Why do carbon bikes have a life of 5-7 yrs?

[Fletch456]

Thank you all. Appreciate the comments. Know I can buy carbon without thinking about lifespan now.

 

[ianrauk]

Thank you all. Appreciate the comments. Know I can buy carbon without thinking about lifespan now.

And you can print these reply's and shove them under your no nothing mates nose...

 

[Berlinbybike]

It is worth noting that manufacturers who offer frames in metal and carbon composite usually have a shorter guarantee for the composite frames. With a steel frame the lifetime warranty was a given, and implied if not given in writing. That's quite different with composites. I know Time and Look offer lifetime warranties, but at their prices you've likely paid for multiple replacements at first purchase. It also worth considering the considerable anecdotal evidence of manufacturers wriggling out of warranty commitments based on the suggestion (yes, this is glib) "it's broken, so it's life is over. Lifetime warranty invalid."

 

[Smokin Joe]

It is worth noting that manufacturers who offer frames in metal and carbon composite usually have a shorter guarantee for the composite frames. With a steel frame the lifetime warranty was a given, and implied if not given in writing. That's quite different with composites. I know Time and Look offer lifetime warranties, but at their prices you've likely paid for multiple replacements at first purchase. It also worth considering the considerable anecdotal evidence of manufacturers wriggling out of warranty commitments based on the suggestion (yes, this is glib) "it's broken, so it's life is over. Lifetime warranty invalid."

I had countless steel frames from manufacturers both large and small, and the only one that came with more than the legal minimum warranty was a Raleigh Dynatech which had 15 years. So I don't know where you get this lifetime warranty being standard from.

 

[Berlinbybike]

George Longstaff, Pete Matthews and Chas Roberts - makers of the steel frames I have - all stand behind their products and I've never had a written guarantee, nor do I believe I'd ever need one. I suspect most small builders are the same, and most factory builders don't use steel anymore. But that's largely irrelevant to the thread. It's about composite frames, and the written guarantees offered are notably shorter and often more restrictive than those the same manufacturers offer for frames of other materials. Trek UK told me I could more-or-less expect to have the OCLV frame break after 7 years, so I took advantage of the cheap replacement policy they offered. Note the past tense.

 

[Smokin Joe]

You did say the lifetime warranty was a given. It might be now from the very few highly specialised people still making steel frames, but back when steel was the norm if you went back to AN Other frame builders after eighteen months because something broke you would have been shown the door.

 

[Albert]

Sale of Goods Act says that all new things should work without fault for 6 years. Cars, Bicycles, Fridges etc. That is all the warranty anyone in the UK needs. Quote the Act when/if you have a problem and .......... Hey Presto!
+ Your contract is with the seller not the manufacturer, so no worries there either.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Sale of Goods Act says that all new things should work without fault for 6 years. Cars, Bicycles, Fridges etc. That is all the warranty anyone in the UK needs. Quote the Act when/if you have a problem and .......... Hey Presto!
+ Your contract is with the seller not the manufacturer, so no worries there either.

Try getting a car or fridge repaired for free after five years. I don't think you've got that quite right.

 

[Alembicbassman]

Sale of goods specifies a reasonable time for implied warranties. If you buy a £100 bike then expect the 'reasonable period' to be shorter than a £1000 bike.

EU law requires products to be free from defects for 6 moths otherwise a replacement or refund must be offered.

My Tange Cro-Mo Steel GT Outpost MTB from 1999 had a lifetime warranty on the frame.

 

[CopperBrompton]

To be precise, The Sale and Supply of Goods Act says that any fault materialising within six months is assumed to have been present at the time of purchase unless the retailer can prove otherwise. In effect, there is a six month warranty on everything we buy.

 

[newb]

my new synapse carbon has a lifetime warranty for manufacturing defects. It does however stipulate several times in the owners book that I am buying a performance cycle made from lighter materials. It makes reference to the fact that I have chosen performance over reliability and hints that the frame will not last forever should it be ridden hard. Ill dig out the precise wording.

I am now wondering because I am of a larger build, is my synapse carbon going to snap because Im a fatty??

 

[Alembicbassman]

To be precise, The Sale and Supply of Goods Act says that any fault materialising within six months is assumed to have been present at the time of purchase unless the retailer can prove otherwise. In effect, there is a six month warranty on everything we buy.

EU Law

http://www.wak-tt.com/tt/2yearwarranty1.htm

Directive 1999/44/EC



If a defect appears during the first six months following purchase the consumer will not have to prove the product was defective at the moment of delivery. The onus will be on the seller to prove the product was without defect. A consumer will have up to two months following the discovery of the fault to inform the seller. If a defect becomes apparent within the two, or one year, period depending on the type of goods, then the consumer has the right to choose a remedy using the following hierarchy. They can

· Demand repair or replacement within a reasonable time and without any significant inconvenience. (Free of charge repair refers to the necessary costs to bring the goods “back to conformity”)

· If this is impossible, unproportionate or cannot be done within a reasonable time or without significant inconvenience then the consumer can demand a price reduction or can rescind the contract (though not if the defect is minor)

All these rights are free of charge to the customer.

 

[CopperBrompton]

http://www.wak-tt.co...arwarranty1.htm

That is a Directive requiring member states to draft or amend laws to the stated spec. As far as I'm aware, the UK has not complied with this, so the rights that would be granted do not yet exist.

 

[dellzeqq]

my new synapse carbon has a lifetime warranty for manufacturing defects. It does however stipulate several times in the owners book that I am buying a performance cycle made from lighter materials. It makes reference to the fact that I have chosen performance over reliability and hints that the frame will not last forever should it be ridden hard. Ill dig out the precise wording.

I am now wondering because I am of a larger build, is my synapse carbon going to snap because Im a fatty??

some carbon bikes have a weight limit - in the case of mine it's 91kg

 

[Alembicbassman]

That is a Directive requiring member states to draft or amend laws to the stated spec. As far as I'm aware, the UK has not complied with this, so the rights that would be granted do not yet exist.

Directives can have direct effect the same as EC Regulations and Articles. Directives can appply both Horizontally and Vertically. It's complicated, but this EU legislation has been applied in the UK.

All comsumer law applies in addition to any warranties offerred by the manufacturer.