Reid Cycles

[Alex4pm]

Just wanted to let you all know about my experiences with Reid Cycles. About 3 years ago I bought a Reid Osprey, against the advice of all my cycling colleagues. The Osprey had the same running gear as its established competitors, but was a couple of hundred dollars cheaper. I wanted to save the money, but was warned not to, as they use cheap imported Chinese frames and they felt that they couldn't be trusted.

Despite their concerns I bought the bike, having my mind somewhat put to ease by the fact that they offered a lifetime warranty on the frame, and have been using it as my daily commute since. Around 3 weeks ago, while coming home, I felt something wrong with the structural integrity of the bike, and when I got home I noticed a crack completely through the frame. I'm glad I didn't find the crack the hard way coming down a hill at 60km/h!

All those warnings from when I first went to Reid came back into my head, but at least, I thought, I have that lifetime warranty on the frame. Alas, one thing possibly worse than their frames was their customer service. I went back and forth with them for 3 weeks before being told they wouldn’t honor the warranty. Some scratches on the handlebar, where it had fallen over about 2 years prior, were evidence of its involvement in a ‘major accident’ (even though I've been riding it without a problem for all that time!)

Anyway, I was warned and I ignored the advice. Now I have to shell out for a new bike, despite there being an obvious manufacturing fault on my current one. Hopefully, if you’re in the market for a bike, you'll take my advice and spend those few hundred dollars more .. your life may depend on it!

[AUbicycles]

Can you please share photos of the frame damage and also of the scratches.

I can understand that it can take time with customer service though it would be good to have more information on this one. I think you have a few more options however it would be useful to know more so that the members here can share advice.

One step that would make sense is to ask their customer service if they are happy with their comments / feedback / verdict are republished here. This way we can see your comments and their feedback (assuming it was online via email).





Disclaimer - Reid Cycles advertise on BNA occasionally and I have ridden two Reid Cycles bicycles for review.

[zero]

I've cracked 2 trek frames, one through the rear suspension mount at 60km/hr (trek have always been more than reasonable about replacing failed frames). My current ones noises have always been traced to suspension bushes, so its still going.

What you are describing is inherent (fatigue cracking) with aluminum frames, which is why in old discussions on this site about reid, we brought the short warranty issue and the tall gears on casual riders bikes issues to their attention.

The method that reid has historically dealt with the tendency of aluminum to fatigue crack has been to source cheaper frames made from thicker materials and thus they've sold relatively heavy frames, which is the bicycle industries historical and very successful method of producing cheaper bikes that last just as well as expensive bikes, they just don't go up hills as nicely.

ie I would expect that a cheap Chinese frame has similar lifespan to a light Taiwanese aluminum frame. To get better, would require you to find something like my teschner, which was ridiculously overengineered (scandium alloy, each tube extensively and individually drawn to perfect individual shapes etc), or possibly one of the far more recent Taiwanese frames that are extensively hydroformed.

If you show us the photos of the affected area, right around it, we'll be able to see if its fatigue cracked, if it is, then they are going to do their reputation a great deal of harm if they don't honor the warranty. Its aluminum bicycle maker suicide to not honor fatigue failure claims. A bike with minor scratches doesn't count, IMO if they are in the business of selling objects that do not stand up by themselves, its part of use that they fall over occasionally.

However, bear in mind that they and you are literally arguing about a part that had a new value of less than $100, and a current resale value of $10, ie if the running gear isn't shagged by a few years of commuting, then you need one second hand frame from ebay and either $140 or so of shop time, or $100 or so of tools, a few beers and a Saturday, ie in the bicycle scheme of things, the frame is after all, just a part.

[dalai47]

3 years of daily commuting? Sounds like you got your moneys worth from the bike...

[ianganderton]

Do Reid source their frames from mainland China or from Taiwan (known as bike island)

Almost all of the worlds aluminium bikes come from Taiwan, and there aren't actually that many factories. Giant for instance owns probably the biggest and they manufacture many different well known brands there as well as their own

I've broken a few frames in my time and I've seen lots broken

First was my steel Specialized Stumpjumper through the down tube

Next was my Aluminium S-Works Enduro through the DS chainstay

Most recently it was an aluminium BMC Trailfox cracked through the downtube

I think the title of this thread is overly dramatic especially as there has been no actual evidence provided.

Crash damage can certainly weaken a frame

One of the ways Reid will save money to keep their pricing down is but not being as generous with their customer service. You'll find brands that are very quick to replace typically are making a bigger margin/profit on each bike to allow this

Giant are a good example. I know they have a no fuss lifetime guarantee on their carbon frames and I know plenty of people who have made use of it. They make plenty of cash and know the value of good customer service

But I wouldn't buy one if I was you, by your metric they would need to be described as dangerous!!!!! As would any other brand I know of

[ReidCycles]

Hi Alex4pm,

Can you please contact Joe in our Customer Service team on joseph@reidcycles.com.au and he will assess your claim.

I can assure you we take all warranty issues seriously, but I cannot identify you from your BNA profile so cannot yet comment on this case.

@ianganderton - the Osprey referred to in this case would have been sourced from China, however we are now sourcing most (and soon all) of our mid-high range from Taiwan.

Regards,
Reid Cycles

[queequeg]

Watching this one. As above, I've busted two Trek alu frames just from daily commuting, which is why after that I switched to a frame not subject to fatigue cracking.

I am pretty sure the whole Alu frame market is built to a price point. Most people won't ever rude them far enough in their lifetime for it to ever be an issue, but for someone cranking out 10,000km+ a year, the constant flexing of the frame (in my case, both frames snapped clean through the seat tube where it meets the bottom bracket...above the weld!) will lead to failure very quickly.

That's why the warranty is important, because when the frame reaches it's fatigue limit, it will break.

[AUbicycles]

As the forum admin / moderator, I was concerned about approving this as a first post but hoped that the poster would follow-up and provide a response and photos - particularly after noting that it was damaged so that we could get a better picture.

Good to see a response from Reid Cycles - I didn't notify them though they are proactive.


Christopher

[Mulger bill]

Disclaimer: I long term tested and reviewed a Reid Harrier FG for BNA in 2012 and an Aquila about 2010.

Four weeks of sole riding on the Aquila for the review and I gave that scoot hell. Gutter jumping and potholes commuting, dirt tracks all round the place. Dropped once.
I know it's old news and things change lots in a few years but I don't think the frame would be any softer than anything else in its class.

The Harrier... Well, Chook and me are still a couple, she's still FG and is my utility bike of choice for everything bar commuting and heavy shopping. She don't mind getting a little dirty either. Various upgrades over the years. Dropped too many times to remember. No drifting boats to date

[mitzikatzi]

If i rode a $600 bike for 3 years and the frame broke. In the trash it goes wahoo new bike time.
Now if my expensive Titanium frame cracked (and they seem to quite often) then I would be annoyed.

[Top_Bhoy]

3 years of daily commuting? Sounds like you got your moneys worth from the bike...

I would disagree with the above. Though I would place the caveat here that it is noted that nothing is yet known about the rider weight, commuting distances, terrain or configuration of the bike at this time thus there needs to be some caution on what is said about the OP specific situation.

Whilst it's acceptable for consumables to need replaced eg chain, cassette, brake pads, etc,. perhaps even hubs and rims on cheaper wheelsets. However, in general, if it were me, I'd be sorely disappointed if a frame broke and needed to be replaced after only 3 years of commuting.

Whether a frame life lasting only 3 years on a lifetime guarantee gives the original owner sufficient legal right to a replacement frame, is a different question that should be in a topic on its own.

[find_bruce]

I have the opposite problem - aluminium commuter & spare, have plans for a new frame, but try as I might I have yet to kill either frame

[firemac71]

I have not long purchased a reid secondhand, approx 12 months old with very little use, will this be covered by warranty if something major was to go wrong?

[RonK]

I have not long purchased a reid secondhand, approx 12 months old with very little use, will this be covered by warranty if something major was to go wrong?

Unlikely.

Warranties are usually not transferable - only apply to the original purchaser.

[FXST01]

You could probably close this thread as the OP hasn't been back since he posted it.

Without pictures it is just a spiteful spray full of venom.

I have no association with Reid Cycles but I once knew a bloke whose name was Reid.

[bychosis]

Given the numbers of Reid bikes out there, it's not really surprising that one has broken, but it certainly doesn't sound like they all do.

I also wouldn't heed those that say a Reid bike is destined to fail, they are probably just brand snobs.

[warthog1]

You could probably close this thread as the OP hasn't been back since he posted it.

Without pictures it is just a spiteful spray full of venom.

I have no association with Reid Cycles but I once knew a bloke whose name was Reid.

Well said.
That is my assessment also.
My late dads business partner had the name Read.
Which is about as relevant as the OP's feedback without any followup.

[Mulger bill]

You could probably close this thread as the OP hasn't been back since he posted it.

Without pictures it is just a spiteful spray full of venom.

I have no association with Reid Cycles but I once knew a bloke whose name was Reid.

Well said.
That is my assessment also.
My late dads business partner had the name Read.
Which is about as relevant as the OP's feedback without any followup.

Y'know, suddenly I'm leaning hard towards consensus here. Seems like my BS detector needs recalibration...
I'm (usually) a fair go type of bloke so I'll give the OP until his post is seven days old to respond before I lock. A valid request from any member with value to add can see it reopened if needed.
A week after that, with no further input from the OP, he'll get the chop. No patience for hit and run badmouths...

Shaun

[Reid Cycles-James]

Hi all, James Reid from Reid Cycles here. I just came across this thread (even though its quite old) and felt the need to comment. The site admin locked this thread due to concerns that the original poster didn’t reply with any proof/photo’s, which gave the impression it may have been a false claim. I asked the site admin to unlock the thread so I could set the record straight and provide some facts.

I hope the following provides some insight.
I genuinely believe the original post to be false.

Since we started in 2009, rough numbers, we have produced more than 400,000 bikes. We are sold in 20 countries around the world. We offer a lifetime frame and fork warranty because we stand behind our product 100%.
In that time we have had maybe 5 genuine frame warranties. (that’s .0000125% frame failure rate)
If a bike had been damaged due to an accident, obviously that is deemed not genuine as it’s not a manufacturing fault. All brands have this policy.

In the case of all genuine frame warranty claims, all have been replaced with a new frame. If there wasn’t a replacement available at the time, we would issue a brand new bike or a full refund.

Due to our direct to the public/affordable pricing model, obviously we are more affordable than all international other brands. A common method for competitors to try and discredit this, is with quality. Branded parts like Shimano etc. Its easy to do a spec for spec comparison. So frame quality like in this thread gets questioned. So lets talk about frames.

We use 2 factories for our alloy frames. These factories are absolute leaders in the industry in terms of R&D, facilities, quality, professionalism.
They are also 2 of the biggest and most respected producers of carbon fibre frames and forks in the world.

They produce alloy frames for dozens of international brands. Below is a list of brands I have seen being made at the same factories as ours. Felt, Cube, Specialized, Norco, Avanti, Scott, GT, Mongoose, Corratec, Schwinn, Bianchi, and many more.
Some of these brands bikes get assembled at the factories in China, some frames will be shipped to Taiwan/Europe for assembly. These bikes are sold as “made in Europe” with hefty price tags.

Many people think(as mentioned in this thread) that all high end frames are made in Taiwan. This has changed dramatically in recent years as Chinese technology has improved dramatically.

Two weeks ago I was in China and drove past Giant’s large facility in China. If people think that bikes that come from China are lower quality, think again. I can’t think of any brands that solely produce in Taiwan anymore. The only logical reason to produce in Taiwan for many brands, is for export to Europe, as import duty is a lot less from Taiwan.

Sure there are low end factories in China that make supermarket/low end bikes.

However the top producers, such as the factories Reid and many international brands bikes are produced, are world class.
Every brand has different designs, however the materials, technology, equipment and workmanship that goes into a Reid frame, is the same as many international when it comes to comparable alloy frames.
I hope that information helps.

[Kronos]

This reminds of the Kogan or not Kogan debate however. Just because it comes out of the same factory does not mean its built for the same standard or level of requirement of the more expensive brand. Its a useful argument until you consider all of the facts.

[cyclotaur]

I have the opposite problem - aluminium commuter & spare, have plans for a new frame, but try as I might I have yet to kill either frame

Me too. I've owned several alu framed bikes and ridden 8-10k kms for the last 8 years. My number one bike has done over 40,000kms since 2011 over all terrain. It's now semi-retired but only because I bought a new all-road bike (not a Reid) with disc brakes.

Alu represents the best all round bang for buck and hits my budget sweet spot. Great durable rides available with decent group-set at $500-1000 less than same specced carbon models. Also I got sick of riding creaky, flexy low-end carbon frames to save less than 1 kg in weight. Lost 5kgs myself and now breaking Strava PRs all over the place on my new 10kg alu framed bike.

The Reid range looks pretty good value to me with much better specs than most big brand at the same price. A Reid Granite (CX) or Vantage(Endurance) look particularly good value. Equip either with a lighter wheelset and lose 0.5-0.7 kgs and you would go very well.

And you'd be supporting an Australian enterprise, if that matters at all.

[Reid Cycles-James]

Hi Kronos,
I'm not sure what the Kogan debate is. I assume a TV just like a bike has many specs to make up the item. Luckily in a bikes case, branded parts like Shimano, Hubs/rims/forks are easy to compare apples with apples.

In terms of a frame, you have material. In majority of frames under $1000-$1500 it will be using 6061 alloy.
In terms of our factory QC, standards, tolerances, painting lines etc, it's all done to the same high standard on our bikes as their other customers.
Tubing can be straight gauge, double or triple butted. As with all brands, Reid use a mixture of these depending on the level of the bike. No different to loads of brands.
Design is something that varies between brands but the manufacturing process Reid bikes go through is of a very high standard.
Thanks

[Jmuzz]

The post just reads as a "pay more from a bike shop" advertisment and they haven't taken advantage of a public escalation of their warranty refusal or been back.

I would recommend adding orange text admin note at the start of the original post stating the fact that unidentified poster never responded and it seems suspicious and then lock it again.

[NASHIE]

Whole thread should be deleted.

[AUbicycles]

Admin Says: Thank you again for the follow-up comments. As suggested, it is appropriate to lock this thread again.

For readers, it is important to note that original posters has not followed up and doubts have been raised by myself about the authenticity and correctness of the information they have posted .