BubbaTex
journeyman
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 56
Loc: Austin, Texas
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If you go back a few months, you will see a post I did about the first "ding" in my Merckx Race in the chain stay. I didn't like it and knew that it would have to someday be fixed. Well, I had a minor crash in a race last month and the force of the right pedal ramming into a wall caused the chain stay to crack. Repairs take 3 months (Gita sends it back to Merckx) and they are not sending any over until about October. Ouch! 5 months w/o a bike! So, I bought a crash replacement. I got another Race in the red/black color and I am getting my old one (old, as in 9 months!) repaired. So, I'll have 2 next year! One thing I have noticed, the 04 has an all carbon steerer tube. My 03 had an Al sleeve at the fork crown that connected the fork and the steerer tube. I am probably wrong, but the new one feels just a tad lighter and also livelier. Might be that I just forgot after 3 weeks off the bike, but it does feel a little different in a positive way.
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"It is more important to do less more often than to do more less often" Ed Burke, PhD
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Smittyburger
new member
Reged: 01/29/04
Posts: 10
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Bubba ... sorry to hear about your misfortune. I send my regrets!
I'm glad to see that you received your replacement quickly. Did you get it from GVH?
Regards and happy riding,
Smittyburger
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dbrk
contributor
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 201
Loc: Finger Lakes, New York
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Let me see if I understand this: they are going to re-weld a new chainstay on this aluminum frame? There is less than a zero chance that I would ride such a repaired bike. Aluminum? On steel or ti, I could see it especially if it were lugged steel....but this? Don't mistake me, of all the TIG'd aluminum bikes out there the quality of the Merckx is really excellent, at least the ones that I have seen but I am deeply skeptical of this fix. Please tell us how it comes out.
Sorry for the mishap, that's an expensive mistake.
Best of luck!
dbrk
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BubbaTex
journeyman
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 56
Loc: Austin, Texas
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Well, I thought it was toast too, but Gita says Merckx can fix'em. Tell me a little more - does the re-weld further fatigue the Al? I am paying about $4-500 for the repair.
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"It is more important to do less more often than to do more less often" Ed Burke, PhD
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BubbaTex
journeyman
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 56
Loc: Austin, Texas
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Smitty - No, Gary basically told me to deal with Gita and just tell them I bought it from him. However, they had to run the replacement through a dealer. I did not want to ship mine to Gary and have him ship a new one to me, so I found an LBS in Houston (3.5 hours from me) that was willing to work with me (TX racers helping another TX racer). That way, I was able to drive over, have them do the prep, switch out the BB and I was back the same day. Gary is a good guy, but I will never buy another complete bike via online. A frame and some parts maybe, but not a complete bike. A "bad" front dérailleur basically cost me another $1200!
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"It is more important to do less more often than to do more less often" Ed Burke, PhD
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