# specialized tarmac comp vs colnago clx



## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

hello, i'm about to buy a new bike, and i have this two options:
specialized tarmac comp mid-compact 2012
colnago clx 3.0 (full 105) 2011
they both are in the same price and i need to diside which one i want,
my previous bike was specialized allez sport compact 2011 and i love the geomatry and all, want to hear your advise.
ophir.


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

the spesh is 105, too?

same price but how much


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

get the Colnago. Neither bike will make you any faster than the other, but at least you'll get some style points with the Colnago!


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

the specialized has ultegra shifters and rear derailleur, an fsa sl-k carbon crankset ,all the other is 105...
the price is 7700 shekels (2026 dollars) for the colnago.
and 7600 shekels (2000 dollars) for the specialized.

which one to chose?


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

aclinjury said:


> get the Colnago. Neither bike will make you any faster than the other, but at least you'll get some style points with the Colnago!


lol 
which bike do you have?


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

ophiravina said:


> the specialized has ultegra shifters and rear derailleur, an fsa sl-k carbon crankset ,all the other is 105...
> the price is 7700 shekels (2026 dollars) for the colnago.
> and 7600 shekels (2000 dollars) for the specialized.
> 
> which one to chose?


that's a tough choice, man...both sweet. ultegra is lighter and shifts quicker. but the new 105 is plenty light, plenty quick in its own right. wheels heavy on teh nago. comes down to frames, again, both sweet, on the road i dont think the tarmac frame comes in behind the clx, probably a bit more agressive in geometry. bb30 on the spesh, but the bottom bracket on the clx is apparently massive. in black the colnago does cut one pretty a**ed profile, both wow, but clx has serious WOW factor. no one else will have that bike, and it is plenty fast...

i have a spesh s works frame, it is light and stiff as eff u see kay. upgrading to new ultegra, i wouldnt part with it for nuthin, no way. tough choice, man i dont know what to tell you...maybe

you can get them _both_...


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## JoelS (Aug 25, 2008)

I've seen way too many failures of Specialized frames to ever consider buying one. Several people I ride with have broken their frames, some have busted 2 or more. These aren't crashes either. Cracks in the BB area, cracks on the seat tube. One head tube. Another delamination. The failure rate seems very high.


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

thank you, it was a tough decision but i think that you know what you're saying.
so tommorow i will order the colnago! :thumbsup:

by the way, sorry for my bad english i'm 15 old and it's not my first Language...


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

ok dude, get the Colnago. Let me break it down for you:

1. The Ultegra shifters is lighter then the 105's. But 105's are not bad at all! Tarmac wins here, if only a little.

2. The Colnago will probably be a little heavier, but trust me you ain't gonna go faster on the Tarmac. Reason? Because if you had to ask us which bike to get, then you are not an "elite" yet (lol sorry dude don't take it harshly). The "elite" cyclist will not ask this question, he will simply get the bike he likes and then post pics to tell the RBR how his bike is the best bike ever lol j/k of course.

3. I don't know where you resides, but here in the US, Tarmacs are dime a dozen. In fact, Specialized (and Trek) bikes are polluting the landscapes by their sheer number on the road. Colnago wins BIG here (in the US).

4. Reliability. I'd say it's dead even.

5. Customer service. Now this may be important for some. Some guys in here will only get a bike if the bike shop is trustworthy; they don't care about brand as long as they can get trust the bike shop. If you don't care about customer service for neither company, then get the Colnago.

6. Follow your heart. Now that we've established that neither bike will make you go faster than the other, the only question left is: Which one does your heart desire???


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

ophiravina said:


> thank you, it was a tough decision but i think that you know what you're saying.
> so tommorow i will order the colnago! :thumbsup:
> 
> by the way, sorry for my bad english i'm 15 old and it's not my first Language...


Good choice mah man!

BTW, you're 15?? damn you're sure rich for a 15. When at 15, I was riding crappy bmx bikes.


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

aclinjury said:


> Good choice mah man!
> 
> BTW, you're 15?? damn you're sure rich for a 15. When at 15, I was riding crappy bmx bikes.


hahaha I worked 2 summers in arrow, i got 320 dollars from my perents as a birthday present, and I sold my old bike for 700 dollars...


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

aclinjury said:


> ok dude, get the Colnago. Let me break it down for you:
> 
> 1. The Ultegra shifters is lighter then the 105's. But 105's are not bad at all! Tarmac wins here, if only a little.
> 
> ...


wow thanks...

2) you said that i'm not _"elite" _ but I do race and I do ride allot just mostly xc (till now) and I dont know much about rode bikes, so I desided to ask you first,and I think it was a smart decision becouse you did changed my mind about what to buy.

4,5) in here (israel) specialized are considered very good, and they a good dealer too. but I dont know how it's in usa, so if you say so... 



thank you all for your comments you really helped me out!!


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

ophiravina said:


> thank you, it was a tough decision but i think that you know what you're saying.
> so tommorow i will order the colnago! :thumbsup:
> 
> by the way, sorry for my bad english i'm 15 old and it's not my first Language...


yeah i think so, bro...that colnago is pretty vicious.

black or white. either way, 

well done, son :thumbsup: now hurry up before someone beats you to it. and let us know how it works out...


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

Did you test ride either of these bikes?
That would be the thing to do before deciding.
I have a Tarmac SL3 SWorks and like it alot.
The Comp is lower end but still probably a great bike.
Don't have any expereince with Colnago.


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

jnbrown said:


> Did you test ride either of these bikes?
> That would be the thing to do before deciding.
> I have a Tarmac SL3 SWorks and like it alot.
> The Comp is lower end but still probably a great bike.
> Don't have any expereince with Colnago.


I can say that I tested the tarmac for long time becouse of that my allez had the same geometry as the tarmac, and the only diffrent is that they were made from aluminium ...
but I cant test the colnago becouse that it's the last one they have in there storage from 2011, and they can only order it after I pay .


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

ophiravina said:


> I can say that I tested the tarmac for long time becouse of that my allez had the same geometry as the tarmac, and the only diffrent is that they were made from aluminium ...
> but I cant test the colnago becouse that it's the last one they have in there storage from 2011, and they can only order it after I pay .


Well, at last your are starting looking at it the way you need to. Nothing matters more on a bike, from performance to comfort, than fit. Out of memory, I believe these two bikes have different geometries. You said the Specialized fits you fine because its got the same numbers as your current bike. If the shop can not give you the Colnago to ride, ask them to set another bike on the same geometry as the Colnago to see if it fits. 
As far as the frames go they are both made in the same country which is neither Italy nor USA.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

ophiravina said:


> I can say that I tested the tarmac for long time becouse of that my allez had the same geometry as the tarmac, and the only diffrent is that they were made from aluminium ...
> but I cant test the colnago becouse that it's the last one they have in there storage from 2011, and they can only order it after I pay .


It's your money and ultimately your decision, but some things I'd consider are:
1) the Spec geo fits you well. VERY important.
2) you'd commit to buying the Colnogo without riding it.
3) Specs warranty is lifetime. I believe Colnago's is 2 years. 

As far as frame failures, Colnago's fail just like Spec's and others. A quick internet search will get you some info.


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## Doc_D (Mar 16, 2006)

I like both. I'm surprised someone suggested that specialized frame would be less reliable or durable. In my experience that is the one place where I think specialized has a clear cut advantage. They are probably the best in the industry when it comes to their quality control and warranty.


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

ophiravina said:


> I can say that I tested the tarmac for long time becouse of that my allez had the same geometry as the tarmac, and the only diffrent is that they were made from aluminium ...
> but I cant test the colnago becouse that it's the last one they have in there storage from 2011, and they can only order it after I pay .


good point about the geometry and material construction, spesh passes a lot of tech down the line. they're not the same bike, but in a way, you already have the tarmac, you've been riding the footprint the whole time (although, again, if its the entry level allez, its a looooong way off from carbon dont doubt it...tarmac is NOT specialized's entry level carbon bike)

dude dont go to sleep on the nago, if you do its gonna be gone, im TELLIN you, by the time you go back to get it. that is one smokin bike and it will not be available again at that price. evar. 

although i dont agree with the assessment that spesh frames "crack" or break any more or less frequently than any other high end machines, i will agree with that poster that there are many and frequent incarnations of tarmac frames out there. i wouldnt go so far as to say they are _common_, because they are well built and expensive, but still, there are quite a few out there. that's not to say that what someone else owns and rides should make a difference to you, but just to say that tarmacs are around and are kinda gonna continue to be around, if recent history is any indication. iow if you decide somewhere down the line that you want a tarmac you wont have a problem finding one. the colnago will probably be less immediately available, as i said earlier, you dont see them every day. and, again, your opportunity to purchase one, a new one, at the right price point, may not present itself again, at least not anytime soon. 

dont look the gift horse. i say pull the trigger...


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## z.s.s (Jan 10, 2013)

*check if the CLX 2011 HAS A TAPERED STEARER*

THERE IS A REAL DIFFRENCE IN STIFFNES AND CONTROL IF THE FORK IS TAPERED, this is somthing you will feel on down hill rides at high speed and on sprints. i think the specialized has a tapered fork and the 2011 CLX has only 1.1/8 headset.


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

1) I Thought about it and I will get the tarmac, I like the bike shop more, it has tapperd srearer, a good geometry, and lifetime warrenty.
2) I cheked again with the bike shop and they couden't get me the price that i wanted:mad2:. so I will get a tarmac elite, with full 105, and Upgraded wheels that they offerd me, an ritchey wcs wheels, the best wheels!! :thumbsup:

I will close the details of the deal tommorow, and will pick up the bike on monday.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

wavering in your decision, I see! lol. But bike shop choice is pretty important. Shame that you can't test the Colnago before purchasing, else I have no doubt you'd go with the Colnago. No doubt.

Without getting a chance to test the Colnago, the Tarmac has clear advantage in that it allows itself to be tested, and be impressed by you. Naturally, human tend to go with things they can see and feel.

As far as warranty, the Tarmac has an edge, but a lifetime warranty at the age of 15 for an entry level bike race bike.. doesn't hold much value like most people make it out to be. Chances are, at 15, the kid is going to sell the Tarmac (probably as soon as he upgrade job), and I'm willing to bet our kid will get a new bike by 17, just guessing of course. But we all were kids once, and yall know how it feels like to upgrade jobs right, yep, gotta upgrade the toys too! Lifetime warranty does not hold the same value for the kid as it for a 50 y/o guy buying a $8000-$10,000 custom with the intention of keeping the custom until he dies.

The other fact if taper headtube if stiffer than straight 1 1/8. This is bunk. Track guys with tree trunk legs have been hammering pistas with 1 1/8 steerers at excess of 40mph flat and 1400W output for decades just fine. Suddenly, we need "tapered headtube" to make a stiff bike? Well, don't tell me this because my Blackmarket Mob dirtjumper has a 1 1/8 steerer and I've "accidentally" used my Blackmarket and its 1 1/8" headtube to bend a stout 26" front wheel and chromoly fork! Headtube surviced, wheel and fork did not. My downhill bike also has a massive fork mounted to a 1 1/8 heattube, guess I should have broken this bike a long time ago too huh, but it still survived after 3 years of service. Checked. 

egh... save the "tapered headtube is stiff" bunk for the marketing guys.

Reason why they use tapered headtube is so they can make the downtube oversized and thin.. which in effect makes the front end of the bike stiffer given the now reduced weight (due to a thinner tub wall). But light & thin tube walls are not without its drawback, i.e, they are less impact resistant. Now if they make they make the tapered headtube just as thick and stout as they do a 1 1/8 straight, then you can make an argument that the tapered one is stronger, but then the frame would gain weight.. and gaining weight is a big no-no as far as progress goes in the roadie world.

The other factor about stiffness is that unless you are a big brute (180 lbs) capabale of sustaning 400-450W for hours on end, or hitting 1000-1200W easily in any "casual sprints" (meaning you ain't even trying).. then getting a stiffer bike won't matter. I'd say all today's modern carbon bikes will have stiffness to accommodate even the best of the weekend/Saturday hammerheads. Yet, the subject of stiffness comes up even in the most amateur discourse. It's as if we're conditioned by the marketing to believe that we, the weekend Joe, can have the power to flex bike frame easily.

Name me one TdF loser, past or present, who believed that he lost the TdF because his bike was not stiff enough. Exactly. None.

And honestly, how many time does one sprint all out in a typical race or weekend ride? Almost never. Guys may get out of their saddle and mash to stay in the draft of the guys in front coming out of corners, but power here is like 400-700W (depending on the size of the rider), not anywhere close to flex even the flexiest of frames!


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

ophiravina said:


> 1) I Thought about it and I will get the tarmac, I like the bike shop more, it has tapperd srearer, a good geometry, and lifetime warrenty.
> 2) I cheked again with the bike shop and they couden't get me the price that i wanted:mad2:. so I will get a tarmac elite, with full 105, and Upgraded wheels that they offerd me, an ritchey wcs wheels, the best wheels!! :thumbsup:
> 
> I will close the details of the deal tommorow, and will pick up the bike on monday.



2 g's for either of those two bikes was a STEAL. gl nailing down the elite, careful they see you comin they may switch up again...told ya. you snooze u lose. how much they want for the tarmac u.s. $$?


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

ophiravina said:


> 1) I Thought about it and I will get the tarmac...


I think they're both nice bikes, but given your circumstances I think the Tarmac is the better choice.


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

easyridernyc said:


> 2 g's for either of those two bikes was a STEAL. gl nailing down the elite, careful they see you comin they may switch up again...told ya. you snooze u lose. how much they want for the tarmac u.s. $$?


Like I said before, they wanted about 2000$ for the tarmac elite, the manneger told me that he will try to get me the same price for the tarmac comp, but after he talked to the owner of the bike shop, he coudn't get me the price that I wanted...

and becouse that I got good grades this semester and my perents wanted to make me even more happy about the purchase of the bike, they upgraded the wheels that came with the bike (shimano 501) to a ritchey wcs zeta D).
so at monday I will get the bike, and pay 2000$ for the bike and another 270$ for the wheels!!


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

ophiravina said:


> Like I said before, they wanted about 2000$ for the tarmac elite, the manneger told me that he will try to get me the same price for the tarmac comp, but after he talked to the owner of the bike shop, he coudn't get me the price that I wanted...
> 
> and becouse that I got good grades this semester and my perents wanted to make me even more happy about the purchase of the bike, they upgraded the wheels that came with the bike (shimano 501) to a ritchey wcs zeta D).
> so at monday I will get the bike, and pay 2000$ for the bike and another 270$ for the wheels!!


that's for the 2012 elite, right?


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

right...


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

ophiravina said:


> right...


slammin bike get the ultegra group. what color?


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

Lifetime warranty goes out the window if you race the, bike doesn't it? At least companies follow that. Does Spesh?


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Ride-Fly said:


> Lifetime warranty goes out the window if you race the, bike doesn't it? At least companies follow that. Does Spesh?


It doesn't go out the window if you race the bike, but since damage resulting in a crash isn't a defect, Spec (and others) wouldn't cover it. In that event, the only recourse would be tapping the companies crash replacement policy, and not all companies offer them.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

PJ352 said:


> It doesn't go out the window if you race the bike, but since damage resulting in a crash isn't a defect, Spec (and others) wouldn't cover it. In that event, the only recourse would be tapping the companies crash replacement policy, and not all companies offer them.


Spesh seems to have somewhat better warranty provisions than most. I've read about instances where some companies refused to warranty a frame after it's been raced. Meaning that even if the damage occurred outside of racing, if it was ever raced, they said SOL to the unfortunate bloke. 

I personally can't stand Spesh as a company, but they have awesome bikes. To me, Sinyard is a cross between Steve Jobs and Al Davis. It's the Al Davis similarities that I can't stand.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Ride-Fly said:


> Spesh seems to have somewhat better warranty provisions than most. I've read about instances where some companies refused to warranty a frame after it's been raced. Meaning that even if the damage occurred outside of racing, if it was ever raced, they said SOL to the unfortunate bloke.
> 
> I personally can't stand Spesh as a company, but they have awesome bikes. To me, Sinyard is a cross between Steve Jobs and Al Davis. It's the Al Davis similarities that I can't stand.


I take what I read with a grain of salt. The cyclist pushing for a warranty claim is going to 'see' events a certain way (and one could argue companies do the same). 

However, I don't know how a company would *know* a bike was raced. Other than damage (if sustained), there's generally no evidence to support that belief. And if there is, the company may be right to decline the warranty claim.

It's certainly your right to not like a given company, but whenever someone takes such a stance I always think that if they looked at some other companies they do business with, there'd be some contradictions.

That said, if you view my profile, you'll see what I think of Specialized.


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

Ride-Fly said:


> Lifetime warranty goes out the window if you race the, bike doesn't it? At least companies follow that. Does Spesh?


I have a friend that ride the stumpjumper ht comp, he always race with it and he's frame broke, he went to the bike shop, they saw it and ordered him a new frame from specialized so there is no problam with racing...


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## ophiravina (Jan 8, 2013)

easyridernyc said:


> slammin bike get the ultegra group. what color?


I wish I coud but it's not on my budget, so I cant...


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## AlleganyBicycleShop (Dec 21, 2012)

I think Specialized has one of the best warranty service department out there. Numerous times when I had an issue they would send the next level up frame or part to warranty what we had. I have gotten shoes and helmets replaced years out of the warranty guarantee. They are by far the best I have dealt with. That being said we were also a huge store with 4 locations and had a great relationship with the company. I think also how you talk and treat people play a factor. If someone came raising he11 and demanding a warranty issue I would feel defensive and offended from the start, but luckily I have thick skin and great a great client base. I believe in treating people like I would want to be treated in any aspect. This helps with dealing with warranty issues. Giant has been great with warranties also but we seem to have less people having issues with warranty from them. They both offer inexpensive crash replacements too. Cannondale (when it was a USA company pre 2006) and Trek were pretty decent when we had them too. 

Maybe it was the volume of Specialized we sold compared to the others, but they were by far better in warranty issues than any others we dealt with. 

Racing NEVER played a factor in any warranty.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

Warranty can be tricky with Specialized (and with most big makes for that matter).

I'll give some instances..

If a seat tube is cracked, chances are GOOD that the frame will be warranted fully. The reason for this is because it is hard to crack the seat tube of a bike, even in a crash. So if a seat tube is to crack, it usually means a defect, and the manufacturer won't give the owner too much grief here.

If a crack along the chain or seat stays, chances are the frame will be warranted fully, after some questioning to the owner. Defect could happen here.

If crack is at the dropout, again good chance it'll be covered. Defect could happen here.

However, if the crack is at the head tube or down tube, then this is where it gets tricky. This usually indicates it was a crash! Oh yeah.., manufacturers know this based on statiscal evidence they've seen from cracked frames. The owner would need to fight hard to stand a chance at a warranty here.

Then there's the issue of "intended use". On Mtbr, a guy once used his Big Hit bike for 6' jump. He cased his landing a bit, but did land nevertheless, but this caused his front fork and heat tube to completely break apart. He was fortunately ok. He asked Specialized for warranty, but Specialized said that the Big Hit was not intended for such use. Yet, there are advert video from Specialized showing their own riders taking much much bigger jumps on the Big Hit. Ultimately, after going back and forth, Specialized refused to warrant the frame, and the owner since has moved on to another company. False advertising huh? Buyer's beware. 

Specialized did point out to the hapless owner above in their one of their obscure online manual that says that if the bike (we're talking about a mountain bike here, not road) is used for jumping or hucking, then it's not warranted. We all had a little laugh at such treatment, very shady. Now why didn't Specialized ordered the LBS to display such disclaimer in BOLD when they sell the bike? Perhaps people would not buy it. yep.

Another case I've read on Mtbr is a guy, a heavy guy in this case, 250 lbs, cracking his carbon Epic, and this time right along the seat tube. Now usually if a seat tube is cracked, Specialized will warrant the frame. But in this case, again Specialized pointed out that their manual did state rider's limit is 220 lbs. Yet, at the time of purchase, the 250-lb rider was not made aware of this by the LBS. He posted his story, and some readers sympathized with him, while other readers (usually the Specialized homers on the forum) defended Specialized by arguing that he should have read the manual. Me, I ask myself, why did Specialize not make the LBS put up such disclaimer when selling the bike! Again very shady policy. After months of arguing back and forth, Specialized refused to budge. Well guess what, the owner was in the same neighborhood at Specialized and threaten to take them to court, and apparently he followed thru, and Specialized eventually caved in and warrant the frame (yeah.. lawyer cost to Specialized would probably be few times more then the frame, lol). After getting his new frame from Specialized, he sold it off and got an aluminum frame from another maker.

I'm not here to hate on Specialized or anything as I'm pretty sure this happens with other big manufacturers too, but the bad warranty stories from Mtbr does make one think about the value of a warranty. Sometimes there are great story like a guy's 10-yr old frame failed, and Specialized warrant it (usually the cheaper frame, btw). But the bad stories does make me stop to think about the value of a warranty. And a "crash replacement" is a joke, it just means you get a 10-20% discount on msrp price, which is a joke because LBS can have clearance as much as 40% around year end. So crash replacement is a joke IMO.

What I notice is that warranty from the smaller manufacturers (US based) like Turner, Pivot, Ibis... are great!! at least according to Mtbr.com. There is almost never a negative story from owners. Turner and Ibis in particular treat their owners and even 2nd hand buyers great, and one reason why Turner and Ibis owners are loyalists.

Serotta is another US-based company with (IMO) a great warranty policy. You have the option to pay an extra $200 for the warranty.. and the warranty will cover CRASHES (no question asked!). But it works like this, in the first year, Serotta will cover 90% of the frame within the 1st year, 2nd year 80%, 3rd yr 70%, 4th yr 60%, 5th yr and thereafter is 50%. Crashes are fully covered. For an additional $200 on an expensive bike, this is a fantastic warranty policy; it's almost like a no-question-asked warranty.

So to me, Specialized warranty is just like any other warranty from the big manufacturers, pretty much it's industry standard. I only reserve the term "great warranty" to guys like Turners, Ibis, Serotta.. usually the US-based boutique makes. I also notice that the Euro-based guys (BMC, Colnago, Pina)... getting warranty can be a game of patient and failure. Reading the BMC forum, there are more horror stories than feel-good stories. And personally, I would never buy a BMC new because of my experiences with reading the BMC forum. Better believe it, buyers are influenced by what they read on the net!


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## AlleganyBicycleShop (Dec 21, 2012)

I agree. Warranties from all manufacturer can be tricky. I guess we are lucky because we have such a great relationship with our rep (who does on sight inspection of the warranty issue and use to actually be one of our shop managers) and the company. 

We offer crash replacement at the cost we pay. I think most of the shops I know do this.

I agree, US boutique shops are great. We had Independent Fab and Serrota and they were wonderful. We also sold a lot less of them versus Spec and Giant. Maybe the percentages were the same but the numbers increase with the amount sold??

I hate hearing horror stories, but they are out there. Our shop in Florida offered and extended warranty: 3 years $50 and 5 yrs for $75. It covred 100% parts and labor plus crashes! They only thing it didn't cover was the rubber, grips and seat.

I find the relationship between customer-dealer-rep-company to be a factor in dealing wioth warranties, which really shouldn't be that way. Case in point: We had a warranty Roval wheel on a Tarmac from another shop. The customer went to his store and they said no then came to ours and we got it for him. Sadly this shouldn't be the case but sometimes it is. I am blessed and lucky to have been in a position to help people. It helps me as a business too. People remember what you did and when they are ready to buy another bike they keep you in mind. Those horror stories cost Specialized customers and future customers. Word of mouth is a great advertising tool. Whether it be good or bad, people talk and personally, this would influence my decision on where to buy and what to buy.


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

> I find the relationship between customer-dealer-rep-company to be a factor in dealing wioth warranties, which really shouldn't be that way.


I'm glad you mentioned this. Recently I had a convo with a friend on a ride. He recently purchased a Cervelo with Di2 (well north of $5000) from one of the Rock & Road store (R&R is big LBS chain here in Socal). During the purchase, the sales rep at this particular R&R store treated my friend like he's a beggar. The rep said things like "Are you sure you wanted that bike?? it's expensive. I joked to my friend that "maybe the rep was a racist because you're a Mexican". He laughed as if to agree with my joke somewhat. Anyway, the rep did NOT even fit him for the bike. The rep said that they don't do fitting here because they don't have a fit expert. What?? This is pretty much unheard of because R&R is a big and supposed reputable LBS (this is an LBS that is designated as one of Specialized Concept Store). So, racist rep, checked. No fitting, checked. The friend should have WALKED OUT immediately, but because he wanted the Cervelo so bad, he bought it anyway. 1 month into the purchase, the bike developed a creaking sound. He brought back to the LBS and they told him that there was no problem that they could find. Finally after some insistence from the friend, the LBS told him that it was his bottom brack that could be an issue... it could have a CRACK! What!! But get this, the LBS rep told him that because he installed his own crank (Rotor crank) that did not come as part of the original purchase, the LBS concluded that my friend must have installed the Rotor crank wrongly and therefore caused the BB to crack! Although when asked for the reason that was faulty, the LBS could not come up with one except to tell my friend bs like "it could be lots of things, like misaligning the crank, or not using the correct torque on the bolts". Biggest BS if there ever was one. I told my friend to go to another (at a different location) R&R shop, and I will talk to the manager there for him (I know the manager there since I've bought 2 mtb bikes from there). The manager worked his magic, and got Cervelo to replaced the frame. Boom, done deal. But we weren't done, we told the manager at the 2nd shop that so-and-so rep from the 1st store treated one of their customer like crap. Trying to be political and taking a neutral ground, the manager of the 2nd shop just kind of said something like "yeah... I'm sorry about it.. just come to me if you run into issues". Going forward my friend ain't going back to the 1st shop anymore.

This whole warranty business in the bicycling world is so dodgy. Lifetime warranty from a big manufacturer does not mean that your warranty is dealt with the manufacturer directly. Warranty is handled thru the middleman, the LBS. And if for whatever reason, maybe even a racist reason, if the LBS is uncooperative and not willing to represent you,.. or if the LBS has a not-so-good rapport with manufacturer's rep.. well your warranty could mean more headache then warranty. And knowing these chain of replationships are crucial, but unfortunately it's also something that we consumers are never privy to.


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