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Challenging a warra...
 

[Closed] Challenging a warranty claim. - Specialzied -

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If it's that large black mark forward of the cranks then it looks (to me, from that photo) like some sort of crash damage

Looks like a big rock strike from something flicked up to me


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:14 pm
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fathomer - Member
Unless they've taken paint off to inspect, that looks like it's taken a pretty decent wallop!

This.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:14 pm
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It's and enduro bike /model. Enduros have rock gardens and obstacles.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:14 pm
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STOP IT! Do you like your bike being light? What size/shape/speed of impact should it be able to stand up to?

I've got a DH bike that had a dent put in the downtube within around half a dozen rides. It happens, move on.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:16 pm
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thats happened to me and mates on teh first ride of a new bike before. it sucks, but is what it is, impact damage.
Ask them for the crash replacement details and move on.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:16 pm
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And it looks like you've hit an obstacle pretty hard, hardly specialized's fault nor can they design a frame for everyone to ride into rocks.

Or as I said above look at the carbon repair people.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:17 pm
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Basically it's "he said" versus "experts with a very good reputation for warranty claims said". I'm siding with the latter for now

well I was sitting firmly on the fence until I'd seen pics, now I have, I've fallen on one side of it for sure...

OP, I think you should re-adjust your expectations of normal use.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:18 pm
 LoCo
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Get it inspected/fixed by a carbon repair company fit a Rockguardz downtube/bb cover and ride it.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:19 pm
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They have been kind enough to offer a replacement . Just short of 1500. Which I haven't got. Just presumed a bike of this caliber which cost me a lot, would of been up to been ridden longer than a year before the frame can't withstand a hit/ deflection


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:20 pm
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OP, I feel for you as you must be gutted to have damaged your pride and joy. However describing the damage pictured as a crack is, shall we say, stretching it a bit.
Carbon is very strong when loads are in the intended direction but not so good when it gets an impact in the wrong direction. Check out any F1 race for front wings in hundreds of pieces.
You have been unlucky but I think Specialized are in the right on this one and going all over their FB page is probably going to see the offer of a crash replacement withdrawn.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:21 pm
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That has taken a hefty rock strike. Either get a new frame, repair it or just ride it. Either way, this is why Rockguardz were made. Certainly saved one of my bikes from a pretty massive rock strike before.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:21 pm
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would of been up to been ridden longer than a year before the frame can't withstand a hit/ deflection

It is, as long as you dont **** it into massive rocks.

As Loco says, get it repaired and move on with your life.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:21 pm
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would of been up to been ridden longer than a year before the frame can't withstand a hit/ deflection

nonsense, it's not about how old it is when it got hit, it's the fact that it took the hit!
If you'd done that on the ride home from the shop the result would be the same.

I haven't crashed /impacted anything sufficient enough that it even stopped/registered on my ride

I'm at a loss as to how you could not consider that a significant impact, especially not notice it when it happened 😯


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:22 pm
 LoCo
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You wouldn't try to get BMW to warranty your 8 month old car that got hit by a wild deer though would you?
I do get it's a right pain and the bike cost loads but you really have just been unlucky, like my fictional BMW driving example.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:22 pm
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Unfortunately that does indeed look like it has been considerably ****ted.

I recently did battle with Commencal on what I felt was a far more black and white warranty claim and that was a complete mission so good luck with this one.

If you don't want to take their offer of a crash replacement I'd get it to Swarf then get your self one of these...

[url= http://www.rockguardz.com/rockguardz/specialized/enduro.html ]Rockguardz[/url]


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:23 pm
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Been on rockguardz website. Gonna have to fit one, and ride on! I posted on here to get a people opinion, see if I was been unreasonable wanting it replaced. Seems everyone has different views. Can't afford the crash replacement that's why I was fighting for this. End of the day, I know myself I wasn't riding hard / fast enough for something to impact it enough to cause this sort of damage 🙁


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:24 pm
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Classic JRA story 😀


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:25 pm
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[quote=bennyb ]I posted on here to get a people opinion, see if I was been unreasonable wanting it replaced. Seems everyone has different views. TBF, everyone except you seems to have the same view. But only you know what you did/didn't hit with the frame.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:26 pm
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I would go for a repair and a rock guard

Don't bother with a respray, just don't wash the mud off


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:26 pm
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As I mentioned previously (and recommend after seeing the pics), a home insurance accidental damage claim is worth considering if you have the cover.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:27 pm
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Seems everyone has different views

Actually I think everyone (except you) has the same view* now you've shown the pics.

I do Feel sorry for you OP, it's gutting when you break a bike, but that's life, whether it's from riding hard, or just bad luck, but that's where the decision about how much to spend on something you can't afford to replace comes in, and whether or not accidental damage insurance is worthwhile in such cases.

Fortunately Carbon is also one of the more repairable materials, if you're happy to carry on riding it then do so, or save for repair/replacement when you can.

* which is the view we would have had from the start if you OP had said "I've ****ted my bike off a rock at some point, here look at the pics"


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:28 pm
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I think trying to warranty that is taking the piss.

It can be repaired and fit some protection, ride on.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:33 pm
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[quote="bennyb"]End of the day, I know myself I wasn't riding hard / fast enough for something to impact it enough to cause this sort of damage 🙁you obviously were riding hard and fast enough to cause that sort of damage.

Maybe you are more gnar than you thought?

That's an easy repair either way. Probably under 100 quid including getting that bit repainted.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:33 pm
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Long story short

C'mon, time for the long story. Where and what were you riding?


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:34 pm
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I've got a carbon Stumpjumper FSR that has taken some fairly hefty knocks from rock strikes to the downtube/BB area while riding.
Some of them have been loud enough to stop a little further along the trail & give the bike a quick once over - rocks whacking carbon fibre make and awfully loud thwack.

The most damage my bike has sustained is a <5mm circular chip to the cosmetic layer - nothing even remotely approaching the damage shown in your detailed photo.

As gutting as it must be, sometimes these things just happen. I'd look into a repair & then get one of those rockguardz.

Looking at the image, are you sure the BB hasn't been scraped/whacked on a rock at the edge of a drop-off or something? That's what it looks like to me rather than a strike by a flying piece of debris.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:36 pm
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Off on a slight tangent here, but I'd have thought that the BB area of a bike would be expected to take major rock impacts fairly regularly in the course of normal use and be designed to withstand this.
Begs the question over where normal use ends and crash damage starts.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:38 pm
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Can't look at FB at work but from those photos that does look like a hefty rock strike and not a manufacturing fault.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:40 pm
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Ive got a Rockguardz downtube protector on my spesh enduro - fit and forget, mine gets battered all the time and no damage

For the sake of about £30 and no hassle


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:41 pm
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OK that's definitely impact damage vs 'a crack', you could perhaps argue the Enduro model isn't fit for purpose if it's supplied without a rock guard but I doubt you'd get anywhere (certainly not before you ran out of money vs Specialized's lawyers if you even got that far). I do still sympathise, I haven't got a rockguard on my carbon FS, couldn't be bothered to fit one figuring it's probably a rare event - I might do it now though...


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:41 pm
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OP - First up, it's a lovely (and clearly expensive) bike so can totally see why you're a bit upset about the damage. That said, I think most people, (whilst not all experts) suggest there has been some kind of impact and I would have to agree with that. Having previously owned an Enduro, unfortunately on these frames it's a pretty exposed area and not only prone to strikes by debris or rocks but because the bend in the down tube is forward of the chainset it can also be the first thing to hit a log or similar obstacle if you dont happen to quite get it right, getting over.

If I were you I would check out the repair option and the rock guard as this seems to be the lowest cost, but maybe also go back to spesh and ask how long the crash replacement option is open to you. If, in a few months time you have the money for a new frame and want to go down that route then it's still an option.

Lastly, is it covered under accidental damage away from the home on your house insurance? Could be another avenue to pursue if it is.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:43 pm
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This thread has also served to remind me why I'd never buy a mtb on finance


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:49 pm
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Didn't buy it on finance , but I ain't made of money that I can just scratch off 3.5k and move on.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:51 pm
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A- I'm still paying off the 8month old bike

You can see why I might think you did


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:56 pm
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LoCo - Member]

You wouldn't try to get BMW to warranty your 8 month old car that got hit by a wild deer though would you?
I do get it's a right pain and the bike cost loads but you really have just been unlucky, like my fictional BMW driving example.

Or the deer, who's also been unlucky

legend - Member
This thread has also served to remind me why I'd never buy a mtb on finance

Don't see why finance makes a difference. It's unfortunate either way. But as people have advised, I'd go the repair route.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:57 pm
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I'd have thought that the BB area of a bike would be expected to take major rock impacts fairly regularly

And this is why a Yeti has a full length rubber bumper for that area.

Get some glue and go riding.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 2:59 pm
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Don't see why finance makes a difference. It's unfortunate either way. But as people have advised, I'd go the repair route.

It makes the difference because there's nothing worse than still paying for something you cant use anymore (in the case of something being totally ruined). TBH, upgrade-itis is the main reason I'd never do it


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:00 pm
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bit harsh, its defo impact/scrape damage, but does beg the question why on earth don't they come with some form of built in/replaceable protector?

I know Santa Cruz come with a build in rubber one, but even that doesn't stretch all the way around the bb area, to me given that most people incur rocks on a regular ride it should be standard have one as an absolute minimum

I guess that's why rockguardz were created, but id still be miffed given all you've done is ride it, and regardless of crash or not, its not withstand a rockstrike which is fairly common in riding in gereral!

I put a dent right in the centre of a five before, on the bb, luckily it was dead central so didn't affect the BB thread, but ive no doubts at all if it was carbon it would have cracked

the rockguardz are the way forward for the sake of 30 quid, I'm pretty sure it would have shrugged off that in your pic, or at very very very worse case just cracked the guard


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:01 pm
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Is it the same concept store you bought the 2015 from
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/whats-my-legal-rights

and they then changed everything on it cos the cassette was skipping? So you had a sh1t experience with Spesh then went back and gave them £3.5k?

I think your expectations with the shop were too high, given your previous experience.

Yes I snooped. Still feel bad for you, hope you get a result though.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:07 pm
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Get that and fit some old inner tube ... sorted

[url= https://flic.kr/p/EfHHHz ]Downtube[/url]


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:09 pm
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but id still be miffed given all you've done is ride it, and regardless of crash or not, its not withstand a rockstrike which is fairly common in riding in gereral!

well, be fair to it, it probably has survived rock strikes, it was just *this one* that caused more damage than it was capable of withstanding.

We don't know the details of the impact, it could have been anything from a normal 1/2 fist sized rock bouncing up, to a very pointy head sized flint at just the wrong angle/point of impact, to 110KG of rider smacking into a granite slab @20mph.

Expectations from the above impacts would be very different.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:11 pm
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Reminds me - I've got to take a drive up to Rockguardz so they can model my Capra :mrgreen:


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:12 pm
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Cant believe Spesh don't fit a rock guard. My Ibis has a strip of thick helitape and Orbea a great big rubber thing all round that area. Both manufacturer fitted. FWIW that has taken one hell of whack. Did you see a Sniper in the bushes?.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:14 pm
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That's clearly impact damage .

Quite a big impact by the looks of it .

I am with Specialized on this one .

Sorry OP , suck it up and move on .


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:15 pm
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Repair and carry on riding.

I can vouch for HQ Fibre as providing a reasonably priced, good quality carbon repair.


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:16 pm
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Yes is the same v666ern, different bike tho. The problem was resolved but it wasn't s jumping cassette. They offered me a discount on this Model as a gesture of good will. Which was great of them. The guys at the store have been spot on, they've done all they can do. I was just testing the water to see how where I stand . Not good seems to be outcome


 
Posted : 18/02/2016 3:20 pm
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