Goodbye sweetheart - farewell to a dead bike

Its not easy saying Goodbye to a friend. And thats what I feel about my Bowery.
Due to a frame issue, its being replaced with another frame, and being rebuilt up, under warranty.

My Bowery and I became close friends. Its sounds funny, but I know that nearly all of you get this. We've been through a lot, and I miss her. Thanks for being there when I always needed you. I hope you're recycled into another lovely bike.

New, with mods.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn137/GA2G/Bowery1_a-1.jpg

London snowstorm.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn137/GA2G/SnowStorm_London.jpg

Final journey, on a train with my Capo 5 - I'll be riding that back.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn137/GA2G/Mates2.jpg

Final resting place - awaiting destruction. Goodbye, and I'm really going to miss you.
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn137/GA2G/Goodbyedarling.jpg

meh

What happened ? Frame cracked?

lost my Mars Bar bike recently to a nasty seat cluster crack.

Nice forks, what are they

What happened ? Frame cracked?

lost my Mars Bar bike recently to a nasty seat cluster crack.

Seat cluster crack also. Luckily for me, my 440mm seatpost was very heavy-duty.

Nice forks, what are they

Standard Bowery forks. Colour as per 2008 model.

1. Frame crack
   
2. Seat cluster crack
   
   

Take a bow, old Bowery.

Are the forks up for grabs then? If so, how much for, and provisional dibs...

i have only lost one frame due to a crack. was replaced with exactly same frame for free (yeaay for warranty's).

tis sad tho.

Are the forks up for grabs then? If so, how much for, and provisional dibs...

Believe, from the thread, that the frame is being replaced not the forks.

Maybe I'm just not lucky?

Now my Capo 5 has gone back to bike heaven.

2 aluminium bikes within a couple weeks, with frame issues, near the seat cluster.

The Bowery is back, and has been duly replaced under warranty. Its the Capo's turn now.

One important difference.

CycleSurgery will do a frame warranty swap, but charge £100.

Evans do the same, but it is completely free.

When I obviously queried this, and had to call the HQ to seek redress, I was later told that the charge is standard, as a full service is done, instead of just replaceing the previous parts.

I asked, how can I pay for a full service, that I didn't ask for, or didn't want? A warranty exchange should be cost free. In the end, it was done for free, but the onus is on the customer to decline the chargeable service, and stipulate a straight swap over of parts.

I do understand where CycleSurgery are coming from though, as they wouldnt want to hand over a bike that was in a dangerous condition for example.

For a horizontal top-tubed frame, that's a lot of seatpost. I'm pretty sure I mentioned when you got it that I thought you could do with a size or two bigger.

I'm surprised CS didn't suggest this, what with the nature of the frame failure. In fact, they shouldn't have sold you it in the first place.

If it's not too late, I'd ask for a size swap too. Imagine how much more robust the seat cluster area would be with an extra 2-3" of post inserted. You've got a layback post with the saddle right back too. The whole thing is a bastard lever.

I was just about to say the same thing. You need one frame size bigger, mate.

One size up leaves real estate for a host of seatpost-mounted accessories, means unflipping the stem, gets the saddle rails a little more centred in the clamp, and probably gives a safe margin of error for the bottom of the seatpost going well beyond the bottom of the seat-tube/top-tube weld.

But I think it would handle/fit even better if it was 2 sizes up ;)

I was just about to say that. You need two frame sizes bigger, mate.

Sort of like this, but GA2G's bike would have a 30mm shorter stem, or whatever:

Compare/contrast:

I'm glad someone with a bit of clout said it. Two frames with 'frame issues'? In the same location?

I'd be taking a long hard look at how I run/use a road bike if I broke one, never mind two of the bastards.

But I think it would handle/fit even better if it was 2 sizes up ;)

I would suggest the same. He'll have to use tiny stem though...

A 90mm might do it, especially if the bars were rotated forward a little more, and the hoods repositioned, effectively shortening the reach.

Maybe I'm just not lucky?

2 aluminium bikes within a couple weeks, with frame issues, near the seat cluster.

It's not frame size, it's rider size that's the problem. I suggest a lowering of pie uptake.

Or alternatively, push the envelope - become a really fat fucker like me, buy a heavy steel bike, and laugh at the gangling, pimpled stick insects whizzing past you with ease. Whilst you wheeze and cough and plod along feeling like you're dragging a plough behind you.

I'm guilty as charged. You guys could be right, especially BMMF, who I DO remember telling me previously that I'd need a size larger.

However (and there was always going to be one of these), 2 things need to be pointed out. In the Capo photo, the representation is wrong. It was taken from a high angle with a wide angle lens, which gives the (rather false) impression of an overly lofty perch. With the Bowery, the size is a Medium, which as far as Giant's own sizing charts say, fit the range from 5' 6"to 5' 9" or 5' 6" to 5' 11". I'm between 5' 8" and 5' 9", depending on the arresting officer, or hospital intern. So, as far as Giant size charts are concerned, the bike is the right size for me. Honestly, I've hardly ever been more comfortable on any bike, as on my Bowery. The Capo is slightly bigger, and technically should be the better fit, but it has never felt as good.

Yes, I agree with you folk, that a similar problem in the same region of different frames, should be regarded with some suspicion.

The seatpost on the Bowery has always been a 440mm affair, so the shortness of seatpost, and angle of stress, should not have been the issue in this case.

I'm wondering, that is it possible, that combined with my girth, could the rock hard tyre pressures that I normally ride with, have a detrimental effect on the frames? Were they even designed for weighty blokes like myself?

Lastly, especially to BMMF. I used to ride mountain bikes with skinny tyres when I was a courier. When I eventually bought my first rat bike (700c) (£15 in Brick Lane market, back in 1989), I found that I still liked a smaller frame combined with a longer seatpost. Its appears to be a rather unhealthy habit?

EDIT:
I've included a photo of the same Capo, but from a more side-on view. It shows that the seatpost is not as extended as it appears in the wider-angled photo. In fact, the relative height of the saddle, to the top to the headset stem is exactly the same as on the photo of the blue Colnago.

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Ha Ha fat bastards should stick to steel............... like I do ;p

Murderer!

perhaps manslaughter