zoridog

I have recommended Bacchetta bikes in the past based on good experiences. My recent experience has caused me to rethink this opinion.

My Giro 20 was fine for me. No adjustment needed after the purchase. My riding buddy wanted to give it a try so we adjusted the seat to accomodate his size. Well the seat struts have an inner and outer tubing with holes drilled through both sides. They must line up to function. After adjusting the seat, I pushed the "grenade pin" into the outer side and couldn't get it through due to the holes not lining up. This is a manufacturing defect. I tried to pull out the pin but it is stuck.

I go to the dealer and the building is now a Chinese Restaurant. No dealer so I email Bacchetta. That was 5 weeks ago and they haven't responded at all! I have a $1600 bicycle I can't ride because it is now sized for a taller rider. I have no dealer support and no company support.

The only company in the world that makes the part I need is unresponsive. Keep this in mind the next time you buy a bike. Buyer beware.

atombikes

zoridog,

You have probably already tried this, but it seems that if the pin is stuck, you should be able to relieve some of the pressure on the pin by pulling upward on the top portion of the seat strut, then pull the pin out?

zoridog

Yes, tried that and a few other things. I'm at the point where I should drill out the holes or just cut the strut and replace it. I just don't want to do either until I know a replacement is available.

yangmusa

Silly question maybe, but have you tried phoning them? They have a toll free number: 1-866-364-9677.

I just ask because I had trouble getting in touch with a different manufacturer. After a week with no reply to my email I phoned them up, and it turned out they were having trouble with their email. They gave me an alternate email address and I resent my original email. This time, prompt response!

CATZ

Why don't you just cut the PIN off and move on? ... not the strut! The only thing so special about the pin, is that it's aluminum. You could have chewed it off in 5 weeks! Write or call the bent dealer in State College, PA. I'm sure he can fix you up with an exact dupicate, if you need one.
https://www.rbr.info/

As an after thought, why don't you just remove one or both of the screws at the end of the strut and remove the strut to see if the pin can't be extracted?

BlazingPedals

Loosening the seat clamp might relieve the pressure or tension on the seat strut, so you can get the pin out.
If it's any consolation, the grenade pins are probably the least appealing things about my V-Rex, too. They rattle and they wiggle. I'm considering putting a small bolt with a nylok nut in the struts to replace the pins.

nedgoudy

I think the real lesson here is
to not let other people 'f' around
with your bike, or ride it!

Call Bacchetta, they'll tell you what to do.

Trsnrtr

I once owned an Aero (and a V-Rex) and the Bacchetta (or RANS) seat struts are not exactly the most elegant design. Then again, crap happens and as others have mentioned, re-emailing or calling the toll free number should yield a solution. In the meantime, cutting the pin, as suggested, and inserting a bolt works fine. many people replace the grenade pins with bolts anyway after they find their optimum position.

rcsting

I cant imagine waiting 5 weeks with a bike that you cant ride without possibly picking up a phone to call them yet you have no problem trashing them on a message board. Not trying to pick on you but geez waiting 5 weeks is crazy.

Ric

If you're looking for a dealer who deals direct with Bacchetta Call (813) 737-3001 Power On Cycles in Plant City Florida, ask for Mark and tell him the problem. He may have a fix right there at the shop or he can call the guys at Bacchetta direct and have you up and running in know time. He also has a web site at https://www.poweroncycling.com/

sch

Bacchetta has a rep for being responsive to owners. Are you familiar with the yahoo Bacchetta group?
www.groups.yahoo.com You have to register (trivial) and search for Bacchetta or Bacchetta bike/bicycle and the group should pop up. The company owners and several major dealers are regulars on the site. Try that approach for future reference. Strut failures have occurred on occasion and replacement parts are available. It is a bit of a hassle to deal with a company that is dealer oriented when the nearest dealer is in another state. Closest to me IIRC is Atlanta. There is also a forum on the company website www.bacchettabikes.com under Community.
Steve

CATZ

It seems to me that this whole thread has taken on a complexity way beyond the original problem, of pulling the pin out of the strut. How complicated or technical could that be? Why are we talking about a 5 week timeframe, rather than a 5 minute timeframe? Why would the factory and engineers have to be consulted to rectify this? Could the designers have really made the seat adjustment much easier or foolproof? It really seems to me, to be more on the same level, as pulling your finger from a donut hole.

oilfreeandhappy

Cutting the pin off may work, but if the holes don't line up, he'll just have the same problem again, even with a bolt. I've had my bent for only 4 days, and I've already had 5 different people ride it, and each required a movement of the seat. I would not settle for having positions that couldn't be used, because of misaligned holes.

CATZ

Well, you see, I've recently had experience with the Bacchetta seat and struts. Due to the method I used for mounting my seat, it can roll on the frame, when not tightened. While there isn't anything wrong with either the pins or the struts, if I allow the seat to roll, while adjusting the strut, it will twist the strut, so as to create a mis-alignment from the holes on one side to the other.

ChiliDog

Geez, call Hostelshoppe if nothing else and they can overnight you some new grenade pins. They sell them for a few bucks.

As for getting the darn thing out, use a pair of pliers, a hammer, or pull up on the seat strut and "work it". Been there, done that with genade pins on RANS bikes. Bust the pins if you have to.

(If the pin was placed in the exterior tube hole UNDER the inner strut's end, when the guy sat down on it he probably bent the pin and it's jammed. Lesson: Be sure to insert it in the hole in the inner strut as well.)

markw

Bacchetta is very responsive. Have you tried thier site? They have a forum also. Like someone mentioned, it's probably not in a hole in the inner strut and now is bent. Emails do get lost, have you tried picking up a phone and calling? The guys at Bacchetta have to deal with a ton of spam, and well, the easiest way to deal with that is to mass delete, and they will occasionally mismark a non spam as spam and delete it. It's a toll free number, and they'll hook you right up. Bad mouthing them on a forum isn't going to get you anywhere, and just irritates people like me. I read your post and thought, there's a whiner that can't do anything for themselves, they haven't even tried calling. "I emailed them 5 weeks ago and haven't heard back, I didn't try to contact them in any other way, or re email them, they're just a bad company, whaaaa...." <- that is what your post translated to for most of us, at least for myself. So, pick up the phone, call them, or look on their website and find another dealer and get your bike fixed. Sounds like you really like the bike, and this is a _MINOR_ problem that is keeping you from riding it. Heck, just unbolt the strut, and use a punch to drive the bent/broke pin out, then install a 5mm bolt/nut.

zoridog

I had my voicebox removed (Laryngeal Cancer) last year. I have since gotten a direct email contact at Bacchetta.

zoridog

I took off the strut and still can't get the pin out. I'm not concerned about the pin, it's the strut that has the problem.

zoridog

Thanks.

zoridog

If they sent me a strut, I would have posted a recommendation rather than voicing frustration. I don't think you understand the problem.

zoridog

I'll either get a new strut from Bacchetta or get the holes drilled out. I'd rather not drill in case I want to sell it someday.

zoridog

THANK YOU OILFREEANDHAPPY. YOU UNDERSTAND! THANK YOU!

zoridog

SO THIS IS DESIGN PROBLEM? MAYBE WE SHOULD GET THE ENGINEERS INVOLVED

zoridog

AHHHHH. SOMEONE WITH A FINANCIAL STAKE IN BACCHETTA. I KNEW POSTING ON THIS FORUM WOULD BRING YOU OUT!

How would someone without a company association know how much spam they receive and how they handle it? Irritated by a forum posting? Don't lose sleep over this thing... I didn't call yours a bad company.

Mike Wolfe is on TEAM BACCHETTA (I wonder what the relationship is there ).

zoridog

If you are considering a Bacchetta, keep this in mind:

1. I've had problems with the seat. Others have had seat problems as well and they fix it themselves. Expect problems and expect to fix it yourself.
2. Don't send emails, customer emails are treated as spam.
3. You have to wonder why so many people claim Bacchetta is responsive to problems. Problems must be fairly common.
4. Any critics of Bacchetta will be slammed by a poster or posters who may not be forthcoming about his/their association with the company. Don't let that form your opinion of the company employees. I'm sure they will treat you with professionalism when they represent themselves openly .

I have made contact with this company. I'll let you all know how it turns out.