[DerJoop]

Hi all,

I am from Germany. Sorry for my bad english, I hope I have posted this at the right topic?!

Here my problem:

I ride the Specialized Big Hit Expert, bought in may 03. I am not a pro, I go out for freeride only at the weekend, mostly one day a week.

Now its 3 month ago, my technican noticed that my ?????? (oh damn, dont know the english word for it - the pice of frame, where the fork comes through, the part for the headset, you know?) is ?deflected?, so you can take off the case of the headset by hand. Normaly you cant do that, you need tools for it. Even to install a new case, you can press it in by hand, without power or problems.

He is a certified Specialized dealer and said to me that this is the first time he ever has seen it. It cant be (normaly)!!!

After a phone call with Specialized in Netherland, Specialized is nobly to send my the new frame 04, but I have to pay 50% (450,- euro) of the price!!

It cant be, or am I wrong?

The frame is only one year old, I remember the garanty of more than 9 month!!

They say I would have used it in a wrong may. HAHAHHA, how to use a dh bike in a wrong way?! I do not drop off houses or 6 meters!

The headset which is installed is the headset which comes with the bike, I never changed it. If Specialized isnt able to built bike which you can ride in a normal way, the should think about their commercial.

I am very disappointed, because I have to pay 450,- euro for the frame but I dont have it, so I have to quit biking because of the fair traiding of Specialized!!!!

Please dont misunderstand me, I like it much (thats why I ride one), I would buy it again (if I had the money) and I would say every friend that its the best bike I ever rocked, but it seems, they are not interessed in that.

I hope you can help me, perhaps Specialized USA can help me?!

Would be great if you can post your meaning.

Best wishes

Connor

 

[binary visions]

Wow, look at that.. Someone who is still learning English, but punctuates and structures sentances better than most of the board. I'm impressed.

What you have is an ovalized headtube, and unfortunately, it happens sometimes. Even worse, is that a lot of frame manufacturer's won't cover it under warranty. Often it's a sign of a significant amount of abuse to the bike. A loose headset can also cause it.

Yours may very well have been caused by normal riding - and that stinks, sorry it happened. But it's not the first time I've talked to someone whose bike isn't under warranty for the ovalized headtube - there's probably nothing you can do. At least they're offering a crash replacement bike to you - 50% of the cost isn't too bad. Perhaps a credit card? Or perhaps your shop would lay out the purchase price and let you pay it back - if you didn't pay, they could always sell the frame, since it would be purchased below their cost.

Good luck!

 

[DerJoop]

Hi,

thanks, but I am still learning

Hm, thats exacly the problem I do have, "ovalized headtube". But why isnt it warrenty? Its a part of the frame, it has do bear a lot of shocks and energy, so why cant they built frames which are stong enough for it? I cant understand.

Next time Specialized create a frame, which can handle all the shox. They sell out DH bikes, but you can only ride to the ice-shop next corner, but please dont ride down a little step or over a rock, the frame could break.

Isnt it ridiculous? I could laugh myself to death..

Is that the way Specialized is thinking?

"ok, our frame costs 1500,- euro (dont know how much in USA) and we illustrate our customers that they can drop 10 meters (seen on their hp last year, do you remember the pic of the drop?!), but if you ride it a little bit like it is used to, it will fall into pieces. But pssst, dont tell them its a secret"

I could....dont know what I could..... :mumble:

Greez

 

[binary visions]

Well... This isn't a particularly large problem with the BigHits, and it certainly shouldn't have happened, but a possibility could be that you had a loose headset. That will cause ovalization very quickly.

There are a lot of Big Hits around, even in my relatively small town, with huge forks on them that take a large amount of abuse, and most of them are fine.

Ovalized headtubes happen occasionally, even on really good frames. It's too bad they aren't willing to warrenty it, though.

 

[Pedalist]

I broke the swing arm on my Big Hit. I was riding a trail called Windrock in Eastern Tennessee USA. I got home and was almost proud that I broke it!! Well I gave it to my dealer and called up Specialized. They said the same thing, "Our bikes do not break from normal riding only abuse!" I heard the man say it on the phone. The only thing Specialized would do was sell me a new lower swing arm for 50$ which is such crap. I switched from them to Santa Cruz and have never had a single problem. You may want to check out Banshee bicycle they have a no questions asked replacement. You could run over it with a car and they would replace it. www.dropn'zone.com carries those bikes I do alot of bussiness with them. Tell them Stu Pidasso sent you. That is my nickname. Tell him your story and I can guarantee you will get your bike below retail. I am really sorry about your frame.

 

[Echo]

Binary Visions pretty much nailed it, not much more to say.

Except welcome to the board

 

[DerJoop]

@Pedalist
thanks very much, do the deliver to Germany?

Ah, sorry for my question again, but the headtube is a ***part of the damn frame. I DO have a WARRENTY of 5 years. So, where is the ***problem with that?

I dont have a monster, only the junior T in it.

They should think about it, if I tell all my friends about the traiding, some (perhaps one) wont buy a Specialized, perhaps a Santa or a Banshee, the lost for Specialized would be bigger....

Dont know... ink:

 

[binary visions]

You may want to check out Banshee bicycle they have a no questions asked replacement. You could run over it with a car and they would replace it.

Okay, this is very misleading. What Banshee has is a no questions asked CRASH REPLACEMENT policy, just like Specialized is doing. This means they sell you the part you broke for a lot lower than retail - just like Specialized selling the frame for 50% of retail.

What Specialized is doing is very common, a lot of companies have policies like this. It's too bad that they won't warrenty it, but you're asking them to have a bike that won't ever fail. All company's bikes fail. Even the appallingly overbuilt Banshee Scream breaks. It doesn't make it a bad bike, it just means you had some bad luck. Don't give up on Specialized simply because they didn't replace your frame no questions asked.. Think about how many idiots they get that call 'em up after dropping their bike off a cliff, and say "I was just riding along... Can I get a free frame?"

 

[Echo]

The problem for you is that Specialized is a huge company, and now that they have made their decision they won't change it. Maybe you could have gotten lucky and the first person your dealer talked to would be nice, but it didn't happen. They will never listen to threats about telling everyone their company sucks... if they gave in to those threats just once, everyone would be trying it

 

[DerJoop]

Think about how many idiots they get that call 'em up after dropping their bike off a cliff, and say "I was just riding along... Can I get a free frame?"

LOOOL

 

[Pedalist]

I broke the swing arm on my Big Hit. I was riding a trail called Windrock in Eastern Tennessee USA. I got home and was almost proud that I broke it!! Well I gave it to my dealer and called up Specialized. They said the same thing, "Our bikes do not break from normal riding only abuse!" I heard the man say it on the phone. The only thing Specialized would do was sell me a new lower swing arm for 50$ which is such crap. I switched from them to Santa Cruz and have never had a single problem. You may want to check out Banshee bicycle they have a no questions asked replacement. You could run over it with a car and they would replace it. www.dropn'zone.com carries those bikes I do alot of bussiness with them. Tell them Stu Pidasso sent you. That is my nickname. Tell him your story and I can guarantee you will get your bike below retail. I am really sorry about your frame.

 

[binary visions]

I broke the swing arm on my Big Hit. <snip>

Did you intentionally make this post twice?

 

[JRB]

Most peeps don't warranty ovalized head tubes due to the reasons they get messed up in the first place. The biggest offender is too big a fork. I have a friend with a big hit and he ride a shiver. The loose headset could go unnoticed for some time. Particularly with a nice big plush fork. (this is a guess) Any how - specialized is really good about warranty and if they think it is due to over use, they could be right. Cool on them for the crash replacement. Yeah it sucks when it is you that broke it, but they can't say they will never break. Oh and pedalist, good luck with Santa Cruz when your frame is 3 years old holmes.

 

[jmvar]

Hey DerJoop,

Have you tried to install a deep cup headset like the chris king steel set? I know there are other companies that make them but Chris King is the first one that came to mind. You might want to try one of these before giving up on your frame.....

good luck...

 

[Zark]

Hey DerJoop,

Have you tried to install a deep cup headset like the chris king steel set? I know there are other companies that make them but Chris King is the first one that came to mind. You might want to try one of these before giving up on your frame.....

good luck...

A steelset (or any deep insertion HS) is useless on a Big Hit, the headtube is internally relieved, so the extra long sleeves would not add any support to the frame.

Check your headset regularly & get a headlock.

Specialized warranties manufacturers defects, not lack of maintenance by the consumer. Crash replacement is the best deal you can get.

 

[DerJoop]

Hey DerJoop,

Have you tried to install a deep cup headset like the chris king steel set? I know there are other companies that make them but Chris King is the first one that came to mind. You might want to try one of these before giving up on your frame.....

good luck...

Thats something somebody told me before. It seems to be logical, but isnt it the task of the Speci-manufactors to solve the problem?

It sounds like we have to do their job.

The king steel set costs 200,- euro, that is much more than a normal does.

You go out to buy a bike, you take the Speci, which is completely constructed.... At home you have to kick out all the **** parts, so the frame wont break or fall into pieces.

Hmmm, do I think as wrong, as I think I do ????


@Zark

???? should I or should I not?

Greez

 

[JRB]

I repeat - it really likely is not specialized's fault. It is not their job to make sure it is properly assembled or maintained. That is your's and the shop's responsibility. Don't turn it into a specialized bashing thread. No one here really knows what happened. Apparently you do not either.

 

[Zark]

@Zark

???? should I or should I not?

Greez

Skip the Steel set, your frame is a lost cause.

 

[BurlyShirley]

I actually can think of 2 other BigHits offhand that went down with ovalized head tubes.

 

[binary visions]

I actually can think of 2 other BigHits offhand that went down with ovalized head tubes.

...out of how many sold? Any headtube can ovalize. It doesn't mean that it's a chronic problem.

 

[BurlyShirley]

...out of how many sold? Any headtube can ovalize. It doesn't mean that it's a chronic problem.

I dont have numbers, Im just saying its not an isolated problem set to germany alone or something. Ive known maybe 10 riders with bighits and 2 that I know of ovalized. So there, there's an anectdotal 20% failure rate for ya

 

[JRB]

I dont have numbers, Im just saying its not an isolated problem set to germany alone or something. Ive known maybe 10 riders with bighits and 2 that I know of ovalized. So there, there's an anectdotal 20% failure rate for ya

I only know one person with one and his is not ovalized. That puts them at 100%.

Where's Cooter??? He rides the wheels off of one.

 

[Repack]

Warantees are usually phrased, "Against manufacturing defects." In most cases, ovalized headtubes are. like had been already said, the result of rider or maintenance errors. A Steelset should solve your problem, but you will never get it out. We did this for a person that did the same thing. The only problem with putting a steelset into a Big Hit is that it will expand into the vent holes.

 

[BigHitExpert]

Assuming your bike is stock, the fork is unlikely to be the problem that caused the ovalization. In fact, any DC fork will be fine on a BigHit. Much more likely a loose headset. The stock headsets that come with a built BigHit are garbage. I upgraded mine to an FSA Pig... low maintenance, solid headset. CK deep steelsets are known to fix ovalized head tube's, although i'm not sure if this works specifically on the BigHit. With your crash replacement option, does the new frame include the Manitou 4-way Swinger shock? Would be a nice upgrade over the 03 Vanilla RC

 

[Repack]

Oh yeah, forgot to say earlier that Specialized says that the Big Hit has the strongest headtube of any frame that they have ever made.

Also, when you headset goes loose, it is like you are hitting the frame with a hammer. Not only do you have you weight/inertia coming down on the bike, but the fork is being accelerated into the frame. Instead of the suspension sofening the blow, you end up with metal banging on metal. Not a good thing.

With any bike, one of the simplest things you can do is to pick up the bike, drop it, and listen for rattles. Riding on loose bearing surfaces is one of the worst things that you can do to a bike/component.

 

[DerJoop]

I dont want anyone to hate Specialized, ok?

Again, I am not a pro. I dont want to know how often this problem arises if you ride like pro or if you are pro. Do you have to buy every month a new frame? I hope not!!

By the way, I am 170 cm high and my weight is 72 Kg, thats nothing. What is if my weight would be 90 kg, or more??


@BigHitExpert

The frame only....

Greez

 

[binary visions]

By the way, I am 170 cm high and my weight is 72 Kg, thats nothing. What is if my weight would be 90 kg, or more??

Well, again, the point here is that you seem to be assuming that this is some kind of widespread problem that happens over and over again to everyone. Everything breaks eventually, this just happened sooner than usual. Just a fluke. Happens to the best of us.

I'd try to work out getting that frame that Specialized offered, whether it means borrowing a little money or putting it on a credit card - where else are you going to get a frame for 50% of retail value?

 

[Transcend]

Hate to break it to ya, but it is basically your fault that it ovalized. You most likely had a loose headset, this is not covered under warranty. Make sure all of your parts are tight before you go ride.

 

[DerJoop]

Hate to break it to ya, but it is basically your fault that it ovalized. You most likely had a loose headset, this is not covered under warranty. Make sure all of your parts are tight before you go ride.

Thats the simplest way to say its out of warrenty. How to prove this? My steel set is tight every time .

So, dear Specialized, whats up now?

Greez

 

[JRB]

How to prove this? My steel set is tight every time

If this were the case, your head tube not being ovalized would have been proof.