[Closed] Cracked Ti - Charge Cooker

I bought metal thinking it would last longer than plastic.

It probably has.

Their warranty currently says 5 years for all steel/alu/ti bikes, maybe you should get in touch with them?

A cracking weld isn't common but certainly not unusual.

I bought metal thinking it would last longer than plastic.

Glad you did some research...

Purely subjective opinion, but reading various threads like yours Ti frames do seem to crack far more than than either steel or alu (or CF), the welding environment has to be right

I've seen CF, alu and steel fork blades, but rarely Ti (which I think is more for economic reasons than any other) so longevity stats for forks would be skewed; frame stats would make useful reading tho

Can you post a picture of the defect please Barn?

^^ +1

If your the original owner get in touch with wherever you bought it from.

Sounds like a warranty job.

ti forks tend to be rather flexy, hence you don’t see many of them (you do however see ti Sporks).

All materials can break, I think only metals crack though.

Giving weight to failures based on what you've seen anecdotally online is just daft.

All materials can break, I think only metals crack though.

Nope, I had two cracks appear in a hard-ridden carbon cross bike. I'm sure someone will tell me that they were actually fractures though. Anyway...

"Giving weight to failures based on what you’ve seen anecdotally online is just daft."

I'd agree, maybe the cycle industry should release some stats, in the meantime...

Image added.

I'm first owner, definitely warranty cover, retailer contacted, poor response so far but don't want to name and shame till they've had a chance to sort.

Could have a been catastrophic failure, guess I'm pretty lucky!

Any tips on how to encourage a BIG retailer to actually get on and deal with claim would be welcome....

When my (steel) cooker cracked, which I'd bought from Evans they wanted me to return the bike to them to strip & send the frame back.

I decided to strip it myself, than leave it in a shop in pieces.

I think I had my new frame in four weeks, and rebuilt it myself.

Thanks for posting the pic Barn. If you don't mind keep us updated on how you get on.

Couriers lost bike on return to retailer.

Retailer promised to replace.

Still no bike.

Am moments away from getting legal as retailer has not responded for over a week and it’s now been pushing two months with no bike.

Any wisdom from the industry folk on here?

Did the retailer arrange the  courier or did you ?

Yeah get tough to chivvy them along, should work a treat ime.

Oh I'm gonna guess we're talking Evans here?.

Retailer arranged courier.

Resisting naming retailer till things are resolved.

If it’s who I think it is make sure you contact store and confirm they have had update from HQ/warranty dept, who in turn have had contact with manufacturer and make sure all parties chase each other.

It can often take days between contact for the three parties which, with delivery and mishaps, can compound quite quickly. If you work like a mini project manager for them you can speed up the process a little.

Should be better but seems everyone around warranty returns is challenged when it comes to speed, inc manufacturers who can also leave retailers hanging. No experience or knowledge re this manufacturer. Hope it all goes well for you.

Some industry folk here wanted an update...

Replacement bike arrived!

Charge UK were powerless to act (they don't hold stock) but their distributor came good in the end so hats off there.

Wiggle was the retailer, who came up trumps ion the end and even added some extras to maintain goodwill - top effort on their part.

For info: Yodel were the courier who 'lost' the original, damaged bike on its return to retailer (arranged by retailer, thankfully). One of their drivers may be riding a bike that's about to remove body parts by splitting in half! Instant karma?

Good to end the week on a high! Great result.

Good to hear, I had a warranty claim with Wiggle with my Charge Plug, yes it took a little time as there was no remaining stock anywhere of the bike I had returned and I didn't want an equivalent due to the new spec, nor did I want cash as I'd bought it on sale. Basically I just wanted the faulty component (the forks) replaced.

Nobody had replacement forks either, so I eventually bought some suitable replacements from a German company which Wiggle then unexpectedly refunded me for! Happy days.

Result

:):)