All-City quality
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
All-City quality
Hi all. I have an opportunity for a good deal on a Space Horse, and it's appealing, but I've seen some things about All-City quality control and frame failures that make me iffy. Does anyone know whether things improved after that lawsuit a few years back?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,887
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6972 Post(s)
Liked 10,968 Times
in
4,692 Posts
Likes For Koyote:
#3
Expired Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: TN
Posts: 11,547
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3674 Post(s)
Liked 5,437 Times
in
2,763 Posts
Interesting that the guy bought a "Macho Man" then proved to be anything but.... Since they are shutting down there should be some good deals. I wouldn't hesitate because of some random YouTube.
Likes For shelbyfv:
Likes For njkayaker:
#5
Newbie
Thread Starter
Good point. BF won't let me post links until I have more posts, but there's a thread on here with the title "Steel bike failure. Is this manufacturing or something else?".
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Far beyond the pale horizon.
Posts: 14,278
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4260 Post(s)
Liked 1,363 Times
in
945 Posts
You're excused then!
So, you saw one thing?
https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-...hing-else.html
I don't think this singular event (and the lack of details) means much.
There is also a fair amount of discussion about why some skepticism might be appropriate.
https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-...hing-else.html
I don't think this singular event (and the lack of details) means much.
There is also a fair amount of discussion about why some skepticism might be appropriate.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,887
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6972 Post(s)
Liked 10,968 Times
in
4,692 Posts
https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-...hing-else.html
Letting this single instance (which may have not been a manufacturing defect, for all we know) dissuade you from buying a completely difference AC model is a bit like refusing to buy a Chevy truck because you heard about a Malibu somewhere that broke down.
But if a single anecdote is enough to sway you, then let me tell you about the AC Space Horse that I've ridden (and raced on some very nasty gravel courses) about 15,000 miles over the past six years -- and which is still going strong.
Last edited by Koyote; 09-21-23 at 02:06 PM.
Likes For Koyote:
#8
Newbie
Thread Starter
Hence why I'm asking – it's not medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, and there's not a register of adverse events. So, as a biking novice, given that there was a pretty public report of what seems like a pretty nasty failure of manufacturing and QC, what do more knowledgeable and well-informed people think about All-City? (I did also see pictures recently of someone's broken chainstay, but it read like they'd put their bike through the wringer, so I discounted that.).
#9
Super-duper Genius
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Muskrat Springs, Utah
Posts: 1,713
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 768 Post(s)
Liked 984 Times
in
508 Posts
I have an All City bike and don't see any QC issues on it. The frame has never broken. It's a Nature Boy Disc.
Space Horse is a cool bike! The Gorilla Monsoon has an even better name and might be more versatile--depending on what kind of surfaces you ride... one is more for commuting or touring on pavement, and the other more for gravel/bike packing/all road highjinks.
Space Horse is a cool bike! The Gorilla Monsoon has an even better name and might be more versatile--depending on what kind of surfaces you ride... one is more for commuting or touring on pavement, and the other more for gravel/bike packing/all road highjinks.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,887
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6972 Post(s)
Liked 10,968 Times
in
4,692 Posts
Mine has gone through a couple iterations. It's currently set up as an all-road, all-weather road bike with 35mm tires, full coverage fenders, Brooks saddle, and appropriate gearing. I log a fair amount of base miles on it each winter. And when I was still working, I sometimes rode it to campus when I didn't feel like thrashing my SS up and down the steep hills on my route.
Likes For woodyj21:
#12
Newbie
Thread Starter
Agreed, but would add that the Space Horse actually makes a decent gravel bike, though it is a bit overbuilt (=heavy) to be ideal for that. But yeah, it's kind of a Swiss Army Knife of bikes -- it also works on the pavement, for light touring or grocery hauling (with racks and/or bags), commuting, etc.
Mine has gone through a couple iterations. It's currently set up as an all-road, all-weather road bike with 35mm tires, full coverage fenders, Brooks saddle, and appropriate gearing. I log a fair amount of base miles on it each winter. And when I was still working, I sometimes rode it to campus when I didn't feel like thrashing my SS up and down the steep hills on my route.
Mine has gone through a couple iterations. It's currently set up as an all-road, all-weather road bike with 35mm tires, full coverage fenders, Brooks saddle, and appropriate gearing. I log a fair amount of base miles on it each winter. And when I was still working, I sometimes rode it to campus when I didn't feel like thrashing my SS up and down the steep hills on my route.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,887
Mentioned: 38 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6972 Post(s)
Liked 10,968 Times
in
4,692 Posts
You'll like the SH, then. It's stout. It's also very smooth...I think of it as my Cadillac Escalade of bikes.
#14
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,526
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4357 Post(s)
Liked 3,995 Times
in
2,666 Posts
I wouldn't worry about All-City failing. Having had 3 bikes from QBP (their parent company) some for many years and some still going strong I have no qualms about their products and haven't seen many if any failures over the years. My old Surly Disc Trucker is somewhere down south I think in Central America living its best life being ridden hard and I have known a bunch of people with All-City's who absolutely love them. My co-worker just got herself a Big Block.
Anytime you see a story like that take it with an entire salt mine. People are generally less than truthful about what happened to their bike. We call it JRA (Just Riding Along) and usually there is some story they don't want to tell you either they did something really stupid or they don't ever take care of their bike and it failed because of that and nobody wants to admit they are a failure. It is possible the bike failed as a result of poor welds it does on rare occasion happen but it is not super common and there would probably be some warning signs especially for steel.
My 11 year old Specialized Langster got a crack in the B.B. but I could hear noise and was suspicious and got home and saw the crack and said nope this bike is done reached out to Specialized kind of hoping they would say "sorry doesn't qualify" and I would have gotten the dream steel fixed gear going but they said "we will send you a new frame" and since the model was discontinued all they had left was the limited edition Rio frames which is pretty neat and it is still a fun bike but I was ready to change and had plans but I guess it worked out in the end because now I had time to marinate on my dreams even more and am going titanium and even nicer parts and going to go all out when I can.
I did want a Nature Boy 853 but for some reason I missed out on the bike and ended up with a Cinelli Mash Work.
Anytime you see a story like that take it with an entire salt mine. People are generally less than truthful about what happened to their bike. We call it JRA (Just Riding Along) and usually there is some story they don't want to tell you either they did something really stupid or they don't ever take care of their bike and it failed because of that and nobody wants to admit they are a failure. It is possible the bike failed as a result of poor welds it does on rare occasion happen but it is not super common and there would probably be some warning signs especially for steel.
My 11 year old Specialized Langster got a crack in the B.B. but I could hear noise and was suspicious and got home and saw the crack and said nope this bike is done reached out to Specialized kind of hoping they would say "sorry doesn't qualify" and I would have gotten the dream steel fixed gear going but they said "we will send you a new frame" and since the model was discontinued all they had left was the limited edition Rio frames which is pretty neat and it is still a fun bike but I was ready to change and had plans but I guess it worked out in the end because now I had time to marinate on my dreams even more and am going titanium and even nicer parts and going to go all out when I can.
I did want a Nature Boy 853 but for some reason I missed out on the bike and ended up with a Cinelli Mash Work.
Likes For veganbikes:
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: South Shore of Long Island
Posts: 2,799
Bikes: 2010 Carrera Volans, 2015 C-Dale Trail 2sl, 2017 Raleigh Rush Hour, 2017 Blue Proseccio, 1992 Giant Perigee, 80s Gitane Rallye Tandem
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1088 Post(s)
Liked 1,026 Times
in
723 Posts
Knowing that they're a QBP brand I wouldn't hesitate to think the quality is perfectly fine and a random failure is something that can just happen. Personally I've always liked their paint jobs but found they're priced higher than I'd be willing to pay or a foreign made massed produced frame. If I'd found one on sale when I was looking I wouldn't have hesitated to buy with no worries on quality.
#17
Newbie
I have a gorilla monsoon. Love it no issues except rear wheel, bit I am a Clyde!!