Old 09-26-22, 01:51 PM
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KiwiDallas
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My cracked Spec Roubaix bike frame - the resolution

I'd posted here in late July that I found a crack in the seat-stay of my 1-year-old Specialized Roubaix Sport frame. I took it back to my LBS, a longtime Specialized dealer, to handle the warranty claim.

As background: This was my fourth Specialized, all from my LBS. Spec Allez in the 1990s, a 2005 Roubaix, a 2008 Tarmac, and now the 2021 Roubaix Sport. So I'm a longtime customer.

A week later, the LBS manager called to tell me Specialized had denied my warranty claim. But out of the goodness of their hearts, Spec would offer me 35% off a new one under their Crash Replacement Program.

I asked the LBS manager: Do you think this bike was crashed? "No." Would you take this offer? "No." Will you pursue this claim? "Yes, absolutely." And he did, as we'll see.

I'm 64 years old and I drive my bike over to the local lake to ride the loop. The enormous frame stresses and the power generated by my aging body must have cracked a carbon fiber frame. Or else it was a problem in the CF fab and layup, which is what we all believe, at their Taiwan factory.

The claims process dragged on. Spec demanded more photographs of the bike to try to claim I'd crashed it. LBS manager told them, and me, "I've been in business 22 years and I know crash damage when I see it. This frame just broke." I added that if I'd been in an accident bad enough to break the frame, I'd be in the hospital. My LBS manager reached deep into three layers and 22 years' worth of contacts at Spec and finally got them to agree to send them, and me, a new frame. It arrived last week and their service manager grafted the parts from the old bike onto the new frame.

When I stopped by to see it, the service manager grinned. "I've got a surprise for you," he said. Indeed he did. They'd sent out an S-Works Roubaix frame.

I told him, "I've got a surprise for you." I went back to my car for an ice chest. I presented him with a case of boo-teek lagers, IPAs, and ales. Because I've never seen a bike shop that didn't run on beer. The LBS manager and shop staff quickly gathered around (hey, it was nearly beer o'clock in the afternoon).

Specialized really disappointed me in how they treated my warranty claim. The LBS - name happily supplied on request - really saved the relationship. They represented the customer well, they persisted with the claim, and they never abandoned me. I have more to say about Spec but let's wind this up now.

Pics:

Former Spec Roubaix Sport in silver with crack in frame:




New Spec S-Works Roubaix frame and my old parts:


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