# Fixies - Foffa bikes any good?



## snapper (20 Dec 2009)

Hi first of all, this being my first post. Clearly I'm new to this but recently came across this website http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/Foffa bikes http://foffabikes.com/ Foffa fixies. To my untrained eye they look great and good prices too but has anyone heard of their rep. Are the bikes worth buying? I certainly like the look and price but dont want to get drawn in to a rubbish buy just for the sake of it if they're not as good as they seem.

Cheers.
http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/Foffa


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## kyuss (20 Dec 2009)

Their prices are way off. Nearly £400 for an old steel frame and cheap parts. You could build something yourself for half that price.


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## snapper (20 Dec 2009)

Fair enough, thanks for your reply.


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## MacB (20 Dec 2009)

I would really like to know how you build up a bike for £200?


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## MajorMantra (20 Dec 2009)

MacB said:


> I would really like to know how you build up a bike for £200?



Start with an old road bike and you could easily do it. A suicide hub conversion could easily come in under £100 if the bike was cheap to begin with and you can pick up a basic fixed wheelset for something like £90.

Matthew


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## MajorMantra (20 Dec 2009)

Just had a look at that site actually. The conversions do look a bit overpriced but the Prima that they're releasing next year seems quite decent actually - a full build with a new 4130 frame isn't bad value at £399.

Matthew


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## chris667 (21 Dec 2009)

I have to say, it worries me one of their bikes has a magic gear. Very dangerous unless you are watching it like a hawk.

I'd ride a bike with a magic gear if I built it myself, but I wouldn't sell someone else one, and these people shouldn't either.


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## MajorMantra (21 Dec 2009)

chris667 said:


> I have to say, it worries me one of their bikes has a magic gear. Very dangerous unless you are watching it like a hawk.
> 
> I'd ride a bike with a magic gear if I built it myself, but I wouldn't sell someone else one, and these people shouldn't either.



What's so dangerous about it? With a decent chainline and appropriate chainset the chain shouldn't come off unless it's really quite slack. Plenty of people ride magic gears without problems.

Matthew


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## irontam (21 Dec 2009)

I wouldn't buy one, but then I like building them.

If you couldn't or don't want to build one, then maybe buying one of these rebuilds with a warranty gives you peace of mind as well as the kudos of running old-tech.

Still, it seems pretty pricey. But then it is London, where people are happy to pay a premium.


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## chris667 (21 Dec 2009)

MajorMantra said:


> What's so dangerous about it? With a decent chainline and appropriate chainset the chain shouldn't come off unless it's really quite slack. Plenty of people ride magic gears without problems.
> 
> Matthew



It's dangerous if you don't know how slack a chain you can get away with, and as these are meant for people that just want a bike without learning about bike building it's definitely a safety issue, IMO.

I've had great adventures with bikes that had magic gears, but I wouldn't build one for someone else if they were paying me.


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## Yellow Fang (22 Dec 2009)

What's a magic gear?


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## MajorMantra (23 Dec 2009)

Yellow Fang said:


> What's a magic gear?



On bikes with dropouts that don't allow fore-aft movement it's often possible to create a fixed setup by finding a particular cog/chainring combination and chain length that will give approximately the right chain tension. There are online calculators to aid in finding this 'magic gear'.

Matthew


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## Radius (23 Dec 2009)

Agreed some of these are overpriced. 531 tubing one looks decent VFM frame-wise, but still cheapish other components.
Not really a fan looks wise either...


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## oggmonster (27 Dec 2009)

These bikes are completely overpriced - I bought one about 18 months ago for around £300 and it is literally in bits now. I got so fed up with the niggling mechanical problems and substandard no-name parts that I cut my losses and bought an off-the-peg SS bike - a far superior machine for similar money with a proper guarantee (I think these guys give you just three months). It's aimed squarely at the London market where people will pay over the odds for a trendy bike, but I suspect that they have very few - or any - repeat customers. I suspect they are picking up frames from police auctions, giving them a nice spray job, adding a few basic parts and making a huge margin on each one. Nothing wrong with that - it's good business - but if you're tempted then have a look first at what you can get elsewhere for the same money and then take someone that knows their stuff along with you if you still want to check them out.


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## danifoffa (2 Jan 2010)

Hi all,

This is Dani from Foffa Bikes and I just wanted to clarify a couple of points:

We have been in the industry for 3 years but recently set up our shop front & website under the name of Foffa Bikes. We provide a service for those that don't have the time or the knowledge to build up a single speed bike or fixie themselves. We take care of everything, from going through the different options with the customers, supplying the parts and building bespoke bikes up to the desired standard. We all have Cytech certificates here and always try to give a few maintenance tips before the customer takes the bike away with them.

A second hand single speed bike may be cheaper outside of London. But our bikes are bespoke, our vintage frames are thoroughly refurbished and powder-coated (which by the way tends to cost around £70 in London), most of the parts we use are new, and we include a 12 months warranty. We can obviously supply more expensive components depending on your budget. Our standard parts are based on the feedback we have received after building over 500 bikes and we have made a lot of customers happy.

Issues can arise due to the mechanical nature of bikes, but we have always tried our best to provide excellent post-sale service. We are even known to go to the customer's place to get things sorted (once I rode to this guy's flat at 11.30 at night cause he had to go to work in the morning!).

For those new to the ss community & reading this post, a rough breakdown of how much the industry would charge for a newly refurbished ss bike is:

- vintage frame + powder-coating job £120 - £150 
- lightweight wheelset + puncture proof racing tires £100 - £120 
- sealed bb + crank + chain + pedals + sprocket £60 - £100
- calipers + levers + cables + handlebars + stem + grips £50 - £70
- saddle + seatpost £30 - £50

This doesn’t include labour, the one year warranty and the service we supply after the purchase. 
We are very passionate about what we do but obviously we are also a business and would ideally try to make a little profit, but I think you can appreciate that we are not a money churning machine unlike some of the online bike companies out there.

As for the magic gear, I have thoroughly adjusted the vertical dropouts so that there is enough clearance to pull the wheel back when the chain gets loose.

We are always open to feedback & would welcome you to swing by Foffa Bikes for a coffee & a chat of how we can do things better for you. If you feel that your matter is not resolved you can always speak with me directly on 07946 772457. We are always willing to listen & act on issues or advise on any queries you might have.

We look forward to hearing back from you or seeing you at our workshop in East London. 

Dani Foffa


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## danifoffa (2 Jan 2010)

oggmonster said:


> These bikes are completely overpriced - I bought one about 18 months ago for around £300 and it is literally in bits now. I got so fed up with the niggling mechanical problems and substandard no-name parts that I cut my losses and bought an off-the-peg SS bike - a far superior machine for similar money with a proper guarantee (I think these guys give you just three months). It's aimed squarely at the London market where people will pay over the odds for a trendy bike, but I suspect that they have very few - or any - repeat customers. I suspect they are picking up frames from police auctions, giving them a nice spray job, adding a few basic parts and making a huge margin on each one. Nothing wrong with that - it's good business - but if you're tempted then have a look first at what you can get elsewhere for the same money and then take someone that knows their stuff along with you if you still want to check them out.



Hi Oggmonster,

I just wanted to say I am sorry to hear you have had issues with your bike but, as I must have explained to you when you bought it, if you had any problems with it I would have been happy to sort them out, but I have not heard from you.

The warranty is 12 months as opposed to 3 but you can still come and bring the bike down so I can look into it.

Cheers,

Dani


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## Radius (2 Jan 2010)

Good to see a conscientious company that actively seeks out issues with their products...


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## dellzeqq (3 Jan 2010)

good to see a bicycle maker using colour


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## chris667 (3 Jan 2010)

Thanks for getting in touch, Dani. 



danifoffa said:


> As for the magic gear, I have thoroughly adjusted the vertical dropouts so that there is enough clearance to pull the wheel back when the chain gets loose.



How did you do this? I'm not wishing to cause an argument, just curious.

Did you file a slot in the dropout?


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## RedBike (4 Jan 2010)

The trouble with magic gears is they don't work for very long. As the chain stretches you'll either need to change the ratio to compensate or put a new chain on.


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## danifoffa (4 Jan 2010)

Hi Chris,

yes, I have actually filed a 0.5cm slot in the dropouts as I have noticed chains never tend to stretch more than that, even after 2 years.


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## chris667 (5 Jan 2010)

Which way? In or out?


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## danifoffa (5 Jan 2010)

Facing outwards as obviously when the tension loosens up the wheel will need to be pulled backwards.


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## danifoffa (5 Jan 2010)

Facing outwards as obviously when the tension loosens up the wheel will need to be pulled backwards.


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## chris667 (5 Jan 2010)

But surely that'd make it much weaker?


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## chris667 (5 Jan 2010)

But surely that'd make it much weaker?


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## danifoffa (6 Jan 2010)

Not at all. The dropouts are well thick so the robustness of the frame won't be affected.


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## Landslide (6 Jan 2010)

danifoffa said:


> Facing outwards as obviously when the tension loosens up the wheel will need to be pulled backwards.



I suppose you could file inwards (towards the BB) if that would then give you the starting point for a magic gear (pre-stretch).


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## TW85 (8 Jan 2010)

MacB said:


> I would really like to know how you build up a bike for £200?




old Peugeot £30
cog £5 (off here)
best glue I could find £6


really, it's not difficult, even if you buy an old bike for £100 and a pair of brand new wheels where you don;t have to buy glue for £100


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## MichaelM (8 Jan 2010)

I think dani's coming in for a bit of unfair stick here.

Even with a £30 frame you'll stuggle to build a fixie for under £200 from scratch if you haven't allready got a bucket full of spares.

Wheels - don't forget to budget for wheel tape, tyres & tubes.
C/S & bottom bracket (got a bb tool?)
chain
sprocket & lockring (got a chainwhip & lockring tool ?)
bars, stem, headset, spacers, bartape.
brakes .......

I reckon that most who have built a bike from scratch would agree that if you're having to buy all the items individually the cost soon mounts up. 

Even if you do have a bucket of spares and a load of tools, chances are that you're so into bikes anyway that you won't just fit the cheapest parts available.


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## Radius (8 Jan 2010)

The fact is, if you tried to build a bike from scratch with no 'bits box' or prior components, unless you're very lucky, it's not very easily done, but it's still doable at a bit over that budget with the cheapest, but not awful, components.
If we look at probable cost, thinking that things like saddles and seatposts etc. will most likely be new:
Frame: £15 (old steel conversion etc.)
Wheels: £50 (second hand, could be more like £100, this case including cog + lockring but not always the case)
Tyres: £20
Tubes: £10
Seatpost: £10 (maybe)
Saddle: £20
Stem: £20
Bars: £15
Front brake caliper: £15
Lever: £10
Crankset: £30 (unlikely)
Bottom bracket: £10
(SPD) Pedals: £20
Bar tape: £10
Chain: £8

Total: £263


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## MichaelM (8 Jan 2010)

You'll need a cable for that brake ! Inner, outer, and a crimp. 
And probably a couple of headset spacers too.


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## Radius (8 Jan 2010)

Was thinking maybe brake = second hand with cable of some kind (wishful I know), and quill stem that most likely wouldn't need 'spacers' as such..


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## 4F (8 Jan 2010)

Radius said:


> The fact is, if you tried to build a bike from scratch with no 'bits box' or prior components, unless you're very lucky, it's not very easily done, but it's still doable at a bit over that budget with the cheapest, but not awful, components.
> If we look at probable cost, thinking that things like saddles and seatposts etc. will most likely be new:
> Frame: £15 (old steel conversion etc.)
> Wheels: £50 (second hand, could be more like £100, this case including cog + lockring but not always the case)
> ...



That seems about right. Having the advantage of lots of spares and being given a fixed wheel by Dudi on here I think my conversion cost me about £ 60.00. I just needed a single crankset, bottom bracket and a chain.

I already had the frame as had been using it for the previous 5 years but that only cost £ 22.00 of e bay in 2004


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## TW85 (8 Jan 2010)

MichaelM said:


> ...I reckon that most who have built a bike from scratch would agree that if you're having to buy all the items individually the cost soon mounts up...



£380 is PLENTY to get a decent bike from spares, and it would be way better than one of these

their bikes would be fine if the price was cut in half


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## chris667 (8 Jan 2010)

Well, they're a business, and they have to make money. As someone that likes working on bikes I wouldn't buy one, but you pays your money, you takes your choice.

I don't like the idea of a filed dropout, though. It won't last.


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## robin IX (31 Jan 2010)

2nd hand road bike £25 (this had all it components still so I just removed all the bits I didn't need)
Wheels £60
Brake lever £15
Tyres £20

Total £120


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## Rob3rt (31 Jan 2010)

In my opinion:

In general their prices seem to be normal in the current climate of brightly coloured fixie fashion, Manchester's Gbob and the Hippy are similar in terms of pricing to my knowledge. 

For £400 you could build your own bike with money to spare or better hardware, or maybe a nicer custom paint job rather than standard powder coat, but the people that buy these bikes are people who dont know how to build a bike or source the parts themselves I'd imagine. Their customer base is probly the sort of people that are fashion concious or want to get into this fixie culture in an instant without buying a Charge Plug Freestyler, which are as common as broken glass and chav spit on major city streets. At the end of the day they are a business that is targeting a current market niche, their prices arent extortionate.

The filling of the dropout does sound a bit odd, but what do I know, I dont understand the nuances of frame stability etc, personally I wouldnt modify a frame at all bar paint job(and the neccessary preperation). Although I have done a chop shop style job on a bike once (chopped the frame up and welded it back together into a different form - finished it up real nice and powder coated it), but that was an a-level project years ago and not intended for anyone to ride , hehe

I'd love a nice looking fixed/track bike some day, but at present I wouldnt have the confidence to build up my own, I took the route of buying a fully built and somewhat ugly track bike that was cheap but track legal and will re-spray it and upgrade it myself and as I learn more about bikes. I mainly wanted it as a training bike that I could rattle round the track on occasionally, so its uglyness wasnt an issue, hehe


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## alecstilleyedye (1 Feb 2010)

i'm curious about the open-framed ('woman's') fixies; i'd have thought that any lady keen enough on cycling to go fixed would usually have normal cycling clothing and would prefer the stiffer 'man's' frame.

if i was a lady in a flowing skirt riding fixed, i would be very wary of my skirt getting caught between chain and chainring…


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## Rob3rt (1 Feb 2010)

alecstilleyedye said:


> i'm curious about the open-framed ('woman's') fixies; i'd have thought that any lady keen enough on cycling to go fixed would usually have normal cycling clothing and would prefer the stiffer 'man's' frame.
> 
> if i was a lady in a flowing skirt riding fixed, i would be very wary of my skirt getting caught between chain and chainring…



There are tonnes of alternative/retro/vintage/hippy looking girls in their floral dressed and whatever riding fixed or vintage bikes around town(at least in Manchester city centre), I guess its an image thing to some degree rather than a keen interest in cycling.


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## Please Will You (26 Mar 2010)

*A bit of a paradox*

I saw a friends bike from these peeps 'brand new' and he had only changed the wheels...back wheel wasn't true.... the seat was seized to the seat post and it was nearly stuck in the tube too. The stem wasn't better. The brake cables were frayed, the back break was a single pivot that looked like it was on there since it was first built....gunk everywhere the same goes for the front. the front valve was broken off on the inner tube...should i go into the state of the bottom cup....what did they pay? £290...shhhh. this person didn't know anything about bikes and they were taken for a ride. this thing had nothing new of what he claims. you need to take someone with you who knows about bikes. it was a 70's bike and that was the tops it was worth. i feel for them because they spent alot wanted to go independent and now its going to cost a whole lot more...unfortunately regulations and paper work get out of hand because of people like this..how do you trust people anymore.
bring it back? some people don't find that so easy because they trust you if u trick in the first place where are you gonna go from there.


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## danifoffa (14 Apr 2010)

*Taking care of your friend's bike*

Hi,

it s Dani Foffa here from Foffa bikes.

First of all this doesn't sound like one of our bikes, but even if it was I specifically tell all our clients that every bike comes with a 12 months warranty and obviously I haven't heard from your friend. 
It is all very easy to slag other people's bikes on forums but if people don't take advantage of our warranty what are we to do?

I am still more than happy to look at your friend's bike at some point, to rectify any problems with it and 'Please will you' since you seem to know a bit about bikes you are more than welcome to come along yourself.

All the best,

dani


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## wallaccd (8 Feb 2011)

I disagree with the majority of the above. I bought a Foffa bike three months ago and have never had a problem.

Their customer service is impecabble (feel welcome calling in to get a check-up) and their bikes ride excellently (they let you take them for a test ride)...

Considering the quality of the parts, the bikes are relatively well prices when compared to other SS offerings. Naturally you are paying an additional amount for style and the look of a bike - if you don't care what the bike looks like - don't buy from them.

Magic gear.... They gave me advance notice that the chain would stretch and it was easy to rectify myself...


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## clarion (9 Feb 2011)

I stopped yesterday to help a lad who was struggling with his Foffa. The thread had stripped on the axle or the non-drive side nut. I was sadly unable to help him. The wheel was really very poor quality.


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## colinr (9 Feb 2011)

Joined yesterday, first post is dragging up an old thread to defend Foffa? Might be legitimate, doesn't look great though.

Anyway, Foffa has also resurfaced on LFGSS recently, the consensus is that the more recent ones are fine just not consistently assembled, a la Halfords.


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## catherine87 (22 May 2011)

Rob3rt said:


> There are tonnes of alternative/retro/vintage/hippy looking girls in their floral dressed and whatever riding fixed or vintage bikes around town(at least in Manchester city centre), I guess its an image thing to some degree rather than a keen interest in cycling.



Rob3rt,

I think your comment about girls riding fixies or vintage bikes is a gross generalisation. I for one, have a very keen interest in cycling, having completed the Otway Odyssey and numerous other cycling events. On the weekends, I like to ride around town on my single speed (in my dress, or whatever I feel like wearing, you know...if its cold I may just wear pants, sometime thick socks too... because my toes tend to get cold) for the same reasons as any bloke with a "keen interest in cycling" would.

1. its cheap
2. its fun
3. its good for you

Yeah your right, its also an image thing. Just like anything else is, the car you drive, the clothes you wear. I just don't see the relevance to your comment. I guess what your saying is if you have a little bit of an interest in cycling (ie. your riding a bike in a dress), its not good enough, you have to have a "keen interest" to be socially excepted in the cycling world by middle aged men with disposable incomes and small peckers.

Anyway....


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## Gee girl (30 Dec 2013)

I bought something from foffa bikes, after payment they emailed me that they no longer stocked the item, after 30 days and not really much good will or help from foffa I'm still waiting for a refund, they told me to get in touch with paypal and gave me a transaction ID code and when I did speak to paypal they informed me that the id code was invalid. Maybe I've just had a bad experience with them but I will not purchase from them gain and have made sure my cycle club no longer deals with them.


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## cuberider (30 Jan 2014)

Just to add a little balance here, I read a review of the foffa one in a recent issue of ''Urban Cyclist'' and they gave it 9/10. I don't have the skill or will to build a bike myself, so appreciate the companies who do and try to make a profit for their endeavour.


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## colly (30 Jan 2014)

MichaelM said:


> I think dani's coming in for a bit of unfair stick here.



I do too.

People are forgetting that not everyone can or even wants to do all the sourcing, tinkering and labour. Dani is running a business, he has to make it pay so he can earn a living.
Stripping out an old frame, fettling what's not right, putting all back together even if you have all the right tools and know what you are doing is going to take several hours. (cue here for a reply to someone who has done it in 25 minutes)
I'm also kind of suspicious of people coming on complaining of bad service. One post, one complaint.
Who knows, maybe they are the competition. They might be all genuine, they might be malicious they may all be from just one person Dani has fallen out with. Can't tell either way.

Dani has come on here and answered his critics or at least answered back.


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## Joanna8 (1 Oct 2015)

Disappointed with the damage my new Foffa bike arrived with - deep scratches on the mud guards, a chipped frame and a mud guard mount that has broken. All minor things, but not expected on a brand new bike.


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## PMarkey (2 Oct 2015)

As has been said already


danifoffa said:


> *Taking care of your friend's bike*
> I specifically tell all our clients that every bike comes with a 12 months warranty


so the best advice would be read all of the thread before posting to be honest and if your bike is still in warranty contact Foffa bikes and they should sort it for you 

Paul


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