ironhanglider

Hello folks.

Does anyone happen to have a copy of a 2001 Cannondale Owner Manual?

A mate of mine (Jon) has a 2001 RT1000 tandem which cracked in the right chainstay just behind the bridge. He says that it has only had light usage, none of which was touring which the bike is supposed to be designed for. The bike has not been ridden for the last 4 years and the crack was discovered when I serviced the bike prior to him lending it to a vision impaired mate of mine for an event.

Jon sought a warranty claim with Cycling Sports Group (who bought Cannondale not too long ago), however they have rejected the claim by quoting the words of the current warranty and saying that the expected life of a frame is 5 years.

The current warranty clearly says that fatigue is normal wear and tear and that it is not covered by the warranty. The logical conclusion is that if you actually ride a Cannondale it is not covered by warranty in the event of frame failure.

I believe that the current warranty is not relevant because Jon bought his bike with a ‘lifetime warranty’ although he can’t recall the exact details. It would be helpful to confirm what the actual words of the warranty say.

This is sad because I remember when Cannondale had a really good reputation for honouring warranty claims. I did a little research and actually found references to fatigue in their sales material from the late 80’s where they specifically stated that fatigue was factored into their designs and was covered by their “100% Guarantee”.

Clearly somewhere along the way they have gone away from reliability (toward performance?) and have adjusted their policies to limit their liability.

If Cannondale does get around to producing their rumoured Chinese tandems, the warranty is clearly not going to be a reason to buy one.

If someone does happen to have a 2001 Owner Manual, could you please confirm whether the wording of the warranty mentions fatigue, and if it is considered normal wear and tear?

Cheers,

Cameron