Bicycle Mechanics - Campy warranty on hub over 20 years old?

The short version: I broke a 20-year-old Campy Record hub. I posted about this on the C&V forum, and one respondent suggested that Campy would warrant the hub, even after all these years. Is that true?

Details:
I have a rear Campy Record small-flange 36-hole hub that I bought in the mid-eighties, and used lightly since then -- the hub might have 2000 miles on it, or even less. Laced 3-cross, straight-gauge spokes on a Mavic G40 rim. At some point (not recently), I dropped the chain into the spokes while riding, can't remember it well, so the outside spokes were a bit scarred behind the freewheel. A couple weeks ago, I was riding to work when I heard a pop that I thought was a stone. I continued riding awhile, and then noticed a wobble in the rear rim. When I looked closely, I realized that the drive-side flange had broken out across two spoke holes. The funny thing is that it actually broke at the inside spoke, not the outside one, where the piece of flange was still attached.

I've now disassembled the wheel, but I did take photos, and I have all the parts.

i doubt they have any of those hubs anymore. Best bet is to piece out your hub on ebay.

Lock nuts, cones, axle, QR. People will buy the locknuts because they are date stamped and many collectors try to make their bikes period correct to the year.

I doubt if Campagnolo will replace your twenty year old hub under warranty.

Campagnolo products from model year 1998 and earlier came with a one year factory warranty. Products from model year 1999 and later came with a three year factory warranty. Warranty service and help with technical questions is available from Campagnolo USA in Carlsbad, California USA. Phone: (760) 931-0106.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/CampagnoloWarrantysm.jpg

Almost all warrantees cover original manufacturing or material defects and not user inflicted damage. I'd say the likelihood of Campy covering damage that you already have admitted that you caused is zero.

For what it's worth, identifying hub damage caused by "dropping the chain into the spokes", as you say, is obvious to anyone who regularly looks at these things. When you "drop the chain into the spokes" you also, by definition, drop the chain onto the hub flange. If you damaged the spokes, then you also damaged the hub. They are going to see that the hub was damaged by the chain and was not an original defect. This is probably the number one cause of rear hub flange damage and is easily prevented by having your rear derailleur's low limit properly adjusted. On a road bike, there is really no reasonable excuse for this happenning, short of a crash (crashes not covered by warrantees, but sometimes by crash insurance such as Mavic's MP3 program).

Even if your wheel was brand new, this type of damage would not likely be covered under any warranty, unless crash insurance/coverage is implied. Take the time and read some warrantees from almost any products and you'll find that what I say is almost always the case.

Your warranty period is long since over and Campy doesn't have a stellar reputation for customer service anyway so I expect your chances of having the hub replaced at no cost are slim to none.

For the price of a phone call to their California office you could get the official word but don't expect much.

Fact is, no one is going to have a warranty replacement in stock any more. I know there is nothing that old listed on any Campagnolo price list or clear out list (I mean Campagnolo, Italy). The hub is also slightly outside the warranty period so they might not be all that inclined to go the extra mile for you, here.

You can still probably finds a replacement shell from an on-line auction site or store or, as someone else suggested, you could part your hub out through the same channels.

I'd be tickled pink to get 20 years of service from a purchased item. Consider yourself lucky and move on.

Thanks for all who gave advice without passing judgment, esp. Scooper. I'm not whining, really! Just wanted to know. I not planning to sell the leftovers, but will look for a Record hub shell to get things going again.

Thanks for all who gave advice without passing judgment, esp. Scooper. I'm not whining, really! Just wanted to know. I not planning to sell the leftovers, but will look for a Record hub shell to get things going again.

It might me cheaper to buy an entire hub. Then you'll have extra parts. Good luck


Tim

I'd be tickled pink to get 20 years of service from a purchased item. Consider yourself lucky and move on.
The OP didn't exactly get "20 years of service" since he said the hub only has 2000 miles on it. He got 20 years of ownership which isn't quite the same thing. :p