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This is a bit long winded but if you have time to read I'd like to hear some thoughts on what you wold do.
My LSB fits a Highline. I go pick the bike up and notice the post when down is still showing about and inch of travel. Push it down and it rises on its own back to the same spot. Quick msg to LSB and I'm told it will free up. 30 mins or so into the first ride it starts to not lock out and drops as I sit on it or extends fully when I push it down I try 3/4 more rides over the next few weeks but it never frees up. Back to my LSB he speaks to CB UK telling them there is a problem with it. He is told to fit a new cable and if that does not work send it back for them to look at it. I pick the bike up and head out for a ride and the nothing has changed. It works for a bit and then starts to mess around. I try a few more rides but it still takes 3/4 goes to lock out and when fully down it would rise again on its own plus it would not lock out at any point of travel. So back to the LSB as I feel I gave it enough time to start working and for him to fit a Fox dropper and remove the Highline. I asked him if he would send it back for a refund as it never worked right and I'd put the money to some new wheels.
Here is where things gets messy, at some point the dropper has got a very very small chip in the stanchion. Post sent back and CB have raised the issue of the chip and saying item is damaged and its a no go. So now my LSB is in an argument with them saying the post was never working and they knew already about it. So we are at a stand off. I'm down the money of owning a faulty item that never worked right, I gave it a good go at getting it to work before I gave up. This has been going on for 5 months and post removed from my bike over a month ago. I even said to my LSB I'd take vouchers from CB to see if that would help.
So what would you do NOW? Hold your ground saying it was never working or take it on the chin?
PS Post was bought before CRC was giving them away and cost me £260
Your first port of call is your LBS. If they've accepted that there was a fault then it's up to them to resolve it, whether they get support from Crank Bros/distributors or not.
OK so a few things...
1. What on earth is an LSB...? Is it like LSD but half as strong?
2. Crank Bros Highline posts can be a right pain in the arse to setup, and I've experienced a few play up within a few rides too. The good news is that Crank Bros warranty is cast iron and runs for 3 years from point of purchase.
3. Crank Bros Highline posts run a sealed cartridge system, the small chip in the stanchion may mean the post is no longer cosmetically 100%, but they wouldn't be looking to replace the entire post anyway, they would replace the cartridge with a brand new one and send back to your LBS for them to fit to your bike. Cosmetic blemishes happen, sadly its part of MTBing, but I've never heard of a warranty being refused because of this!
4. Don't know who your LBS is but I do know that people who work for both ExtraUK (Crank Bros importer in the UK) and Crank Bros themselves do use this forum fairly regularly. Sounds like there's some crossed wires somewhere!
5. What you paid for it is immaterial, you have paid for goods that are supposed to work correctly. It's almost certainly not the LBS' fault it isn't working, but it is their position to put it right one way or the other. They have (or should have) the support of the distributor and the manufacturer here too. The LBS owes you either a working seatpost, or your money back here, simple as that really!
Yea sorry was a long day yesterday. LBS and thanks for the reply.
Sounds like you also need a new LSB as much as a new post. Sending you out the door twice without checking it was working properly isn’t on
Id just accept the fixed post from CB, they are a really nice post to use. Mine has been great for the last 18 months, and as mentioned its got a 3 year warranty.
Tldr, but going by title, I wouldn't use anything from Crank Brothers.
Well I did not not have much success with my CB Highline, after 18months a lot of faffing and emails between Evan@crankbrothers, Extra UK and bike discount... a replacement cartridge, new spring mechanism I finally got a full refund from bike discount.de.
Never again
I have one of those posts. It is very picky about setup and cable routing. Personally I think it needs a stronger spring in the locking mechanism. I may try to sort mine when I next try fitting it to a bike.
Don't know what is wrong with the OPs post but I suspect the LBS didn't set it up so it worked in the first place.
I had one work faultlessly for a year.
However it took a lot of effort to set up. After I spent hours and hours and failing setting it up I wrongly assumed the cartridge was at fault. I then took it to my LBS who then spent another hour fiddling with it before succeeding. Apparently if the two arrows which you need to line up at the bottom of the post are a fraction of a mm out then it won't work correctly.
My highline was exactly the same after initial install, wouldn't drop all the way down, would creep up about 10mm. It did seem to disappear during rides after some proper use, but would come back when the post hadn't been dropped for awhile. After a few months I stopped noticing it and have noticed recently its stopped doing it.
Interested as I have one of these posts, hopefully won't happen but good info to have.