Cannondale Trail SS...
 

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Cannondale Trail SS - framebreak, warranty chances and potential replacement

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Hi,

Gutted! Found out while changing my BB yesterday that my frame was well-cracked on the drive side stay. Really loved this bike it converted me to the joys of single speed.

frame break

trail ss

Spoke to a Cannondale dealer who said they were happy to send a claim over to Cannondale as I have the warranty. Any experience of claims with Cannondale?

Cannondale don't make a SS 29er frame anymore so no idea what they might offer.

Assuming I have to replace my frame with something else (and that this is a beloved hack in the budget park outside the pub end of spectrum) what frameset would you recommend? Doesn't have to be SS if cheaper and convertible.

My left over bits will be a 29 single speed wheel set and a BSA BB and cranks.


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 9:43 am
 Del
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Do they do a short travel xc frame with iscg tabs? You could use a chain guide as a tensioner if they do, or a BB mounted one if not.

If the dealer is on board I'd see your chances as pretty decent.


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 9:52 am
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didn't they stop making those about 10 years ago? I'd wait until cannondale respond before making new bike plans, "lifetime" warranty isn't always "lifetime" or it is but the operating window for aluminium isn't that long in warranty world. Hope this turns out to be not the case though


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 10:07 am
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+1 on see what Cannondale say first, that's an older frame I think.


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 10:09 am
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https://www.cannondale.com/en/warranty

suggests that for xc:

"Lifetime of the original owner."

but will be surprised if there's not some push back


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 10:10 am
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Fantastic bike. I suspect you are out of luck on warrenty.
Mine got nicked. Sob.


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 10:12 am
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Maybe the Cannondale people will have seen the absolute mess Giant made recently and do the right thing. Meanwhile I'm just putting the tines to rights on this pitchfork.


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 10:29 am
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They were fairly popular and pop up regularly on marketplace and ebay. Keep
an eye out, you may get a replacement for sub £200

I've got one too, great bikes once you hurl the cannondale ebb into the North Sea.


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 11:34 am
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You didn’t strip all the components off the frame yourself did you 😉


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 12:31 pm
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Gutted for you - I had the light blue coloured one (think maybe the year before or after yours) with a Bushnell EBB. Great bike - shouldn't have sold it.

I badly cracked a Jekyl - CracknFail Cannondale were fine with warranty, I even stripped the Fox40's and 10ft long seat post off it myself. It was fairly new and unlike the SS I ****ing hated the Jekyl.


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 1:47 pm
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You didn’t strip all the components off the frame yourself did you 😉

that's just the ebb unit out to replace a serviceable part - seems to be covered in the handbook they sent

(but i get your point)


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 1:48 pm
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I've only had to test the Cannondale warranty once, but it was back in 2004 so may be very different now.

I wore through a chainstay of one of their caad5 frames with my foot. Didn't expect it to go through, but shop were on board, and a new optimo frame arrived after about a month, as they were just going through a frame change and had no stock of my size to replace it with.

If they're still like that, you may be fine


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 4:41 pm
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I’ve got the all black (with white decals) one hung up in the garage sans wheels.

Size medium - if you don’t have any joy with the warranty then shout, might be tempted to part with it (to keep the wife happy with the N+1 situation! 🤣)

Andy


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 4:59 pm
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appreciate the offer @andysmiff1 but need a large


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 5:12 pm
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No worries!

Hope it all gets sorted! 🤞🏻


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 5:27 pm
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You can get PF30 pushfit eccentric BBs so that adds a lot of frames to the 'singlespeedable without a tensioner' list. (although I'd go careful with lightweight full carbon bikes as they work by clamping across the BB shell faces) I'm running a Problem Solvers one but its discontinued, when it goes I'll replace with a Rideworks one I think. Wheels Manufacturing also do one.


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 6:24 pm
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cheers @spooky_b329 - good info!


 
Posted : 05/02/2023 6:30 pm
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Progress update, LBS (and Cannondale dealer) have heard back from Cannondale who asked me to bring it in so they could asses this wasn't crash damage etc. But no commitment/comment on warranty, yet.


 
Posted : 10/02/2023 4:10 pm
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I had a great outcome on a Cannondale road frame claim - the internal cable guides were badly aligned and the cables actually carved a groove in them.

Cannondale did not have any cosmetically identical frames but without any quibble gave me a replacement in a different colourway.  Frame was returned bare to them for inspection, the bike had replacement components and non-Cannondale servicing - yet they still sorted me out.

Weirdly on this the dealer I bought it from wouldn't help at all (Evans Cycles post the Ashley takeover), but another Cannondale dealer I had never used before would.

Needless to say not only did I buy another Cannondale but I also used the alternative dealer, vowing never to use Evans again.


 
Posted : 10/02/2023 4:24 pm
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Good news OP, sounds like you might well get a decent outcome


 
Posted : 10/02/2023 5:35 pm
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Result! Though the folks at Cannondale consider this a wear and tear break they are making a good will gesture of providing me with a new Trail frame. (not SS but I'll make do with some sort of tensioner solution)


 
Posted : 16/02/2023 4:04 pm
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Excellent news there- thanks for feeding this back. I've just bought a Dale so this is really good news, especially after the Giant bike debacle


 
Posted : 16/02/2023 4:40 pm
 Kuco
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Good result.

I had a Cannondale CAAD3 frame crack at the disc mount years ago and Cannondale warranted it without quibble.


 
Posted : 16/02/2023 4:56 pm

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