Strange one this. Bike sold with different chainset.

moscowflyer

Ok, so I bought my Cube Agree GTC Di2 back in October but have hardly ridden it. Only today have I finally realised that the chainset is actually an Ultegra 53x39 instead of the (more expensive) 50x34 compact it was advertised with. Cube's own specs say it should have been equipped with the compact, but I'm now wondering where I stand on this given I bought it over four months ago?

I appreciate this is something I should have realised but admittedly I never thought to check everything against the specs and only realised when I found it harder to get up the hills this morning with the same 12-25 cassette as I have on my Boardman, which does have the compact.

I've called the shop but there's nobody there today who can help, so I've followed up with an email. I've also emailed Cube, but I guess I'm wondering what my chances are of getting this remedied?

ShutUpLegs

Have any of the decals been removed by shoe rub on the cranks?

I'd ask whoever I bought it from nicely if they would mind swapping it to a compact.

But i'd also have one bike with a compact and one with a double, so you could probably go to a 26/27/28 cassette to make it easier on the steep stuff.

moscowflyer

Good point actually, some of it may have been rubbed off but it can't be too bad. I'm not massively p'd off with it, it's more because I've already spent money on upgrading the Tiagra cassette it came with to an Ultegra 12-25 whereas I'd have otherwise gone for an 11-28, it's just a bit annoying having spent over £2.2k on the bike that it hasn't come as advertised.

pkripper

You'll probably find they reserve the right to change the spec and if you bought it in person ideally you would have spotted it, but 4 months on I don't think you've got much chance of swapping it, especially not for new.

If the shop is feeling generous they may do you a deal on a compact, but that I think is the best you could get.

moscowflyer

Just checked and the chainset is as good as new. I'm not going to kick off about it as I agree I should have probably noticed it ages ago, and the fact I still hauled my arse up the hills in 39x25 today means I'm fitter than I thought. Maybe I'll just see if they can do something for me on an 11-28 cassette or something.

moscowflyer

pkripper wrote:

You'll probably find they reserve the right to change the spec and if you bought it in person ideally you would have spotted it, but 4 months on I don't think you've got much chance of swapping it, especially not for new.

If the shop is feeling generous they may do you a deal on a compact, but that I think is the best you could get.

I'm guessing that the bike shop will say Cube supplied it like that, so my argument would be that Cube should provide them with the replacement. I've emailed Cube directly about it too.

banditvic

I think a 39 x28 is very similar to a 34x25 plus you will be faster on descents.

moscowflyer

banditvic wrote:

I think a 39 x28 is very similar to a 34x25 plus you will be faster on descents.

To be honest I think this is what I'll do. I'd still like to know why it's come with the double but I'll just ask what they can do, if anything, on a new cassette.

Lesson learned. Check your new bikes, kids!

Wamas

Alternatively, if you can't swap the cassette, just keep it for your Boardman, cassettes need replaced every now and then anyway, so it is not totally money down the drain (assuming both bikes are the same speed).

wishitwasallflat

I don't agree with most others here - I would be really really disapointed if CUBE don't sort it out for you. My reasonign is that yes you should have noticed it earlier - but - they should have told you (via the lbs/dealer who sold it to you) if the bike specs had changed from those advertised. I am also pretty sure the responsibility lies with the dealer. Has your specific model ever been advertised with a double with no change at all to model name, numbers etc etc? If so (and I would find it hard to believe it could be) the ok you are probably stuck as is.

PS -
39x28 = 1.39:1 955 3.06m
34x25 = 1.36:1 952 2.99

so I doubt anyone would ever notice but still I think Cube are in the wrong if your specific model was not as advertised

pkripper

wishitwasallflat wrote:

I don't agree with most others here - I would be really really disapointed if CUBE don't sort it out for you. My reasonign is that yes you should have noticed it earlier - but - they should have told you (via the lbs/dealer who sold it to you) if the bike specs had changed from those advertised. I am also pretty sure the responsibility lies with the dealer. Has your specific model ever been advertised with a double with no change at all to model name, numbers etc etc? If so (and I would find it hard to believe it could be) the ok you are probably stuck as is.

PS -
39x28 = 1.39:1 955 3.06m
34x25 = 1.36:1 952 2.99

so I doubt anyone would ever notice but still I think Cube are in the wrong if your specific model was not as advertised

But you'll also be aware that most, if not all advertising is prepared far in advance of the product launch/release, hence the reason that most suppliers reserve the right to alter the spec if necessary (usually due to supply reasons), and in their opinion, not to the detriment of the overall product.

Fair enough, if bought sight unseen, I agree, it could be an issue if all you have to go on is the advertised spec and that's what you purchase. However, if bought in a store, and indeed 4 months down the line, I think it's pretty much passed the time limit to ask them to do much about it. Yes, valid point if it's much nearer the purchase date, but in these circumstances it's not.

nferrar

Specs can change, it's the customers responsibility to check when they purchase it either in-store or if an online purchase then distance selling regs allow for the rejection in 7 days that covers this sort of thing.
If you bought it from an LBS they may well have changed the chainset themselves, either to help out another customer that needed a compact in a hurry or just as it's easier to sell a compact (doubtful on this though as they couldn't sell it in a standard's packaging or even as non-OEM so can't see how'd they'd make money unless resold it dishonestly).
It sucks you didn't notice it (or that it wasn't pointed at you at time of purchase, although that might have been a simple oversight rather than deception) but you really have no comeback and personally I wouldn't even have bothered raising it with the LBS unless you have a good relationship with them and think they might help you out to preserve that

wishitwasallflat

pkripper wrote:

But you'll also be aware that most, if not all advertising is prepared far in advance of the product launch/release, hence the reason that most suppliers reserve the right to alter the spec if necessary (usually due to supply reasons), and in their opinion, not to the detriment of the overall product.

nferrar wrote:

Specs can change, it's the customers responsibility to check when they purchase it either in-store or if an online purchase then distance selling regs allow for the rejection in 7 days that covers this sort of thing.

I wouldn't disagree with either of you on either of these points and am not looking for a big argument - just to clarify - I take on board your point but if they - CUBE or lbs - changed the spec then surely they are under as much (if not more; being the sellers and experts on the product) responsiblity to point that out to a customer as the customer is to check, notice and report any deviations from advertised specs?

I have never systematically checked every component on a bike bought from an lbs and I wouldn't have thought of doing that (prior to reading this post :!: ) - do people routinely do that? If so do you check stuff like BBs and headsets etc or just the visible clearly marked parts?

I would defintely check the visible parts it I bought a bike online though. Either way if the spec had changed I would have expected any decent retailer to tell me that before taking my money. If thye didn't know I would expect then to at least apologise and come to some arrangement to compensate me.

I would hope a good lbs would do something to help the OP even if they don't have a pre-existing relationship with the OP - just for good customer relations. I would also hope CUBE would do the same - would be interested to hear what CUBE say OP once they reply.

moscowflyer

Still no reply from either bike shop or Cube, will keep you updated though.

I'm just interested to see who's changed it and why. I've been looking and haven't seen this bike listed anywhere with anything other than the compact.

pkripper

wishitwasallflat wrote:

pkripper wrote:

But you'll also be aware that most, if not all advertising is prepared far in advance of the product launch/release, hence the reason that most suppliers reserve the right to alter the spec if necessary (usually due to supply reasons), and in their opinion, not to the detriment of the overall product.

nferrar wrote:

Specs can change, it's the customers responsibility to check when they purchase it either in-store or if an online purchase then distance selling regs allow for the rejection in 7 days that covers this sort of thing.

I have never systematically checked every component on a bike bought from an lbs and I wouldn't have thought of doing that (prior to reading this post :!: ) - do people routinely do that? If so do you check stuff like BBs and headsets etc or just the visible clearly marked parts?

I would defintely check the visible parts it I bought a bike online though. Either way if the spec had changed I would have expected any decent retailer to tell me that before taking my money. If thye didn't know I would expect then to at least apologise and come to some arrangement to compensate me.

I would check the key points, and in particular, if I wanted a compact chainset that would be a key point to me. And the rest I would have a summary glance at just as a point of principle - it's either what I want or it's not, and I don't purchase until I'm happy that the bits are what I want. After all I'm paying for it.

But why do you think they should compensate you? What detriment has it had? And why has it taken you 4 months to come to this decision? Those are all reasonable questions that you will probably need to answer as well.

pkripper

oops, just realised that it was not the OP that referred those, but I guess they still stand

wishitwasallflat

It was me not OP that mentioned compensation.

Personally I would want them to do something to make up for this. If this had happended to me I would not have routinely checked and would feel like I had been misled. I would expect/hope them to swap it over for a compact.

That's just me though - I have very high hopes/expectations of customer service and I am very very fussy about where I shop to try to get it. Doesn't always work but ... for example, I bought my bike from a Spesh Concept Store which is 50+ miles from my home and I could have got the bike cheaper elsewhere specifically because I felt they were a good shop and would give good service. My faith and expectations have been more than repaid and even I have been pleasantly surprised by some of the repairs and replacements etc which they have done free of charge (even after the one year warrenty on components had passed). Harrogate shop by the way I highly recoomend them.

I also do most of my online shopping from Wiggle cause I have always found them to be faultless on customer service - for example, I ordered a pair of Sidis, and they never turned up. After they were just a few days overdue all it took was one email to Wiggle, they apologised and gave an immediate full refund. No faffing about with Royal Mail etc proof required.

IME there are some companies in the UK that give this type of quality service. I try to shop with them if at all possible - my interest in this thread is really to find out if CUBE are one of those companies or are one of the sadly more common type which will do what is required of them under law and no/little more.

mitchgixer6

If it helps you out (if you're changing the cassette) then I would be interested in buying the Tiagra cassette!

Send me a pm if so. Good luck getting it sorted.

moscowflyer

mitchgixer6 wrote:

If it helps you out (if you're changing the cassette) then I would be interested in buying the Tiagra cassette!

Send me a pm if so. Good luck getting it sorted.

It's in the classifieds forum somewhere, I put it on this morning.

moscowflyer

Update: I never heard back so emailed again, then decided to call today as I still hadn't heard. They said that they definitely wouldn't have changed it and it seems Cube must have sent them a European spec bike, but he didn't know how things would go if I wanted the chainset replaced. I explained that I know it shouldn't have taken four months for me to notice and as a result I wouldn't expect them to change it, in fact I'm quite happy to keep the double but my only gripe was that I'd bought the 12-25 for it. Anyway, end result is they've offered me an Ultegra 11-28 free of charge.

So I'm happy, they didn't really have to do that so fair play to them.

wishitwasallflat

Good stuff glad to hear you are happy - I think you should post the name and address (town) for the lbs so others can know they should get good service if they shop there.

I think if we all did that we could build up a really useful database of recomendations for lbs all over the place.