[Closed] Challenging a warranty claim. - Specialzied -

out of curiosity what was the cause of the skipping issue on the old bike? your thread left us hanging with no closure!

out of curiosity what was the cause of the skipping issue on the old bike?

amedias - Member

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.

it probably has survived some rock strikes, don't know where the chap lives and rides

i think the BB should be covered from new with some for of protective coating, not everyone lives in flat wooded singletrack, or rides trail centres all the time with little to no loose rocks

ride the peaks/lakes and you'll see any vast array of rocks/boulders/baby heads popping up left right and centre, the one place rocks are going to strike up is around the BB area, for this reason alone it should have some form of impact protection built in from new, as i said SC do it and numerous others do too and some protection is better than none at all...or alternatevly just supply a rockguardz type creation from new that you can put on and take off at your leisure dependant on where/what you ride

They offered me a discount on this Model as a gesture of good will. Which was great of them

+1

Just seems you were unlucky on this one

This thread has also served to remind me why I'd never buy a [s]mtb on finance[/s] new bike

but does beg the question why on earth don't they come with some form of built in/replaceable protector?

Streamlining of production costs? It's an extra thing to align and fit. Any impact damage can be blamed on the user as has been demonstrated here.

dmorts - Member

but does beg the question why on earth don't they come with some form of built in/replaceable protector?

Streamlining of production costs? It's an extra thing to align and fit. Any impact damage can be blamed on the user as has been demonstrated here.

costs? seriously on frames that cost £2800 to us UK punters/mugs?! 😆

i couldn't care less what it costs them, £2800 selling price should include some form of protection for the frame in certain areas, where rocks are susceptible to cracking the frame

but its regardless, its crash replacement so spesh are indeed correct, it is rock damage and isn't a frame failure, as said above you could maybe argue the point it should be able withstand/have something to protect it, but you wouldn't get anywhere

sup up learn and buy a rockguard i guess!

i think the BB should be covered from new with some for of protective coating

I don't disagree, I was jut pointing out that saying it can't survive a rock strike is a bit too black and white.

the one place rocks are going to strike up is around the BB area

or my shin, speaking from experience 🙁

but does beg the question why on earth don't they come with some form of built in/replaceable protector?

Streamlining of production costs? It's an extra thing to align and fit. Any impact damage can be blamed on the user as has been demonstrated here.

2016 carbon stumpjumpers now have a rubberised guard in that exact spot.

[URL= http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac117/warns74/specialized-stumpjumper-fsr-expert-carbon-evo-650b-standing_zpsece4fd7q.jp g" target="_blank">http://i891.photobucket.com/albums/ac117/warns74/specialized-stumpjumper-fsr-expert-carbon-evo-650b-standing_zpsece4fd7q.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

Now I've looked at the picture I have to agree with the majority it's had a right whack & I don't think Spesh will give you a free frame my friend.

A worn out tyre cut to length & take you time to shape / make adjustments & tie wrapped on when riding really rocky rides, I did the Ardrock with mine fitted & came away unscathed. I've tried the Rockguardz and shattered it to pieces.

It might not look the best but does it matter if it fends of rocks.

costs? seriously on frames that cost £2800 to us UK punters/mugs?!

Yes seriously.

EDIT: I should say I've worked in product development and have seen the way bonkers decisions like these (not fitting a guard) come about. It's likely to be all about development costs, production costs and possibly even aesthetics in this case

2016 carbon stumpjumpers now have a rubberised guard in that exact spot.

Carbon Reigns have those too.

Hmm, pushing it, but I suppose that you could argue that putting a guard there on the new model was partial recognition of a design fault indicated yours unsuitable for intended use

My Enduro bounced down a mountain side, the first few bounces with me still attached to it. The only impact damage baring a couple of scratches was where the top tube had struck a big rock and crushed it, duct tape and no jumps for the rest of the holiday.
Kevins Stumpjumper was a slide into a large boulder, two days after my crash. The underside of the down tube and bottom bracket area was crushed and gouged as was the Rockguard so it was hit with some force.
I don't think that the frames would have had a lesser impact if they had been made of aluminium.
I know how you must feel as will anyone who has damaged a bike, I think looking at yours I would have it repaired however if you do I don't think you will be able to use the crash assist in the future.
The front end is the same on the 26" as the 650b so you may be able to source a second hand front end or bike as a cheaper option and swap it all over.

dmorts - Member

costs? seriously on frames that cost £2800 to us UK punters/mugs?!

Yes seriously.

EDIT: I should say I've worked in product development and have seen the way bonkers decisions like these (not fitting a guard) come about. It's likely to be all about development costs, production costs and possibly even aesthetics in this case

well it seems from the pic above, that they have listened/used their brains and put a guard on all current carbon models, so yes for 2800 to a punter for a frame I think its fair they should sup up the costing! (as they have done)

Don't worry, theyll have offset the cost of the guard again using less carbonz somewhere

There isn't one on the 2016 S Works Enduro unless someone has pinched it, wouldn't have minded one though

[img] [/img]

OP, to add something useful to this thread, i can vouch for how good these guys are at carbon repair having seen their work on a mates Stumpy.

if you don't want anything fancy, you could speak to them and send it in for a repair. it'll be as good as new for a couple of hundred at absolute most.

[url= http://www.carbonbikerepair.co.uk/ ]Carbon repair[/url]

There isn't one on the 2016 S Works Enduro unless someone has pinched it, wouldn't have minded one though

You might want to get one!

Feel for you OP. I had a massive clang on my first ride of my new bike but couldn't see a scratch! Pure luck.

If I was you, I'd be doing the same thing. Good luck either way.

I have often though, whilst looking at expensive bikes, if that goes bouncing off down a mountain side could I afford to replace it. The answer is basically no I couldn't

I do feel for the OP. I'm sure the my Aluminium Trek would have been destroyed by that impact. Its not good for the sport overall that its so easy to damage a frame in normal use

I flattened a downtube on a steel frame from a rock strike.I also chipped my shin bones and had a load of stitches from another,the hospital were surprised it had'nt broken my leg from the look impact damage.
Both times on rigid, v-braked 10mm stemmed monsters (it was the 90's so fluoro lycra was probably also involved) so basically impossible to go that fast!!
Yes,it's a pisser but it's also a fact of life and riding bikes....sh1t happens and stuff breaks.

Given that rock guards have only started coming on bikes as standard in the last couple of years, not sure it's an 'admission of guilt' on not fit for purpose, it's a nice to have feature, like fork bump stops on down tubes, but nothing more.

I feel sorry for you OP. Whilst it clearly looks like impact damage, that's not to say there was an underlying fault from when the frame was made which made it susceptible to failing from a small impact. I've broken a carbon frame before from an impact with a tree and that was at about 25mph so I certainly knew I'd done it, and the damage didn't look as bad as yours. I've certainly had plenty of rocks fly up which I've felt and heard and they've done nothing more than chip the paint.

Even if it wasn't specialized's fault, after dropping that much money on a frame you would hope they'd be prepared to keep you happy. It’s not like your going to buy from them again or recommend them if your frame broke so easily without you realising it had even happened. This could be a rare genuine “just riding along” case.

bennyb - Member

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

Being expensive doesn't make things indestructible. Really feel for you, it must suck but if you hit things hard there's a good chance they break. And that looks like it's been hit with a meteorite. Accidental damage doesn't respect timescales, it can happen on day 1 or day 10000, I spent ages totally refitting and refinishing a favourite bike and then crashed it on the second ride and bashed in the top tube. It's because God hates us.

I would agree that it's impact damage I'm afraid, and would recommend a repair. I've had carbon frames repaired in the past for not a lot of money and it's been grand since.

I would, however, also like to point out that Specialized's warranty department had a change of staff in 2014 with a new guy in charge and their previous exceptional standards have gone. I dealt with them around that time and they were really quite difficult- not in agreeing the warranty (it was pretty open and shut) but in sorting out a replacement and so one. The shop said they'd have numerous problems with them in the months before hand.

I can point you towards the owner of a very nice expensive hand built titanium frame that was dented AND PIERCED by a rock thrown up by front tyre in the gnartastic venue that is the Chilterns.

I'd be gutted, but it isn't a warranty or manufacturing deficiency.

That looks like it's taken a fair whack. Not sure any design is going survive that so I don't think it's an issue with Specialized. There's threads on here about warranty relatively often and I think yours is black and white albeit not in your favour. Must be gutting but nobody is to blame.

Whilst rockguards etc may help I'm not sure their absence is a weakness or the fact that they are now on some bikes a sign of admitting that they should have been on previous models. Bikes don't typically come with heli tape or bumpers to stop cable rub but it doesn't mean you shouldn't look at these things before using the bike.

[quote="munrobiker"]I would, however, also like to point out that Specialized's warranty department had a change of staff in 2014 with a new guy in charge and their previous exceptional standards have gone.
I obviously can't go into details on a public forum, but there were some very good reasons why the previous guy had to leave. The staff in the warranty dept are all good guys & gals, they're not out to try and screw anyone.

I feel bad for the owner, but surely if you spend 3-4k on a bike you have 40 quid for some frame protection?

I had a 3 year old alloy camber frame recently replaced under the warranty, as it developed a small crack near the bb. Specialized and the lbs (Bike Scene) I bought it from were brilliant and sent me a brand new frame no questions asked.

Just get it repaired and keep riding.

munrobiker » I would, however, also like to point out that Specialized's warranty department had a change of staff in 2014 with a new guy in charge and their previous exceptional standards have gone.

I have had spesh for 10 years and change bikes regularly.

I needed some hep recently and based upon their change in attitude (have claimed before) would never buy another

But that does look like a nasty whack - unlucky dude

Given that rock guards have only started coming on bikes as standard in the last couple of years, not sure it's an 'admission of guilt' on not fit for purpose, it's a nice to have feature, like fork bump stops on down tubes, but nothing more.

I think we all accept that every time we go out for a ride there is a chance that we'll break ourselves. The same goes for our bikes I'm afraid. It's a pain when it happens, but a fact of mountain biking; stuff gets broken. Simplest solution is probably just not to ride anything that you can't afford to replace, because sooner or later it is all going to break.

Sadly I think this is along the same lines as, say, breaking your phone after dropping it in just the wrong way after dropping it harder loads of times before with no damage. Or getting a puncture in your Schwalbe Marathon Pluses in the first mile rather 10000th. Nothing's indestructible and stuff happens.

Appreciate it must be gutting though when it's something that spendy.

Looks more like you have bottomed out the BB onto a rock to me.

Could have been an imperfection that made it more likely to fail to that extent but I think the likelihood of a severe impact is just too high.

Get it fixed, paint touched up and fit a rock guard and forget about it.