RIP Ruby Pro!

[dellzeqq]

Yup. That bright young man at Brixton Cycles spotted that my Best Babe's Bottom Bracket was a little bit loose, and suggested a service. It turns out that the BB shell had a crack in it. Cue replacement frame and free rebuild from Specialized. We'll probably pick up the replacement on Tuesday.

So, no Emsworth ride for Susie, but full marks for Brixton Cycles and full marks for Specialized, who are replacing a two year old frame without question. It's nice not to have to get in to an argument about the replacement.

It does make you wonder, though, if we cyclists and the manufacturers have entered in to a devils bargain, chasing the last gramme of weight-saving. Susie is, in the nicest way, a girly girl. She doesn't put a lot of power through the pedals, and she certainly doesn't throw it around. I put my bike through more punishment in a week than she does in a year. All speculation, of course, and there are people here who know much more about it than I do.....

 

[fossyant]

I am with you there on these plastic bikes. I'm really leaning towards Spesh if I buy a carbon. Never had issues with steel - I still thrash the hell out of a Reynolds 653 (off the peg Ribble) and a hand built for me Columbus SLX bike. The SLX being about 22 years old, the Ribble about 16 ish !

Rourke hasn't had any failed frames back in !!!

 

[Norm]

I love the Ruby, lovely looking ride and, as you say, top marks to Spesh and Brixton Cycles.

It's a bit of a concern but, then again, there's a few Spesh bikes out there and not that many reported issues. If mine can carry my (considerable) weight around the pock-marked roads of South Bucks, then I have a certain amount of confidence in them and I'm pretty sure that my LBS would give the same sort of service that you've had, Dell, which does alleviate most worries.

 

[dellzeqq]

I am with you there on these plastic bikes. !

I don't think you are. I'd never, ever ride anything except carbon fibre. I've rear-ended a van, a bus, hit potholes at close on fifty miles an hour so hard I've cracked a tooth, all sorts, without ill effect - but my frame, a C50 weighing in at over 1400g, is by today's standards, quite a heavy item. The Ruby Pro is quite a bit lighter

I take your point, Norm. I think you might be a leeetle bit heavier than Susie and you're certainly more powerful. Perhaps it's just one of those things.

 

[fossyant]

Hang on - it's a C50 .... these mass produced bikes are different.

My ideal bike is a C59.

 

[fossyant]

I shall add (my opinion as a bike nut - so take it as you wish ) , you should really have spotted that problem on any bike.

I push my bikes hard, I expect them to do what they should do, so anything not right is investigated. All my bikes have been crashed, many times.

Not being harsh,but a decent bike should not crack on the frame - you mentioned a noise - I've have had everything double checked, as I can't stand any funny noises. I am just as bad as Ianrauk, probably much worse really. !

 

[slowmotion]

Susie went up Ditchling.

Respect.

 

[dellzeqq]

I don't think there was any noise from the BB - and the movement was well under a millimetre. BC thought that the bearings had gone - it was only when they took it apart and replaced the bearings that they realised that there was something wrong with the shell

 

[Aperitif]

The bike shop served you well. Otherwise you would have come down on them like a Brix of ton.
(I was only joking in the text about the 'Ruby Tuesday' btw DZ - I didn't know it was actually going to happen!)
Important that Susie doesn't lose her bearings...

 

[martint235]

It is a bit worrying though. Susie is only a light girly girl compared to some on these forums and to crack the BB on a high end frame like the Ruby would tend to make me nervous with the replacement.

I've not felt the same about the Giant since I broke the seat tube on my old one and the fact that the replacement frame that Giant provided is a completely different (and higher) model hasn't assuaged these feelings.

Well done to BC though. I wonder what Halfords would have said.

 

[Kestevan]

A friend of mine had his Specialized Roubaix crack in the same place. Hats off to Spec, they provided a brand new frame straight away.