From: ehouse@Apple.COM (Eric House)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: replacing old frame under warranty
Keywords: Univega, warranty, frame
Date: 13 Aug 92 16:54:53 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA

A few months back there was a brief discussion on whether you can (or
should be able to) get replacements under warranty for frames that have
simply worn out.  I said that I believed you could (and should), but
hadn't been through the process with a frame at the time.

I have now.  As I posted locally several weeks ago, my ten-year-old
Univega Specialissima sport-touring frame died after an estimated 32,000
miles of loaded touring, commuting, off-road riding, and general hard
use (but not abuse).  The right rear dropout, a forged Suntour model,
broke in the middle, where the plateau that the axle and quick release
are supposed to clamp to transitions into more rounded metal suitable for
brazing into stays.  To my limited understanding of such things it
appears to be a classic fatigue failure, as the break was at a stress
riser in the middle of a very stout piece of metal rather than at the
much weaker dropout/stay joints one would expect to fail if the bike
had been crashed or bent too many times.

Anyway, I though people might be interested in my experiences in getting
a new frame out of Univega and in setting up a new frame with old parts.

Basically, everything went well.  I took the bike to Pacific Bicycle in
Mt. View because of the other two local Univega dealers one has shown
gross imcompetence (Stan's in Cupertino) and the other has told me that
he doesn't believe that frames that wear out are covered by warranties
(Garner's).  The manager there called Univega to find out what to do,
and then had me go home, strip the frame, and bring it back in.  Two
weeks later I had a new frame -- together with a bottom bracket, headset,
and fork.  Though I had a receipt to prove I was the original owner, no
one asked to see it.  Nor were there any questions about what had happened
or other attempts to get out of the warranty -- this in spite of the fact
that Univega had to strip an existing bike to give me my frame, and so is
clearly taking some kind of unexpected loss on this.

I'm very happy with the way Pacific Bicycle handled the transaction.  They
were a bit unhappy to be doing it -- Univega gives them no compensation for
their trouble -- but did a good job.  In particular, I was relieved that
they did not require that I pay them to move the parts from the old frame to
the new, as some shops do (Stan's, for one).  This may have been because 
they knew that getting parts from a ten-year-old frame to form a functional
bicycle on a new frame is no mean feat, but what do I care why they did it?

I'm less happy with the new frame, but don't know what to do about it, as
it is simply a testimony to the difference between what $500 bought in '81
and what it buys now, and to the kinds of features the current market wants.
The frame is supposed to be 7-speed, but the dropouts are 129mm apart.  One
dropout was too tight for a Bullseye axle; it wasn't bent that I could see,
but had been forged in a too-narrow shape.  The seat tube opening had to be
reamed out before I could get a post into it (so I'd hate to see the post
that was in it before!)  One of the positioning screws in the rear dropouts
was badly bent -- on the side opposite the too-narrow dropout.  And the level
of workmanship evident in the lugs and paint isn't too terribly hot.

More of a problem is that the frame won't accomodate tires larger than 28c,
nor will it take fenders.  There are no rack mounts.  So if I want to keep
doing everything I used to do with my old frame I'll have to buy a new one.
There's not much point in having two pair of wheels with this bike.

In moving to the new frame I had to buy: braze-on shift levers (I got some
Campy Record friction levers on close-out for $5 a while back); 130mm axles for
each rear hub ($12 for the Bullseye axle, and $15 plus shipping/traveling to
San Jose for the Phil Wood hub); short-reach brakes (a friend sold me some
unused Campy Super Records for $60!); and new shift cables (because the path
they take is longer on the new frame than on the old.)  I will probably
also buy at least one 7-speed freewheel, and may need to buy some new spokes
when I get around to taking some of the dish out of my rear wheels.

So: if your frame breaks and is covered by a "lifetime" warranty and the
failure isn't due to crashes or other abuse, take it in a get a new one.
Regardless of how old it is or how many miles it's seen.  You paid for the
warranty, so use it.  At the very least you'll have a frame to use until you
decide what more permanent replacement you want to buy.
-- 
****************************************************************************
Eric House			"My employer doesn't share its opinions with
			   	 me, so I can share only mine with you"
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles