Replacement Frame dilemma

[Hal]

My lovely carbon frame has a crack/dent/ding in the top tube. I don’t really know how it got there but is does not look like a crash/wear and tear issue. It went back to specialized who agree that it is not covered under the crash replacement. However they will do a less than half price replacement with the current model but will still cost a fair bit.

Should I:
- pay the cash and get a lovely new frame? (current first choice)
- get the frame back and get it repaired? (bit dubious about this)
- any other options?

Hal

[DavidKennett]

Get a "Shack" bike

[img]http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs108.snc3/15570_221880228295_198875903295_4152361_3130699_n.jpg[/img]

[Andrew G]

Give these guys a call. - [url]http://www.fibre-lyte.co.uk/[/url]

They will be able to help out with repair advice and carry it out. I've seen a number of comments from people about bikes they've repaired and donw a top job at a fraction of the cost of a new one.

[Kevin Rynne]

I'm in a similar situation, I take it they are offering you an sl3 but want £1000 on exchange for your frame. That’s an SL3, highly rated frame for £800 less than recommended retail? For £1000 you won’t get a comparable frame

[Hal]

Its an SL2 they are offering for £650

Feels like a reasonable deal.

[Hal]

£100 + vat and postage to get the old one mended

[Wal]

£100 sounds very reasonable indeed - who quoted you that?

I got in touch with Carbon Fibre Repairs (whose website no longer appears to be active) in Croydon last year about repairing a cracked seatstay on my Fuji and they quoted me £235. I ended up getting a repair kit from [url=http://www.carbonology.com/]Carbonology[/url] and doing a DIY repair, which is still holding up fine a year and some 5000 miles later. But at £100 for a professional job I'd go for that.

£650 for a new SL2 frame is a good deal, but that £500 difference would go a long way on other bike upgrades...tough decision!

[Grahame]

I'd stump up the £650 for a new frame.

[Dombo]

Crimbo present to yourself. Get the new frame. It will have a warranty.

If you get your old one fixed, either "professionally" or diy, and it goes wrong then the deal from Spesh will be off the table and you'll be looking at full RRP or whatever deal you can find for a replacement.

You'll appreciate the quality long after the price is forgotten.

[Dombo]

[quote="Wal"]

£650 for a new SL2 frame is a good deal, but that £500 difference would go a long way on other bike upgrades...tough decision!

[Dombo]

[quote="Wal"]

£650 for a new SL2 frame is a good deal, but that £500 difference would go a long way on other bike upgrades...tough decision!

[Andrew G]

I've nothing against Specialized and have tended to like a lot of their stuff and thought well of them as a company, however there is possibly the dilema that Hal's frame isn't very old (a year or two?) and has developed a crack in the tube without being crashed or mistreated. Would you therefore want a replacement of the same (or current version) of that frame?

Another option is pay the £115 (or £117.50 if in the new year) to get the frame repaired and save the £535 (or £532.50) and put it towards a new different frame when desire / finance permits.

[Dombo]

Surely if it has developed a crack without being crashed or mistreated then it is a warranty job?
My aluminium Kona mtb frame developed a crack at the rear shock mounting point after almost 4 years and they replaced it free of charge with the then equivalent frame. If it is not covered under the crash replacement scheme then it hasn't been damaged in a crash and if it's only a couple of years old must still be under warranty? Or am I missing something?

[Hal]

I think the warantee problem is that the crack/split/dent/ding is not a manufacturing fault, and probably not caused by normal use.

Although I don't know how or when it happended a close inspection seems to suggest that something gave it a bit of a knock, could have been in my garage, could have been while outside a cafe, could have been by squirrls. I don't know really. But its fair that specilized dont what to hand out a completly free replacement.

I'm going to see if I can get one in a funky white world champ colours.

H

See ya tomorrow.