Reasonable lifetime for a bike frame?

When I stripped my race bike down at the weekend, I found a crack at the downtube/headtube junction right along the weld line. It’s never been crashed or otherwise damaged, so I reckoned that this was a manufacturing fault. I emailed Chainreactioncycles, who I bought it from just over 2 years ago, to enquire about warranty. They told me that it’s out of warranty, and despite some subsequent correspondence, where I gently reminded them of the Sale of Goods Act and expectations of a reasonable lifetime of a product, they won’t budge, except to offer a discount on a new frame.

This is for one of the NOS Principia road frames that they sold off a while back, and it’s had an easy life of summer weekend use (I’ve got another winter/commuter bike) so I don’t think that just over 2 years of use is reasonable. A quick google of the Sale of Goods Act brings up lots of interesting phrases around ‘reasonable lifetime’ and ‘fit for purpose’ which I intend to use if I take the small claims route. I was wondering if anyone else has had to take a shop/manufacturer to court over a cracked frame – and what success they had?

I’m a bit disappointed by Chainreaction’s attitude TBH; I’ve used them for years, and continue to do so, and really hope that I don’t have to take this to court. I’ve asked for a similar frame as replacement or a credit for the value of the frame, to be spent with them, both of which seem reasonable.

It’s only since we went consumerism crazy that bikes have become more disposable. I’m using a Holdsworth frame that’s (at least) 30 years old. I know people who ride bikes that are older.

I’d say that, on that sort of use, it has failed the fitness for purpose test, but the only way you could demonstrate this is with expert reporting, a metallurgy review and a court case. Expensive and time consuming.

That sounds really poor tbh, both the crack and the lame warranty – it’s not a DH bike.

I expect the aluminium HTs I ride to have a finite lifetime, for sure. Hairline cracks will appear IME after 4 or so years. If I get that much out of them, after its hauled my 100kg carcass up hill and down dale week in week out, then I’m not complaining really. Especially as I’ve always got a new one under a lifetime warranty.

Your warranty is what it is, though, so it’s difficult to see how you can lay down the law on this one.

Principia frames were always lightweight race bikes and as such I’d not expect a lifetime warranty. I think you’re probably getting a reasonable deal by being offered a discounted new frame.

Well, I’d not expect a lifetime warranty, but I’d expect to get 4 years out of a frame, by which time I’d probably be after a new one. The thing about this is that even if the shop offers only a standard 12 month warranty, the Sale of Goods Act does seem to entitle buyers to expect that a product will last for a reasonable amount of time, and be fit for purpose. just wondered if anyone had actually tested this (via a small claim) with a bike frame.

Principia Ellipse frames aren’t particularly lightweight btw (about 1400g or so), and were a bit overbuilt if anything.

Indeed the SOGA entitles you to an expectation of a reasonable life -= however it also clearly states that if you have had some use your damages will only be in proportion to the amount of loss you hav.

thus if a frame is 2 years old and fails and if a reasonable life is 4 years than a 50% refund would be all you are entitled to

the other thing is at two years old you have to show it is a manufacturing fault

so what you need to do is look at the offer they have given you, look at what yo thing is reasonably and if the difference is significant sue them for it thru small claims.

to me a significant discount on a replacement frame is not unreasonable – depends on the size of the discount really.

Hey C’dale europe have happily told me my frame is out of warrenty, even though the my reciept (scan sent to them) has in large print at the top “lifetime warrenty” .. good luck.

Thanks Jeremy, that is interesting. I don’t want to be unreasonable, so perhaps I’ll go back to them and ask for a proportion of the value of the frame in settlement.

Z1ppy, are you going to take it further with Cannondale?

I’d love to but have no idea how to, can’t see C’dale europe taking any notice UK consumer law.

Zippy – if the bike is sold in the UK they have to. However I don’t know if that will help – remember your contract is with the retailer for SOGA rights – and warranty is over and above these rights.

Warranty you have to abide by the conditions the manufacturer sets.

I’d love to but have no idea how to, can’t see C’dale europe taking any notice UK consumer law.

Easy. You write to them, telling them that you bought the bike in England. your ciontract is under English law. The lifetime warranty induced you to enter into the contract to buy the bike. they have 14 days to [pay out/confirm replacement] or you’re off to court.

Trouble is due to the design/build of the bike, so I have no interest in sue-ing the shop that sold it me, they’ve tried to be helpful but C’dale Europe said a plain no because:

1) Due to being a limited warrenty, as they changed the warrenty on the following years model, but I bought mine to get that lifetime warrenty (as said it’s plainly printed on the reciept).
2) The say the fault is not covered as the warrenty terms exclude this type of fault. The warrenty terms where never in any of my original documentation & I believe were introduced after my bike was bought. Problem is I cannot locate any warrenty doc’s to prove it (they don’t keep warrenty info from previous years on the c’dale site)

Edit: Finally, from my point of view, they don’t actually produce this frames or any frame I would actually like to own now. Let alone them being a useless bunch of t**ts

Specialized are very impressive on warranty, they replaced a 10 year old road frame with a cracked chain stay with a new carbon Tarmac frame for me. I have a friend who had a lot of problems with his Principia, they seem to have disappeared and reappeared as a company a few times and that may be why they were being sold cheap by Chain Reaction, eventually he got a new frame of a different make from the importer.

Reasonable life for a frame IMO:

Superlight – 1 season, no crashing.
Light – 2 years
Commuter – 10 years.

Steel – forever (but not lightweights)

Specialized are very impressive on warranty, they replaced a 10 year old road frame with a cracked chain stay with a new carbon Tarmac frame for me.

I’ve heard nothing but good reports about Spesh warranty. It’s one of the reasons I have a Spesh in the garage. 🙂

Epicyclo, can I have your superlight frames after they’re a year old? You probably won’t want any money for them as they’re past their useful lifetime right? lol…

trek, specialized and giant give a lifetime warranty on their hardtail frames in aluminiumiumnium. If they lasted 4 years they’d have a four year warranty.

and let us not forget Snap-On whose lifetime warranty is 15 years O_o

CRC compete on price not on customer service (although their staff can shine like Andy etc etc). What was the original warranty OP in years if you can google etc?

To the OP

If you feel you have a genuine case & they simply won’t entertain it, the small claims court is worth doing & relatively simple.
You’ll both get the chance to settle amicably before any hearing
If it does go to court, they’ll have to attend your local court to defend it – which may ease them into a negotiated settlement in the first place

Principia frames used to have a two year warranty. It’s not so much the manufacturer that appeared and dissappeared, but the UK importer. To be fair (if you feel like being fair) it is a lightweight bike and you can expect a certain fragility beyond a certain amount of use. Having said that, I’ve got a RexPro that has done me for eight years occasional use, no problems with it. Never been race, but it has been air freighted around 20 times, and that’s hard on a bike. I did change the carbon fork two years ago, just for safety’s sake.

As for lifetime warranty – I think that’s the expected lifetime of the material/stucture, not four score years and ten!

Agree on the Spesh warranty. Five years on their own brand suspension systems as well – great stuff.

edit: Principia warranty is two years under eu law.
http://www.principiabikestore.com/info_pages.php?pages_id=4&osCsid=8d7360524923770ae2c18ac0c7ed9e0e