I've had a 2005 Enduro since, well 2005. I've been through three chainstays and all have been warrantied with no problem. Now, having just stripped the frame down for a good clean (hmm, wasn't this highlighted as the issue in the Cotic frame breaking thread?) I have discovered another crack, this time in the main frame, on one of the ribs of the seat tube.

But because Spesh are a decent company with a lifetime warranty for the original owner, they're replacing the frame without any quibbles. I shall be getting a new 2010 replacement some time next week.

So two things to learn from this. One – lifetime warranties are definitely the way forward and two – always, always, always hold onto the original receipt.

I've had this frame 25 years, it's had 3 new front ends and 15 back ends but it's still going strong 😉

I've had this frame 25 years, it's had 3 new front ends and 15 back ends but it's still going strong

Somehow,that reminds me of this

Sorry but I do find it funny that you've broken the bike 4 times and still like it 😉 . I reckon after the 3rd break I'd be thinking it's not the bike for me and selling/replacing.

Commendable warranty though 🙂

That does seem a high failure rate, but I suppose you're getting a nice new frame every time it happens, so you don't get too fed up. 🙂

I broke two Marin Rocky Ridges and had them both replaced under warranty, no quibbles or delays. My main concern was where the bike's soul lived and whether if you changed the frame, it was still the same bike.. But yes, good warranties are worth their weight in new frames, but on balance I'd rather it hadn't broken in the first place.

Saw a newish Enduro in the Peak yesterday. It was massively green…

I broke a Rocky Ridge too, I had it replaced very quickly (within days) under warranty, great service from my LBS and the importers.
Decided to sell the new frame and get something different and made of steel.
A good warranty is worth a lot and is something to consider when buying a new bike.

Decided to sell the new frame and get something different and made of steel.

I find this sligtly puzzling, because the only material I have yet to break is aluminium.

Carbon? Tick
Titanium? Tick
Steel? Tick…Tick…Tick…

😉

In true* Spesh style, I was just wondering how much they paid you to write good things about them, I suppose you are going to give them a mark of 12/10 as well

* alledgelly

well done on getting a 2010, that should be fun.

Peterpoddy – Ironically enough, I was worried about the carbon bits of my E-5 but it was the aluminium main frame that cracked….replaced by Whyte with a brand new e-120 within a week I might add 🙂

what about the carbon bit on your E-120 😉 BTW I have never cracked a frame – I did wear out the pivot on an 04' FSR though but not the same. Perhaps I ride light 😉 or perhaps I am a woose on teh descents/drops 😉

Here we see yet another good reason for not buying a bike on e-bay. Warranty is such a great thing, but time and time again, I am faced with sorry looking individuals with the all too comomon phrase of: "I brought this on e-bay and it has a crack – can I get a warranty replacement?" NO!!!!. – Sorry rant over

"Sorry but I do find it funny that you've broken the bike 4 times and still like it . I reckon after the 3rd break I'd be thinking it's not the bike for me and selling/replacing. "

Its not broken its cracked and he keeps an eye on his bike so no issue.
If the head tube suddenly broke off when you knwo you hadn't done anything major then thats would be a good time to move on.

Sorry but I do find it funny that you've broken the bike 4 times and still like it . I reckon after the 3rd break I'd be thinking it's not the bike for me and selling/replacing.

If I broke my 06 Enduro I would unquestionably get another one. Second hand even, if I couldn't get a warranty replacement. They are just that good.

Well I'm glad some of you get warranty satisfaction.
My 1975 Don Farell cyclo-cross frame snapped in 2008, the gits even ceased trading twenty years ago to get out of their warranty promise with me.
Still I haven't given up yet!

oldgit – Write to your mp!

It's also why I have Trek roadbikes.

Warranty is good. Keeps me buying the same brand.

I love the brand loyalty guys but if the same model of bike kept breaking/snapping/delicately cracking on me I would still start asking myself if I'd bought the wrong bike for the sort of riding I do.

Its not broken its cracked and he keeps an eye on his bike so no issue.
If the head tube suddenly broke off when you knwo you hadn't done anything major then thats would be a good time to move on.

That's like saying it's ok I haven't broken my leg, I've only fractured it and I'm keeping and eye on it so it should be fine 😉

I love my bike to bits – never ridden a better one and was absolutely gutted when I found a crack. Warranty service was fantastic and I had a new bike within a couple of weeks. I was still without my full susser for 2 weeks though and it's still a concern that it's going to happen again.

Just my opinion though obviously 🙂

My main concern was where the bike's soul lived and whether if you changed the frame, it was still the same bike

Dear God, I hope your not serious.

i love my bike(s) because they fail me?

My main concern was where the bike's soul lived and whether if you changed the frame, it was still the same bike

Dear God, I hope your not serious.

Deadly serious. Why are you so concerned. And don't call me God…

No concern, more just disbelief that anyone could think a bike has a soul. Its a bunch of tubes welded together with wheels.

I didn't call you God. Got a few other names if your are actually serious though.

II've been through three chainstays… Now, I have discovered another crack, this time in the main frame.

This is why I'm NOT a fan of Specialized. I'm amazed that you are. The bike is designed to be ridden off road in harsh environments yet it's failed at the job it's built to do and not on one occasion but on 4.

I own a Specialized, a road one, so I'm not against them completely but their MTB division is a shambles.

Two friends have had the now infamous new style Enduro's with own brand suspension units and both have had no end of trouble and have both sold them on. Unfortunately the new owners of both those troubled bike won't be graced with the warranty that the original owner was, so when they break again, which they will it'll be a costly and temporary fix until it'll break again and again.

Glad your easily pleased but many others are not and just wish they make a bike fit for it's intended purpose.

C

just wish they make a bike fit for it's intended purpose.

My Pitch is perfectly well suited for it's intended purpose thanks.

i think you will find that spesh will still honour the suspension 5 year warranty to second owners

all bikes break if you ride them hard enough. I went through a couple of chainstays on that model.

if they ride well and the warranty is good then who cares if they crack now and again.

It's definitely a new bike if you change the frame on a hardtail. The soul basically lives in the frame. Although I'm unsure where exactly the soul is on a full-susser with a really big swingarm – like an Orange 5 say. It's hard to believe that such a big part of the frame doesn't have part of the soul in.

And obviously on a Bionicon, or a Maverick which is built around its own fork unit you probably have parts of the soul in those. I reckon as long as the mainframe is the same its definitely the same bike and changeing the swingarm doesn't matter. But the swingarm needs to be pretty substantial, and monocoque before it can hold enough soul to be the same bike even if you change the mainframe. 😕

Does a tandem have two souls? 😀

I also had a very good experience with Specialized, cracked a chainstay on an aluminum road bike which I bought in 1998. After it sitting in the garage for a year, i decided last year to see if it could be welded. Called a Vernon barker (?) and he said check with the manufacturer. Duely called Specialized who said it can't be welded but if i was the original owner it would be covered under warranty. They replaced my M2 frame with a very nice carbon fibre tarmac. I was stunned.

Seems strange that some folk will round on Specialized who although have some products fail (as companies who shift such huge volumes do) stand by their product with a lifetime guarantee, but will gather around and have a daisy chain when people mention companies such as Orange, who have had terrible failure rates on certain lines, produced at far lower volumes and back up their lack of faith in their product by offering such poor warranties.

I guess its a big, bad, American corporation versus nice, hammered together by blokes 'oop norf, British company thing, rather than anything rational such as quality of actual product produced and after-sales support for that product eh?

Well impressed for you GT. And I can fully understand why you will remain with the brand

Just had a poor experience with Cove to be honest. Fairly jaded by the whole process (ended up with a crash replacement) even though the bike cracked on a part they altered on more recent models (presumably because of these failures).

Unlike Snat Cruz who were extremely good and even though my Blur does goes through bearings I would keep with the brand.

Spesh don't offer lifetime warranty because they believe in the product. It's a numbers game. How many hardrocks and rockhoppers do you think they shift that only do commutes or very occasional light offroading. They know they won't be replacing these under warranty and the more of those they shift, the more likely they are to not lose out offering the lifetime warranty on the more used bikes, lower volume, higher end bikes.

Orange's are a bit more niche, lower volume, enthusiasts bike (not that proper enthusiasts can't ride a spesh) and they probably can't afford to play the numbers game.

Besides, 12 years of Oranges and I've never broken one…

(Of course if I do break my Five it'll be covered new for old on accidental damage to goods away from home)

I think thats damn good service from specialized.
The chainstay cracking on that model of enduro is a well known fault and i thought specialized modified the chainstays for latter years.
I've never had a specialized though, far too many pivots for me 😆

Besides, 12 years of Oranges and I've never broken one…

Now oranges on other forums (ahem) have a 'crack and fail' reputation, i owned a big T for a few years and never cracked that, nor have i seen a cracked orange frame in the flesh, but some people are too easily swayed by forum scaremongers/brand haters.

Most bike manufacturers will have frames break/crack/fail at some point, it just depends how well they deal with it.

😀

geetee – the Helius AM will not fail you………i'd expect, but the UK aftersales probably will……..