Word of warning of the quality and warranty of On-One Carbon Race 29-frames

I would like to share my recent experience with On-One Carbon Race 29 frame quality and warranty. I broke two frames in 2.5 half years under normal use on easy trails and roads. I am over 50 and my weight is about 170 lbs so the usage of the frames has not been too harsh.

The first frame broke down in less than one year like this.

I got the replacement frame after returning the broken frame.

That replacement frame broke down like this in about 1.5 half year like this.

After I made a warranty claim to On-One they just informed me that according to their warranty policy they will not cover anything because the purchase date of the first frame was over two years ago. As a sign of a goodwill they offered me a “generous” 10% discount from the list price of Lurcher or Dirty Harry frame! Needless to say that I felt very disappointed to their feedback.

I assumed that a quite expensive carbon frames under On-One name should last more than a year and a half. No wonder why they quit this frame from their product portfolio.

Next time if I’d like to get possible quality problems with a carbon frame I’ll purchase a cheap frame directly from China. Then I at least know what to expect and that risk is already included into cheap prices.

No On-One frames nor other products for me anymore!

not commenting on their policy but 20 minutes with some Epoxy would see that BB shell re-bonded into the frame.

If it’s inserts both times (which it looks like) then pretty piss poor of them not to keep warrantying it, it’s not like they can claim it’s crash damage.

1st post on STW to highlight this?

1st post on STW to highlight this?

Why not? Not condoning the OP’s actions, but if you feel aggrieved about something, you go have a moan….possibly on a forum inhabited by a certain Mr Richards.

*iolo to the forum*

That seatpost shim looks way too short?

As I see it a replacement is only guaranteed for the balance of the initial warranty period. Otherwise if you were a less than honest and really a hard rider of a bike over its intended design/purpose where would it end? eternal supply of replacement frames?

On another note- how much did you pay originally? Most frames lose lots of money over 2.5yrs. If you paid say £400- surely thats good value for its build/weight/intended use?

Its 2yrs.

I’ve had experience of a product failure with On One- Brant didn’t muck about.

[/quote]1st post on STW to highlight this?

He’s new give him a chance , OP you should have finished your post with Brant Brant Brant ….

warranty is warranty, if it is two years then it is two years, if you want more buy a frame from someone who offers more.

Second the epoxy solution.

So, what are you actually complaining about here?

a.) the fact that you are not happy with the warranty terms which were available to you before buying (and are the same as the majority of other manufacturers)

b.) the fact that the frames have suffered failure.

I don’t really see the merit in openly criticising the first point as this just demonstrates that you didn’t check the warranty terms when you entered into your contract of purchase.

For the second, is is open to interpretation as nobody knows how you have ridden the bike.

As for buying a ‘cheap’ Chinese frame, this is of course an option and will get you something very similar, BUT you miss out on a legally & logistically enforceable warranty, CE conformity, the fact that On One saved you the hassle and risk of buying and shipping from China and a whole multitude of other logistical advantages. If you are prepared to deal with all of that, then a Chinese-direct frame is obviously the way ahead.

I do feel for you in respect of your predicament, but I don’t sympathise regarding On One upholding their clearly defined warranty procedure.

As the damage seems minimal it hasn’t put me off, I’m looking at a Dirty Harry frame at the moment, can I have you 10% discount 😉

In both the sports that I do, (biking and windsurfing) I always regard the word “race” in the name of a product as an indication that it’s optimised for speed at the expense of durability.

Regardless of the warranty terms, neither frame has lasted beyond 18 months, thats poor by anyones standards surely?

Another reminder of why they are such a ‘bargain’ in my eyes.

This is THE reason why I wouldn’t buy another frame that didn’t have a lifetime warranty. A good warranty shows confidence in the product.
I’ve not been in the trade long, but I’ve seen how both Specialized, Ridgeback and Trek give great customer service on their products, replacing frames for whole bikes in two cases, without quibble.

Sorry OP but you chose the wrong forum to slag off On One.

I don’t think there’s any complaint about the warranty, they’ve fulfilled their obligation to you which is more than they did for me. Warranties don’t extend when a replacement is provided.

Course it’s not all about obligations, you’d hope for a reliable frame and failing that better backup but that’s a different kettle of fish. And frankly the nice thing about low quality products is you can bodge them back together with less guilt- there’s a pretty good chance you could break out the epoxy and do a better job of fixing it than On One did in the first place.

Warranties don’t extend when a replacement is provided.

No, but they should start afresh on the replacement, surely.

Why? A seller has fulfilled their obligation for the period of the warranty offered.

As I’ve said, if it was indefinite (because it’d end up being indefinite) – where would the retailer be able to stop giving new frames to the customer?

We have no idea how, where, does what etc etc on his bike. We all think we are better or worse riders than others. I was tempted by a cheap Whippet years ago but realised I WOULD break it riding it on rocky trails whilst being abit tubby. PeterPoddy points out big manufacturers policies but then – do they sell a full carbon frame that retails for less than £400?

If a customer feels the replacement/product isn’t upto merchandisable standards then you are supposed to act very quickly to reject the product/ask for a refund. I wonder if the OP had been offered this route or was just happy with a replacement frame after looking round and realising that to get a similar frame elsewhere would be circa 3times the cost?

Because the replacement part/product should be of equal quality and fitness for purpose as a new one. It’s effectively the same as buying a new part. In fact, one could argue that a failure may place an increased onus on a supplier providing something better as a replacement.

It’s hardly new news about On One/Planet X selling cheap crap and giving shocking customer service is it?

I agree the garantee does run starting from the original purchase so legally you are not getting shafted.
But also believe your experience shows the frames to be a bit crap, so would not buy a carbon frame from them again at the very least.
But that said I was of the impression on one frames were cheap and cheerful so to speak.
Agree surely you could have the frame easily repaired,

Both frames don’t look that broken tbh – although obv it’s bad that it’s happened.
The frame’s a few hundred quid new – get 2.5 years out of this, plus a replacement, sounds about right to me. I wouldn’t see this sort of frame as something I’d grow old with – YMMV.

OO are perfectly within their rights though I would have hoped that they’d offer a bit more than just 10% off – the equivalent of trade+VAT seems a more common replacement charge for out of warranty replacements IME – eg they’re not trying to make a profit on it.

But I will caveat it slightly by agreeing with the post above about the ‘Race’ tag. For me that always says that durability will be reduced though each frame should really last 2 years, particularly as it seems likely here that they’ve had a problem with their insert bonding durability.

£20 posted?

Just kidding, on one area cheap and cheerful brand as said above, get it bonded, it’ll be reet.

Pete – 😆

I wish warranties did. I’d be on my twelteenth commencal

Why not? Not condoning the OP’s actions, but if you feel aggrieved about something, you go have a moan….possibly on a forum inhabited by a certain Mr Richards

Yes for the normal STWer but signing up to spread your unhappiness 🙂

From a hazy memory the 29 race frames were very light – werent they?

From a hazy memory the 29 race frames were very light – werent they?

Even more so once the inserts fell out…

Sounds to me like On-One are sticking to the strict terms of the warranty but aren’t going the extra mile to abide by the spirit of the warranty and to keep a customer happy. Two different failures of the same product for the same customer in such a short time shouldn’t be expected.

It would be nice if someone at On-One looked at this and thought “yeah that’s not right, lets do the right thing for the customer” rather than saying “it’s in the terms and conditions so too bad”. Not actual quotes of course.

DB

Jamie

I wouldn’t be happy about that. But i would fix it myself (2nd one)
if you are local to Shropshire then give me a shout. (there will be NO warrenty :D)

you could buy a cheap frame from china, but thats basically what you’ve got. At least you got one replacement.

Is it fit for purpose -no. Do On-one have a customer service that is fit for purpose…..not in my experiance.

You’re right to have moan. thats poor IMHO.

on a side note, on-ones sheffield steel ads are taking the pie filling abit. trying to piggy back off some else’s hard work in British manufacturing.

Next time if I’d like to get possible quality problems with a carbon frame I’ll purchase a cheap frame directly from China

You kinda did but it went via On-One en-route with a mark-up.

Isn’t that kind of his point…?

(FWIW, my China warranty experience was good: here)

This is THE reason why I wouldn’t buy another frame that didn’t have a lifetime warranty. A good warranty shows confidence in the product.
I’ve not been in the trade long, but I’ve seen how both Specialized, Ridgeback and Trek give great customer service on their products, replacing frames for whole bikes in two cases, without quibble.

It’s more of marketing tool than any real confidence in the product, most products follow a ‘bathtub’ curve for failures, a few really quick failures due to manufacturing, then almost nothing for a very long time, then a sudden increace when they reach the end of their design life. The trick warenty’s pull is to set the warrenty to cover the low period, because a bike/car/other that lasts through the first year will probably last a lot longer. So offering a 7 year warenty probably costs Kia no more than offering a 1 year warrenty.

Having said that the OP’s problem looks like it should be in th first part of the curve, not the end of it’s life, the inserts aren’t something you’d expect to fall out over time!

If you actualy want a reliable car, buy a Honda. Statisticaly they’re somethign like 3 limes less likely to break down than the next best manufacturer. Not 0.33x the average, 0.33x the next best! Although the analogy falls down as they have an 8 year/100,000 mile warrenty.

Not sure whether it should make a difference, but the OP is in Turku, Finland, so maybe that tempers O-O’s willingness to be sending things back and forth.

It would be nice if someone at On-One looked at this and thought “yeah that’s not right, lets do the right thing for the customer” rather than saying “it’s in the terms and conditions so too bad”. Not actual quotes of course.

I am looking at this.

He’s new give him a chance , OP you should have finished your post with Brant Brant Brant ….

Candyman Brant: I am looking at this.

The prophecy has come true!

It’s more of marketing tool than any real confidence in the product

+1 on that – like Marin’s lifetime warranty on their FS bearings with the original Mt Visions. Loads of them died and were replaced but loads of people bought them in the first place because of it and no doubt loads didn’t get ridden enough to die anyway.

on a side not on-ones sheffield steel ads are taking the pie filling abit. trying to piggy back off some else’s hard work in British manufactoring.

Doubly so, seeing as they’re from Doncaster not Sheffield :-p

That’s like people in Slough claiming to live in Windsor.

I wouldn’t see any carbon frame as something to grow old with. Its also worth noting that a lifetime warranty is not an eternal cover, but is for the expexted lifetime of a product, for example.a super lightweight scandium and carbon race frame for could have an expected ” lifetime” of a couple of years. Or super light race rims have a set lifetime of km in use..

always worth having a read of t &c but id never expect any item to be warranteed fpr 2 years then have a fail then get another 2 years on replacement ad infinitum as thats not a commercially realistic expection.

So what I’m taking from this is to never accept a replacement and go for refund only. That way you can buy a new replacement, complete with a new warranty.

Seems like the only way round it to me.