In praise of Sabbath Cycles

[Tail End Charlie]

In praise of Sabbath Cycles. In June 2013 I treated myself to a Sabbath September after ummimg and ahhing for ages having heard the horror stories about titanium frames cracking. I eventually went with Sabbath as they are local to me and I read a good report on the internet about how quickly they replaced a frame for someone, under their lifetime warranty, when it had cracked.

I ordered the bike through my LBS (Bike Shak, Altrincham) and specced it how I wanted (mainly for the low gears I need).

For the last two years I've loved it, riding many miles, Audaxes and a couple of short tours.

But on Friday just gone, I was out riding and there was a loud crack. At first I thought my chain was on the point of giving up and carried on when the chain looked OK, but eventually I found that the seat tube and front tube at the bottom bracket had a large crack in it. I managed to limp home.

I thought now I'll find out how good the lifetime warranty from Sabbath is. Saturday morning I dropped off my bike at the Bike Shak and they said they'd contact Sabbath (who are closed over the weekend).

Tuesday I get a text, Sabbath have replaced the frame and my LBS will transfer over my kit onto the new frame and I can pick up Wednesday, which I just have done. No charge either!

That's pretty good customer service in my book. The mark of good customer service is how things are dealt with when they go wrong. Yes, I would have preferred the frame not to have cracked, but I knew the potential problems when I bought it and the warranty from Sabbath reassured me.
Thumbs up for the Bike Shak aswell.

 

[ColinJ]

That is good customer support, but it sounds like something is wrong with the design or manufacturing process if the frames keep cracking!

 

[Tail End Charlie]

That is good customer support, but it sounds like something is wrong with the design or manufacturing process if the frames keep cracking!

I dunno if "keep cracking" is right, I know several others with Sabbaths who haven't had any problems. That said, I didn't want to get into the rights and wrongs of titanium as a frame material, I knew the risks, but thought good customer service should be commented on, after all we are all quick to complain when something isn't right.

 

[ColinJ]

I dunno if "keep cracking" is right, I know several others with Sabbaths who haven't had any problems. That said, I didn't want to get into the rights and wrongs of titanium as a frame material, I knew the risks, but thought good customer service should be commented on, after all we are all quick to complain when something isn't right.

Sorry, I speed-read your post as saying that you knew of several Sabbath Ti frames cracking, rather than just miscellaneous Ti frames.

I quite fancied getting a Ti bike one day but I will carry on riding my old Al CAAD5 until something terminal happens to it. Meanwhile, Carbon Fibre is everywhere ... I like oversized aluminium but will hire or test-ride Ti and CF bikes when it is time for a replacement best bike. I'd like to see what all the fuss is about. (I don't want to ride other bikes until I am ready to replace the current one because I am happy with it for now and don't want to be lusting after something else that I can't afford!)