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Intense Warranty Experience - Not so positive

15K views 65 replies 22 participants last post by  FactoryMatt 
#1 ·
I've read about some people with positive experiences with warrantying their Intense, but that hasn't been my experience.

I got an Intense Spider 275C SL Pro from Chain Reaction Cycles (CRC) in mid-September 2017. In December 2017, while washing the bike after a muddy ride, I noticed a crack on the downtube near the bottom bracket. I don't ride a lot, because of work and travel so the bike had been ridden a maximum of 10 times in that period. I called Intense about warranty, and they told me I had to go through CRC (who are located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, whereas I'm in Honolulu, HI). I contacted CRC in late Dec, and send them all the requisite info and pictures. In late Jan 2018, CRC told me that they haven't heard from Intense, so I decided to contact Intense myself.

I spoke to Chad, who after learning about where I was located, told me that Intense would deal with me directly. Great! I sent Chad info and two patches of pictures, and he said he would hear back from the factory in 72 hours. This was two weeks ago. I haven't heard anything, and have sent two emails requesting updates.

In the meantime, I finally heard back from CRC, and this is what they said: "I have heard back from Intense now regarding your warranty claim. In this case your claim has been rejected as this damage is typical of impact damage and will not be covered under warranty. In this case Intense have offered a replacement front triangle at a price of 695.75€. If you would like to go ahead with this then please let me know your contact number and the best time to call and I can arrange for you to be charged for this."

I have no doubt that something impacted the frame (flying rock?), as this is mountain biking after all. However, it's not as if I crashed into something, and the fact that I didn't realize the frame was compromised until washing the bike means that it was something relatively minor and not noteworthy.

I'm not sure if the word I got from CRC is the same as what Chad would tell me, since Chad said that the Europeans deal with someone different. I can't seem to get a reply from Chad. In the meantime, I've had two nice rides on my 2004 Santa Cruz Blur...
 

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#2 ·
Aside from not getting back to you, I don't see how this is something that is Intense's fault. Warranties are to cover manufacturing defects, not damage resulting from riding the bike, a rock hitting the bike, or a plane falling out of the sky and landing on the bike. Whether you crashed or not is irrelevant, the bike is damaged from your use (which you admit). They are offering you a new front triangle at a discount (presumably the crash replacement price), I would take them up on that offer.
 
#3 ·
aside from not getting back to you, i don't see how this is something that is intense's fault. Warranties are to cover manufacturing defects, not damage resulting from riding the bike, a rock hitting the bike, or a plane falling out of the sky and landing on the bike. Whether you crashed or not is irrelevant, the bike is damaged from your use (which you admit). They are offering you a new front triangle at a discount (presumably the crash replacement price), i would take them up on that offer.
^^exactly^^
 
G
#7 ·
^^^Intense is not going to warranty that frame, and a rubber frame protector would not have helped much either. That looks like a solid impact from your pic...buy the crash replacement front triangle, and sell the bike. I feel for you but, it’s not Intense’s fault.
 
#10 ·
Regardless, this is a shitty situation. It must have been a decent impact to crack it.

Is it a design flaw?? Depends on how many frames have been damaged like that since Intense switched to making carbon frames. If you're part of a very small number of people that have had this issue, you're probably out of luck.

But I will agree, Intense should maybe look at extending that rubber guard. It may not have helped in this case, but it could help others.

Good luck.
 
#11 ·
Duck Farmer, I’m really sorry that your frame broke. That’s definitely a bummer! I’ve been in your situation more than once. Of the frames that I did brake like this(not Intense), they were Not covered by warranty. Working at a bike shop I’ve seen everything you can imagine come through the door. Customer holding parts of what looked like a bike in their hands or a bike with a hair line crack in the down tube from a rock strike, some of which expected to leave with a new bike because the manufacturer had a life time warranty. Unless it’s a defect they aren’t held accountable for how we use or miss use.
I hope you can get your bike fixed and back enjoying it again
 
#12 ·
Unbelievable Intense would sell a frame without better downtube protection. IMO, it's their fault for not providing a suitable guard.

However, this is just my take and plenty of bikes have been sold over the years with inadequate frame protection. I bought an '09 Trek Session 88 and all anyone would talk about was the thin, unprotected downtube. I got a carbon fiber dt guard for it, never had a problem.

However #2, this is 2018 and light, thin carbon or Al frames have been around for long enough that manufacturers don't have an excuse for selling a bike like that without proper frame protection. This is what drives my view that it's Intense's fault.

Also, the carbon in the area that was damaged should be able to take more abuse imo. There's lots of subtilities to building carbon parts and imo this is not an acceptable outcome unless the bike was rode dt-first into a boulder.

This is what separates the big guys from the small, there's no way a small company can do the same kind of job manufacturing a frame vs companies like Giant and Trek, and I don't think their quality can be duplicated easily.
 
#15 ·
I have had two carbon frames crack.
I have no doubt exactly when they cracked because it sounded like a gunshot.
There is no way this happened and you didn't notice until washing it unless it happened in someone else's possession (test ride maybe) and they didn't tell you they crashed.

I am far from an Intense fanboy - but in this case, there is no way I can look at that and not think significant impact. I can't even fathom a way that happened and it go unnoticed until washing the bike. At a minimum, I imagine it creaks when riding it.

There could be a chance someone else rode your bike and said nothing about a crash. Or something slammed into it in the garage and it was unnoticed. But this is not a case of "JRA" - and it isn't a case of a little rock did this either.

Again, I am happy to point a finger at Intense (or any manufacturer) when it seems they are doing something shady - but something is not adding up.
 
#16 ·
I'd add that it isn't like I've been reading about lots of people having this problem either, which would be a better indicator of a design issue. That does look more like an impact than a rock strike, but I guess you never know. That said, **** happens and the OP may just be unlucky this time. I wouldn't let it spook me. Any manufacturers frames can break.
 
#17 ·
I think LoneStar is right... people need to stop being paranoid. There's a clip of some kid casing a jump really badly and snapped the headtube off his Tracer T275C. Everyone was quick to say 'Intense frames break'. Give me a break. It's like me taking my Ford Escape and smashing into a curb, wrecking my alignment and suspension parts and saying Ford sucks.

duck.farmer... hopefully Intense helps you out somehow. If it did just break from a rock strike, this may be a one-off. Otherwise news of an Intense frame defect would have spread pretty quick.
 
#19 ·
I think LoneStar is right... people need to stop being paranoid. There's a clip of some kid casing a jump really badly and snapped the headtube off his Tracer T275C. Everyone was quick to say 'Intense frames break'. Give me a break. It's like me taking my Ford Escape and smashing into a curb, wrecking my alignment and suspension parts and saying Ford sucks.

duck.farmer... hopefully Intense helps you out somehow. If it did just break from a rock strike, this may be a one-off. Otherwise news of an Intense frame defect would have spread pretty quick.
Yes and then someone that was there pointed out the he'd cased the jump multiple times. A picture isn't always worth a thousand words.
 
#27 ·
As someone who has built up 3 chinese carbon bikes i always assumed the warranty was crap.
They always said somethong about riding down stairs and stunt riding voiding warranty.
Hearing all the bs about dont buy chinese carbon you wont be supported yada yada.
Full page ads bought by big bike brands warning of catastrophic failure etc. Never had any problems other then pivots needing tightening.

So when i go and spend 4x the amount
I expect to be taken care of and when the manufacturer says lifetime warranty or 5 years or whatever i expect it to be honored and not have the company try to find every loophole they can to avoid honoring it.

But not to my surprise this is not the case.
This is why i value someone like a DVO suspension or a GEMINI LIGHTS companys that stand behind their product and honor their warrantys and are willing to go beyond their warranty coverage to help you.

This is not a shot at Intense specifically this is a shot at the entire industry YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Also if your warranty only covers manufacturing defects then it is no better then a chinese warranty.
They should just call it what it is. Insurance with a large deductable.
 
#28 ·
As someone who has built up 3 chinese carbon bikes i always assumed the warranty was crap.
They always said somethong about riding down stairs and stunt riding voiding warranty.
Hearing all the bs about dont buy chinese carbon you wont be supported yada yada.
Full page ads bought by big bike brands warning of catastrophic failure etc. Never had any problems other then pivots needing tightening.

So when i go and spend 4x the amount
I expect to be taken care of and when the manufacturer says lifetime warranty or 5 years or whatever i expect it to be honored and not have the company try to find every loophole they can to avoid honoring it.

But not to my surprise this is not the case.
This is why i value someone like a DVO suspension or a GEMINI LIGHTS companys that stand behind their product and honor their warrantys and are willing to go beyond their warranty coverage to help you.

This is not a shot at intense specifically thia is a shot at the entire industry YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Also if your warranty only covers manufacturing defects then it is no better then a chinese warranty.
They should just call it what it is. Insurance with a large deductable.
They do honor the warranty for the most part, maybe people need to read instead of assuming what's in them.

There's a warranty F150's so based on your logic Ford should cover this right?

 
#30 ·
What we have are alot of companies touting their warranties and using them to sell product. But when you read the fine print it is all on their discretion whether or not to honor it.

Race face come to mind here with their lifetime warranty carbon rims they have been bragging about.
But the fine print clearly states it is entirely up to their discretion.
So basically its worthless.

Go look at Santa Cruz rims warranty that is a legit lifetime warranty that covers things that will happen WHEN YOU ARE USING THEM FOR THE INTENDED PURPOSE.

There is a difference between a hard landing and or casing a jump and a catastophic crash.

I consider a crash to be what Minaar did at EWS a few months ago and broke his frame in half.

Casing a jump is what happens when you ride hard and the frame is designed to withstand it. If it doesnt then that is manufacturing defect. IMO.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=18s&v=5gSC9-7_-Fg
 
#32 ·
Go look at Santa Cruz rims warranty that is a legit lifetime warranty that covers things that will happen WHEN YOU ARE USING THEM FOR THE INTENDED PURPOSE.
I think you need to go reread it.

Lifetime Frame Warranty
Santa Cruz Bicycles will repair or replace at its option any frame it determines to be defective.

No-Fault Replacement
Santa Cruz Bicycles will make replacement frame parts available to the original owner at a minimal charge in the event of a crash or other non-warranty situation for the life of the bike

Hmm pretty much Intense did for the OP.
 
#33 ·
Yes and how and what a company determines to be defective is the point.

Intense rethought the situation after seeing this thread.

Originally they wanted 695 euro not 275.

The op had to fight and claw at intense cs to get a fair shake.

What santa cruz considers defective and what other bike companies consider defective seem to be 2 different things.

Goes back to the movie Tommy Boy.. a warranty is only as good as the company standing behind it or in alot of cases not standing behind it.

As far as this conversation i am done.

I will be selling my Recluse frame and buying a Bronson.

I wanted something different but the same i guess. Didnt want to look like the other 100k i see riding Bronson Hightower. But at the end of the day there is a reason they are so popular.
And at the end of day my piece of mind is more important then a badass paint job that Intense does so well.

Peace.
 
#35 ·
Yes and how and what a company determines to be defective is the point.

What santa cruz considers defective and what other bike companies consider defective seem to be 2 different things.

Peace.
You don't have a ****ing clue since you don't work in the Warranty department of any company.

You do understand being shot is an impact, guess you'd expect a free frame if you put a bullet hole in it. Such a moron.
 
#42 ·
"When i buy a 7k mountain bike i am buying the equivalant of a professional Trophy truck not a phucking Ford Raptor."

you gotta admit this is a good point....

once more.. anybody have advice on best downtube protection for the carbon Spider? :)
Except not a single trophy truck come with a warranty and they break all the time while being driven within intended use.
 
#44 ·
I'm not looking for a debate of what "really" happened or didn't happen but that type of tape your friend suggests isn't going to stop your frame from cracking in a major impact collision that others are *implying* was the case with your bike. I know you stated otherwise.

That tape offers protection from smaller rocks, branches and standard MTB related debris. There are 1000's of people here on MTBR that put it on all their bikes, especially since carbon became so prevalent. I'll be adding a pre-cut kit from Invisiframe to my new Tracer next week.
 
#45 ·
I'm not looking for a debate of what "really" happened or didn't happen but that type of tape your friend suggests isn't going to stop your frame from cracking in a major impact collision that others are *implying* was the case with your bike. I know you stated otherwise.

That tape offers protection from smaller rocks, branches and standard MTB related debris. There are 1000's of people here on MTBR that put it on all their bikes, especially since carbon became so prevalent. I'll be adding a pre-cut kit from Invisiframe to my new Tracer next week.
I agree, shelter tape isn't enough. It's good for areas that are likely to see smaller rocks vs the bottom of the DT, where larger impacts are much more likely.

I use shelter on the upper part of the DT, bottom + top of fork legs, couple other small areas and 3M clearbra over most of the rest of the frame.

IMO, it's well worth it to put extra effort into protecting modern carbon frames.
 
#47 ·
I don't agree.
You see what you are buying and you buy it.
If you don't need a skid plate, who wants to pay extra for it?
If you ride in an area that needs a skid plate, you buy one.
If you don't buy one and bash your frame, it isn't a warranty issue - it is a 'you didn't set your bike up for where you are riding' issue.
If you think a bike should have one from the factory, buy one that has it from the factory, otherwise just buy one aftermarket. There are options out there.
 
#50 ·
Nope. I don't think the buyer has to design and build pedals either.
I guess we should ***** about that too...
But everyone needs pedals, not everyone needs more DT protection.

There are aftermarket options for down tube protectors - buy one if you need one.
The problem is clearly not rampant... how many people on MTBR are claiming this is an issue?
 
#57 ·
This is my last post on the subject. In the end, Chad sent me the new front triangle, but there was not the extra protection that he had promised. I emailed him about it, and got a reply from Chappy that Chad had left Intense. I told Chappy about my issue, and he said he tried to make me something but wasn't able to. I hope that in the future, the Spider will have better protection (like what's on their other bikes). In the meantime, I'm just going to see when the frame breaks again.
 
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