Clinton H Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 I got a test bike from Spez this weekend I'm looking at changing my tall boy ,after reading this I don't think Its such a great idea .Getting back other parts but your own after a shock service and milking existing clientsfor crazy service pricing , not my idea of good customer experience .
koukie Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 I just talked to Spez in Stellenbosch, yes it is indeed the case. Chances of you getting back your suspension is slim. (back suspension). They do a complete overall of the shock so there should not be any problems. They do it this way to save time.
droo Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 I just got my suspension back from my local Spez dealer. When I got home I noticed that the rear shock that I got back was not my one. Stickers was starting to peal off and there were some other cosmetic marks on the shock as well. Phoned the shop and was told that is how it is, they cant guarantee you getting your original shock back. My shock was brand new and it went in for its first service,. I'm talking about the rear shock now. Okay I know its only cosmetic, but I cant believe this is how Spez operate. I now have no idea how old that shock is. Any Spez dealer on here that can confirm whether this is indeed the practice? If I have to choose over again, I will much rather buy a vipa. Yep, they keep a stock of reconditioned units to improve their turnaround time when they're busy. By their logic (and, I have to say, mine as well,) they'd rather give you a recon unit than keep you off the bike for 2 weeks. Forks you'll get yours back, but possibly with a swapped out damper cartridge.
Sidmouth Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 I have a 2012 Shock.I am 97KG will run it till it drops then take it in for a service, I hope I get your shock.
droo Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 I have a 2012 Shock.I am 97KG will run it till it drops then take it in for a service, I hope I get your shock. No chance of that... I only ride what I can fix myself
Singletrackroadie Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 My 2 cents.... I own a Specialized Tarmac and certainly not a hater of Specialized bikes, but owning an Epic was never on my radar purely because of the shock services. I am more than happy on my Santa Cruz. I have ridden the both the Fox Fork and Shock for several hundred hours in the UK mud and dust of SA. I kept the bike clean after every ride and recently serviced the fork for the first time (oil, seals etc etc etc). Yes there is an improvement, but maybe 10%. Do you need to service your fork every 30/40/50 hours....I doubt it, but this is a personal thing. More fear driven servicing I believe. A fork service cost me next to nothing to do on my own. I now have Fox oil for the next 10 years' services. I service my bike on my own as I will not pay a LBS to service my bike as a monkey can change gear cables, true a wheel, service a fork. I am certainly a point in case (i.e. a mechanical idiot!). I am not great with anything mechanical, but numbers. A fork service of R1500 is a number that does not add up. I am not against supporting a LBS, as I do my purchases through one, but decide when you are actually getting value for money. Specialized is ripping you off. Like all things in life, do you research as your initial purchase price is only a portion of your overall cost? If you can afford it, great - if not, well, write an angry worded letter to Spezialized HQ.
Jocklaw Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 My 2 cents.... I own a Specialized Tarmac and certainly not a hater of Specialized bikes, but owning an Epic was never on my radar purely because of the shock services. I am more than happy on my Santa Cruz. I have ridden the both the Fox Fork and Shock for several hundred hours in the UK mud and dust of SA. I kept the bike clean after every ride and recently serviced the fork for the first time (oil, seals etc etc etc). Yes there is an improvement, but maybe 10%. Do you need to service your fork every 30/40/50 hours....I doubt it, but this is a personal thing. More fear driven servicing I believe. A fork service cost me next to nothing to do on my own. I now have Fox oil for the next 10 years' services. I service my bike on my own as I will not pay a LBS to service my bike as a monkey can change gear cables, true a wheel, service a fork. I am certainly a point in case (i.e. a mechanical idiot!). I am not great with anything mechanical, but numbers. A fork service of R1500 is a number that does not add up. I am not against supporting a LBS, as I do my purchases through one, but decide when you are actually getting value for money. Specialized is ripping you off. Like all things in life, do you research as your initial purchase price is only a portion of your overall cost? If you can afford it, great - if not, well, write an angry worded letter to Spezialized HQ.I don't think I'd like to do a serious bike race on a suspension that I'd serviced myself!!
Mojoman Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 I don't think I'd like to do a serious bike race on a suspension that I'd serviced myself!!Why not? I wouldn't like to do it on parts I hadn't serviced myself!
Baaisikilist Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 I got a test bike from Spez this weekend I'm looking at changing my tall boy ,after reading this I don't think Its such a great idea .Getting back other parts but your own after a shock service and milking existing clientsfor crazy service pricing , not my idea of good customer experience . Have you lost your mind...?!Rather sell me your current TB frame and replace yours with a TB2.
amoryns Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 I don't agree with this. Bicycles are not the most technical objects in the world, and comparison to a car is definitely not appropriate. There are a select number of components on a bike, and the fact that the bike is not adequately assembled is not an acceptable point. Cars have 1000s of working parts, whereas a bike (no matter how expensive), has what, maybe 10-20. It's not that hard to make a bicycle reliable and to set it up properly. And when you're paying 80+k for a bike, I would damn well insist on that. ek stem saam top fuel...het 10 jaar gewag vir my "dream bike"....now it is just a hassle to have the damn thing
Headshot Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 My 2 cents.... I own a Specialized Tarmac and certainly not a hater of Specialized bikes, but owning an Epic was never on my radar purely because of the shock services. I am more than happy on my Santa Cruz. I have ridden the both the Fox Fork and Shock for several hundred hours in the UK mud and dust of SA. I kept the bike clean after every ride and recently serviced the fork for the first time (oil, seals etc etc etc). Yes there is an improvement, but maybe 10%. Do you need to service your fork every 30/40/50 hours....I doubt it, but this is a personal thing. More fear driven servicing I believe. A fork service cost me next to nothing to do on my own. I now have Fox oil for the next 10 years' services. I service my bike on my own as I will not pay a LBS to service my bike as a monkey can change gear cables, true a wheel, service a fork. I am certainly a point in case (i.e. a mechanical idiot!). I am not great with anything mechanical, but numbers. A fork service of R1500 is a number that does not add up. I am not against supporting a LBS, as I do my purchases through one, but decide when you are actually getting value for money. Specialized is ripping you off. Like all things in life, do you research as your initial purchase price is only a portion of your overall cost? If you can afford it, great - if not, well, write an angry worded letter to Spezialized HQ. Agree completely. I do all my own servicing but still need to skill up on wheel truing.
Lefty V Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 And yet whenever I see one, my over engineering mind plays 10,000 warning bells in a deafening crescendo. I know they work. But I just can't get over it. My engineering mind loves it - you should have paid attention in your Sterkteleer classes Armpies
Lefty V Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 The issue to my mind is not so much the service interval or the tech, it is more the fact that the cycling industry smells fat wallets and unfortunately there is enough money out there to make sure that charging thousands for a service (on something that is routine and simple when compared to many industrial applications) is not the deal-breaker that it rightfully should have been. Unfortunately some brands embody that ethos more than others
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 My engineering mind loves it - you should have paid attention in your Sterkteleer classes Armpies Oh don't get me wrong - I love the concept of a single sliding arm with enough structural rigidity to replace a dual arm design, but I tend to over engineer everything I make and as a result I just get the heebie jeebies when I think of it in place of my fork with it's 35mm stanchions. Same as understanding cantilever design. I know it works, but something in me just wants to put a supporting brace in just in case.
Jocklaw Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 Why not? I wouldn't like to do it on parts I hadn't serviced myself!I remember an incident that stuck with me when I first started cycling. The main mechanic at my LBS left their employ. The next week I saw a bike belonging to one of the LBS partners at the mechanic's new bike service centre. I guess he had no faith in his other employees!! I've picked up a few minor servicing skills over the years now, but not stripping forks or shocks. If you can do that you have ability and my respect!!
divernick Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 Reading this I am super-glad I have a manitou fork. I do the 25-hour lowers service myself in 20 minutes and pay my LBS R150 to service the damping cartridge once a year.
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