Cube - A Cautionary Tale
chrisreb
Posts: 11
Cube – A Cautionary Tale
Purchased a Cube Litening in 2013 for over £2000. Used it fairly lightly over Summers of 2013 and 2014 (have other bikes).
Took it to Italy twice, the last time this Spring. Packed with loads of protection in a hard bike box – no issues. Last day in Italy and the top tube has a crack right across it. Ok I though as the bike had not been crashed or anything then Cube would replace frame under their 5 year warranty.
My LBS went to Cube with photos etc. More than a month for Cube to come back and say they would not replace – must have been crashed or damaged in a bike rack (I don’t have one). More to-an-froing and eventually offer to sell a replacement frame under crash replacement scheme without giving any details of what that is.
More waiting on Cube who eventually say they will sell a frame only (no fork) and leave me and the LBS to put together a mis-matched frame and fork to look like a dog’s dinner. Needless to say not acceptable to either me or LBS.
More correspondence and eventually they will sell me a complete frame with price quoted in Euro’s. Ok I thought, equating price using average exchange rate still quite a bit cheaper than I can buy something like a Dolan carbon frame. Frame arrives (different colour than shown but no problem). However in yet another attempt to really sour the customer experience they used and exchange rate of 1.1 Euros to Sterling! Just concluded another round of correspondence via LBS who have been very supportive throughout and eventually got an adjustment of £77 in my favour.
In summary whilst the bike is a really great ride, Cube themselves are not prepared to back up their product and will go out of their way to make dealing with them an ordeal. Needless to say that is the last Cube I shall buy.
Purchased a Cube Litening in 2013 for over £2000. Used it fairly lightly over Summers of 2013 and 2014 (have other bikes).
Took it to Italy twice, the last time this Spring. Packed with loads of protection in a hard bike box – no issues. Last day in Italy and the top tube has a crack right across it. Ok I though as the bike had not been crashed or anything then Cube would replace frame under their 5 year warranty.
My LBS went to Cube with photos etc. More than a month for Cube to come back and say they would not replace – must have been crashed or damaged in a bike rack (I don’t have one). More to-an-froing and eventually offer to sell a replacement frame under crash replacement scheme without giving any details of what that is.
More waiting on Cube who eventually say they will sell a frame only (no fork) and leave me and the LBS to put together a mis-matched frame and fork to look like a dog’s dinner. Needless to say not acceptable to either me or LBS.
More correspondence and eventually they will sell me a complete frame with price quoted in Euro’s. Ok I thought, equating price using average exchange rate still quite a bit cheaper than I can buy something like a Dolan carbon frame. Frame arrives (different colour than shown but no problem). However in yet another attempt to really sour the customer experience they used and exchange rate of 1.1 Euros to Sterling! Just concluded another round of correspondence via LBS who have been very supportive throughout and eventually got an adjustment of £77 in my favour.
In summary whilst the bike is a really great ride, Cube themselves are not prepared to back up their product and will go out of their way to make dealing with them an ordeal. Needless to say that is the last Cube I shall buy.
0
Comments
-
So, you had a faulty frame, they've sold you a new one (instead of holding out for a free replacement) and now you won't buy anything of theirs again.
You've really shown them [shakes fist]
If you didn't damage it yourself why on earth would you agree to buy another of their products, even at a reduced rate?!0 -
So, you had a faulty frame, they've sold you a new one (instead of holding out for a free replacement) and now you won't buy anything of theirs again.
You've really shown them [shakes fist]
If you didn't damage it yourself why on earth would you agree to buy another of their products, even at a reduced rate?!
Because after 3 months we were getting nowhere and legal action costs far more than a reduced cost frame.0 -
Any pics of the crack ? CF is tough stuff - I cant understand how it could happen 'just riding along' ?0
-
Any pics of the crack ? CF is tough stuff - I cant understand how it could happen 'just riding along' ?
Possibly a manufacturing issue which resulted in a weakness in that particularly area?
Happened to me with a Scott Addict SL I had about 6 years ago, the frame started to crack then fail on the seat-tube just above the BB area, no impact or crashes it just started to splinter and then cracked. Got it replaced under warranty with no problems.
Carbon whilst strong is open to defects when manufacturing so can fail after a short or a long while.
Bad form from Cube not honouring the warranty, I would have thought that unless it was obvious crash damage they would air on the side of caution and replace without issue.Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!0 -
you'd think if the carbon was faulty the crack would have appeared quite a bit sooner than after 2 years? Could it have been damaged in transit?www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0
-
Not sure if it shows on this reduced size picture or not0
-
you'd think if the carbon was faulty the crack would have appeared quite a bit sooner than after 2 years? Could it have been damaged in transit?
No way of telling. However I rode it for 7 days straight up and down mountains and would have seen something or bike would have handled a bit odd I would have thought. Definitely no crashes and not what I would call heavy use either.0 -
Where was bike stored overnight in Italy? That looks like something has been dropped on it.0
-
Are you sure you haven't sat on your top tube at some point?
Ive seen people sitting on their top tubes (chatting outside coffee shops etc). You could get away with this on steel or alloy frames, but wouldnt do this with carbon tubes, these tubes on lightweight frames like yours are very thin.0 -
Stored in a purpose built bike room, upright in a hook type cycle rack. Cannot say I sit on top tube but understand what you mean.
An older carbon bike went through same Italy trip 10+ times with no issues. Obviously will not find a cause but my purpose was to warn others before buying Cube.0 -
Nothing to do with the above, but I have found Cube's after sales service pretty poor. I bought one of these (the 2014 model) in November 2013;
http://www.cube.eu/en/bikes/tour/nature/cube-nature-pro-red-black-2015/
Check the specs for the tyres - Schwalbe Smart Sam, Active 44x622
Awesome bike, but try replacing the tyres - I challenge you to find a 44x622 knobbly tyre anywhere.... not even a Schwalbe one - Cube put these on their bikes and have been doing so from at least 2013 to the present and you cant replace them. I contacted Cube and they just directed me to Schwalbe's website (where the tyres dont exist either).
grrr :evil:0 -
Nothing to do with the above, but I have found Cube's after sales service pretty poor. I bought one of these (the 2014 model) in November 2013;
http://www.cube.eu/en/bikes/tour/nature/cube-nature-pro-red-black-2015/
Check the specs for the tyres - Schwalbe Smart Sam, Active 44x622
Awesome bike, but try replacing the tyres - I challenge you to find a 44x622 knobbly tyre anywhere.... not even a Schwalbe one - Cube put these on their bikes and have been doing so from at least 2013 to the present and you cant replace them. I contacted Cube and they just directed me to Schwalbe's website (where the tyres dont exist either).
grrr :evil:
622 x 44 is the ISO measurement, it is the same as about 28 x 1.75 in imperial or 700c x 40 in metric, your rims will probably fit 700c x 35 through sizes to 700c x 47. There are masses of these tyres available, it's a standard touring bike tyre size. Check out http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/components/wheels-tyres/tyre-sizes0 -
Hey Escher thanks for explaining that, it changes everythingNothing to do with the above, but I have found Cube's after sales service pretty poor. I bought one of these (the 2014 model) in November 2013;
http://www.cube.eu/en/bikes/tour/nature/cube-nature-pro-red-black-2015/
Check the specs for the tyres - Schwalbe Smart Sam, Active 44x622
Awesome bike, but try replacing the tyres - I challenge you to find a 44x622 knobbly tyre anywhere.... not even a Schwalbe one - Cube put these on their bikes and have been doing so from at least 2013 to the present and you cant replace them. I contacted Cube and they just directed me to Schwalbe's website (where the tyres dont exist either).
grrr :evil:
622 x 44 is the ISO measurement, it is the same as about 28 x 1.75 in imperial or 700c x 40 in metric, your rims will probably fit 700c x 35 through sizes to 700c x 47. There are masses of these tyres available, it's a standard touring bike tyre size. Check out http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/components/wheels-tyres/tyre-sizes
Im very embarrassed!!
Still.... Cube might have pointed that out to me! :twisted:0 -
This same kind of failure happened with some Canyons a few years back.
Bad service from Cube.0 -
Yep - will stay clear of them now.0
-
Good on you for highlighting bad aftersales service. We spend plenty of our hard earned cash on our passion, and when things go a bit wrong we deserve better a lot of the time.0
-
Poor show from cube, I've got a peleton race 2014 and was considering upgrading to a carbon 2015 agree c62 but that's made me think twice.0
