Deej
Maximum Pace
- Oct 13, 2007
- 1,018
- 150
So I'm cleaning my bike yesterday and notice what appears to be a hairline crack encircling the tube just above the seatstays. "Yipes!" I thought to myself, "I would hate for this part to fail catastrophically while hitting 70kph on a descent or while hurtling along route 246."
The bike is a 2007 Felt F75, purchased in January at Y's bike shop in Akasaka. It's got an aluminum body and carbon front and back ends. That "crack" is around the aluminum tube a few millimeters above the point where the carbon stays are bonded to the frame.
I took it into the store today to see what my options were. Here they are:
A) Keep riding the bike and risk death.
B) Have the bike sent to Germany(!) to see if the "crack" really is that or merely a flaw in the paint. Oh, and the whole process could take "about a month," according to the Y's employee.
Both options kind of stink, if you ask me. But obviously, I've got to get the bike checked out. Imagine if they conclude that it's merely cracked paint. A month off the bike for nothing! Argh. And jeez, can't someone in Japan confirm whether the crack is structural or cosmetic?
Also, I will not be given a loaner bike in the interim, which I didn't really expect but would have been nice.
Y's is treating this as an issue solely between me and the manufacturer. This distancing of themselves from the problem means it is highly possible that I will be asked to foot all of the shipping fees and possibly reassembly fees (as is stated in Felt's online warrantee disclaimer). I imagine a smaller bike shop, where the ties can be more personal (and friendlier), would waive such fees. But Y's has made no mention of the possible fees involved, and I haven't asked. I am prepared to feign ignorance to the bitter end, and if they present me with a shipping bill, I will pull a and say ... well, I'm not sure yet, but it will be a moving bit of drama.
Has anyone else had to deal with warrantee issues? Is what I am seeing standard procedure?
What a pain!
EDIT: Felt has this on their website:
"For any Warranty claim to be considered, the bicycle must be brought into an authorized Felt dealer or Felt in assembled condition and accompanied by the original, dated sales receipt for the frameset."
My bike has a different stem than the one provided by Felt. Does this mean my bike is not in "assembled condition"? Certainly a different stem would not void the warranty, right?
I put this question to the Y's employee who's handling my "case." He essentially said, "We'll find out when it gets to Germany."
My confidence was not exactly inspired by his remark.
The bike is a 2007 Felt F75, purchased in January at Y's bike shop in Akasaka. It's got an aluminum body and carbon front and back ends. That "crack" is around the aluminum tube a few millimeters above the point where the carbon stays are bonded to the frame.
I took it into the store today to see what my options were. Here they are:
A) Keep riding the bike and risk death.
B) Have the bike sent to Germany(!) to see if the "crack" really is that or merely a flaw in the paint. Oh, and the whole process could take "about a month," according to the Y's employee.
Both options kind of stink, if you ask me. But obviously, I've got to get the bike checked out. Imagine if they conclude that it's merely cracked paint. A month off the bike for nothing! Argh. And jeez, can't someone in Japan confirm whether the crack is structural or cosmetic?
Also, I will not be given a loaner bike in the interim, which I didn't really expect but would have been nice.
Y's is treating this as an issue solely between me and the manufacturer. This distancing of themselves from the problem means it is highly possible that I will be asked to foot all of the shipping fees and possibly reassembly fees (as is stated in Felt's online warrantee disclaimer). I imagine a smaller bike shop, where the ties can be more personal (and friendlier), would waive such fees. But Y's has made no mention of the possible fees involved, and I haven't asked. I am prepared to feign ignorance to the bitter end, and if they present me with a shipping bill, I will pull a and say ... well, I'm not sure yet, but it will be a moving bit of drama.
Has anyone else had to deal with warrantee issues? Is what I am seeing standard procedure?
What a pain!
EDIT: Felt has this on their website:
"For any Warranty claim to be considered, the bicycle must be brought into an authorized Felt dealer or Felt in assembled condition and accompanied by the original, dated sales receipt for the frameset."
My bike has a different stem than the one provided by Felt. Does this mean my bike is not in "assembled condition"? Certainly a different stem would not void the warranty, right?
I put this question to the Y's employee who's handling my "case." He essentially said, "We'll find out when it gets to Germany."
My confidence was not exactly inspired by his remark.