. Johnjohn is now on holiday…
    Chipps

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    I wont wait for a card …………………

    martinxyz
    Free Member

    Heh.

    He`s now presenting a new series of “wish you were hear” with Joodiff Charmer.

    ash
    Full Member

    So Ash, would you say they are that much better than the Dialled Alpines? As I believe you did some of the testing of those, and I am interested in what you think of the two bikes having ridden both of them a lot.

    They’re actually pretty different and the Alpine’s a great frame with many v. positive aspects. Dialleds in general have a *very* nice rear end feel, the steely twang upon re-entry.
    Do I prefer the PigX to the Alpine? yes, because it’s considerably lighter and has, quite simply, “better” (“more advanced”?) geometry for what I want out of a hardtail. Also, 12mm rear means that wheels are interchangeable with my Mega too 😉

    bendedheadtube
    Free Member

    @montylikesbeer
    I thought is is obviously to replace the frame.
    Fitting a headset into a oval shaped tube is not the right way on a 300GBP Frame.
    I send a email to CRC, for the claims of the headset and a email to ragley to ask why i recieved a frame with the same damages as the last one.
    Than i google´d a bit, to gather some information for ragley and nukeproof.
    After that i had a closer look at the frame and discovered the other problems on the frame. On this time it was too late to claim the rest, because the headset was dispatched.

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    bhd, my comments are meant to be open, if I had an issue with a piece of kit I would go over it with a microscope (or as we say in the UK “with a fine tooth comb”)

    As a previous importer of equipment from all over the world, concise information to a supplier is always important.

    Also to be honest to come onto a forum only rage at a supplier, whilst not heinous is at least bad form.

    I hope you get the frame you want or your money back.

    mamadirt
    Free Member

    How does a thread about just one person’s frame issues (google ‘Ragley oval head tube’ – I see no other folks with similar problems) reach 186 . . . sorry 187 . . . posts? Sure, I appreciate that the head tube problem is unfortunate for the OP but the slightly bent seat tube slot is a problem easily fixed and I don’t think I’ve ever received a new frame (trust me, there’ve been one or two 😉 ) without a paint blemish of some kind. Gives them character I reckon 😆 . . . still have the dents on my kitchen floor from an afternoon spent with a lump hammer ‘fitting’ bearings to the rather oval b/b shell of my ‘handmade in a shed in San Diego’ Dirt Bros BMX frame.

    bendedheadtube
    Free Member

    I just wanted to know, if other people had issues with the headtube, too.
    After getting exact this information, things where getting nasty.

    If i would recieve a frame with just a below average paintjob (but with primer) it would be ok. (if the other parts/complaints are ok)
    Recieving a frame with the same damage in a row is just below everything about qc i ever learned.
    Recieving the second frame worse than the first, with a damaged headset form crc (nukeproof supplier, ragley owner, …) is the primary reason for this.
    Than this “learning process” ….
    This is a “prototyp testing” on the back of the customer. This is the result.
    remember the qc issues back in (january|february), the frames where delayd due to qc issues in taiwan. if i where the responsible person (or a person who is giving hertblood to the brand) i would do evrything possible to check the frames and met quality standards of the 21st century.
    They did prototyping the full suspention bike rather, than check the incoming hardtail frames.

    To fit in the headset, it is essential to remove the frame from the shipping box. i think they work on some kind of a workbench.
    would it be easy to check the frame before the shipping of an defected frame? Would it be easy to pick another frame off the shelf @crc?
    correct me if i am wrong

    martinxyz
    Free Member

    Its a shame that one company with a few problems have this thread getting longer by the minute.Did it have to be put out for thousands to see in public?

    Considering the number of brands out there,and the number of problems each of them have (that we arent talking about in public) i think its a bit of a downer for one of the guys in mountain biking that probably takes more of an interest than any other bigwig from any of the other companies out there to get mingling with his customers on the web when he has a bit of free time only to get flamed.Theres dozens of them that arent even into biking anything like Brant and to be honest, if it were me.. i`d ask to have this thread pulled.

    martinxyz
    Free Member

    “would it be easy to check the frame before the shipping of an defected frame?” It would be nice if everyone at the end of each production line was told (and given the time) to do this but theres only a handful of people that want and expect it perfect (remember Merlins skip of Ti frames gone wrong?) These folk will either check the quality themselves or be happy enough to pay a wage for someone to do the job properly.This,unfortunately,usually happens with very high end frame builds only.Its a shame but this is how it is these days.Cars,motorbikes,mtbs.. its all heading the same direction.

    richc
    Free Member

    Do I prefer the PigX to the Alpine? yes, because it’s considerably lighter and has, quite simply, “better” (“more advanced”?) geometry for what I want out of a hardtail. Also, 12mm rear means that wheels are interchangeable with my Mega too

    Thanks Ash.

    Any idea on the actual weight difference? Ragley seem to state around 0.3 of a lb.

    I hope the Ti alpine if it every appears comes with the swopouts as the bolt thru rear end does seem like a good idea

    adeward
    Free Member

    When i designed bikes for Marin and Whyte in the late 90’s this is how we worked

    the bike was designed and a prototype built and ridden by us in our pig shed,( yes it really was a pig shed)
    the drawing was sent to Taiwan and a sample was despatched, this was then tested and any changes made,

    then when the design was signed off for production , one of us would go over to taiwan and oversee the first batch ,,

    we used to also employ agents to look after our interests over there and they would visit factories and chase up issues ,

    but QC issues would still come to light on later batches when changes were made and faults in production sneaked in ,, sometimes these wouldnt get found until the shop/customer got the bike as this would often be the first time a bike would see the light of day since leaving the factory ,,

    it could be worse my girlfriends toyota has just had a steering column and some throttle parts on a factory recall ,, so if these big guys can get it wrong where they have massive qc depts

    al
    Full Member

    Jens – if you’ve not got the headset in yet, here’s how to do it.

    Measure the internal diameters of the headtube with vernier callipers in a few directions. If the measurement comes up round and all about 43.95mm press the cup straight in (this was the case on my BPX’s lower headtube hole). If the measurement is a little off (as per my headtube’s top hole) then take the bearing out of the headset cup. Press the cup only into the frame using a headset press and some grease on the cup and inside the frame. If at this stage the bearing fits in, great, but mine didn’t, so I took the cup out with a large bar and a hammer (a rocket tool is the correct tool, but hey) and the put the bearing into the cup. Then press the cup with the bearing in into the now loosened headtube (be careful to press on the cup and not the bearing). Use grease. Job done. Worked a charm for me and someone else I know.

    Sure, its less than ideal, but really you should be reaming the headtube of any new frame before fitting a headset anyway and since you (or your mechanic) isn’t doing that you kinda have to accept life may be a little more fun.

    Hopefully you’ll get things sorted so you can start enjoying the bike and forgetting about all this stuff 🙂

    bendedheadtube
    Free Member

    First Frame:
    i carried the frame to several bike shops near my home town.
    all of them agreed, that the frame is incapable of fit in a headset.
    After the suggestion from Brant, to use more than usual force, the headset “explodet”. The industrial bearing broke. the inner race was seperated of the bearing itself.
    On this Frame, the headtube was more than 0.5mm off the 44mm.
    I think, no lube is fixing that.

    Next frame:
    Second attempt of fit in the headset was on crc.
    They used force too, to fit in the headset.
    The cup is slightly bended (the cup of the headset), so that the bearing is incapable of reaching its final position in the cup.
    The bearing is more than 5mm away from the inner chamfer of the nukeproof headset.

    And if CRC messing up the frame, you should be aware of:
    Ragley is owned by crc.
    And i had something in mind about the connection of nukeproof and crc, but i´m not shooting blindly in the darkness.
    But if they messed the headset up, as a the biggest european (?) mailorder, i think everybody is messing up the frame

    ilovemygears
    Free Member

    t could be worse my girlfriends toyota has just had a steering column and some throttle parts on a factory recall ,, so if these big guys can get it wrong where they have massive qc depts

    yes but Toyota didnt tell their customers to hit it with a hammer!

    brassneck
    Full Member

    yes but Toyota didnt tell their customers to hit it with a hammer!

    Neither did Ragley from what I’ve read – merely suggested that this was worth a go as he had nothing to lose. In this situation I would have given it a go, then decided my next step depending on how it looked.

    BHT could have replied ‘No thanks, I’d rather return it all’ and I’m sure there would have been no objection. Perhaps this is is just a communication issue – a nuance missed by BHT. I work for a very large German company, with many German colleagues, and whilst they all speak excellent English (better than most native speakers, seriously) they do sometimes miss things that a native speaker takes for granted.

    I can see why you’re hacked off, I would be too, but I think you’re better concentrating your efforts on CRC than here.

    I do have one question though and I’m genuinely interested to know – why was the shop attempting to fit a headset with the bearing in place? I’ve only ever fitted cups then put the bearings in afterward, they aren’t designed to take compressive forces like a head set press (or repeated twatting with a hammer + block of wood in my case :-)) – but I’m behind the times on these things.

    bendedheadtube
    Free Member

    had nothing to lose[\quote]
    Except for the cost of the useless fitting, the 120km driving to the shop,and the waiting time.
    And the persistent fear of a catastrophic fail of the headset.

    And again, recieving a frame which is worse than the first frame is not a really good way to satisfy customers. Also the bad fitted headset from crc.

    stilltortoise
    Free Member

    Except for the cost of the useless fitting, the 120km driving to the shop,and the waiting time.
    And the persistent fear of a catastrophic fail of the headset

    So, as others pointed out, you should have said “no thanks” and sent it back. You were given a choice.

Viewing 37 posts - 161 through 197 (of 197 total)

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