HGR3inOK

FWIW, while one might propose that posting #58 in this thread was a general inquiry to the forum as a whole, it seems clear to me that I am the only one to whom it might have been specifically directed.

-HANK RYAN-
Norman, Oklahoma USA

downtube

I speak as a person with an opinion....so yes I think that is fair. You are welcome to disagree.

Thanks,
Yan

edwong3

I haven't posted in this forum in a long time but after reading this thread, I am really flabbergasted at the manner in which a couple of you seem to have a problem with Dr Yan, and just won't back off. What does he have to do with Tern's frame quality issues being the owner of Downtube? Take a "chill pill" for goodness sake!

And just for the record, I remember posting somewhere on the forum a few years back about the over confidence a lot of people seem to have for "high end" bike manufacturers, and had mentioned the story of a fellow bike club member whose Bikefriday had snapped it's bottom bracket completely off while honking it up a hill. He was lucky to not have suffered a serious injury!

Word to the wise Just because you spent $1,000 plus for your "wonder bike", does not mean it's bullet proof. Inspect those welds carefully and often, especially if it's aluminum.

Be safe out there!

mulleady

Before you start ranting and chastising others, perhaps you should be aware that it is not the done thing for one bike brand to get on another's case over a defect or bike recall. They should stay out of it. There is a huge difference expressing ones views as an individual with no vested interests and as a competitor.

As for your comment on people spending more and your warning. All brands experience recalls at some stage and some more than others. Cheap bikes are more prone to recalls (if they even bother in the first place to do that) statistically and carry inferior components.

This does not detract from the issue at hand that Tern have a problem to solve and I feel sorry for the people who have taken bad falls. I've always spoken well of Downtube to a point but I find Downtube's involvement on this thread distasteful and your rant misplaced edwong3.

Would you see anyone from Brompton, Birdy or Bike Friday getting involved here? No you wouldn't. I rest my case.

bugaboosun

The Tern Forums have been closed, again. Hmmmm.

BruceMetras

Not really closed.. just read only .. can still view the articles through 22nd of Sept..

Jfx

My 6 month old Eclipse P9 broke in half 18 months ago whilst I was cycling along a road. It was used for commuting to and from work along well paved surfaces.


I had the failed OCL welding inspected by a qualified third party before it was returned to Evans (the UK Tern dealer) and it was their opinion that the weld was not of a proper standard.


Evans absolutely refused to consider this opinion from the outset and maintained the frame had failed due to poor maintenance, despite admitting they did not have the required knowledge to comment on the quality of the welding. It appeared to me at the time that they were mostly concerned with absolving themselves of any responsibility for the accident, rather than investigating the failure with a professional, safety orientated view. After having to resort to contacting their Managing Director for a refund, I decided to put the whole sorry experience behind me. The only feedback I received from Tern at this time or since was that I should return the frame to Evans as soon as possible.


Someone at Evans didn't do their job properly - as earlier this week I received a product recall email from them advising me to stop riding my Tern and to return it to Evans as soon as possible. After phoning their help-desk, they confirmed the recall is due to a defective frame. I believe their initial refusal to consider that the accident could have been caused by a manufacturing defect may have lead to a delay in the product recall and I have reported them to Trading Standards for this.


I understand that it is inevitable that things will go wrong, but there obviously manufacturing flaws at Tern that must be addressed as these OCL welding failures are not so uncommon and span across different models.


I was lucky to walk away from my accident with cuts and bruises - but if the failures are not investigated openly, honestly and with rider safety as their primary concern, then some unlucky soul won't be walking away.

edwong3

I know this thread is rather old now but I could not ignore the reply that I got to my original post here from September 2015. First of all mulleady, I was not "ranting", but pointing out the obvious. The thread was turning into a battle ground, and the comments were becoming too personally charged. So no, the claim that I was "ranting and chastising others" is not legit. Anyone replying to my post with a negative spin practically put the spotlight on themselves, not me.

Yes, all brands can have their issues with recalls and such, but there is no statistical evidence that backs up your claim that "cheap brands" get far more recalls. Cheaper components do not last as long or perform as smoothly as top shelf one, that is true, but that does not present a safety issue unless it involves brakes that don't work properly at all.

The most significant issues that can cause serious injuries are those mostly related to frame joint failures, and that seems to be more prevalent to high end bikes due to the manufacturer attempting to keep the weight as low as possible. Less material, less weight, less strength. That comes at a price literally, and figuratively as it can compromise the frame's structural integrity. How about carbon fiber forks? Many stories abound those breaking at the most inopportune moments so I stand by my comment from my earlier post.

I grant you that no other bike manufacturers have jumped in this or other threads, but we don't know why or maybe is because they have more urgent matters to take care of rather than spending hours reading posts on Bikeforums.