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Getting my frame swapped under warranty after some recurring issues and the company (online only) has offered to swap over the components from my old frame for £160. I mostly do my own spannering, quite enjoy it, and was planning to just do it myself but I've never done a full bike build / component swap before. However, I've done pretty much all of the tasks involved individually - is there anything obvious I'm missing from the list below that would make stumping up the cash the better option? I'm assuming it's a like-for-like frame but if it isn't that may change things.
Fit shock
Fit BB (pressfit, so may need a new one)
Fit drivechain/cranks
Fit Reverb stealth (it has the connectamajig so shouldn't be too fiddly)
Fit headset cups (I have a press)
Fit fork (if like-for-like nothing should need cutting)
Fit bars/stem
Fit gear cable and index
Fit brakes (rear is internally routed but it's a faux-internal routing with a cover that fits over the downtube)
Fit wheels (I'm assuming they'll be sent back as they were sent in, i.e. no need for fitting discs etc)
Did you buy a frame and are getting that replaced? If so that seems reasonable, if a little pricey, but I say go for it yourself, building your own bike is really satisfying and it sounds like you know what you are doing.
If you bought a bike and are getting one bit changed, albeit the frame, that should include the labour of doing it IMO. I might be tempted to get them to do it in this case so any compatiissues become their problem
Plan to fit new cables and bleed everything.... Avoids disappointment when your has air in it!
If you bought a bike and are getting one bit changed, albeit the frame, that should include the labour of doing it IMO
Yes, a bearing kept coming loose in the seat stay - they replaced the stay twice but the third time it happened they took the frame back for inspection and emailed on Friday to say they were replacing the whole thing. It's a 3 year old frame and it'll be roughly a month without it from sending it in to getting the new one (they quoted ~2 weeks on Friday) so it's pretty reasonable timeline-wise.
I guess I could push for them to do the swap for free, but tbh I kinda see it as the cost of using an online-only retailer. However, if it turns out it's not like-for-like once it arrives in the UK I'll definitely push for replacement/fitting of any bits that no longer work with it.
Do you have the rest of the bike or do they? I'd probably decide based on that.
I'd do it myself but there maybe some things that don't go smoothly, will they supply all the correct shock bushings and any necessary spacers/washers etc?
Do you have the rest of the bike or do they?
They've got the full bike - I did ask if they really needed everything, but they said they did.
I’d do it myself but there maybe some things that don’t go smoothly, will they supply all the correct shock bushings and any necessary spacers/washers etc?
If it's like-for-like then the current bushings etc should still be compatible (hopefully!).
Is there any warranty moving forwards? At least if they fit all the components then that is maintained, some seem to stipulate that the work needs to be done by trained/qualified mechanics..
Like for like I'd usually be happy to do the work myself but £160 to know its all done properly/everything fits is fair imho.
Is there any warranty moving forwards?
There should be, total warranty period is 6 years from purchase. The email doesn't say anything about it being invalid if work isn't done by a qualified mechanic but it's definitely worth clarifying that with them.
potentially disappointingly quick to do, unless youve got to route in internal hoses and cables.
A friend of mine snapped his new (second hand) frame on the first descent of Nant Yr Arian at uni.
We jumped in the car, razzed back home, swapped the frame over to his old frame and were back at Nant within an hour.
you dont need to remove the stuff from the bars or even the front wheel from the fork, for instance. loosen the stem, knock the fork out and chuck it straight onto the new frame. (he had a headset on the old frame already tbf)
Then what? Rear wheel, move the rear brake, mechs, cranks, with pedals still attached.
If you want to take your time and strip all the components off individually, then a bit longer, i guess.
They've already done half the work, to be fair... Swapping components from an old to new frame would take under an hour, easy. So £160 per hour labour seems pretty steep!
Probably more effort for them to package all the (now removed) parts and post everything back safely......
Probably more effort for them to package all the (now removed) parts and post everything back safely……
Yeah, it does seem like stripping the components will be the more time-consuming part which they'll have to do even if I'm building myself!
If it was me, I'd just let them get on with, and hand over my credit card collect my bike and forget about it forever. They'll do all the work, make sure everything works, and I just wheel out the bike.
On the other hand, if you like doing that stuff (I don't particularly) and you're confident you can do a good job, then why not?