Why do us lot accept shoddy goods ?

Del although it was bought off here it was still sealed in it's wrapper.
steve b 77 first r/f b/b i've used (and the last )gone with Hope now .where do you get b/b with stainless bearings for £30 ?

oh and another thing when i used XT Octalink with bearings inside the shell used to get at least a year out of them.

To paraphrase Keith Bontrager (i think it was he)
"cheap, light, durable, pick two".

Do the guys who use their 4x4s off road rebuild the whole thing on Monday evenings?

Many do strip and rebuild their 4x4s pretty regularly, yes. Certainly not as infrequently as the manufacturers specify, but as and when required by the terrain. I know one particular group who drive in clay-mud areas who need to strip and clean their brake system every time as it gets clagged up. IF you dont have the correct diff breather extenders on you need to drain and re-fill your diffs every time you submerge or you'll kill them. I have to wash and de-sand my kites every time I get them back from the beach or they'll end up smelling and wearing faster than they should.

The thing is it has to pass the "person of the street" test of long is resnoble when it comes to lasting.
With regards to the bike pic posted, mine has looked like that a fair few times over winter and i have only this year had to change the wheel bearings (they were 2 and a half years old)the bb is over a year old and most other bits have just been changed as they have natuarly worn.
I think that the components should be able to servive that aslong as you clean the bike after wards you ahould not need to re grease the bearings as they are sealed.

Funny as Halfords are happy to warranty parts if it breaks within a year as long as the bike has been serviced.

Should be fit for for purpose but not abused.

I only ride dry trails as I can't be bothered to get wet or muddy I guess thats why my XT rings are still around.

My road bike needs a new chain and cassette after all the wet riding though. I'm not sure I would complain about that.

We do want customer service and things to last in this country if under normal use. But if my frame broke under normal use or riding to work then I sure am going to complain.

Juan-has a point if it is thrashed etc well it's broken rather than normal use. I odn't think oldgit has thrashed his stuff though-he's just miffed that it's made of cheese for such an expensive item.

You'd be lucky without proof of purchase to get any warranty.

Tyres-wear and tear.

What else comes under that cat?

96 hours riding… How many sets of brake pads would you go through in this time @ £15 a pair?

Currently about 3 sets of pads a year at £6 a pair (superstar).

Sorry to enter at such a late stage, but are people suggesting that component warranties should be void because their mountain bike got muddy?

Not at all.

We're suggesting you should take responsibility for your own actions.

You ride it into the ground it'll break.

Obvious.

Read the thread again.

If you tried to warranty any part on this bike and showed the manufacturer the picture of how you rode it he'd be perfectly entitled to tell you to go p1ss up a lamp-post.

How exactly is he riding his bike?

How exactly is he riding his bike?

Up to his waist in a bog?

But I'm sure that's acceptable as it's a mountian bike and it in normal UK weather conditions 😆

Kit should be able to withstand this IMO.
Perhaps buying UK kit as much as possible is the way to go?
I don't destroy much kit because I only buy decent stuff and I'm pretty good with a tool kit. But my bike has been in a similar condition to the one shown on a few occasions. Buy crap, buy twice I suppose.

where do you get b/b with stainless bearings for £30 ?

Incidentally, whilst googling I discovered something called Octopus Girl. 😯 I shut the window pretty quickly….

Incidentally, whilst googling I discovered something called Octopus Girl. I shut the window pretty quickly….

…and drew the curtains as well i wager.

Mucky pup.

There are no curtains in an open plan manufacturing facility 😳 **** tea break as well…

Del although it was bought off here it was still sealed in it's wrapper.

doesn't really matter if it's wrapped in silk by virgins though does it? you've no contract with the retailer or the manufacturer. for sure it shouldn't have failed in a short period of time but that doesn't change the fact that the manufacturer has no obligations towards YOU. if you'd been able to present a receipt the retailer probably would have sorted you out and for all you know the replacement might have outlasted you ( though knowing the rep of rf bbs i doubt it! ). the most fastidious production methods in the world will run with a certain percentage of failure. humans are fallible, ergo things made by humans are fallible. that's life.