# Should I Fell Cheated by Bianchi Warranty?



## Swamoma (Apr 5, 2008)

I bought a 928 L'una in 06. I rode it for about 3000 miles and realized that the frame had cracked underneath where the chainstays meet the BB. My LBS where I bought the bike dealt with Bianchi, and they replaced my L'una with an 05 928 lugged frame that has a special edition paint job. I think. I had to call Bianchi to confirm the year. I was told that this was an upgrade to my limited edition L'una. This is my first experience with a warranty involving a bike. I wanted to get the input of someone with some more experience with this kind of thing. 

It didn't seem kosher to give me an older frame than the one I originally bought. This link shows a pic of the new frame.

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/uan/772/v/1/

Thanks in advance,


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

I believe any full warranty replacement of a bike with 3000 miles is a good thing, even if it is not exactly the same frame. Your original bike is almost 3 yrs old.




Swamoma said:


> I bought a 928 L'una in 06. I rode it for about 3000 miles and realized that the frame had cracked underneath where the chainstays meet the BB. My LBS where I bought the bike dealt with Bianchi, and they replaced my L'una with an 05 928 lugged frame that has a special edition paint job. I think. I had to call Bianchi to confirm the year. I was told that this was an upgrade to my limited edition L'una. This is my first experience with a warranty involving a bike. I wanted to get the input of someone with some more experience with this kind of thing.
> 
> It didn't seem kosher to give me an older frame than the one I originally bought. This link shows a pic of the new frame.
> 
> ...


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## Swamoma (Apr 5, 2008)

Thxs, I didn't know how bike manuf. handle these things, when I bought the luna they said 5 yr warranty unltd mileage.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Of course they cannot measure mileage on a bike--- but the point is that replacement can become messy as models change over time. You have a different frame, obviously, and maybe it is worth quibbling over, but they don't make the L'una anymore, if I recall.



Swamoma said:


> Thxs, I didn't know how bike manuf. handle these things, when I bought the luna they said 5 yr warranty unltd mileage.


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## Bianchi67 (Oct 16, 2005)

The model in your link is a 928, not 928 Lugged. The 928 and the L'una are the same frame except the L'una uses white carbon. The L'una msrp was a little more than the 928. The 2005 928 Lugged was more than both.

Here is the lugged version: http://www.bianchiusa.com/05_chorus.html

If your bike doesn't have massive lugs at the head tube and bottom bracket it's the standard 928.


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## Swamoma (Apr 5, 2008)

My model is a Lugged vervion it reads 928L on the top tube and the lugs are visible. I linked to that to show the paint job. Do you know anything about the lugged frame?


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

I would have taken the lugged frame over the monocoque one. From what I have read, it is stiffer. With that said, with the new frames I'd take the 928SL monocoque or 928 T-Cube over the previous 928 lugged frames, but both the 928SL and the 928 T-Cube cost a good bit more than the older 928L frames.


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## Bianchi67 (Oct 16, 2005)

Yes, I have both the lugged and mono frames. The lugged was claimed to be lighter, 2.5lbs vs 3.0lbs. I think "my" lugged is stiffer than "my" mono, but some of that is probably the wheels. I have Protons on the mono and the older 30mm Zondas on the lugged.

My 928L is the paint scheme in the link I posted above. I think it is the best looking of all my bikes, including a Colnago Cristallo in EITA. The lugs are massive and the cutout in the chainstays are cool. It's like a beefed up C50.

Given the choice between the 928 and 928L I would pick the lugged. I would probably trade either for a L'una with matching white carbon cranks, bars, stem, post, etc. That's just a completely unique look that no other bike matches. YMMV


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Swamoma said:


> I bought a 928 L'una in 06. I rode it for about 3000 miles and realized that the frame had cracked underneath where the chainstays meet the BB. My LBS where I bought the bike dealt with Bianchi, and they replaced my L'una with an 05 928 lugged frame that has a special edition paint job. I think. I had to call Bianchi to confirm the year. I was told that this was an upgrade to my limited edition L'una. This is my first experience with a warranty involving a bike. I wanted to get the input of someone with some more experience with this kind of thing.
> 
> It didn't seem kosher to give me an older frame than the one I originally bought. This link shows a pic of the new frame.
> 
> ...


If they gave you a new frame you weren't cheated. One model year apart? They could have been made weeks apart. The only tough thing is that they don't make the L'una anymore- that was one gorgeous bike. It's a shame there's one less out there.


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## Swamoma (Apr 5, 2008)

Thanks everyone,
I found out that although its an 05, its the 120 year aniv. edition. I was concerned that it would have the weak bb and chainstays like I had, and had read about other l'una owners having. The lugged is supposed to be stronger. I rode it and it feels much stiffer than the L'una, although I don't know how long I'd been riding a cracked frame.


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## DLine (Aug 20, 2004)

I had a similar situation - had a Luna for under a year and it cracked in the same place - under the chainstay/BB area. Hairline cracks, but still. They warranted it no questions - and since they didn't make the Luna anymore, they were going to put me on a T-Cube (08). Imagine my surprise when I found out I was getting a 928SL (07). I imagine they did that because I ride a 61cm, and they traditionally have inventory overstock in the small and large sizes. 

I've got nothing but good to say about the warranty program, obviously. From what I've always understood, though, the warranty is 3 years – not 5. If you were over the 3 year period, they may have pulled from older inventory. Either way, you got a really nice frame that's comparable to the one that failed, which is about as much as you can ask for. In my case that's all I ever expected - and I think I just got lucky because I ride a bigger bike.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Swamoma said:


> Thanks everyone,
> I found out that although its an 05, its the 120 year aniv. edition. I was concerned that it would have the weak bb and chainstays like I had, and had read about other l'una owners having. The lugged is supposed to be stronger. I rode it and it feels much stiffer than the L'una, although I don't know how long I'd been riding a cracked frame.


That's it. The crack isn't a defect. It's a shock absorbing 'feature.'


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## Swamoma (Apr 5, 2008)

The bike shop told me that I'd get a T-Cube. I was surprised when I got an 05 frame. DLine were you happier with the 928 sl? I thought the tcube was supposed to be the bomb.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

You ever wonder how much of "the bomb" is just marketing? Can a 2008 frame really be that much better than a 2005 frame? Does technology in bike frames increase that much over 3 years that a huge difference can be felt? Honestly, I can't feel any difference between my Cristallo, Arte, or FG Lite, except that the FG Lite doesn't track as smoothly as the Colnagos, but that has to do with geometry more than material.


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## iDFeat (Sep 10, 2004)

Swamoma, DLine:

Do either of you guys have pictures of the cracks in your L'Unas? 

I have a 2006 L'una that I purchased from an LBS ten months ago, and it currently has only 500 miles on it. I flipped it over while cleaning today and noticed a 5 mm long hairline crack in the BB/chainstay area right where the BB splits into the 'fork' of the individual chainstays. 

The L'Una was my dream bike for the longest time, and I'm so happy to have one. However, because it's discontinued, I absolutely hate to think that I may have to give it up—regardless of how much lighter/stiffer/faster/better the newer 928 series frames might be. 

Thanks in advance.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Better to give it up than to end up with a complete frame failure at high speed.


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## DLine (Aug 20, 2004)

I don't have pics, but what you're describing sounds exactly like what I had. Same place. Hairline crack. Developed in the same time period you describe (less than 500 miles). I'd take it in to your dealer if I were you...


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## iDFeat (Sep 10, 2004)

Sigh. Thanks for the quick update.

I guess I'll take it in sometime in the coming weeks. I have another bike that I usually ride, so it won't really affect my riding schedule.

What am I going to do with the matching white-carbon bars, stem, and seatpost from the L'Una? :mad2:


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## Swamoma (Apr 5, 2008)

That is exactly where I had my crack as well. I think I rode on a cracked frame for about 500 miles though. Ive been riding the replacement bike and love it. They took the anniversary edition paint job and put it on a lugged frame. I didn't realize how much better this bike would ride. Plus it looks cool. I'm totally satisfied and feel as if I were taken care of. I called Bianchi in California and they said there are not many like this one in the states. The pic from a few posts ago show an alucarbon fork. The replacement I got was a full lugged frame same paint job with a full carbon fork. Good luck to you.


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## iDFeat (Sep 10, 2004)

Thanks, Swamoma.

Glad you're enjoying your 120th Anniversary 928L. I suppose that's the best we can hope for in any warranty replacement—to get something that we're equally satisfied with.

Out of curiosity, how bad did the cracks get before you noticed them? Were they in-your-face enough that your Bianchi dealer processed the warranty without hesitation? My crack is barely noticeable, not even a black line...you almost have to take a magnifying glass to it. I only knew to look for it based on other people's history with cracked L'Unas, so I don't think 99.9% of people would have notice it. Based on this, they might just say it's "not a problem".

Of course, I won't know unless I take it in and see what they say.

Thanks again.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Take it in, have them look at it, and if they think it isn't a problem make them put it in writing. That way, if there is a catastrophic frame failure and you suffer personal injury, you can hold them accountable. I'm willing to bet that if it isn't in writing, if something bad happens they will say they never told you it was okay to ride the frame with the crack in it.


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## iDFeat (Sep 10, 2004)

fabsroman said:


> Take it in, have them look at it, and if they think it isn't a problem make them put it in writing. That way, if there is a catastrophic frame failure and you suffer personal injury, you can hold them accountable. I'm willing to bet that if it isn't in writing, if something bad happens they will say they never told you it was okay to ride the frame with the crack in it.


Good idea. Thanks for bringing it up.


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## Swamoma (Apr 5, 2008)

I noticed paint flaking off around the seattube above the BB. Kept riding for another month and kept hearing a creaking, kept taking it back to the shop, asked if it could be the frame, was told nah its not that numerous times, finally after the shop tried everything else they flipped the bike over and sure enough there was a crack. They had me a Return Auth within an hour and the bike was packed up and sent out within two days. I have a suspicion that Bianchi will not be surprised to hear about another defective Luna. Good luck.


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