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Experiences with buying a new frame

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Experiences with buying a new frame

Old 11-05-21, 06:44 PM
  #26  
biker128pedal
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Originally Posted by Troul
I'd hope that Trek would stand behind there product if something were to happen.

Trek is the only road bicycle that offers what I require for features & to add accessories, it would be much easier to buy for than a custom carbon frame from what I have found.
For a Trek ask the dealer if they will honor their warranty if you do the build. I broke a 15 year old Madone last spring. Just took in the frameset with the receipt. That was important as Trek bought out the shop and even thought I registered with Trek when new I needed the receipt. Anyway I had a choice of a new Elmonda frameset with headset or credit. The frame was direct mount rim brake so I’d have to buy brakes and bottom bracket. I took the credit and paid the difference for a new Domane. I was happy. I have all the old parts and the fork with headset. Building up an old 1000 C for a rain bike and put a rack on it for trips to the store. If I can find a fort to fit 40mm tire may be good for bikepacking.

So go talk to the dealer.
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Old 11-05-21, 07:02 PM
  #27  
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I was also considering the procloset route for a cert used frame. However, the price is the hang-up. buy a new frame from Trek for not much more, but if the warranty is =/= with both options, why spend more bread in the end?
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Old 11-05-21, 09:10 PM
  #28  
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Trek’s warranty is to the original owner. It does not transfer.
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Old 11-05-21, 09:53 PM
  #29  
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Recently I built a gravel bike from a new Surly Straggler frame and the process was easy due to old bike parts in the garage and ebay. I seriously doubt that Surly would repair and or replace a frame due to the current environment. If you buy a new frame from a good trek dealer I believe that they would stand behind behind it but that is also significantly dependent on the LBS’s willingness to go to bat for you. A friend is a trek dealer and works miracles getting damaged frames repaired or replaced.
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Old 11-05-21, 11:53 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by TiHabanero
I have had two Habanero frames and communications with Mark, the owner, was excellent. The frames are excellent and reasonably priced. Check them out at habcycles.com.
The first Habby frame I got was the classic road model. Very quick bike, and a lively sprinter.
The current Habby is being raced by my son in crits and cyclocross since his aluminum frames he all cracked. The frame is the cyclocross model, but is working out in crits, just not a perfect sprinter. No worries, he is getting a crit frame soon.
Glad to hear this, I've just been talking with them and supposedly they'll get getting in some smaller frames in the next month or two as I would like an affordable Ti frame for my kid's next cross/road bike. Right now they don't seem to make anything for anyone smaller than 5'4".

Originally Posted by Ironfish653
I ask, because you mention budget, and building a bike from new or nearly-new components (to OE spec) typically comes out 30%-50% more expensive than buying the complete bike "off the rack"
While it's not hard to find deals on major items like wheels and drive components, the little things likeBB, headset, seatpost, cables, and all the little pieces of finishing kit can add hundreds of dollars on to the build cost, especially if you're buying new, at retail.
Not really all that true in the current environment and especially not true depending on the rider. A 47cm Crockett is one of the other frames I'm looking at, 2400 for a bike or 1200 for a frameset. With the factory bike the handlebars are wider than preferred, the crank is too long and the gearing is not optimal. The tires are probably heavy as is typical to a bike this price. Rival isn't bad but for the same price I can have a similar quality wheelset, better frame color options, better tires, and run it 12sp campy. Also won't have to wait till july as the framesets are available but the bike isn't according to the local trek shop.
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Old 11-06-21, 12:14 AM
  #31  
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In the last year I built up a Soma Fog Cutter; I bought the frame new from Universal Cycles in Portland. Both Universal and Soma were helpful in answering questions I had, since this was my first bike build. I didn't have any quality issues so I can't say how that would have gone. I did read about other people having problems with Soma frame braze-ons being positioned incorrectly, but mine were perfect.

I know there's a warranty, but honestly I don't know how long. If it breaks in a way that looks like materials or workmanship (as opposed to abuse), I'd pursue it. But at this point I'm confident it's a sold frame. If anything goes wrong, it will probably be because I didn't use a torque wrench.

I'd read the fine print from Trek (or ask). If it says to have assembly done by a professional mechanic, that might be necessary for the warranty to be valid.
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Old 11-06-21, 09:26 PM
  #32  
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Recently purchased a Sonder Camino frame from Alpkit in the UK. Haven't built it up yet, but their service dept was prompt in answering my questions prior to sale and the shipping and tracking (DHL) to the US was quick and accurate.
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Old 11-08-21, 12:48 PM
  #33  
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Kona Sutra

Like you, I had a bunch of parts and decided to buy a frame and do a custom build. Bought a Kona Sutra steel frame on EBay from California Bike Pickers. Frame came with a headset, but was sold without a fork. On arrival the headset was damaged. They promptly sent me another one.
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Old 11-08-21, 03:22 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Troul
my question is to educate myself with what to expect from the OEM/Retailer of a Trek frame that an average consumer has bought. Is it worth going with a new frame or is it just as good going pre-owned without a safety net?
Trek is pretty good about warranty issues from what I've seen from the mountain bike group that I'm in on Facebook. You do have to be the original owner and the frame must be purchased from an authorized retailer. Their frames are pretty solid though. A while ago, Nasa had to lay off many of their materials engineers because they were outsourcing that stuff. Trek hired a few of those guys to work on their carbon layups.
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Old 11-08-21, 05:46 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by Troul
I was also considering the procloset route for a cert used frame. However, the price is the hang-up. buy a new frame from Trek for not much more, but if the warranty is =/= with both options, why spend more bread in the end?
I haven't compared Trek's warranty terms with the Pro's Closet's (if any), but I seriously doubt that the latter would be inclined to offer full credit for something that was sold as used and subsequently claimed as defective in some way. I have been impressed with the quality and the sheer number of their repetitive TV ad buys during pro race coverage (second only to Zwift, methinks), but I have been just as impressed by the appalling lack of specific product knowledge of their sales staff. I don't expect them to stay in business long, honestly. They strike me as just one more attempt at "disruptive" takeover of a market (used bikes/parts) that was functioning just fine without their "help".

I have no personal experience to report on this front, but a fair amount of hearsay that Trek's frame replacement policy is pretty solid. YMMV.
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Old 11-09-21, 07:38 AM
  #36  
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is calling Trek the only way to contact them these days? I would like to email them, but that seems to not be listed on there website.
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Old 11-09-21, 08:33 AM
  #37  
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https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/warranty_policy/
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Old 11-09-21, 08:52 AM
  #38  
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I rode a 52cm Surly Cross Check for many years as a do it all bike. Got fat and didn't like the race fit anymore, stacking headset spacers shortened the reach too much and made it ugly. I had my wife buy me a Soma Pescadero frame for christmas a couple years ago. I transfered all the parts from my Cross Check except the brakes and seatpost, and decided the new bike should get a new Brooks saddle after the abuse the old one had been through.
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Old 11-10-21, 10:34 AM
  #39  
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After getting in touch with Trek, the support for frame damage makes my decision more comfortable going with a new frameset vs preowned.

Given what my options are, I have some thinking to do as for which I would go with. It's going to be a new Checkpoint SL or new Domane SLR Disc Frameset. Going with a complete bicycle would make sense if I didn't already have parts or just wanted a cookie cutter production bicycle. I'd save a few hundred (maybe even over a grand) after all said & done building a frame.
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