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Dent (possible depression) in brand new carbon frame

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Dent (possible depression) in brand new carbon frame

Old 03-23-15, 11:57 PM
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As has been stated above, this looks like an 'in the making defect' not after the process. This defect should have been seen by a long list of people at the factory, from the worker on the mold, the paint sprayer, the finishers, then finally quality control. If not by them, then by the people who received it at the store you bought it from.

If the bike was stated as new with defects, I'd let it go. If it was not, then I'd be chasing it up. Yes, maybe it was clearance, but this should have been stated and you should have been told. I wouldn't be happy with it and you are not, so ask for a replacement or some extra cash off the sale.
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Old 03-24-15, 04:26 AM
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I find it suspicious that the only 51cm frame within 100+ miles had a visible divot in the finish on the top tube.

Being an old close-out model, it may be difficult to get it replaced. Please keep us updated with developments.
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Old 03-26-15, 12:10 PM
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I finally got an answer from Cannondale, Nick told me to bring my bike to a local Cannondale dealer to get it checked. The bike shop owner though, told me that the defect was too small to begin with a frame check, saying that there's too much chance that it gets back negative, everything fine on the bike, but so much time wasted for it. He took the exact same picture as I did in OP, and sent it to I don't know who, who must be qualified to understand what this dent needs, probably a Cannondale specialist. He then told me to take my bike home again, as he would contact me soon with updates. Right now I'm waiting for updates, I brought the bike to the shop on tuesday.

Originally Posted by alcjphil
My friend who had problems with her Cannondale dealt with Cycles Rossi in Lachine and was quite happy with the way she was treated. Of course in her case she lives less than 1 km from the store so it was convenient to get to, she could even walk there if necessary. However she was less impressed with the rep from Cannondale, said it was like pulling teeth to move him into action. Normally, in order to honour a warranty a replacement frame would be shipped to the dealer, who would swap the components over from the old frame. Then the old frame would either be destroyed or shipped back to the distributor by the shop. This all depends on the policies of the company. Cannondale would not ship a frame directly to you
Yes that sounds like what the LBS owner told me. He was quite positive with it, yet surprised of this dent being on a still unridden bike.

Originally Posted by Bezalel
Any dealer can handle warranty work. In this instance the original dealer has less of an incentive to cooperate because there may be the risk of them losing the sale.
Makes sense to me!

Originally Posted by migrantwing
As has been stated above, this looks like an 'in the making defect' not after the process. This defect should have been seen by a long list of people at the factory, from the worker on the mold, the paint sprayer, the finishers, then finally quality control. If not by them, then by the people who received it at the store you bought it from.

If the bike was stated as new with defects, I'd let it go. If it was not, then I'd be chasing it up. Yes, maybe it was clearance, but this should have been stated and you should have been told. I wouldn't be happy with it and you are not, so ask for a replacement or some extra cash off the sale.
Yeah, if it's only a cosmetic problem I wouldn't mind as long as it doesn't reduce the value of the frame, if I ever want to sell/ trade/ dispose of it in any way (which I think is unlikely to happen, but I can't predict what I'll want to do in a few years)... I could then ask for a bit of cash return, which would equal the value loss caused by it.

Originally Posted by CliffordK
I find it suspicious that the only 51cm frame within 100+ miles had a visible divot in the finish on the top tube.

Being an old close-out model, it may be difficult to get it replaced. Please keep us updated with developments.
It seems suspicious to me too... How many chances there were that the only one left would have a defect? It's a bit weird but I'm getting used to bad lucks haha.

The LBS owner was quite confident that if it needed to be replaced, since there aren't any 2014 Synpase 6 in stock anywhere, that I would get a 2015 frame. He said he's seen some frame replacement for less than that, for frames of a few years old. I think Cannondale aren't really nervous with warranty issues since they sell out all of their bikes and must not have many returns since, I still think, they make great products.

I will keep you up to date during the next day! I will call the shop on next monday if I don't get any feedback until then.
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Old 04-08-15, 10:13 AM
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I talked to the LBS owner this weekend and he told me he had no news about it but would call me this week. I think I will call today.
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Old 04-08-15, 11:03 AM
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I won't say anything too new, but maybe put this situation into a bit of perspective: carbon fiber composite frames (and components in general) command a premium price. That implies also a premium finishing and QC. If I paid $150 for a steel frameset, and it had that dent in it, I would not complain. But if I bought a $850 carbon fiber frameset, you can bet your sweet fanny that I would complain! Out of principle, if nothing else.

There is also the fact that I could not get that nagging feeling out of my head, that something evil could happen to that bike - with steel, titanium and aluminium frames I know I would receive plenty of advance warning before catastrophe strikes. I know your bike is probably OK, but I also know myself.
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Old 04-08-15, 12:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Guizmo
I talked to the LBS owner this weekend and he told me he had no news about it but would call me this week. I think I will call today.
Don't give up, the local streets are drying up and I even saw a street sweeper today, a sure sign of spring in Montreal. If only they could start fixing the holes in the street. Some of the streets in the west end of the city look as if they were hit by a combination of bombs and earthquakes. A combination of potholes and frost heaves
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Old 04-15-15, 01:30 PM
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Originally Posted by wroomwroomoops
I won't say anything too new, but maybe put this situation into a bit of perspective: carbon fiber composite frames (and components in general) command a premium price. That implies also a premium finishing and QC. If I paid $150 for a steel frameset, and it had that dent in it, I would not complain. But if I bought a $850 carbon fiber frameset, you can bet your sweet fanny that I would complain! Out of principle, if nothing else.

There is also the fact that I could not get that nagging feeling out of my head, that something evil could happen to that bike - with steel, titanium and aluminium frames I know I would receive plenty of advance warning before catastrophe strikes. I know your bike is probably OK, but I also know myself.
That's the same thought I've had. First it's to make sure I won't die, second it's for the principle since this bike value is so high and it's the first time I buy something that expensive... A steel frame wouldn't have made me doubt that much about it.

Originally Posted by alcjphil
Don't give up, the local streets are drying up and I even saw a street sweeper today, a sure sign of spring in Montreal. If only they could start fixing the holes in the street. Some of the streets in the west end of the city look as if they were hit by a combination of bombs and earthquakes. A combination of potholes and frost heaves
Yeah the island is actually in a terrible state for its streets... But I'm living on the south shore and I've seen people riding all day when I was working this weekend it was killing me!
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Old 04-15-15, 01:33 PM
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I've got this whole story fixed guys!

Well not as much as I would have liked it... The LBS and Cannondale talked to each others, Cannondale called the store that sold me the bike, etc. ONLY with the pictures the LBS took and sent to Cannondale.

Ended up that Cannondale told the LBS that there was nothing wrong with the dent, the structure is solid and it won't be a danger so I can now ride it.

I'm still not that confident though... I don't know, I wish someone could have done a frame test or anything. But well, I will ride it and if it breaks I guess Cannondale will have to respond of it in front of a judge eh. (Kidding, unless I get my whole face broken)

Thank you guys for all the answers on this thread!
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Old 04-15-15, 01:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Guizmo
I've got this whole story fixed guys!

Well not as much as I would have liked it... The LBS and Cannondale talked to each others, Cannondale called the store that sold me the bike, etc. ONLY with the pictures the LBS took and sent to Cannondale.

Ended up that Cannondale told the LBS that there was nothing wrong with the dent, the structure is solid and it won't be a danger so I can now ride it.

I'm still not that confident though... I don't know, I wish someone could have done a frame test or anything. But well, I will ride it and if it breaks I guess Cannondale will have to respond of it in front of a judge eh. (Kidding, unless I get my whole face broken)

Thank you guys for all the answers on this thread!
Eh, as a last resort you could ask Cannondale to send YOU a written statement, and not just get an oral confirmation like "yeah, you know, Cannondale told us, so ....". In case you do faceplant, or worse, it will be much better to have that statement, than just the word of a LBS dude.
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Old 04-15-15, 03:23 PM
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Originally Posted by wroomwroomoops
Eh, as a last resort you could ask Cannondale to send YOU a written statement, and not just get an oral confirmation like "yeah, you know, Cannondale told us, so ....". In case you do faceplant, or worse, it will be much better to have that statement, than just the word of a LBS dude.
Yes, I would ask for written confirmation from Cannondale that your frame is perfectly sound and not settle for anything less. They have no more proof of its condition than they could get from your picture. I wonder how eager they would be to give you a written statement like that.
Personally, I think that they are trying to get rid of you with minimal effort

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Old 04-16-15, 08:31 AM
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Originally Posted by wroomwroomoops
Eh, as a last resort you could ask Cannondale to send YOU a written statement, and not just get an oral confirmation like "yeah, you know, Cannondale told us, so ....". In case you do faceplant, or worse, it will be much better to have that statement, than just the word of a LBS dude.
Originally Posted by alcjphil
Yes, I would ask for written confirmation from Cannondale that your frame is perfectly sound and not settle for anything less. They have no more proof of its condition than they could get from your picture. I wonder how eager they would be to give you a written statement like that.
Personally, I think that they are trying to get rid of you with minimal effort
Yeah I think you guys are right, I will ask that to the customer service.
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Old 04-16-15, 01:08 PM
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Everyone seems to consider it to be a cosmetic flaw. It runs parallel to the tube, so the risk should be minimal. Does it have a hole that allows water in? But I think it is time to accept that it is there.

Had you seen it before buying the bike, you might have been able to get the store to knock off some additional bucks, but you had already travelled quite some distance to buy THAT BIKE. Would you have left empty handed? Nonetheless, you didn't discover it until you got home, and chose not to return the bike.

A few days ago someone posted a picture that had a paint chip on the hinge of a steel folding bike, and my thoughts was to just get some factory touch-up paint and touch it up. I'm not sure why one would consider the CF bike as any different, or needing to be flawless. Value, of course, is different, but a bike should be ridden.
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Old 04-16-15, 01:15 PM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
Everyone seems to consider it to be a cosmetic flaw. It runs parallel to the tube, so the risk should be minimal. Does it have a hole that allows water in? But I think it is time to accept that it is there.

....Value, of course, is different, but a bike should be ridden.
+1, all this unnecessary todo about a barely visible cosmetic flaw. Even the worst case scenario it wouldn't be a safety issue since seat stay failures remain rare, and are not likely to lead to a crash.

Put it out of your mind and ride and enjoy the bike. If you cannot put it out of your mind, fill and touch it up with some paint, then go see a hypnotherapist for help forgetting about it.

If you ride this bike long enough it'll soon accumulate a decent number of dings and this one will be among the least of them.
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Old 04-16-15, 02:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Guizmo
Yeah I think you guys are right, I will ask that to the customer service.
Take the following as a purely "just in case" type of advice: If/when you do receive that written confirmation from Cannondale, tell your spouse or partner about it and where you put it.
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Old 04-16-15, 03:01 PM
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Originally Posted by wroomwroomoops
Take the following as a purely "just in case" type of advice: If/when you do receive that written confirmation from Cannondale, tell your spouse or partner about it and where you put it.
I've got none at the moment but I will tell my roommates! (Just in case that I don't make it back home that is huh? Haha yeah...)

But I wonder how I can get such a paper in the first place, I've sent a message to the customer support, but maybe they'll just be like "wtf are you talking about?" because this particular person won't have heard of the story, etc.
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Old 04-16-15, 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
Everyone seems to consider it to be a cosmetic flaw. It runs parallel to the tube, so the risk should be minimal. Does it have a hole that allows water in? But I think it is time to accept that it is there.

Had you seen it before buying the bike, you might have been able to get the store to knock off some additional bucks, but you had already travelled quite some distance to buy THAT BIKE. Would you have left empty handed? Nonetheless, you didn't discover it until you got home, and chose not to return the bike.

A few days ago someone posted a picture that had a paint chip on the hinge of a steel folding bike, and my thoughts was to just get some factory touch-up paint and touch it up. I'm not sure why one would consider the CF bike as any different, or needing to be flawless. Value, of course, is different, but a bike should be ridden.
Yes of course, the only thing I wanted to know was that I wouldn't get hurt from riding it. At the moment I'll get on the seat I'll have forgot about it 100%.
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Old 04-16-15, 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Guizmo
I've got none at the moment but I will tell my roommates! (Just in case that I don't make it back home that is huh? Haha yeah...)

But I wonder how I can get such a paper in the first place, I've sent a message to the customer support, but maybe they'll just be like "wtf are you talking about?" because this particular person won't have heard of the story, etc.
First of all let me preface my post with this: I think i am getting a bit irritated because I think that either the LBS or Cannondale are trying to pull a fast one on you. At the moment all you have is a he-said-she-said. I.E. you're no smarter than you were at the beginning of the whole adventure. IF the LBS has spoken to Cannondale then they would have no problem getting a written statement from Cannondale that the dent is indeed inconsequential and the frame is as good as new. If you don't get that statement, then either the LBS or Cannondale are being greedy, or lazy, or both.

The advice about letting the next of kin know where that statement is, if/when you get it, is in the unlikely but not impossible case that ding really does cause a crash in which you die or are so brain-injured that you don't anymore remember that you even have that statement. And that statement could then mean a lot for the people who would care for you, or would stay behind.
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Old 04-30-15, 01:06 PM
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Originally Posted by wroomwroomoops
First of all let me preface my post with this: I think i am getting a bit irritated because I think that either the LBS or Cannondale are trying to pull a fast one on you. At the moment all you have is a he-said-she-said. I.E. you're no smarter than you were at the beginning of the whole adventure. IF the LBS has spoken to Cannondale then they would have no problem getting a written statement from Cannondale that the dent is indeed inconsequential and the frame is as good as new. If you don't get that statement, then either the LBS or Cannondale are being greedy, or lazy, or both.

The advice about letting the next of kin know where that statement is, if/when you get it, is in the unlikely but not impossible case that ding really does cause a crash in which you die or are so brain-injured that you don't anymore remember that you even have that statement. And that statement could then mean a lot for the people who would care for you, or would stay behind.
Yes I understand the importance of letting people around me know where that statement is. I'm waiting on an answer from the Cannondale Service... Otherwise I will call myself their Montreal office or go there myself.
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Old 04-30-15, 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Guizmo
Yes I understand the importance of letting people around me know where that statement is. I'm waiting on an answer from the Cannondale Service... Otherwise I will call myself their Montreal office or go there myself.
Cannondale is very unlikely to have an office in Montreal. I don't know how distribution is handled in Canada. It may be a brand distributed directly from the US. All you would be likely to find locally is a sales representative. This often results in the sort of slow warranty support that you are experiencing
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