Are we safer buying bicycles from the likes of...

[dd74]

Trek, Cannondale, Giant, et al? I ask only because with the demise of Serotta and whomever else may follow suit, that at least with the big box boys, it seems they're more likely to be around in the future?

Sure, the frames aren't hand made by one or even a small group of guys? But in turn it is a small group of guys who seem to be going out of business (Serotta), and in that potentially leaving their customers worse off than if they had purchased from Trek or Cannondale, etc.

Anyway, I'm just wondering what others think about this.

[rice rocket]

Safer?

I don't get what you're driving at. If a bicycle is going to fail, it's going to fail within the first couple hundred miles. If you're the person that crashes your bike and tries to get the manufacturer to cover it, shame on you. And your family. And your cat.

[FlashUNC]

Size doesn't equal longevity.

If I had a problem with my Della Santa, I'd call Roland and I'm sure he'd do what it took to make things right. And he's been around forever and a day

[laupsi]

I still don't get all the fuss regarding the dropping of the warranty by Serotta. you purchase a bike from and "Independent Fabricator" because you want "your money's worth". better product all way around. do you really expect to have to use the warranty? is this really a deal maker for the majority of those who purchase such frames?:confused:

as RR just posted, if after a few hundred miles the frame is going strong there really is no warranty issue. good grief :(

[josephr]

Cannondale just received the first ever 5 star safety rating from the NHTSA for its CAAD SuperX. Lets see a Serotta do that!

[dd74]

Safer?

I don't get what you're driving at. If a bicycle is going to fail, it's going to fail within the first couple hundred miles. If you're the person that crashes your bike and tries to get the manufacturer to cover it, shame on you. And your family. And your cat.
I'm talking about longevity of the company, really. I mean, is it a safer purchase for the consumer to buy from a larger brand?

[MattTuck]

maybe. but then you'd have to ride a trek. :no:


I keed, I keed!

[dd74]

I still don't get all the fuss regarding the dropping of the warranty by Serotta. you purchase a bike from and "Independent Fabricator" because you want "your money's worth". better product all way around. do you really expect to have to use the warranty? is this really a deal maker for the majority of those who purchase such frames?:confused:
What do you think? Of course it is -- or it should be for anyone who's spending large $$$ on a frame and/or bike. If someone's not considering a warranty, they're an idiot.

as RR just posted, if after a few hundred miles the frame is going strong there really is no warranty issue. good grief :(
Yeah, wait 'til mile 600.

[dbrk]

Bicycles are not forever if you ride them. Warranties are only for workmanship issues, mistakes that are easily noticed but maybe the company or the person isn't there any longer. Move on. I buy from provenance, all the rest is buyer beware because nothing is safe, nothing, and so what? Serotta's warranty message was bad sales, bad advertising so one is tempted to say nothing changed what with all the changes.

[malcolm]

I must be an idiot. I don't consider warranty when I buy. Most of mine are small builders that will bend over backward to make you happy but should they go belly up you'll likely be stuck with what you've got. It's a risk I willing to take to get what I want. I'm also fortunate to be able fund my wants without accruing debt. I personally wouldn't go into significant debt for any hobby. If I couldn't afford to eat the cost I wouldn't do it.

[ColonelJLloyd]

If someone's not considering a warranty, they're an idiot.

:rolleyes:

[rice rocket]

How many times have you filed a warranty claim, dd74?

I can count mine. ZERO.

I've returned things, but within the 30-day/60-day return period. I have never sought warranty service/replacement from the manufacturer.

[dd74]

I haven't, honestly. But I don't want to be in the position where if I have to, I have no place to turn. Think of it that way.

[Tom]

Mr. Tempest, meet Mr. Teapot. Mr. Teapot, meet Mr. Tempest. Ever since I've known the two of you, I just had to get you together! I think you two will really hit it off!

[MattTuck]

I haven't, honestly. But I don't want to be in the position where if I have to, I have no place to turn. Think of it that way.

Blackberry (formerly RIM) was at the top of the smart phone mountain 6 years ago. Now they'll likely go belly up and be picked apart for whatever value resides in their patents.

On the retail side, there are plenty of chains that have failed. Circuit City for one, and Mervyn's in California.

Companies come and go. Not saying a warranty isn't important, but when I think about a custom bike, the criteria I used to make a decision were based more around the product I'd get rather than a potential warranty issue in 10 years.

[josephr]

Trek don't care...they talk a good line, but more and more stories are coming out about warranty rejections on Madones. Watch ebay for cracked frames.

if you're really worried about a warranty, you're probably buying carbon fiber which is a whole other mistake/issue.
Joe

[Bradford]

If someone's not considering a warranty, they're an idiot.


Or maybe its because they can do math.

[drinkslinger]

If warranty is your main concern, then yes. But if you weigh every other aspect of the bicycle purchase I believe it's a wash.

I bought my Cinelli simply for the fact that I wanted a Cinelli. I did make sure that it had the right geo, materials, and sizing, but my mind was only going to be changed if the fit was going to be poor.

I'll go out on a limb here and say that pretty much everyone on this forum bought the bike they wanted/needed/lusted after because they wanted/needed/lusted after it. Warranty just wasn't the main focus. I wish my Cinelli had a lifetime warranty, but I still sleep just as well knowing it doesn't. Come to think of it, I honestly have no idea what it's warranty is.

I think the warranty buzz with Serotta is a bit over-hyped. Their lifetime warranty was killer, don't get me wrong, but you're paying for a level of craftsmanship and artistry when you pull the trigger on a Bishop/Bedford/English et al. that you just can't get from the huge bike companies.

These independent builders(at least from my experience) are also immensely proud of their work and won't hesitate to find a solution to a problem.

My experience with the big box bike brands is a bit different when it comes to warranty work. Anymore they'll tell you your cracked carbon is from abuse and will only be covered under crash replacement. I am generalizing a bit but not only have seen it first-hand with my own items, but also items others have purchased and brought back into the shop.

[54ny77]

a warranty is literally the last thing, if at all, i think about when buying new bike stuff. lifetime warranty? please. that's just silly. it's like the roofer who's doing my roof right now. he's probably in his early-mid 60's (amazing as it is, he's up there doing work with his partner), and offers a 20 year warranty. what's he gonna do, get up there when he's 80 to fix some flashing issue or a ridge vent leak? in this day & age, people just need to be realistic. and have some common sense.

if a frame makes it a year or so out without falling apart, awesome. beyond that, i have no expectations. and if i did, i'd go to the bike shop where i bought it from and let them figure it out.

in fact, that's what i did when i had a parlee that had a problem several years ago. it went well beyond mile 600, with lots of training, a little bit of racing, etc. everything worked out fine, and i have no idea what warranty came with the bike (or not) because i never read the paperwork. tom rodi & bob parlee run (or at least ran; i have no recent experience to speak otherwise to) first class customer service operation, and my lbs where i got it from coordinated things superbly.

guess i'm an idiot. :banana:

all this handwringing about lifetime warranties from serotta on newly purchased bikes. who cares. let the lbs sort it out--srerottas are supposed to be bought from authorized dealers, right, and not from factory direct? a good smart lbs will arrange to get the damned thing repaired at cost or maybe even absorb it if they value their customer who just dropped 20 grand for what was then new (but now disqualified from warranty) full-tilt meivici.

If someone's not considering a warranty, they're an idiot.


Yeah, wait 'til mile 600.

[jmoore]

I have never once considered warranty on a product. When I pay for quality, I expect, and virtually always get, quality. If I thought I was going to need a warranty claim on something like a custom bicycle frame, then I'd go with a different builder who didn't give me that thought. There are enough builders out there who do outstanding work that I could never in my life get a bike from all the builders I'd love to have a bike from. I'd also bet that virtually any of them on my list would be happy to address any potential issue that might arise.



And FWIW, Trek warranty replaced the bearings in a set of wheels that came on a bike I bought in 2001. They bearings gave up the ghost in about 2006 or so and I was fully expecting the shop to bill me for the new bearings. They handed them back to me and said "Trek took care of it, so no charge". That was a nice surprise.

[djg]

I'm talking about longevity of the company, really. I mean, is it a safer purchase for the consumer to buy from a larger brand?

It's just a bike and it'll probably be fine. Most of the things that can go wrong with a bike either happen pretty quickly, or they have to do with wear & tear (and imperfect maintenance) on parts that wear and tear (and are not covered), or they happen because something bad and un-covered happens -- your bike is stolen (happened to me once, not part of the lifetime warranty even if my homeowner's policy proved very helpful) or has an untoward meeting with a car (yep, had one of those too) which also is not likely part of anybody's "lifetime guarantee."

That's not to say that there's anything wrong with Trek, or confidence you may have in them, but both big bike companies and individual builders can carry on for a good long while, and both sorts can run into trouble or worse. So to make a guess about the value of anybody's lifetime warranty, you need to know-or-guess the longevity of company and the ease of dealing with them, among other things. You factor these more-or-less-or-not-so-much confident values into your expected value calculation for the present value of the warranty (which also takes into account the likelihood of your needing and being able to collect at some time in the future, appropriately discounted, etc.). I'm not sure what any of this is worth. Let's put it this way, if Treks came like much of the electronic stuff at Best Buy -- you get a 1 year warranty against this or that but they offer you all sorts of extra promises at the register, for extra money -- what would you pay for the extended warranty?

[MattTuck]

Why do they put a guarantee on the box? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEB7WbTTlu4&feature=player_detailpage#t=91)

[Mark McM]

We buy bikes from small custom builders because we want something different than can be had from large mass producers. Buying a custom bike, being a unique, one-off product, is already a risk, since we typically can't try before we buy. There can be no absolute guarantee that they bike will provide the unique properties that the customer desires.

And here-in lies the matter: It is a risk and leap of faith to buy a custom bike from a small builder, but it is risk many are willing to take for the opportunity to have a bike built to match the rider's personal needs and desires. The question of whether the builder is able to stand behind a warrantee at a later date is merely a part of the risk/reward equation.

[torquer]

There seems to be no shortage of US buyers of bikes, frames and components from offshore e-tailers who are willing to risk warrantee issues.
For them, presumably, the only concern is low price, and given the generally low failure rate of those products, most of them come out ahead. Occasionally, somebody will be SOL, but they really don't have any right to complain.

[laupsi]

What do you think? Of course it is -- or it should be for anyone who's spending large $$$ on a frame and/or bike. If someone's not considering a warranty, they're an idiot.


Yeah, wait 'til mile 600.

actually I for one purchase on word of mouth, test riding the product and inspecting, reading reviews of the product, hours of research. the warranty doesn't come into effect the same way it would for a mass produced carbon say a Trek, Cannondale, Ridley, Cervelo, etc..., if one of these, then yes, there better be a warranty.

am I really concerned about a Moots for example coming undone while doing nothing but normal riding? hell no, if I am I ain't spending that kind of coin on a custom. sorry just don't see lemons coming out of IF shops. it may happen but the % are very, very low.

[54ny77]

unless you drive a chevy.

;)

it may happen but the % are very, very low.

[KidWok]

The big companies design the bikes to eventually fail under normal wear and tear...otherwise how will they sell you a new bike?

These days, I won't even consider buying new. The market for nice used stuff right now is soft and there's plenty of nice toys to be had for a good price. Buy used and forget about warranties...you'll still come out ahead in the long run.

Tai

[mcteague]

While not the #1 priority I do like the reassurance of a long warranty. My road bikes are generally from med to small companies and the ti models have had lifetime warranties. Here is my history starting from high school in the 70s:
Raleigh>Gitane>Proteus>Condor>Eddy Merckx>Spectrum>Seven>Seven

For Mt bikes, I tend to stick with the big guys, especially with the complexity of full suspension. These start in 1984:
Schwinn>Specialized>Litespeed>Klein>Giant

Never had any issues with the road bikes. The Klein Mantra Race had the rear shock fail 3 times but that was not covered by the frame's warranty. The first two fails were in the first year, and covered, the 3rd was not.

Tim

[laupsi]

unless you drive a chevy.

;)

yea I know but were talkin bikes now aren't we. :)

[MattTuck]

yea I know but were talkin bikes now aren't we. :)

http://gmauthority.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Chevrolet-Bicycle.jpg

[laupsi]

http://gmauthority.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Chevrolet-Bicycle.jpg

yea, but I bet that Chevy's not a lemon

[RonW87]

From the attention that's been devoted to this here, I could make a great living selling extended warrantees for Serottas. (But I'll bet nobody would actually buy one. The value is probably more theoretical than real.)

[Mark McM]

unless you drive a chevy.

;)

Or a Ford:

Dahon to produce, distribute Ford-branded bikes (http://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2013/08/26/dahon-produce-distribute-ford-branded-bikes#.Uh-PlhfD-9I)

[dd74]

From the attention that's been devoted to this here, I could make a great living selling extended warrantees for Serottas. (But I'll bet nobody would actually buy one. The value is probably more theoretical than real.)
That's actually a good idea...for the new owners of Serotta. I wouldn't mind shelling over a $100 or so for an extended or lifetime warranty.

[54ny77]

don't get me started on ford.

i happen to have both a ford and a chevy, so i can speak firsthand.

my ottrott will long outlive either vehicle. it'll outlive me too, unless i break it first. and then i'll get it fixed since it has no warranty. ;)

Or a Ford:

Dahon to produce, distribute Ford-branded bikes (http://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2013/08/26/dahon-produce-distribute-ford-branded-bikes#.Uh-PlhfD-9I)

[deechee]

Nope, I don't think bikes are any less safer from small builders. If I didn't have the confidence in their work, I wouldn't be barreling down a mountainside at 80km/h.

Is there wear and tear on a frame?; I think I've seen a handful of posts here about people with bad welds, and they were only exposed years after they bought their bikes. I'm pretty sure that at that point if the bike company weren't around, I would just shrug it off. Its a bike after all. How can you honestly prove that you NEVER did anything that could have exacerbated the problem? Believe me, even though I love my Serotta, I've crashed, dropped, scratched, shipped from our Canadian humid cold to Arizona desert conditions, that honestly, I would never dare ask "is this under warranty?".

[rwsaunders]

Nope, I don't think bikes are any less safer from small builders. If I didn't have the confidence in their work, I wouldn't be barreling down a mountainside at 80km/h.

Right on. I never worry about my frame or fork when I'm motoring down a steep road, but I do think about those German factory ladies in the Continental ads and hope they had a good day when they stamped out my tubes and tires...:cool:

[charliedid]

If you are looking for a long term investment have kids or buy a house.

Schwinn

[Mark McM]

Is there wear and tear on a frame?

Cannondale thinks there is. From their warranty policies (http://www.cannondale.com/terms-policies/):

Damage resulting from normal wear and tear, including the results of fatigue, is not covered. Fatigue damage is a symptom of the frame being worn out through normal use. It is one kind of normal wear and tear, and it is the owner's responsibility to inspect his/her bicycle.

[Shortsocks]

I've got an example. I've owned many and still do own Pinarellos...I love the way they ride and I've had very little things happen to them. But god help you if something happens to it during an Italian summer vacation...nothing will get done. You're going to wait 3 months fork a new for or whatever.

That's just my experience. I imagine cannondales won't be like that but I don't like cannondales as much as I like my Pinarellos. Not bashing cannondales or trek or whatever, just my personal experience and choice.

I feel horrible though for serotta owners though. What a BullS**T situation.

[John Price]

Do that many people have their bike's frames fail in some way ? I've been riding many bikes over (too) many years and I've never had a failure. None of my riding buddies have had failures (that I know of). Seems like it'd be a pretty rare occurrence.

I don't look at bikes like I do cars, or cameras, or other complex mechanisms. To me there's just not that much to go wrong with a bike frame that I'd ever worry about if it's warrantied or not.

And as for my present ride - it's from a one man shop, his first (and so far only) frameset. If I have a problem with it, I know where he lives and know I can beat the crap out of him (I built my frameset).

John

[gdw]

"Do that many people have their bike's frames fail in some way ? I've been riding many bikes over (too) many years and I've never had a failure. None of my riding buddies have had failures (that I know of). Seems like it'd be a pretty rare occurrence."



I sold some bikepacking bags to a rider who is on his 4th warranty frame from a small builder and unfortunately he's the fifth person I've dealt with this year who has broken a frame from an established builder. None of these guys are Clydesdales and they weren't abusing their bikes. Only one of the frames developed cracks after a few rides but the others lasted well beyond a couple hundred miles of riding but less than a year.

[sitzmark]

There seems to be no shortage of US buyers of bikes, frames and components from offshore e-tailers who are willing to risk warrantee issues.
For them, presumably, the only concern is low price, and given the generally low failure rate of those products, most of them come out ahead. Occasionally, somebody will be SOL, but they really don't have any right to complain.

There's a perceived risk difference between being SOL on a sub $1,000 frame and on an $8,000 frame. Piece of mind (insurance) at work. The anticipated costs of warranty are always rolled up into product selling prices .. at least for manufacturers intent on staying in business.

Some people like the concept of insurance and some don't. Generally the larger the potential loss, the more palatable insurance (shared risk) becomes.

Parlee offers a lifetime warranty to original owners and a recertification program for buyers of pre-owned Parlees (that pass inspection). Has an implicit market value, but may or may not sway a buyer to choose Parlee over another brand. As with most warranties, Parlee's is limited to demonstrable workmanship/ material failure and is only as good as Parlee's ability to stand behind it.

I think "Derotta's" (DCG Serotta) move to announce cancellation of warranty on "Berottas" is a PR debacle, but understandable on the simple basis of liability and responsibility. However, in terms of intangible cost, it is 10x more costly to regain a lost customer's trust than capture a new customer. The least expensive way to do business is to sell to repeat customers. Hard to know who is Derotta's loyal customer base, but there don't seem to be many of them hanging around the forum.

[cinema]

:help:

[William]

a warranty is literally the last thing, if at all, i think about when buying new bike stuff. lifetime warranty? please. that's just silly. it's like the roofer who's doing my roof right now. he's probably in his early-mid 60's (amazing as it is, he's up there doing work with his partner), and offers a 20 year warranty. what's he gonna do, get up there when he's 80 to fix some flashing issue or a ridge vent leak? in this day & age, people just need to be realistic. and have some common sense.

if a frame makes it a year or so out without falling apart, awesome. beyond that, i have no expectations. and if i did, i'd go to the bike shop where i bought it from and let them figure it out.

in fact, that's what i did when i had a parlee that had a problem several years ago. it went well beyond mile 600, with lots of training, a little bit of racing, etc. everything worked out fine, and i have no idea what warranty came with the bike (or not) because i never read the paperwork. tom rodi & bob parlee run (or at least ran; i have no recent experience to speak otherwise to) first class customer service operation, and my lbs where i got it from coordinated things superbly.

guess i'm an idiot. :banana:

all this handwringing about lifetime warranties from serotta on newly purchased bikes. who cares. let the lbs sort it out--srerottas are supposed to be bought from authorized dealers, right, and not from factory direct? a good smart lbs will arrange to get the damned thing repaired at cost or maybe even absorb it if they value their customer who just dropped 20 grand for what was then new (but now disqualified from warranty) full-tilt meivici.

Tommy: Let's think about this for a sec, Ted. Why would somebody put a guarantee on a bike? Hmmm, very interesting.

Ted Nelson, Customer: Go on, I'm listening.

Tommy: Here's the way I see it, Ted. Guy puts a fancy guarantee on a bike 'cause he wants you to feel all warm and toasty inside.

Ted Nelson, Customer: Yeah, makes a man feel good.

Tommy: 'Course it does. Why shouldn't it? Ya figure you put that bike next to your bed at night, the Guarantee Fairy might come by and leave a quarter, am I right, Ted?

[chuckles until he sees that Ted is not laughing]

Ted Nelson, Customer: [impatiently] What's your point?

Tommy: The point is, how do you know the fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer? "Building model airplanes" says the little fairy; well, we're not buying it. He sneaks into your house once, that's all it takes. The next thing you know, there's money missing off the dresser, and your daughter's knocked up. I seen it a hundred times.

Ted Nelson, Customer: But why do they give a guarantee with the bike?

Tommy: Because they know all they sold ya was a guaranteed piece of chit. That's all it is, isn't it? Hey, if you want me to tig a couple of tubes and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product from a well known builder, ride the crap out of it, and fo-get-ah-bout-it.



At least that's how I remember it.:)






William

[ColonelJLloyd]

Tommy: Let's think about this for a sec, Ted. Why would somebody put a guarantee on a bike? Hmmm, very interesting.

Ted Nelson, Customer: Go on, I'm listening.

Tommy: Here's the way I see it, Ted. Guy puts a fancy guarantee on a bike 'cause he wants you to feel all warm and toasty inside.

Ted Nelson, Customer: Yeah, makes a man feel good.

Tommy: 'Course it does. Why shouldn't it? Ya figure you put that bike next to your bed at night, the Guarantee Fairy might come by and leave a quarter, am I right, Ted?

[chuckles until he sees that Ted is not laughing]

Ted Nelson, Customer: [impatiently] What's your point?

Tommy: The point is, how do you know the fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer? "Building model airplanes" says the little fairy; well, we're not buying it. He sneaks into your house once, that's all it takes. The next thing you know, there's money missing off the dresser, and your daughter's knocked up. I seen it a hundred times.

Ted Nelson, Customer: But why do they give a guarantee with the bike?

Tommy: Because they know all they sold ya was a guaranteed piece of chit. That's all it is, isn't it? Hey, if you want me to tig a couple of tubes and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product from a well known builder, ride the crap out of it, and fo-get-ah-bout-it.



At least that's how I remember it.:)






William

Well played.

</thread>

[bfd]

:mad:Trek don't care...they talk a good line, but more and more stories are coming out about warranty rejections on Madones. Watch ebay for cracked frames.

if you're really worried about a warranty, you're probably buying carbon fiber which is a whole other mistake/issue.
Joe

Really, that's not the experience my friends have received. I know three guys who had Treks or Trek-related bikes that needed warranty and got it! One was a Klein aluminum. It broke at the bb. He took it to the shop and they replaced it with a Klein carbon (oclv). He loves it and is riding it now!

Similarly, another friend had a steel Lemond. It too broke and was replace with an carbon Lemond that is basically an OCLV!

Finally, a third friend has been riding his 1997 Lemond carbon (aka OCLV) for over 13 years. He has probably over 50K miles on it, may be more! Recently, his bb shell came loose. Took it into the LBS where he bought it, without a receipt, and guess what, they said "design defect" and told them they'll start the warranty process! They did ask where he bought it and he pointed to their frame sticker! He's expecting a replacement any day now....

Say what you want, but Trek stands behind their product!

In contrast, I have a steel framese from a small builder that broke and needed re-welding. Let's just say when I bought it in 2008, he had a good reputation. Now, he arguably has the worst reputation of any builder. Without mentioning his name - He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named aka Dark Lord (shudder) - the frame broke at the bb shell. I sent it back to him and have only heard excuses for the last 1 and 1/2 years. My LBS is trying to work with him to get it back, but they're stumped.

I could go the small claim route, but I need to find the time to get it together (file complaint, get it served)....the frame is probably worth nothing and will cost more than its worth to get it fixed (repaired and painted) elsewhere...:eek::no::butt: Not a bargain....:mad:

Btw, what's wrong with buying carbon? If it does break, at least there's places like Calfee that will repair it and do a great job:

http://calfeedesign.com/repair/repair-examples-photos/

Good Luck!

[fourflys]

Hmmm....

I've never considered a warranty when buying anything other than a car and then it was only secondary...

Bikes are luxury items and, as such, if you're worrying that much about a warranty then maybe you're in the wrong hobby... and yes folks, unless you get paid to ride your bike, it's a hobby... and then you're not worrying about a warranty as a professional anyway! ;)

[roydyates]

Trek don't care...they talk a good line, but more and more stories are coming out about warranty rejections on Madones. Watch ebay for cracked frames.

if you're really worried about a warranty, you're probably buying carbon fiber which is a whole other mistake/issue.
Joe
I've only bought myself one new bike, but it happens to be a Trek. Trek replaced the carbon seatpost when it cracked, they replaced the rear weheel when the spoke holes cracked, and they repaired my frame when the left rear dropout slipped out a few mm from the chainstay. I've ridden about 12k miles on the trek, so the warranty has been nice.

That said, I've bought a bunch of old bikes in Ti, steel and al, but none of them have needed warranty repairs.

[ofcounsel]

Warranties come into my mind whenever I'm buying something, whether it be new or used. It matters to me even more since I ride as a hobby! I'm spending my hard earned money on a luxury item. I want it to be backed up with assurances that it would be replaced in the event there was a defect. If I was pro, it wouldn't matter because someone else is paying for the item.

When I buy new, I want to make sure there's a solid warranty behind the product, just in case. To me, it evidences the level of faith the manufacturer has in his product. That goes into my purchase decision. When I buy used, I buy with a clear understanding there will be no warranty. I take that into account in my purchase price.

I've never had a steel or alu bike fail on me, but I had a barely used Cannondale carbon frame fail on me last year. I bought it brand new. Cracked right through the middle of the drive-side seat stay. Cannondale took care of it for me, no problem.

[josephr]

I've only bought myself one new bike, but it happens to be a Trek. Trek replaced the carbon seatpost when it cracked, they replaced the rear weheel when the spoke holes cracked, and they repaired my frame when the left rear dropout slipped out a few mm from the chainstay. I've ridden about 12k miles on the trek, so the warranty has been nice.

That said, I've bought a bunch of old bikes in Ti, steel and al, but none of them have needed warranty repairs.

I hope the other poster who responded to my off-handed comment accepts my apology in being specific against Trek. I very likely mention them simply because they're probably the largest bike company and probably sell as many carbon fiber bikes and as specialized and cannondale added together. that being said, I've got no statistics to offer up of a trek carbon fiber bike being more or less crack-free from other makers of carbon fibers bikes.

I will also accept that there are probably many carbon fiber bikes that have had very long service lives. That being said, thanks for acknowledging my point. I'd like to see any steel/Ti warranty claims ratio as compared to that of any carbon fiber.

As far as Serotta/Trek etc, taking responsibility for their product...my friend picked up an old Litespeed that had a dent in the top tube. It was built in the pre-sellout days. Litespeed wouldn't honor the warranty, but the folks at Lynskey repaired it and shipped it back on their dime. No hassle.

Joe

[#campyuserftw]

Safe is a feeling. Life is a risk, living is risky, make friends with a good lawyer, and if it's red, big, and shiny, think twice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQaavQNGsMY

[lhuerta]

The big companies design the bikes to eventually fail under normal wear and tear...otherwise how will they sell you a new bike?


Actually...I believe this is Shimano's genius marketing strategy and it has worked for years. Lou

[dd74]

Warranties come into my mind whenever I'm buying something, whether it be new or used. It matters to me even more since I ride as a hobby! I'm spending my hard earned money on a luxury item. I want it to be backed up with assurances that it would be replaced in the event there was a defect. If I was pro, it wouldn't matter because someone else is paying for the item.

When I buy new, I want to make sure there's a solid warranty behind the product, just in case. To me, it evidences the level of faith the manufacturer has in his product. That goes into my purchase decision. When I buy used, I buy with a clear understanding there will be no warranty. I take that into account in my purchase price.

I've never had a steel or alu bike fail on me, but I had a barely used Cannondale carbon frame fail on me last year. I bought it brand new. Cracked right through the middle of the drive-side seat stay. Cannondale took care of it for me, no problem.
Well said. This man, obviously, is not an idiot. :banana:

[fogrider]

I had a trek and the fork dropout cracked, they gave me a new fork. Then my bb shell cracked, they gave me a new frame. then I got a new bike. everyone I know that had a trek, had their bike break...sure they replaced it, but that's what I want in a bike!

[sjbraun]

If you had to pay for a warranty as a separate line item, would you?

[oldpotatoe]

I'm talking about longevity of the company, really. I mean, is it a safer purchase for the consumer to buy from a larger brand?

Sure, like in cars, just buy a Pontiac...oh wait a minute.

It's a bicycle, buy it if it fits, is reliable, rides nice..go ride it.

I think this is being overthunk.

[#campyuserftw]

It's a bicycle, buy it if it fits, is reliable, rides nice..go ride it.

I think this is being overthunk.

If a bike breaks in the forest and nobody...no, no.

If a man says something in the forest and there isn't a woman there to hear him, is he still wrong?

:bike:

[zap]

Trek and Cannondale have been good to me.

Hey, if folks don't care about warranty, good for them. For others who spent Cdn$500 or Cdn$10,000 on a bike and a frame busted due to a defect, I bet they are happy to have a warranty.

Bigger firms offer more security.

Small builders can be damn good or be dicks or retire.

Hang around these forums and ask others behind the door (most important as most dicks don't get exposed on the internet) and a picture begins to emerge as to who's good and who's ugly.

[ofcounsel]

If you had to pay for a warranty as a separate line item, would you?

For me, it depends. I consider the risk and do the math. If it's a bicycle, probably not. Based on my experience, the likelihood of failing in the first few years is low, even though one of mine in fact did (and in my case, I was happy it did). But then again, mine warranty on that bike was a lifetime warranty.

I recently bought a very lightly used Niner Air 9 RDO frame. It's in great shape, from a reputable guy whom my LBS knows well. I bought it for $1K. That's about half the retail price of a new one. I still had to think about it carefully because I knew I had no warranty. Having an aftermarket or OEM warranty available say 10% of the used purchase price? Yeah, I would have taken that bet.

When I bought my Ford F-150 in 09'. I bought a separate warranty that extended beyond the 36 month/36k standard to 7 years, 100k. Extended warranty was around $1200. Given that I haul stuff and drive 20k a year, It was a prudent move from my perspective. For example, just last month at 78K Miles, a latent wiring defect in the fuse box exposed itself and left my wife stranded on the freeway. Fixed under warranty. As relatively trouble free that truck has been, it's not the only warranty issue I've had.

[ofcounsel]

Sure, like in cars, just buy a Pontiac...oh wait a minute.

It's a bicycle, buy it if it fits, is reliable, rides nice..go ride it.

I think this is being overthunk.

Maybe it is... But at least GM was still around when Pontiac went away, and the warranty claims were handled by other GM dealers.

And I'm not sooo worried about warranty concerns with Campy stuff. But as a SRAM user, as much as I like how my shifters function, you better believe the SRAM warranty policy is VERY important. :)

[rice rocket]

I think we're safer not buying anything.

Nothing owned means nothing broken. And you won't get runover by people texting and driving.

Win win.

:butt:

[Seramount]

100,000+ lifetime miles on bikes.

number of incidents that would where 'warranty work' would have been useful...

zero.

[Dave B]

I am really only restating what has already been said, but I just think life is too short to worry so much bout the what ifs. obviously some warrant caution, but purchasing bikes should be about excitment, lust, deals, needs/wants, and most of all fun.

Just like the Tommy Boy clip, you can still get a warrantied piece of crap ala Cervelo bikes, but why not just buy a bike you feel a connection to?

I ride IF's and it has meaning for me. Do I want other bikes, sure I do yet I always try to find an IF first as I have a connection to their past, present, and future. I have had great ones built for me and a couple tht were misaligned. I could easily over look the problems as I was stoked about the entire bike. I could have warrantied it, but it would mean time w/o the bike.

I currently have the one turd of an IF I recently bought here. It came way worse than was advertised, but instead of bitching I have begun to make it better. Warranties make sense and the new Serotta probably made a fool's mistake in ending their backing. Maybe it was a personal problem the new owner(s) had with Ben. A big F-you to him.

Either way if the "New Serotta" doesn't turn out to be as good then don't buy from them. what happens if they are as good or better? Bikes should be about fun not take so seriously, even if you are passioate about the sport or the actual item. Just enjoy the journey and stop worrying about what could go wrong. Think about the amount of energy spent worrying if nothing bad ever happens.

Anyway, I am going back to the education bubble of happiness and theory where I poop raibows and ride on unicorns.

Latas!