Specialized FAIL - please help me get in touch with the right folk

[MTBeer]

"Epic 2012 S-works - Nov 2012 I take the thing in for a pro-tune (something I do religiously after every 600km's ridden - this is also a massively expensive little gig anything between R3000 and R6000)"

 

Fork me sideways with a baseball bat. :eek: :eek: . There's one born every minute...

[MTBeer]

That's pretty much every other week for me. I would have to buy 2 bikes just to keep going!!

Ja, surely you just ride it till it's poked and buy a new bike instead.

[Helpmytrap]

IMO , you purchased a F1 racing car.... Built to be fast and in the leading edge of technology. In all industries this means highly maintenance intensive. Comes with the territory.

 

If you want something that's more durable, you should down grade your bike so you can use components that have stood the test of time.

 

Money doesn't always buy durable.

Yes. But I think the OP's issues stem from poor workmanship in the bike workshop. If the "mechanics" aren't reassembling the bike correctly (referring to his swing arm and crank spindle) then you will have an increased rate of wear and tear.

 

I can't comment on the fork issues but I still lay blame on CC Melrose.

[Red Zone]

Your style of riding may be a contributing factor, you are a big unit at close to the bike's weight limit. If you are thrashing what is essentially a lightweight cross country racer around some technical track it is going to take a beating. You may also be riding like a total monkey and just punishing the bike beyond its limits. That being said Conrad Stoltz rides one and he seems to get along ok, but the service he gets being a sponsored rider probably puts even your pro tune to shame.

[JXV]

Sorry guys... double post. Working off my phone via Tapatalk ... a bit buggy at times. Mods please delete.

[ZeroPlay]

Is the bike shop washing your bike with a pressure-washer?  Are you washing your bike with high pressure spray from the hose?  That might be part of the problem.  Doing these things will force water through seals and into bushings, causing corrosion wear and failure in bearings and pivot points.

 

Best is to brush off as much dry muck as possible with a stiff brush (e.g. a hand broom from a broom-and-pan set) and then wash with a wet cloth (warm water).  If you must apply running water, keep the pressure down and use a brush along with the stream of water to clean off muck.  Better to avoid running water completely, though.

 

Bike shops have a vested interest in spraying your bike with a pressure-washer since it will shorten the life of many of your components and you'll have to purchase new ones from them.  It's also less labour-intensive than first brushing off muck and then washing with a wet cloth.

[JXV]

"Epic 2012 S-works - Nov 2012 I take the thing in for a pro-tune (something I do religiously after every 600km's ridden - this is also a massively expensive little gig anything between R3000 and R6000)"

 

Fork me sideways with a baseball bat. :eek: :eek: . There's one born every minute...

For an average trail rider on technical trails a speed in the range 15km/h to 20 km/h means every 600km takes 30 to 36 hours. Fox fork/shock manual recommends air seal services at this frequency so I can see where the 600km interval comes in but I'm guessing the average rider goes a little further between services than that. I certainly do.

 

Would sure love to see the checklist for that "pro-tune" service to see what it entails and if justified.

[Shebeen]

wait a R3k service every 600km? that's R5/km just for servicing, I'd expect a happy ending for that rate and not a ring pulling (pun intended).

[dirtypot]

After 600km I make sure that my gears are shifting smoothly   
Costs me ten minutes of my time 

[GLuvsMtb]

I just took my Spez Stumpy FSR for its pre- W2W service (early, I know!). Total service cost is around R950 at Cycle Funatic in Durbanville and includes every possible check there is. I ordered a pivot kit as the bike has done about 200 hours on the current pivot set (I measure in hours not Km's as 600kms in Tokai does not equate to 600km at Oak Valley). I also asked to for them to send the brain and rear shock away with the command seatpost as these have done about 100 hours since its last service. Expected total cost excluding wear and tear items (chain, blades, cassette, brake pads etc) will be around R1800 to R2000 depending on whether the seatpost needs tlc or not.

[Patchelicious]

Quiet odd how faulty components and/or services get blamed on frame manufacturers?

Yeah, I had a friend sell his Epic because his Magura brakes were faulty... LOL

[Spez247]

Your problem is the "service" provider. Seems like their accounting package has the S-Works pro-tune upgrade. Went there twice with my S-Works, and when a shop battles to glue down the guard on the down tube, you know you can't expect much in the mechanical department. Very disappointing for what really is a great bike/brand. Don't give up yet on the bike, just try someone else.

[grego12]

In my experience, if there is nothing wrong with the brain shocks, don't do any servicing other than the dust seals.  Every time I had the shocks serviced according to the 'scheduled service interval', there were problems afterwards.  Now I just leave them alone unless they are giving problems

[Skinnyone]

As has been mentioned the S-Works Epic is a RACE machine intended to be stripped and rebuilt often - and it is intended for professional type athletes that weigh no more than 80kg, and although it may be rated to 100kg, a 95/97kg rider will be pushing the bike to its limits - as seen by the shock link bearings collapsing...Look at the pro's bikes at Epic, they get stripped and rebuilt after every single stage, new bearings fitted where needed, forks serviced every second day etc.

 

This is a huge problem with the local market - buying the most expensive bike/parts because" it will make me go faster" and not realizing that it is being put through much more than the designers built it for. Thus complaining about the costs of servicing such a machine is irrelevant - like buying a Ferrari and then complain that new brake pads cost R10k (for example). Also like using a Ferrari to drive off road...it can probably do it but not recommended. Yes the Epic is an off road machine but so are the Dakar vehicles, they also get rebuilt after the days stage.

 

Don't diss the brand because you are on the wrong bike - the Camber or Stumpjumper FSR are both very capable bikes and you will go just as fast on a Stumpy Expert model as an S-Works. 

 

I have worked in shops and have been face to face with guys who clearly are not "S-Works riders" i.e. fat and unfit, but because he wants to show off to his mates he tells me "I don't care what you are selling me (Camber/Stumpy Expert) - I want the S-Works".

[Skinnyone]

Your problem is the "service" provider. Seems like their accounting package has the S-Works pro-tune upgrade. Went there twice with my S-Works, and when a shop battles to glue down the guard on the down tube, you know you can't expect much in the mechanical department. Very disappointing for what really is a great bike/brand. Don't give up yet on the bike, just try someone else.

In their defense, the aftermarket replacement downtube stickers do not have the same quality of adhesive as the original ones that come on the bikes hence they often peel off after application - does not matter how you clean the downtube - they peel off...

[camelman]

Yeah, I had a friend sell his Epic because his Magura brakes were faulty... LOL

Let's not get started on those POS Magura brakes. Thats can fill another thread full of abuse.