Bianchi warranty repairs

incurab1e

hey,

I found a crack under the lacquer on my carbon forks and to took the bke to the LBS I bought it from 3 years (4000+ miles) ago.

They told me Bianchi are unique in that they request for the faulty part to be returned to factory before they replace. They said it could take upto 3 weeks. It is now 4!

What i want to know is who to chase to try to speed it along (is there a UK central distributor?) and am I entitled at all to a 'courtesy bike'

I am getting sick of running!

Thanks!

nightoff

Not sure about a courtesy bike, especially as yours is 3 years old. You could maybe ask your dealer id they can loan you a fork for the duration. Still, if you don't ask you dont get.

I had an issue with 2 spokes snapping on the rear wheel of my new road bike. I took it back to my LBS and they gave me a loan wheel until I get my wheel back from Bianchi.

incurab1e

I've had a response now from Bianchi. They don't think the forks are broken - here is a snippet of the reply I got:

"after visually inspecting the forks I decided that the mark was caused by the two ends of a carbon sheet being joined together and not by a crack I also noted that the same mark was on the inside of the opposite leg.
I believe that the forks are perfectly safe to use. "

here's a link to a pic with the top of the crack marked in tip-ex so i can see if it grows:

http://www.whisperintheriot.com/andy/bianchiforks261010.jpg

what do you reckon? Ever seen that before?[/img]

NeilMick

They SOLD that? :shock:

incurab1e

no they didn't sell it, i sent it off to them via my LBS because I assumed it was broken. The sent it back saying its not

NeilMick

Just meant that it must have originally been sold, doesn't look of very high quality to me, then again I'm not a carbon expert.

incurab1e

Its done over 4000 miles so far!

I'm hoping someone will tell me its ok before i hit the road tomorrow (hopefully not literally, and with my face!!)

AndyF16

I've a little experience with carbon fibre stuff (though NOT bikes) and can't say I'd settle for that answer - anyway if nothing else it looks awful

redjeepǃ

Did it always look like that from new ? It's not too pretty is it for a "premium" brand ?

If it wasn't like that when you bought it, I'd say you'd still have a case for replacement, as something is happening whether or not you can technically call it a crack, but if it was, then you're stuck with it.

gavintc

I am amazed it is not a crack. It certainly looks like one. Personally, I would replace them out of my own pocket and to hell with what Bianchi has stated. It is your safety - not theirs and I would not ride a fork that looked like that. But, it is up to you, give a copy of the photo to your wife together with the e-mail / comment from Bianchi for her to get a lawyer after your accident.