# Colnago Warranty Issues-Buyer Beware



## rickromanoin PA (Aug 10, 2005)

I recently had a warranty issue with my Colnago Dream. After conversations with the local Colnago dealer where I now live, and rejections from Trialtir, I began discussions with the dealer. I have attached a series of e-mails below that tells the story:

My first e-mail to Spin Cylce, Salt Lake City, Utah:

Good morning:

I have a problem that I am hoping you can help me with.

5 years ago, I came in to your store and bought a Mapei Colnago Dream frame 
with Campy components. It was a stretch to afford, but I was so proud of that 
bike. I didn't ride a lot, maybe 1000-1500 miles a year but everywhere I went 
people stopped and stared at that bike. Done up in a yellow scheme, it was 
beautiful! I probably cleaned it more than rode it!

Fast forward to last Sunday. I moved from Utah to Pennsylvania for my job 
last year. I was cleaning my bike and to my horror, found that the head tube 
had cracked! I immediately found the local dealer, Big Bang Bicycles in West 
Miflin, PA and went over there. There first impression was that they had never 
seen frame cracking at this location. They contacted Trialtir and sent the 
bike to them. They told me what they thought the problem was but told me to 
wait to hear from Trialtir's technician.

Yesterday evening, I got a call from Big Bang Bicycles (Glenn) who relayed 
the news. As suspected, when the bike was built by the shop where I bought it, 
it was built incorrectly. I don't know all of the technical details, but they 
said it pretty much started cracking from the moment I took it from the store. 
Something about the tubing had to be reamed out to precise tolerances, but this 
was not done. Instead the headset was simply pressed into a space that was to 
small thereby fatiguing the metal. There was also a suggestion that the same 
thing had been done at the bottom bracket.

So through no fault of mine, my several thousand dollar bike frame with the 
irreplaceable paint scheme was now simply scrap metal.

Trey, with Trialtir, said sorry but it wasn't his problem. It was a dealer 
issue. So rather than considering this to be manufacturing issue and replacing 
the frame he said he wouldn't ( the only think he offered was a Mix frame with 
a crappy paint scheme for $1350), that I should contact the dealer to see if 
you would honor your commitment to me the day you handed that bike over.

I have been in a miserable mood all week and last night I just said the 
hell with it. Called my wife, who is out of town working, and told here I 
didn't even have the stomach to fight and argue anymore. And the worst of it, 
I have lost my interest in even riding a bike (something I have enjoyed for 40 
years!). Frankly, I felt kicked in the stomach when the distributor told me 
that, "Oh, yea, we've seen this problem before. We sent bulletins to the shops, 
but not everybody followed our recommendations." But they still weren't going 
to do anything.

So I am writing to you. Will you stand behind your product? It wasn't my 
fault that it was built incorrectly. I think I am entitled to a replacement 
frame. Now I realize that the profit margins are not that big in the bicycle 
industry. And I also realize that I now live in Pennsylvania. However, I have 
the following proposal:

1. I hear that the Mix frame is supposed to be a very good frame. So I 
would take the Mix frame Trey offered for $1350. Trey also agreed to take care 
of the shipping costs both ways.
2. You arrange with Trey to pay Trialtir for that frame.
3. I will pay Big Bang Bicylces the cost of disassembling and reassembling 
my bike at this end ( not an insignificant amount of money).

So the way I see it, I paid about $3800 for my bike. If the profit margin 
was 30%, you made about $1140, which is about the cost of the replacement 
frame.

Anyhow, I hope that you serioulsy consider this situation. Obviously, you 
know Trey with Trialtir, and can contact him to confirm what I am saying. I am 
also having them draft a letter expressing their opinion, in case you need it.

If you would like to contact me, you have my e-mail address, 
--------------, or can can reach me on my cell phone, -------------------(I 
still work for a Salt Lake City company, thus the ---- area code).

Please contact me ASAP so that I know what I am going to do. My riding 
season is pretty much ruined since I now have been with out a bike for a week 
and it appears that it will continue to be much longer, however, maybe I can 
salvage some late seaon rides that I was planning on doing if we can resolve 
this in the next few days.

Rick Romano

The response from Spin Cycle, Salt Lake City, Utah:


Dear Rick, This is very unfortunate news sorry to hear about all your mishaps 
with the bike, so this is where I'll begin. As on record with our point of sale 
system you purchased your Colnago on 8-17-2000, so the five year date is 
correct but at that time the warranty in the United States was 2 yr., as of Aug 
of 2003 they went to 4 yr., The distributor ( trialtir and colnago ) didn't 
grandfather in any additional time to already standing Colnago customers, so 
you are out of the stated warranty period, it's unfortunate but it is what it 
is. Next on this subject is our build, we are a top performing Colnago dealer 
then as we are now, I stand by our builds because we have sold many of these 
framesets as well as other Colnago models and have not had a warranty on any of 
our own put together in store bikes at all, as a point of interest it should be 
known that Colnago for us has been the least warranty issue line in our store. 
I have spoken to Trey as you have stated about your frame, I asked Trey about 
what Trialtir could do for you and he explained his offer which I think is very 
generous he has always tried to take very good care of our customers, in fact 
he went so far as to offer the very same deal he offered to you, to a customer 
of mine that bought a dream on the web and it too had a crack in the head tube 
where yours does, he didn't have to do that on a second hand frame but he was 
just being accommodating to a customer of mine due to our good relationship, so 
on that point I would accept his offer.So now lets move back on to the sale of 
the bike, looking at your history in our customer database which records all 
transactions, other than the purchase on 8-17-2000 you came in again on 8-19-
2000 and that was it, we never saw you again on that bike, at that time we 
offered a years free service for routine maintenance on every bike we sold, it 
shows you never took advantage of even one complimentary tune & adjust, if you 
had, quite possibly inside of the 2 yr. warranty if this condition showed up by 
then we could have caught it and you'd be just fine today, so you have a great 
deal of responsibility in this matter yourself. I have to ask the question if 
you road this bike 1,000 to 1,500 miles a year what shop were you taking it to 
for service, it for sure wasn't ours, and no one can have 5,000 miles on a bike 
without any service it would detune way to much for it to be rideable. so being 
out of the warranty period again I would say to you, take Trey's offer, you 
paid 1699.99 for your Dream, to pay 1350.00 for a Mix that retails for 2199.99 
is a great trade credit, Your Daytona kit would do well on this frameset. I 
will not be buying you a frameset , first because it's clearly out of warranty 
and second because you never had us perform any maintenance on it when maybe 
and I repeat maybe it could have been diagnosed and caught within the 2 yr. 
warranty, so I wish you the best and all I can say is you'd love the ride of 
the mix it's a great frameset with some very nice enhancements over the dream, 
it truly does. So I hope you take the Mix and really enjoy riding it, its a 
real race machine.....Good Luck. Rod 

My response back to Spin Cycle, Salt Lake City, Utah:

Rod:

All that I have gotten is passing the buck, so this is not news to me. And no, 
I did not have the bike serviced at your shop. I travel for work and take my 
bike with me. For 2001, 2002, and 2003 I worked in Wyoming and had tuneups 
done in Park City, which was on my way and far more convienent. In 2004 and 
2005 I have lived in Pennsylvania. I didn't ride in 2004 at all because of 
moving and work.

So who loses in a finger pointing contest. I do. Trialtir says it was a build 
problem and that I should contact the dealer. You say it's not a build 
problem. So who's right?

I walked into the local Colnago dealer here. He stood there looking at the 
bike and saw the condition it was in. Pristine. I said that he had not seen 
cracking in that location before. He called Trialtir and the first couple of 
people he spoke to immediately said they had seen the problem in the past and 
said what it was a result of. 

So again, who am I to believe.

So the great offer on the table is to take a leftover frame (which helps 
Trialtir clear stock) with a crappy paint jump, and cover costs for them. 
Sweet deal for everyone but me. 

I had already given up when I got the response from Trialtir friday evening. I 
knew you wouldn't step up to the plate. 

And I would not spend my hard earned money on a Colnago again. What's the 
saying "fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on you". 

I was never looking for the cheapest frame (Mix) nor the easiest way out. I 
could shoulder some of the blame, but how come I am the only paying? I have to 
pay to disassemble the bike, pay to reassemble the bike, and pay for the 
frame. Trialtir isn't paying anything and you aren't paying anything. Doesn't 
anyone believe that some of the problem is Colnago, some of it's yours, and 
some of it's mine? Sounds like a 3-way split to me. That deal was never 
offered up. Oh well, I guess the business model is so strong that customer 
service doesn't have to enter into the picture.

Good luck with whatever you do in business. Regarding Colnago and Spin Cycle, 
I will go out of my way to tell people this story and let them draw there own 
conclusions. And no, I will never own another Italian bike of component. All 
of the remaining pieces of that bike are on E-bay as we speak. It is obvious 
that Colnago is not confident in their product otherwise they would have a 
longer warranty than they do.

So this is the end. I am not going to anguish over this any longer. What's 
done is done.

Rick Romano

PS. Over the weekend, I bought a full carbon bike with Dura Ace Components 
from a very strong shop here in town. Cost $4700. That could have been a 
Colnago if there was even a shred of compassion and understanding. And the 
frame is a lifetime warranty and is from a company that understands that 
customer service is important and that customers actually do come back and by 
more bikes from people they trust.


If you are contemplating purchasing a Colnago, I would weigh the above issues. They still only have a 4-year warranty whereas there are many very good bike builders that offer lifetime warranties. 

Anyhow, good luck with whatever you decide.

Rick Romano


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## wasfast (Feb 3, 2004)

This is obviously a fingerpointing contest but I think a couple facts stand out.

1) The bike is clearly out of warranty, 2 year or 4 year, no matter how much/little it was ridden. Miles have no relation to time. 

2) You were obviously saddened by the damage to your bike as there was emotional attachment. It's this emotional attachment and lack of the distributor or dealer meeting your expectations that has made this so difficult.

3) Given that the distributor has seen multiple occurances of the same failure is fishy. Threaded headsets have the fixed cups held in place by a light press fit. While this is a precision tolerance (a difference on the diameter is typically .001") Colnago shouldn't be making frames with lots of extra material in the headtube, assuming this is really the cause. Nobody else does. 

4) I suspect that there is a defect in the way the headtube and not in the way the dealer installed the headset but this will never be proven.

5) The maintainence discussion brought up by the shop is completely irrelevant concerning a cracked frame unless a mechanic along the way somehow did this which is really difficult to believe. 

6) Colnago charges premium prices for their frames and is quite able to get it, especially here in the US. They have strong branding in the market place. They aren't any more liable to give frames to customers in cases outside the warranty but customers have an association of high price=better service which may or may not be true.

I think you've made the right decision to just move on and stop all the "he said, she said" stuff. The US distributor doesn't have the best reputation here, hence the reason that many on this board have purchased from Maestro in the UK. That being said, the fact that they offered you the alternate frame, no matter it's stature in the lineup, was a nice gesture and a nearly free one at that. 

Congrats on your new carbon bike. May you never have structural issues in the future


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## foz (Sep 30, 2004)

sorry to hear about your bike, but personally i think it´s quite possibly nobody´s fault. any frame can fail, for any number of reasons. the headtube and the joints with the TT and DT are particularly vulnerable, as they take a large proportion of the hits from potholes etc, and also stress from steering, rider weight... i´ve seen several frames fail with a crack up the side of the headtube, from the bottom cup upwards, on various makes and also on traditional headsets and integrated types. maybe in your case it was due to a faulty installation, maybe it was due to a big hit with the front wheel (pothole, crash, etc - although you did say the bike was well looked after and your pride and joy). i assume the tube used for the headtube was seamless, but even seamless tubes can have weak spots that can develop into cracks under the right circumstances.
as the frame is out of warranty, then i don´t see why trialtir should replace it for free. their offer of a discounted frame seems pretty reasonable. and if you bought the bike from a shop 5 years ago and have never been back, how are they to know that the headset has not been taken out and reinstalled in another place, and is not their possibly faulty installation?
i hate to use the same old example, but if you bought a car with a 2 year warranty at one place, had it serviced at lots of other places during a five year period, and then the engine failed after a relatively short total mileage, do you think the original place you bought the car from would accept that because they tuned it up before it ever hit the road, that it´s their fault? and do you think the manufacturer should give you a new engine, even though yours failed 3 years past the end of their warranty time?
sure, i wouldn´t be happy either, but it´s a fact of life that things break and need to be repaired or replaced, whether bikes, cars, computers, furniture, watches, etc. sometimes it just happens and is nobody's fault.


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## terry b (Jan 29, 2004)

This is the price you pay for playing with certain high-end brands. Not every MFGR thinks they should have to offer a warranty beyond a couple of years. And given the brand recognition and how fast they move off the shelves, why should they?

As it was said above - who knows whose problem it is? You say it's not been abused and I'm sure that's what they hear from every single return they get. Not saying you're not telling the truth, but in the cycling business "just riding around when it went pop" is probably the most common report.

I just went through the same thing myself with Marzocchi. I have an MTB with no more than 650 miles on it (I know, I keep track.) It's never been off a drop and it's been ridden exclusively on none too harsh single track. The bike is a 1999 model year, so clearly it's rested more than it's been ridden. 

Went to change the fork seals and discovered that the crown is cracked on both sides where the bolts pass through the clamp. Now, cracked crown, way out of warranty, very light usage (honest!) so I called Marzocchi. They gladly offered to sell me a new crown for $75. Tough call when I can get a closeout fork with 2004 technology for $119. I was disappointed, and if I'd inspected the thing more thoroughly back in 2000 I might've had a warranty replacement. No amount of my wheedling could get the Marzocchi guy on the phone to budge from $75.

I have three Colnagos, and frankly they are the finest bikes I own. If I went out tomorrow and found the headtube cracked on my Dream, I'd be pretty sad. But I bought it on eBay as a dealer closeout and I understood the risk. People who want a Colnago for what they offer should be willing to accept the risk - 2 years used to be bad, 4 years is better, but you have to pay to play. Many people should be advised to steer clear, not because Colnago is bad or Spin Cycles is bad but because there is risk involved and as a consumer one must decide if they're willing to accept it. Many aren't and they should look for something that offers more security for their dollar.

In your case, the warranty is long since passed. And although I believe you've treated the bike with respect, there is no reason for either Spin or Trialtir to believe it. They're offering you more than many might get offered. In fact, not a bad deal in my estimate. Significant reduction on a new frame with a new warranty. 

As far as driving away Colnago consumers goes - they make less than they can sell now, no amount of consumer testimony is going to change the fact that the people who are willing to accept the risk, want them. There will always be limited stock and people turned away regardless of situations like yours. No amount of Trialtir or Spin or Colnago bashing is going to make me change my mind about Colnago as a product. I don't expect them to last forever, and if one breaks I'll strip it and move on - probably to another.


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## elviento (Mar 24, 2002)

Forgive my bluntness, but I think you are taking it too seriously. If it's out of the warranty period, the dealer and manufacturer are off the hoook, design flaw or installation flaw or otherwise. That's the whole point of the warranty -- it's risk allocation (implicitly) agreed to by all parties at the time of purchase. The risk out of the warranty period is on YOU. 

Think of it this way, it's a five year old frame that sold for around $1500 (I got mine from Maestro for $1100). At a compounded rate of 15% annual depreciation, the frame is worth $665 now, and you can probably sell the Flash fork for $80-120. So it's not a big deal.


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## cascadebiker (Aug 17, 2004)

*Spin Cycle Utah*

I purchased a Colnago Dream from Spin Cycle last year. Rod built it up at a very fair price and as his correspondence with you shows- he is very thorough. The build quality was outstanding and delivery was swift. I think he went out of his way to be accomodating considering you were well out of the warranty period.

Having said that, sorry to hear about the problem, but congrats on what I'm sure is a sweet new ride!


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## dnalsaam (Dec 6, 2004)

Wake up and smell the flowers Rick! You say that you had a warranty issue. In all the communication that you then repeat, you show beyond doubt that the warranty period was long over before any problems appeared. You do not even deny that the bike was out of warranty. YOU THEREFORE DID NOT HAVE A WARRANTY ISSUE!

Beyond that, by lumping all Italian products together and using them as the object of a personal boycott, you are also showing yourself to be a bigot. Strangely enough, the only Italianate name of all the people involved in the whole discussion is you, Rick. Should I therefore understand that you are going to boycott yourself and all your relatives too?


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Getting flamed*

I agree with Terry B's comments and yes, it's out of warraanty but it's time to take you off the barbie. I bought a C40 from Mike Perry of Maestro when I lived in London and had the chance to spend an afternoon in his shop chatting with him as he built up my bike. He has experienced very few breakage issues and generally, they're the result of accidents (crashes) or extreme circumstances. This includes the BiTitan and Dream which seem to have the most issues.

He indicated that the factory is generally willing to fix/replace the frame unless it has been clearly abused. Cost is negligible but generally not much more than a paint job, the exception being the carbon models.

TrialTir is for better or worse, is the set of cards for those who bought in the US ultimately have to address. From a business perspective, as in bean counter, I understand their stance as well as that of the dealer. From an enthusiast's view, I think it's poor. That being said, the Dream would need at the very least the head tube replaced, requisite heat treatment and then a paint job. For Colnago in Italy, not really a big deal provided you were willing to wait. I'm not sure you have many options though having bought it from an authorized US dealer and hence, subject to their US distributor, TrialTir.


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## varoadie (Feb 4, 2005)

boneman said:


> I agree with Terry B's comments and yes, it's out of warraanty but it's time to take you off the barbie. I bought a C40 from Mike Perry of Maestro when I lived in London and had the chance to spend an afternoon in his shop chatting with him as he built up my bike. He has experienced very few breakage issues and generally, they're the result of accidents (crashes) or extreme circumstances. This includes the BiTitan and Dream which seem to have the most issues.
> 
> He indicated that the factory is generally willing to fix/replace the frame unless it has been clearly abused. Cost is negligible but generally not much more than a paint job, the exception being the carbon models.
> 
> TrialTir is for better or worse, is the set of cards for those who bought in the US ultimately have to address. From a business perspective, as in bean counter, I understand their stance as well as that of the dealer. From an enthusiast's view, I think it's poor. That being said, the Dream would need at the very least the head tube replaced, requisite heat treatment and then a paint job. For Colnago in Italy, not really a big deal provided you were willing to wait. I'm not sure you have many options though having bought it from an authorized US dealer and hence, subject to their US distributor, TrialTir.


This would have been a good "case study" for a college course or company training. I think what would have stopped all this ugliness quickly were if the Dealer/distributor responded with an "it's obviously a defect and our fault, clearly the frame hasn't been abused" "Here's what we'll do, we have a new Dream at the factory that we'll sell you for cost, half price, whatever. It's just like your old frame, only upgraded and newer. "we're sorry for this inconvenience". (not the cheapest bikeframe they make in a horrid color) If you'd like a more expensive model....we'll work out a deal for one of those"
But, that didn't happen and finger pointing and letters went back and forth. Usually, 2-3 letters with buttons unpushed generally pisses someone off to the point of no return. 
In this age of "lifetime" or extended warranties, consumers think they will be protected and don't even worry. 
I think the dealer that probably PROBABLY screwed this thing up should be responsible but they can't and don't have the money to take care of problems like these.
Unfortunately, this'll be forgotten and we'll all go on our merry way. Thanks for posting.


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Truly unfortunate*

I bought a model year 1999 Vortex from Colorado Cyclist and then spent 6 years in England riding it. In the last year it developed a crack in the head tube. When I got back to the States I took it to a local Connecticut authorized dealer. It was sent to Chattanoga and returned with a 1.125" ready headtube, new decals, new style seat clamps and complete refinish at no cost.

I never had bad things to say about Litespeed and never will.

I don't hold the dealer at fault as their margins are not great and it's a tough business. The distributor has a monopoly and truly controls the US market. Some of they things they do I understand from a financial return and supply/demand perspective but the World's changing and people have choices. Both in terms of who and where they buy product and what product they buy.



varoadie said:


> This would have been a good "case study" for a college course or company training. I think what would have stopped all this ugliness quickly were if the Dealer/distributor responded with an "it's obviously a defect and our fault, clearly the frame hasn't been abused" "Here's what we'll do, we have a new Dream at the factory that we'll sell you for cost, half price, whatever. It's just like your old frame, only upgraded and newer. "we're sorry for this inconvenience". (not the cheapest bikeframe they make in a horrid color) If you'd like a more expensive model....we'll work out a deal for one of those"
> But, that didn't happen and finger pointing and letters went back and forth. Usually, 2-3 letters with buttons unpushed generally pisses someone off to the point of no return.
> In this age of "lifetime" or extended warranties, consumers think they will be protected and don't even worry.
> I think the dealer that probably PROBABLY screwed this thing up should be responsible but they can't and don't have the money to take care of problems like these.
> Unfortunately, this'll be forgotten and we'll all go on our merry way. Thanks for posting.


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## KATZRKOL (Mar 4, 2004)

*I'm with on this Terry. .*



terry b said:


> No amount of Trialtir or Spin or Colnago bashing is going to make me change my mind about Colnago as a product. I don't expect them to last forever, and if one breaks I'll strip it and move on - probably to another.


I have a couple of high end Italian bikes but after getting my Colnago C-50 from totalcycling (Maestro was bone dry of a 52cm; NL4), my other bikes are collecting dust. I don't think it's a risk at all buying overseas via Mike at Maestro or Totalcycling. I asked TC about the warranty, and they were straight up. ."you just have to send the bike to us in Ireland. ." No big deal. Better than dealing with that suck a** monoply Trialtir. Asking for warranty on a 5 year old Colnago is stupid.


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## dnalsaam (Dec 6, 2004)

varoadie said:


> I think what would have stopped all this ugliness quickly were if the Dealer/distributor responded with an "it's obviously a defect and our fault, clearly the frame hasn't been abused" "Here's what we'll do, we have a new Dream at the factory that we'll sell you for cost, half price, whatever. It's just like your old frame, only upgraded and newer. "we're sorry for this inconvenience". (not the cheapest bikeframe they make in a horrid color) If you'd like a more expensive model....we'll work out a deal for one of those"
> .


There are a number of items that have been totally overlooked here. The Mix frame is the closest bike in the present Colnago line-up to the bike owned by Rick. It is not the cheapest frame that Colnago makes. It is actually an upgrade from the 5 year old Dream frame. It is built out of the same identical tubing, except that it now has high modulus ATR-produced carbon B-stay, instead of the lesser aluminum stays on Rick's original. So Rick is totally out of line in denigrating the Mix frame, as it is clearly a step up from his bike. Furthermore, color is clearly subjective, so one person's beauty is somebody else's beast, so the offer of a discounted upgraded frame, at $250 below the original lesser frame price and $700 below the present price of that particular frame was super generous. Now take into account that the frame was not only out of warranty, but way out of warranty and the customer did not apparently do any maintenance...


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## varoadie (Feb 4, 2005)

dnalsaam said:


> There are a number of items that have been totally overlooked here. The Mix frame is the closest bike in the present Colnago line-up to the bike owned by Rick. It is not the cheapest frame that Colnago makes. It is actually an upgrade from the 5 year old Dream frame. It is built out of the same identical tubing, except that it now has high modulus ATR-produced carbon B-stay, instead of the lesser aluminum stays on Rick's original. So Rick is totally out of line in denigrating the Mix frame, as it is clearly a step up from his bike. Furthermore, color is clearly subjective, so one person's beauty is somebody else's beast, so the offer of a discounted upgraded frame, at $250 below the original lesser frame price and $700 below the present price of that particular frame was super generous. Now take into account that the frame was not only out of warranty, but way out of warranty and the customer did not apparently do any maintenance...


Ok, point taken. I don't know all the details of the Colnago framesets, it just seemed like the frame that was offered was "lesser" than the one he had. Implied would be a good word. I should have done my homework and researched it but I didn't have time. 
I do think though that maintenance was done on the frame, but by other dealers, as he mentioned. Not many shops take it upon themselves to check headsets If it were me I may have noticed a tightness or other malady and made them look at it and they would found the problem. 

Take care.


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

As much as we on this forum like to think of our cycles as works of art, they are not paintings hung comfortably above the mantle. Frames are fundamentally 3 pound pieces of machinery that hurtle 175 pound men over sometimes harsh terain at high speeds. Given this volatile nature, they can , and sometimes do, break. It is very similar to buying a hockey stick or baseball bat at the sporting goods shop, only more expensive. enjoy the experience, but sometimes you have to pay for all this fun. keep riding, the most beautiful bikes are ones that look well ridden!


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## terry b (Jan 29, 2004)

Fignon's Barber said:


> As much as we on this forum like to think of our cycles as works of art, they are not paintings hung comfortably above the mantle. Frames are fundamentally 3 pound pieces of machinery that hurtle 175 pound men over sometimes harsh terain at high speeds. Given this volatile nature, they can , and sometimes do, break. It is very similar to buying a hockey stick or baseball bat at the sporting goods shop, only more expensive. enjoy the experience, but sometimes you have to pay for all this fun. keep riding, the most beautiful bikes are ones that look well ridden!


175? Who you calling 175?


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## KATZRKOL (Mar 4, 2004)

*Well, at 142 pounds. . .*



Fignon's Barber said:


> Frames are fundamentally 3 pound pieces of machinery that hurtle 175 pound men over sometimes harsh terain at high speeds.


I guess only a C60 will seperate me from my C50.


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## toast (Jan 6, 2005)

*Riding a painting*



Fignon's Barber said:


> buying a hockey stick or baseball bat at the sporting goods shop, only more expensive...


Have you priced a CF hockey stick recently? Some bikes (complete) are cheaper (and have a warranty).
And some of the new light weight bats are only meant to be used for one season. And people throw them on the ground every time they use them!

Take that painting down and ride it!


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

terry b said:


> 175? Who you calling 175?


just tried to take the average of a range of between 140 and 215 for the sake of brevity.


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## Max-Q (Feb 6, 2004)

KATZRKOL said:


> Asking for warranty on a 5 year old Colnago is stupid.


If I recall correctly, my C-50 that I bought from Mike at Maestro has either a 5 or 6 year warranty. It has the standard 1 year Colnago warranty and Mike himself then warranties the frame for an additional 4 or 5 years. I just can't remember how long Mike warranties the frame. 

Anyone else know?


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## bisekleta_guy (Jul 26, 2005)

i own a colnago Master Lux and the chromed stays rusted after only 6 months of using it...i race so i got poured in by my crew with water ...was this the cause of the rusting?... to my horror the chrome rusted!!! i sold my Master Lux and got myself a C40 ...my friends then say watch out for the brittle cable stops which were rivetted onto the carbon c40...my pals added they should crack and break in a year or two...I got myself another carbon C35 Colnago Ferrari Red and the paint is so brittle if you mishandle the allen wrench and it falls onto the star carbon fork like i did...a paint chipped off OUCH! furthermore the rear triangle of the C35 Ferrari is so tight when i had a puncture...the rubber rubbed the inside of the chainstay and there goes a 3 inch gash of ferrari red paint again...overall...Colnagos i could say...isnt built like a tank as everybody would think it is...however..i still love my colnagos...i have never seen a shattered Colnago Carbon...but see ebay and there is a Carbonissmo hit by a car and missing a left seat stay being sold for $300! 

Please dont expect Colnagos to last a lifetime...if you got 5 years out of a Colnago and it cracks...throw it away and buy another one...if you insists on a total replacement...go for the SEVEN CYCLES TITANIUM or a CANNONDALE ...i hear they got a lifetime guaranty.

I got a C35 and a C40...i only ride and race them one at a time...if the two lasts me 10 years..then ill be a happy man.


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## divve (May 3, 2002)

.....funny guy that Trey, to offer a Mix for $1350 and pretend it's a favor, while he makes about $500 profit on it.


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## rickromanoin PA (Aug 10, 2005)

*Follow up*

I haven't had time to read all of the posts, but I saw some of them. The point of the matter isn't in/out of warranty, who did what or who didn't do what..the point to me was terrible customer service. I love riding, but not nearly enough to ride on something where I know the manufacturer is thumbing his nose at me.

I had no idea what had happened when I took the bike to my local Colnago dealer in Pittsburgh, where I live. I was told by them, and by Trialtir, that the bike had been built improperly, no doubt about it. The shop even went so far as to show me clearly where the headtube was NOT reamed. The paint was still there!

To me, this is not a warranty issue. My definition of a warranty issue is something that fails under normal use through no fault of anyone. This failed due to negligence. No other reason.

Customer service says to me, what can we do to make a situation better. This is where I fault Trialtir. They could have called the dealer, discussed it with them, and come up with a solution. A three way split would have been nice.

It was never a question of money. The full carbon frame bike with full DuraAce wasn't cheap. The whole issue has been treating me with a little respect and acknowledging that there were issues on all sides.

I don't care what the product is, I wouldn't want to be associated with something/someone who can't even treat me with respect and acknowledge the issue and even attempt a solution beyond a take it or leave it deal that I didn't feel was very good. And for all of you who thought this was a great financial deal, these frames are on the market right now for $1700, so I was getting a couple a hundred dollar deal on a frame that may or may not fail again in the future, and I definitely know will not be backed by the distributor, dealer, or manufacturer. Spending money on this would be kind of like putting a nail in my hand, repeatedly.

The bottom line, I was upset, still am, but posted to open some discussion about an issue that is not unique to just me. As long as people line up to plop their money down, regardless of how they are treated, things will never change. Which is actually quite a shame.

Thanks,

Rick


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## Max-Q (Feb 6, 2004)

Let me share my story which is similar to yours:

In 1998 I purchased a new bass boat. I used the boat regularly to fish in tournaments. Finally in 2000 I took it to the dealer for service. That same year I had a child and I put the boat in storage (indoors) after doing all the required maintenance. 

Fast forward to 2005, my son is now 5 and old enough to go on a fishing/camping trip. I pull my now 7 year boat out of the garage and prep the motor. It is the first time I have used the boat since the dealer did work on it. I take it to the lake and about 2 miles out the starter is ripped out of the power head. 

I took it to another dealer who estimates the cost to be $3,000+ to replace the powerhead. The cause: The dealer who last serviced the motor did not put two of the three screws into the starter- simple negligence. I was informed that this is a common problem due to the soft aluminum of the powerhead. Through no fault of my own my motor is now totalled. 

Now, should I expect Mercury marine to give me a new engine? No! The warranty had long since expired and it was not a defect in the quality of the engine even though it is well known that they will crack and break if the screws are not properly installed. 

Should I expect the dealer to replace the engine for free? No, it is my loss plain and simple. Just like with your bike. The dealer did not perform the proper service so it is not Colnagos fault or Trialtirs fault. And too much time had passed before the problem surfaced so you can't expect the bike shop to replace the frame for free. 

Should I go onto the internet and start accussing Mercury of making an inferior product? No and you should not be blaming Colnago either. 

It's all a part of life.


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## Max-Q (Feb 6, 2004)

Sorry double post


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## terry b (Jan 29, 2004)

You have a new bike, you've learned some sort of lesson and your life will now go on. Coming into a Colnago fans forum and expecting people to accept your disappointment is one thing, expecting them to agree with your assessment is another.

Yours is not the first sad tale of woe regarding Trialtir and Colnago and issues with the warranty. In your case though, it boils down to whether or not the guy who built it, did so properly. You and your new dealer say "no", the old dealer says "yes." Doesn't really matter, since neither Trailatir nor Colnago have any responsibility for that part of the transaction. What happens to it once it leaves the warehouse is the responsibility of the dealer and the owner, not the distributor. And I'm not saying this because I like Trialtir, because I don't. It's just that your anger is clearly misplaced (in my estimate.) I think this is why you're getting the responses you're getting - it's an old bike that may or may not have been built improperly and it boils down once again to your word against the word of the guy who built it.

As far as changing the nature of customer service, I'll repeat what I said above - on luxe items like this, it's never going to change as long as there are less bikes than people who want to buy them. In your case though - honestly - what do you expect? Those who haunt the Colnago forum to join you in a class action boycott? This is in no way Colnago's fault why should they pay the price? Most of us have already recognized that the US market is controlled by Trialtir and we've taken our money to guys like Mike Perry who offer better service and a lower price. So what's the point?

I'm sorry that you've had to go through this anguish, but perhaps you should consider whether your disgust is misplaced. I think Trialtir tried to do you a favor, where in reality they didn't have to do jack. Colnago is blameless as far as I can see too. So perhaps rather than impugning the bike MFGer in a forum dedicated to aficionados, you ought to be nailing Spin Cycles somewhere else.


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## lewdvig (Oct 4, 2004)

rickromanoin PA said:


> I recently had a warranty issue with my Colnago Dream. After conversations with the local Colnago dealer where I now live, and rejections from Trialtir, I began discussions with the dealer. I have attached a series of e-mails below that tells the story:


I don't understand your complaint. Even cars have timeframe or mileage (whatever expires first) warranties. Your warranty was done and the rep offered you a nice frame at cost.

Hang your broken frame on the wall as a trophy.


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## jnwarner0 (Oct 4, 2005)

*What BS. Buy a Trek*

I can't believe the ignorance or blind loyalty to this company. I was just looking seriously at dropping about 6,000.00 on a bike and it was down to a colnago and a trek. I have heard stories about treks customer service. Unbelievable lifetime warranty. I understand some people have a unlimited supply of money so they do not care if a bike only lasts 2-5 years but if you spend that much money it should last longer. As for the warranty. People wake up it is exactly like he said, This isn't a warranty or malfunction issue. If the bike was built incorrectly an was not discovered until later the dealer should be held responsible. Hence why there are so many recalls AFTER warranty expires. Companies know they screwed up an stand behind their product. In this case the dealer. And lucky for him his Cop out is"warranty expired" and If you would have had your bike serviced with us. Come on you dropped the ball. Two lessons. no three lessons for me. 1.Perhaps a Trek is not as unique and a little trendy and but if I am dropping cash of this amount I want to know the company will stand behind me. 2. People you miss the point. Warranty expired but this is not the point. Had the bike been properly assembled no warranty would have been required to fall back on. Example I work in the medical field. Prior to all surgeries people are required to sign a waiver of potential problems. Now if someone screws up what happens? The "you signed a waiver of potential problems" doesn't cut it. Someone is responsible i.e., the dealer. 3. Thanks for making my choice easier. Trek madone sl 5.9 with the new ksyrium es wheels.


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## divve (May 3, 2002)

6000 on a Trek? That's even funnier.....


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## elviento (Mar 24, 2002)

Trek's website says their warranty does not cover "improper assembly". Colnago or Trek, you are screwed either way, dude.


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## rensho (Aug 5, 2003)

The bike shop is clearly at fault by the data given, especially if the paint is still there in the HT.

What kind of 'fine' bike shop doesn't prep the HT and chase/face the BB?


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

hmmm... not the first Colnago dream breaking at the head tube.


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