Bike Frame Question

[Mark Blacknell]

Depends very much on the manufacturer and dealer.

(Helpful, I know)

[Riley Casey]

Probably worth going to the website of the bike maker and looking up the terms of their warranty before venturing into your LBS. Makes it easier to talk on a level footing.

[eminva]

Thanks. The manufacturer is Jamis and according to the website, the frame is warranted for life. However, there are some exclusions and I’m sure there is room for interpretation.

The dealer is City Bikes.

Liz

[Joe Chapline]

I have a good feeling about your chances. Honoring the warranty is up to the manufacturer; I don’t think the dealer stands to lose anything except a little time. Here’s Jamis warranty info: http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/contact/faq.html#warranty

I had a bike replaced under warranty once, and it did take some time to get it done. You will probably be without the bike for a while. I’d suggest getting started ASAP, because the bike shops are going to be swamped with spring business soon.

[Chris Eatough]

Most respectable bike manufacturers have reasonable warranty policies, and riding on DC streets is certainly not an issue. Go back to point of purchase and be open, honest and appreciative.
Chris Eatough
BikeArlington Program Manager

[eminva]

Update:

I took the bike in on Saturday and today I learned Jamis will replace the frame and fork and I am even getting upgraded to the next fancier model. I will owe City Bikes a modest fee to rebuild the bike. I should have my “new” bike next week. Thank you for your advice and I see I needn’t have worried. I am very grateful to both City Bikes and Jamis for resolving this so quickly and so well.

In the meantime, I’ll be lumbering to DC and back on the mountain bike — Cherry Blossom time is NOT a good time to be on metro.

Liz

[Joe Chapline]

Great! I hope you post a photo of the rebuilt bike.

[Dirt]

I’m sorry to come to this discussion so late. I have one suggestion. When doing a rebuild like this, it might be a good thing to have City Bikes do a little bit of extra work to get the bike ready for the season. It will likely have additional cost, but will greatly improve the way the bike works for you this year.

Having them replace the cables and housing will cost $20-40 (including labor) and will make the bike ride and work like new. It might be a bit more than that, but not too much. Putting old cables back on the bike will likely work, but not perfectly. You might want to call and ask if they can put new cables and housing on the bike when they build it.

They may come back and suggest that some parts are worn… specifically drivetrain parts. Keep in mind that if they suggest to replace the chain, you’ll likely have to replace the cogs (gears at the back) and chain rings (gears at the front). Those components wear together and if you replace one and not the others, the chain will skip and not shift correctly. Things may be working perfectly well. Just keep in mind that chain rings, cogs and the chain often need to be changed together.

Hope that is a little bit of help.

Pete

[eminva]

Thanks, Pete, that is an excellent suggestion. What I didn’t mention earlier is that it was already time for the drivetrain parts to be replaced when the crack in the frame was discovered. So they are replacing that and they also suggested replacing the cables, to which I agreed. So yes, I will be in for a little more than the fee for rebuilding the bike, but it will be good as new!

Will post a picture when I get it back.

Liz

[Author]

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