i know im probably gonna get a bit of hate about my bike but i have learned the hard way about it,
had it for three days and thread stripped right out of the crank,
got it fixed at abottsford, temporary heli coil,
but now two months in the thread on the hub has stripped and im back to square one with a bike that i cant ride, has onyone had similar dramas???
im looking at gettin a new wheel set, new crank set, chain, and rebuilding it up. pretty much replacing everything, and just using the frame as i am fairly happy with the frame, (APART FROM BEING A RIDING AD FOR BIANCHI)
so any sugestions on powdercoaters that deal with bike parts in melbourne?
and also can i fit 1 1/8" forks to it as it has 1" forks now. is there a way, new head set or anything???
why would you want to get rid of the chrome? that’s the best bit about it! maybe strip the decals if need be but for love of god almighty leave the chrome!
i might have missed part of the story here.
did you buy the bike new?
if yes, then go talk to the shop.
good chance that you’ll be able to claim on the stripped parts.
if no, then it’s time to get some reasonable quality parts for yourself.
have an ask around and see wha yu can find in the good shit for sale second hand areas.
good quality shimano or campag cranks will last for years, and a goos hubset will outlast many a rim.
na you didn’t miss anything yeah i bought the bike new, the only problem is i bought it in new zealand from torpedo7, less than two months ago, i have been in contact with them and i am sending them photos of the faulty parts, and fingers crossed they will do something about it,
their excuse for not honoring the warranty on the cranks was, that “because they were not installed by our technicians, the fault must have been from improper fitting”
sorry for asking so many questions, but im just weighing up my possibilities, are formula hubs any good, or would i be getting the same sorta shit as the ones that Farked out???
I think it also has to be said that not all LBS are worth supporting. There’s plenty of bike shops around where I live that are just plain crap. And I’m not just talking about pricing. It’s the service that’s just crap. Yes, support your LBS … but make sure that they support you in your bike needs as well.
Gripsport, I think around 140 for a track frame, turnover in about a week or so, and John pays precious attention to things like making sure the lug details (and any other things like engraving on the seat stay ends) don’t get lost in the coating. Ow and they have nice pearly finishes…
Yes I agree, but there are enough LBS around (unless you live in Upperfumbucker West) for most people to be able to find a good one.
The bullshit service you recieve from a guy working out of his mums spare room and calling himself an “internet retailer” can’t compare with face-to-face contact with a quality bike shop.
I heard recently of a guy down here who bought an Ultegra group from Probikekit and was sent a complete 10 speed group…with 9 speed STI levers… and he was only saving $200.
Or the guy I met in Northern NSW who laid a 50% deposit on an overseas internet supplied Colnago C50/Record bike who never heard from the supplier again.
I’m pretty ambivalent about the whole support your LBS thing, when there is just so much anti-competitive stuff going on the local industry - mostly from between the distributors and the retailers. You’ve got distributers charging retailers like wounded bulls to supply product and then retailers demanding limited local opposition from distributors for the same products. And if a retailer is noticed undercutting on prices - bang they don’t get supplied, and advertising in local mags is threatened. It’s such a stitch up and allows crap retailers to flourish where they otherwise wouldn’t. I ought to know because I used to work for one. I wish things here were more like Britain, which seems to have a very competitive retail bike industry.
I’m sick of going to bike shops that once they realize that you’re not going to throw wads of cash their way (because you too have a family to feed and house), treat you like a number - or worse with contempt. Things have gone from the days when some crusty old racer would dump the thing you wanted to buy on the counter or practically throw it at you with a grunt, to a kind of snootiness. Frankly, I don’t like either approach.
If I could find a shop that takes an interest in my needs re: advice and repairs, and matches that with genuinely (globally) competitive prices - I’d go there every time I needed to buy something. Instead, I have shops I consider reasonable for small “need it now” type purchases, with bigger ones done with trusted internet suppliers, local and international. However, I’m not to keen on buying a bike over the internet - but that might change.
The guy who got the 9-speed shifters from probikekit was pretty unlucky IMO. I’d be surprised if that wasn’t rectified quite cheaply - and he was still way ahead. And “only saving $200”! Gee! I wish I had a spare 200 to piss away at some crappy-arsed rip-off merchant LBS!
