Are wheel spokes covered under warranty?
Discussion
Picked up a Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc from Halfords last novemeber through the cycle2work scheme.
Just noticed I have three snapped spokes in the rear wheel. Is this something Halfords are obliged to repeair for me under the mfr warranty or are they a wear and tear item? The bike has been used as was intended i.e. flying over rough surfaces at high speed and the odd little jump off/over stuff....lke you do with a mountain bike, nothing extreme.
I think they should be covered but thought I'd check if anyone has had a similar experience?
Just noticed I have three snapped spokes in the rear wheel. Is this something Halfords are obliged to repeair for me under the mfr warranty or are they a wear and tear item? The bike has been used as was intended i.e. flying over rough surfaces at high speed and the odd little jump off/over stuff....lke you do with a mountain bike, nothing extreme.
I think they should be covered but thought I'd check if anyone has had a similar experience?
Its not uncommon for cheaper wheelsets to have spokes fail. They corrode over time, and fail at the elbow of the spoke - which sounds like what has happened here.
Stainless Steel spokes as found in more quality wheels won't have this happen as they are not prone to this...
You will find that the spokes will not be replaced under warranty per sé however a nice attitude (i.e. biscuit bribery) might get you a reduction on the labour to whip the cassette off and put some spokes back in.
Stainless Steel spokes as found in more quality wheels won't have this happen as they are not prone to this...
You will find that the spokes will not be replaced under warranty per sé however a nice attitude (i.e. biscuit bribery) might get you a reduction on the labour to whip the cassette off and put some spokes back in.
Doesn't need to show outward signs of corrosion - nor sustain any damage - it could also just be a lesser quality batch. Spokes of the cheaper variety sometimes just snap. Most spokes will snap by the elbow - the hub end. you can also have failure at the point where the spoke is threaded into the spoke nipple - again a corrosion/quiality issue.
6 months of commutting every day? Or 6 months of once a week riding?
If the latter, you have a fair case to have a moan, however if you commute day in day out, these things will happen.
I'd just have a nice chat to the shop and ask what they can do - you may find they just look to whip everything off and quickly sort it (I would usually, certainly have done when I worked in the bike shop)
6 months of commutting every day? Or 6 months of once a week riding?
If the latter, you have a fair case to have a moan, however if you commute day in day out, these things will happen.
I'd just have a nice chat to the shop and ask what they can do - you may find they just look to whip everything off and quickly sort it (I would usually, certainly have done when I worked in the bike shop)
Edited by neil_bolton on Sunday 8th June 20:51
Bike is used on average about twice a week, about 15 miles of fairly rough stuff but nothing you wouldn't expect 750 quids worth of "RockHopper" to cope with.
I'll give em a ring anyway and see if they're feeling accomodating.
Cheers for the reply.
Oh and that's exactly where they've failed; elbow and threaded end.
I'll give em a ring anyway and see if they're feeling accomodating.
Cheers for the reply.
Oh and that's exactly where they've failed; elbow and threaded end.
^^Cheaper setup. Is a 750 quid Rockhopper a cheap set up?
Since posting the original message I've had two more spokes replaced.
Picked up the repaired wheel this aft, went out on it and two more fecking broke.
They are all snapping at the rim, not the hub. I'm going to give the cycle2work people a ring tomorrow and see where I stand. Basically I want all the existing spokes replacing, don't have much faith in em.
It's $hit really. 750 quid is a feckin lot of money for a pushbike, for me anyway. My old 200 quid Dawes bike never snapped anything! Oh and I've spent 25 quid so far on bloody spokes.
Since posting the original message I've had two more spokes replaced.
Picked up the repaired wheel this aft, went out on it and two more fecking broke.
They are all snapping at the rim, not the hub. I'm going to give the cycle2work people a ring tomorrow and see where I stand. Basically I want all the existing spokes replacing, don't have much faith in em.
It's $hit really. 750 quid is a feckin lot of money for a pushbike, for me anyway. My old 200 quid Dawes bike never snapped anything! Oh and I've spent 25 quid so far on bloody spokes.
Edited by dave_s13 on Thursday 3rd July 19:02
If one breaks you may, and in the case of expensive wheels,have to change the spokes either side of the broken one.If not, you get more failures leading to the whole wheel needing respoking.
I'd just get it all respoked with a better spec or heavier guage spoke if it was mine.Good luck.
I'd just get it all respoked with a better spec or heavier guage spoke if it was mine.Good luck.
I had a rear wheel that just kept snapping spokes for no 'reason'. I ended up just changing the wheel. I would say that you have a good case to get a free replacement one.
If the replacement acts in the same way then I'd start looking at how it is being used.
Finally, sorry to burst your bubble but £750 for a mtb isn't that much nor indeed anything 'special' but it should be reliable and fit for purpose. And you haven't paid £750 for it did you? You got it through a tax break scheme and paid a lot less.
If the replacement acts in the same way then I'd start looking at how it is being used.
Finally, sorry to burst your bubble but £750 for a mtb isn't that much nor indeed anything 'special' but it should be reliable and fit for purpose. And you haven't paid £750 for it did you? You got it through a tax break scheme and paid a lot less.
Besides the point how I paid for it.
You haven't burst any bubbles either, there wasn't one to burst. I'm well aware of the humungous amounts that can be spaffed on a bike. But, to me, £750 is as much as I'd pay for a reasonable mountain bike for what I use it for and it shouldn't be unrideable after 6 months of reasonable use.
I used to have a £200 dawes tekara, used it in exactly the same way for 2 years. It never broke anything. It was a heavy, clunky, slow peice of pig iron though.
Anyway hellfrauds have taken the wheel back and are getting me a new one sorted so see if that one starts popping.
You haven't burst any bubbles either, there wasn't one to burst. I'm well aware of the humungous amounts that can be spaffed on a bike. But, to me, £750 is as much as I'd pay for a reasonable mountain bike for what I use it for and it shouldn't be unrideable after 6 months of reasonable use.
I used to have a £200 dawes tekara, used it in exactly the same way for 2 years. It never broke anything. It was a heavy, clunky, slow peice of pig iron though.
Anyway hellfrauds have taken the wheel back and are getting me a new one sorted so see if that one starts popping.
Edited by dave_s13 on Monday 7th July 11:40
You shouldn't dismiss my comments on how the bike is being used too quickly. I sold on the wheelset that had caused me issues and the new owner hasn't had any issues with them. I haven't had any issues with any other wheelsets so it must have been something in my riding that didn't agree with the wheel. Afterall, I assume your goal is to be riding regularily rather than just searching for product faults.
If you get a reoccurance of spokes breaking in the new wheel then it's most likely to be the user than the equipment (although there is the possibilty of you having two defective wheels).
Are you running very high or very low tyre pressures? What sort of riding were you doing when they broke? Have you fitted a pannier rack and carrying stuff? Do you use your gears or do you just stick to one 'large' gear and push rather than spin?
Comparing this bike to your old bike is a bit pointless as they are both designed and built to do different things.
If you get a reoccurance of spokes breaking in the new wheel then it's most likely to be the user than the equipment (although there is the possibilty of you having two defective wheels).
Are you running very high or very low tyre pressures? What sort of riding were you doing when they broke? Have you fitted a pannier rack and carrying stuff? Do you use your gears or do you just stick to one 'large' gear and push rather than spin?
Comparing this bike to your old bike is a bit pointless as they are both designed and built to do different things.
Edited by mk1fan on Monday 7th July 14:50
I appreciate what your saying but its a cross country hardtail mountain bike, and is ridden as such.
It's not like I've bought a rigid commuter bike and have been doing gnarly DH on it. Although I did used to jump of ramps made of bricks and floor boards on my Raleigh Racer as a kid, and that didn't break!
It gets ridden around 3x per week. Route is usually about 15 miles that includes towpath, grass, rocky paths and a short steep downhill track, with a couple of small jumps off tree roots, nothing spectacular..
Must admit I do ride it hard in places and that includes some very fast rocky (small rocks) downhill bits and some equally slow, but very steep bits. No panniers, just a small underseat kit bag, pump and water bottle.
Guy in my LBS said the spokes have been snapping at the rim, which isn't usual and sometimes due to too much torque going through the gear set?? Also the other chap in Halfords said the anodised spokes on were generally crap and commonly fail. I don't know how much faith to put in the knowledge of a halfords bike monkey though.
Either way, In my opinion, I absolutely do not use it any other way than was intended, so I'm assuming the wheel is defective. This will only be confirmed if the new onedoesn't break though.
Also, I CAN compare it to my cheapo Dawes bike. Why? Because that got used in much the same way and the spokes are all still very much in tact!
Actually I don't know what your point is. Halfords have taken the thing back, saying it is defective and now knackered, and I'm getting a new one.
So to answer my own question and to anyone else with a similar problem; yes your wheel spokes are covered under warranty, as long as the bike has seen fair and reasonable use.
It's not like I've bought a rigid commuter bike and have been doing gnarly DH on it. Although I did used to jump of ramps made of bricks and floor boards on my Raleigh Racer as a kid, and that didn't break!
It gets ridden around 3x per week. Route is usually about 15 miles that includes towpath, grass, rocky paths and a short steep downhill track, with a couple of small jumps off tree roots, nothing spectacular..
Must admit I do ride it hard in places and that includes some very fast rocky (small rocks) downhill bits and some equally slow, but very steep bits. No panniers, just a small underseat kit bag, pump and water bottle.
Guy in my LBS said the spokes have been snapping at the rim, which isn't usual and sometimes due to too much torque going through the gear set?? Also the other chap in Halfords said the anodised spokes on were generally crap and commonly fail. I don't know how much faith to put in the knowledge of a halfords bike monkey though.
Either way, In my opinion, I absolutely do not use it any other way than was intended, so I'm assuming the wheel is defective. This will only be confirmed if the new onedoesn't break though.
Also, I CAN compare it to my cheapo Dawes bike. Why? Because that got used in much the same way and the spokes are all still very much in tact!
Actually I don't know what your point is. Halfords have taken the thing back, saying it is defective and now knackered, and I'm getting a new one.
So to answer my own question and to anyone else with a similar problem; yes your wheel spokes are covered under warranty, as long as the bike has seen fair and reasonable use.
I've found anodised spokes break more often than plain ss ones.Having said that, cheap wheelsets in the wrong hands also break.Its a common problem caused by replacing just the spoke thats broke in most instances imo.Sure one spoke can fail, nothings perfect, but it then causes a knock on effect of replace one another breaks.I've seen it in the shop lots and lots of times.I tell customers now, if it breaks a third spoke, its time to replace them all.This is the case with the real high end wheels too.The only exception i've found is the Mavic zircal oversized spokes in crossmax wheels,you can strech them a long way, and under compression they pop out at the hub.
The worst wheels i've found for breaking spokes are factory built sun rims, specifically built/supplied on Kona mtb,s.The shop i'm involved with has probably done twenty wheels since xmas.Non under warrenty i may add(we're not a Kona dealer)Having looked into it, the rim is very bendy from side to side requiring the spokes on the non drive side to be very tight, thus having very little left to stretch.They also break near the rim often.
The worst wheels i've found for breaking spokes are factory built sun rims, specifically built/supplied on Kona mtb,s.The shop i'm involved with has probably done twenty wheels since xmas.Non under warrenty i may add(we're not a Kona dealer)Having looked into it, the rim is very bendy from side to side requiring the spokes on the non drive side to be very tight, thus having very little left to stretch.They also break near the rim often.
Dave,
You can't compare a half ton of pig iron to an entry level light weight XC bike. They are designed to do different jobs. It's like comparing a Volvo estate to a Lotus Elise.
If you have been jumping and doing hard rocky descents on the new bike you're using it slightly outside it's intended purpose. Now this wouldn't be a problem if you're a 10-stone whippet but I get the feeling you're not. It might be a solution to get a 36-spoke replacement wheel rather than what I suspect is a 32-spoke wheel. You won't notice the small increase in weight but you'll get more reliability.
As for my point? Well if you actually read my post you'll see that firstly I said that you had a case to get a new wheel and secondly that I was trying to see if there were anyother reasons why the wheel failed. Rather than waste your time and the Manufacturer's resources in repeatedly having to replace an item that you're abusing. Now you can listen to the of advice from somebody who knows more than you or you can continue to act like a child towards somebody who takes an impartial view to you situation.
Either way, happy riding.
You can't compare a half ton of pig iron to an entry level light weight XC bike. They are designed to do different jobs. It's like comparing a Volvo estate to a Lotus Elise.
If you have been jumping and doing hard rocky descents on the new bike you're using it slightly outside it's intended purpose. Now this wouldn't be a problem if you're a 10-stone whippet but I get the feeling you're not. It might be a solution to get a 36-spoke replacement wheel rather than what I suspect is a 32-spoke wheel. You won't notice the small increase in weight but you'll get more reliability.
As for my point? Well if you actually read my post you'll see that firstly I said that you had a case to get a new wheel and secondly that I was trying to see if there were anyother reasons why the wheel failed. Rather than waste your time and the Manufacturer's resources in repeatedly having to replace an item that you're abusing. Now you can listen to the of advice from somebody who knows more than you or you can continue to act like a child towards somebody who takes an impartial view to you situation.
Either way, happy riding.
Edited by mk1fan on Tuesday 8th July 11:35
I'm a bit pi$$ed off at your replies because what your basically telling me is that my "entry level" bike is not good enough for using off road, in the manner I have described - which is not hardcore abuse.
I just find it hard to believe, and total b
ks if true.
And your car analogy is totally off the mark. A more accurate one would be a Lada Riva and a Land Rover. One has a little more finesse, neither should break when they go off road though - actually in that scenario the lada is probably better!
My specific bike is here..
http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86114
The wheels are DT-Swiss 445D's - 32 spokes.
I am a big lad though...6'4" and 110 kg.
If the new one does pop then I will take your advice and just get a more suitable wheel built up. But surely you shouldn't have to on something that is supposed to be decent. As far as I'm aware Specialized are a damn good brand, non?
I don't want to continue 'debating' this much more but I would appreciate you explaining, in detail, why I should reasonably expect my spokes to fail on this particular bike and not be surprised about it?
I just find it hard to believe, and total b
ks if true.And your car analogy is totally off the mark. A more accurate one would be a Lada Riva and a Land Rover. One has a little more finesse, neither should break when they go off road though - actually in that scenario the lada is probably better!
My specific bike is here..
http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86114
The wheels are DT-Swiss 445D's - 32 spokes.
I am a big lad though...6'4" and 110 kg.
If the new one does pop then I will take your advice and just get a more suitable wheel built up. But surely you shouldn't have to on something that is supposed to be decent. As far as I'm aware Specialized are a damn good brand, non?
I don't want to continue 'debating' this much more but I would appreciate you explaining, in detail, why I should reasonably expect my spokes to fail on this particular bike and not be surprised about it?
I am a big lad though...6'4" and 110 kg.
There lies the problem!A little too close to the max capabilities of the wheels,i'd think the front would be fine though.Big guage spokes needed in that rear wheel for sure,i bet you can develop a truck load of torque that size.
Good rims too, dt don't make rubbish!Are you spending lots of time riding in the big ring on the front?I'd guess you are?
Actually, i'd be more concerned with the rockshock recon race forks!
There lies the problem!A little too close to the max capabilities of the wheels,i'd think the front would be fine though.Big guage spokes needed in that rear wheel for sure,i bet you can develop a truck load of torque that size.
Good rims too, dt don't make rubbish!Are you spending lots of time riding in the big ring on the front?I'd guess you are?
Actually, i'd be more concerned with the rockshock recon race forks!
Edited by pawsmcgraw on Tuesday 8th July 19:27
Well that's a bit of a problem then as I got the bike to lose a bit of weight, catch 22 or what
And yes I do spend a fair amount of time on the bigger front rings, I'm no lightfooted lady boy and I always ride till I'm utterly fooked, so I suppose the back wheel is seeing a lot of torque.
We'll see how the new wheel fairs, if it last then good stuff. If not whats the best bet; new rim with more spokes or keep the DT rim and fit thicker gauge spokes? Or is there no difference?
Front shock seems to perform wonderfully actually, but, my reference point is a Dawes Tekara pig iron series.
Maybe I would benefit from a stiffer spring in the front, but how would I know that?
Thanks for the informative reply btw.
And yes I do spend a fair amount of time on the bigger front rings, I'm no lightfooted lady boy and I always ride till I'm utterly fooked, so I suppose the back wheel is seeing a lot of torque.
We'll see how the new wheel fairs, if it last then good stuff. If not whats the best bet; new rim with more spokes or keep the DT rim and fit thicker gauge spokes? Or is there no difference?
Front shock seems to perform wonderfully actually, but, my reference point is a Dawes Tekara pig iron series.
Maybe I would benefit from a stiffer spring in the front, but how would I know that?
Thanks for the informative reply btw.
Edited by dave_s13 on Tuesday 8th July 20:47
Dave have a chat with TF Tuned for the forks springs they will be able to advise.
As for the wheels have a look at something like Mavic EN and EX series rims as they are more DH style so tougher, plus also 36h, find an LBS that can advise and build a decent wheel for you if the replacement is still an issue
good luck and happy riding
As for the wheels have a look at something like Mavic EN and EX series rims as they are more DH style so tougher, plus also 36h, find an LBS that can advise and build a decent wheel for you if the replacement is still an issue
good luck and happy riding
Edited by atom111 on Tuesday 8th July 22:21
"And the truth will set you free!"
I would say you have completely ignored your physical requirements when buying the bike.
Basically what you have bought is a decent, entry level, lightweight, XC mountain bike - one that wouldn't be too out of place on the start line of a race. Designed around the 'Average Rider' who weighs 12-stone (76Kgs ish). You weigh 17-stone (110Kgs). That's 45% more. Does it really need explaining as to why you're breaking the rear wheel?
As for producing a lot of 'torque' well that's just a polite way of saying you're too fat for the wheel. If you could really produce enough torque to snap spokes then you would be either riding round France at this point in time or preparing for a trip to China next month.
The bike you have bought is perfectly capable of being used and is certainly fit for purpose - for someone of 'average' size. YOU, however, should have bought something 'burlier'. For example at GT Ruckass or Kona Hoss.
Your lack of understanding of the current mtb market is demonstrated by your completely inaccurate analogy. My analogy was right. You've gone from a workhorse to a flighty racehorse.
It has been suggested by market commentators that the current mtb scene is slightly disjointed. It wasn't that long ago that everyone was riding exactly the same trails on rigid bikes with semi-slick tyres. It didn't matter that you had no suspension. Nowadays, if the market is to be believed, you have to have at least 5-inches of travel front and back before you can attempt to go Trail riding.
One advantage of all this sub-division of our sport is that Manufacturers can produce more 'use-specific' bikes. They have such depth in the product range that you can have four bikes, made by the same manufacturer, in the same price bracket but all do a different job.
Now, I don't know why you decided to buy this particular bike. It's annoying beyond belief that you've stood in a shop, honestly (?) explained what you intend to do with the bike and they've suggeted a Cockhopper. It is totally unfit for YOU. That's completely different to the BIKE being not good enough for off road use.
To actually answer your question doesn't require much detail. You're breaking your rear wheel because YOU'RE to heavy for it. You could have a 44-spoke wheel built up but if a 250Kg man jumps around on it it'll break.
A more suitable wheel would, imo, have a 36-hole rim and be at least 21mm wide. I'd also run a 2.3 tyre. You shouldn't have issues with hubs.
I don't think you'll have any issues with the frame - my 17-stone mate rode an Orange E8 around Morzine last year without breaking it. I would also consider a fork upgrade to one with an air spring. That way you can set the correct 'spring rate' for your weight.
Here endth the lesson.
I would say you have completely ignored your physical requirements when buying the bike.
Basically what you have bought is a decent, entry level, lightweight, XC mountain bike - one that wouldn't be too out of place on the start line of a race. Designed around the 'Average Rider' who weighs 12-stone (76Kgs ish). You weigh 17-stone (110Kgs). That's 45% more. Does it really need explaining as to why you're breaking the rear wheel?
As for producing a lot of 'torque' well that's just a polite way of saying you're too fat for the wheel. If you could really produce enough torque to snap spokes then you would be either riding round France at this point in time or preparing for a trip to China next month.
The bike you have bought is perfectly capable of being used and is certainly fit for purpose - for someone of 'average' size. YOU, however, should have bought something 'burlier'. For example at GT Ruckass or Kona Hoss.
Your lack of understanding of the current mtb market is demonstrated by your completely inaccurate analogy. My analogy was right. You've gone from a workhorse to a flighty racehorse.
It has been suggested by market commentators that the current mtb scene is slightly disjointed. It wasn't that long ago that everyone was riding exactly the same trails on rigid bikes with semi-slick tyres. It didn't matter that you had no suspension. Nowadays, if the market is to be believed, you have to have at least 5-inches of travel front and back before you can attempt to go Trail riding.
One advantage of all this sub-division of our sport is that Manufacturers can produce more 'use-specific' bikes. They have such depth in the product range that you can have four bikes, made by the same manufacturer, in the same price bracket but all do a different job.
Now, I don't know why you decided to buy this particular bike. It's annoying beyond belief that you've stood in a shop, honestly (?) explained what you intend to do with the bike and they've suggeted a Cockhopper. It is totally unfit for YOU. That's completely different to the BIKE being not good enough for off road use.
To actually answer your question doesn't require much detail. You're breaking your rear wheel because YOU'RE to heavy for it. You could have a 44-spoke wheel built up but if a 250Kg man jumps around on it it'll break.
A more suitable wheel would, imo, have a 36-hole rim and be at least 21mm wide. I'd also run a 2.3 tyre. You shouldn't have issues with hubs.
I don't think you'll have any issues with the frame - my 17-stone mate rode an Orange E8 around Morzine last year without breaking it. I would also consider a fork upgrade to one with an air spring. That way you can set the correct 'spring rate' for your weight.
Here endth the lesson.
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