A newbie with a Dilema.

[Whittle]

Hi All,

Hope all is well.

Thanks for accepting me to the group, i'm new to the Emtb scene and at an aging 52 i must be kinda mad after my last outing.

I do have a dilema on my hands though and hoped for some advice, i've purchase a Cube stereo Hybrid one44 EX800 bike, i do like it very much but have a niggling issue that's driving me mad.

My last run on Sunday was at Cannock Chase, bit of a warm up for Dalby in late April. The issue is the annoying drop post, the bike has been back to the shop 3 times now and it keeps dropping, i find it extremely difficult riding in the lowest position all-day, almost impossible for me anyway.

The shop first off reduced the cable length it was far too long, this failed. Second attempt they replaced the cable and re-routed everything, they said the cabling from the factory fit was not the greatest, this also failed. They have now said that they can change the post itself but would need to wait for approval from Cube warranty, although its a brand new bike. This would affect any rights i have later with the wait should it fail again.

After spitting my dummy out at the retailer i asked for a replacement bike or my money back, going out every time and the post failing is a real pain.

The retailer in fairness have accepted this but don't have any more of this paticular Cube bike in-stock, they have offered me a Trek Rail+ Gen 5 instead, the suspension seems like an upgrade but the bike is more of a Mullet setup and i'm not sure if this for me?. i usually ride trails like Cannock Chase, Dalby etc both blue and Red runs and a few local flat trails with reasonable distance, circa 20 - 25 miles just to keep active.

Do you think this is a reasonable replacement or should i request a refund and locate another Cube? i have no experience with Trek and being a newbie not sure if this would be better suited?.

Apologies for the lengthy first post, hope you haven't fell asleep by now!.

Many Thanks.

 

[Paulquattro]

Welcome to the site

 

[RustyMTB]

A dropper is an easily replaced component, rejecting a whole bike over a faulty one seems like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Can the shop not just lend you a working dropper while they deal with the warranty claim? Or if Cube are being unreasonable & demanding the whole bike for inspection, give you a demo to run around on?

They have now said that they can change the post itself but would need to wait for approval from Cube warranty, although its a brand new bike. This would affect any rights i have later with the wait should it fail again.

What does this mean? Why would a valid warranty claim affect any other valid warranty claim within the warranty period? That doesn't make any sense.

 

[copier-tunnel6n]

Which exact model of the Trek Rail+ gen 5 is it?

 

[Whittle]

A dropper is an easily replaced component, rejecting a whole bike over a faulty one seems like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Can the shop not just lend you a working dropper while they deal with the warranty claim? Or if Cube are being unreasonable & demanding the whole bike for inspection, give you a demo to run around on?


What does this mean? Why would a valid warranty claim affect any other valid warranty claim within the warranty period? That doesn't make any sense.

I agree it's a little extreme but i've been back with the bike 3 times, next time it will be the forth visit of which is an hours drive either way. It's pure frustration more than anything has led me to saying they can have the bike back. When out on a long run and it keep playing up it's really annoying.

I'm still within the 30 days from purchase to return the bike due to a fault that they are unable to fix, after this period they will fix under warranty. although they said that any replacment part needs approving by Cube. They said that Cube are not very quick at approving and it can take up to 4 weeks!.

They have agreed it's a simple thing that should be easily rectified but for some reason this appears not to be the case.

Thanks.

A dropper is an easily replaced component, rejecting a whole bike over a faulty one seems like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Can the shop not just lend you a working dropper while they deal with the warranty claim? Or if Cube are being unreasonable & demanding the whole bike for inspection, give you a demo to run around on?


What does this mean? Why would a valid warranty claim affect any other valid warranty claim within the warranty period? That doesn't make any sense.

 

[Whittle]

Which exact model of the Trek Rail+ gen 5 is it?

Hi, hope the link works.

Shop Rail+ – the full-powered e-MTB enduro bike (GB)

 

[RustyMTB]

On the face of it, the retailer sounds shonky. There's no way they won't have faced similar problems in the past & would absolutely know if a part is knackered or not. It ought to be a five minute thing to come to the right decision to repair or replace & if they go for repair, should never hand a bike back without knowing they've fixed it for the obvious reason that it just creates a further return.

Up to you but I would be tempted to contact Cube direct & set out the experience but also point out that a warranty applies from the purchase date, so separately from any 30 day return period, they should make good anyway. Cube are fine but bike shops vary which I reckon is the root of your issue.

And a Trek Rail is a great bike but it's not really the point if you've gone through the whole weighing up process & decided you want a Cube.

 

[Whittle]

On the face of it, the retailer sounds shonky. There's no way they won't have faced similar problems in the past & would absolutely know if a part is knackered or not. It ought to be a five minute thing to come to the right decision to repair or replace & if they go for repair, should never hand a bike back without knowing they've fixed it for the obvious reason that it just creates a further return.

Up to you but I would be tempted to contact Cube direct & set out the experience but also point out that a warranty applies from the purchase date, so separately from any 30 day return period, they should make good anyway. Cube are fine but bike shops vary which I reckon is the root of your issue.

And a Trek Rail is a great bike but it's not really the point if you've gone through the whole weighing up process & decided you want a Cube.

Many thanks for your help.

For sure the guys who i ride with concur, the service has not been the greatest and it should be a simple fix hence the frustration. The Cube is a nice bike and i suspect i'm probably being filled with the nonsense.

Thanks for the feedback on the Trek, at the time this was another £500 more expensive than the Cube and having a hardtail Cube in the past i decided to go that route. It runs on 29s front and back with the Trek being more of a mullet I'm not sure of the ride difference on longer less demanding trails.

Thanks again.

 

[RustyMTB]

The idea of a mullet is to make a bike a bit more agile & help with getting your arse lower without buzzing it on the back tire etc. which should be easy enough with your dropper!

I flip mine beween mullet & full 29 & tbh most of the time I don't really notice much of a difference, other people swear by them so it's a personal choice really in my experience & comes down to the kind of riding you do. techy & bike park stuff is the natural home for a mullet, trail riding less so.

 

[Ribinrobin]

If i was the shop owner id be fitting a new dropper post and then figuring it out with cube on my own. As everyone said its a simple part, obviously you dont want to or should have to spend money on a bike fault but upgrading to an afermarket dropper should rectify the problem. Surprised the dealer hasnt offered this but is instead saying about a new bike exchange.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[Whittle]

If i was the shop owner id be fitting a new dropper post and then figuring it out with cube on my own. As everyone said its a simple part, obviously you dont want to or should have to spend money on a bike fault but upgrading to an afermarket dropper should rectify the problem. Surprised the dealer hasnt offered this but is instead saying about a new bike exchange.

Welcome to the forums!

Thanks for your feedback, i agree that was my exact thought process.

Let sort the issue, replace the post if needed and any other cabling etc then deal with Cube later without if affecting the customers confidence in the product/service. I was surprised when they offered an alternative rather than upgrade the post unless there is something else underlying.

Thanks again.

 

[MeatBike]

Welcome to the site!

Sounds like a faulty cartridge in the dropper, if changing cables hasn't fixed it. I'm going to assume they checked the air pressure in it too?

To be honest, since they've offered I'd take the Trek. They're great bikes backed by a great warranty. I wouldn't let the slightly smaller rear wheel put you off.

FFIW I own a Cube gravel bike and any time I've needed to contact Cube they either ignore me or take weeks to reply. I've had a Trek too and always got good service from them (or at least fast replies to any queries as the bike itself was faultless).

 

[RustyMTB]

changing cables hasn't fixed it.

Yeah, that never would work eh. Either the cable is too long to actuate the dropper at all or it's too short so the dropper is constantly operating & it would be quite a feat to install that way in the first place. Weird of the shop to focus on that & not rule it out in five minutes flat.

Agree on Trek, they have a UK phone number that picks up & helpful people on the end, I've dealt with them a few times & they've always been pretty good.

 

[irie]

Surprised the dealer hasnt offered this but is instead saying about a new bike exchange.

That's nonsense, the dealer can very easily and cheaply replace the dropper and cable etc.

 

[irie]

To be honest, since they've offered I'd take the Trek. They're great bikes backed by a great warranty. I wouldn't let the slightly smaller rear wheel put you off.

This ^^^

Edit: take the Trek and walk away to get riding and having fun.

 

[Whittle]

Welcome to the site!

Sounds like a faulty cartridge in the dropper, if changing cables hasn't fixed it. I'm going to assume they checked the air pressure in it too?

To be honest, since they've offered I'd take the Trek. They're great bikes backed by a great warranty. I wouldn't let the slightly smaller rear wheel put you off.

FFIW I own a Cube gravel bike and any time I've needed to contact Cube they either ignore me or take weeks to reply. I've had a Trek too and always got good service from them (or at least fast replies to any queries as the bike itself was faultless).

Hi,

Many thanks, to be honest the last time it went in i left the bike with them, they had it a couple of days.
Took the motor out rerouted cables etc and took it out and about in the carpark, activated the seat several times and said it's okay. The next option would be to change the post if it failed but won't do this unless approved by cube warranty. Nonsense in my opinion, i'm sure this can be rectified far quciker and easier.

If this is the way the warrantly works i am really starting to question that the Cube bike is the right option.

Thanks for the note on the smaller wheel, never owning one and only comparing to the Cube i was not sure, we are planning on a run out in Glentress later in the year, if it's happy around there that will do me.

There are quite a few rock gardens etc on the trails we use and some are quite rutted with a fair few roots around, i suspect the mullet will be okay compared to the 29's both ends.

Cheers.

 

[MeatBike]

Hi,

Many thanks, to be honest the last time it went in i left the bike with them, they had it a couple of days.
Took the motor out rerouted cables etc and took it out and about in the carpark, activated the seat several times and said it's okay. The next option would be to change the post if it failed but won't do this unless approved by cube warranty. Nonsense in my opinion, i'm sure this can be rectified far quciker and easier.

If this is the way the warrantly works i am really starting to question that the Cube bike is the right option.

Thanks for the note on the smaller wheel, never owning one and only comparing to the Cube i was not sure, we are planning on a run out in Glentress later in the year, if it's happy around there that will do me.

There are quite a few rock gardens etc on the trails we use and some are quite rutted with a fair few roots around, i suspect the mullet will be okay compared to the 29's both ends.

Cheers.

I'm not understanding the warranty issue. You're free to change parts on a bike without affecting the warranty as a whole. For example, if you put a OneUp dropper on it but later had an unrelated frame issue then Cube would still have to replace the frame. You'd also have 2 years warranty from OneUp on their product.

I wouldn't overthink the wheel size. Most of the trails we ride in the UK were built when people still had 26" at both ends.

 

[Rockhopper70]

Apologies for the lengthy first post

This made me chuckle in the context of the subject matter. Apologies.

 

[steve_sordy]

@Whittle. Please, have zero concerns about the 27.5" rear wheel. As others have said it will give more clearance between your bum and the tyre when descending steep stuff. It also is more maneuverable on twisting trails. Due to the smaller wheel, the bike will be slightly lighter!
A 29er both ends was my first emtb (first 29er in fact). A mullet was on my second emtb and it is now my very much preferred choice. The principal reason is the lack of arse-buzz.

 

[Whittle]

@Whittle. Please, have zero concerns about the 27.5" rear wheel. As others have said it will give more clearance between your bum and the tyre when descending steep stuff. It also is more maneuverable on twisting trails. Due to the smaller wheel, the bike will be slightly lighter!
A 29er both ends was my first emtb (first 29er in fact. A mullet was on my second emtb and it is now my very much preferred choice. The principal reason is the lack of arse-buzz.

Thanks Steve for your feedback, much appreciated.

 

[Vallydtor]

Interesting thread, Welcome

 

[Bonus]

I have the Cube and it's a great bike for the price IMO. Had an issue with my dropper and it was the lever resting badly, even the slightest pinch can cause it to drop. It's an obvious thing but might be missed. I would disconnect the cable and see if it drops, if it doesn't, it's to do with the cable or lever. Definitely not worth swapping the whole bike over. Are with others the so can try another dropper, even temporarily. Incidentally, I looked at the trek also before buying the Cube, I was put off with the mullet arrangement. Good luck

 

[irie]

I have the Cube and it's a great bike for the price IMO. Had an issue with my dropper and it was the lever resting badly, even the slightest pinch can cause it to drop. It's an obvious thing but might be missed. I would disconnect the cable and see if it drops, if it doesn't, it's to do with the cable or lever. Definitely not worth swapping the whole bike over. Are with others the so can try another dropper, even temporarily. Incidentally, I looked at the trek also before buying the Cube, I was put off with the mullet arrangement. Good luck

Disagree.

@Whittle bought a new bike which by definition must be in perfect working condition. It is not, neither is it a warranty issue - the bike is simply faulty. This so-called warranty issue is a warning for any future problems. I have a 2022 Trek Rail which is 29/29 but I would buy a mullet Rail in an instant but the fact is that my over 5,000 mile Rail still works perfectly so it would be pointless chucking money at a new bike. But yeah, I would like one

Take the Trek and walk away.

 

[RustyMTB]

This so-called warranty issue is a warning for any future problems.

Is it bollocks. Any bike can go wrong at any point. It's a huge, entirely unreasoned leap to extrapolate a single fault to overall ownership.

 

[irie]

Is it bollocks. Any bike can go wrong at any point. It's a huge, entirely unreasoned leap to extrapolate a single fault to overall ownership.

It was faulty as sold. Used to be defined as "not of merchantable quality".

 

[RustyMTB]

...which has nothing to do with your previous point. It's one thing being a Trek fanboi, quite another unreasonably dunking on an entire brand because one bike surfaces with a minor fault in the hands of an indifferent dealer.

 

[irie]

...which has nothing to do with your previous point. It's one thing being a Trek fanboi, quite another unreasonably dunking on an entire brand because one bike surfaces with a minor fault in the hands of an indifferent dealer.

Firstly I am not a "Trek fanboi", but nice attempt at a smear which is obviously attempting to invalidate what I said.

Secondly, conversely what you say about "an indifferent dealer" does have everything to do with this:

This so-called warranty issue is a warning for any future problems.

 

[ZR1]

This so-called warranty issue is a warning for any future problems.

Any bike can have little niggles like this, if you are so frustrated by the shop you want to hand the bike back I'd be asking for a refund and finding another elsewhere.

 

[MeatBike]

Any bike can have little niggles like this, if you are so frustrated by the shop you want to hand the bike back I'd be asking for a refund and finding another elsewhere.

This is a good point. As good as the Trek warranty is, you still need to go through a dealer.

 

[Jan Prasil]

If the bike-shop is not driven by morons, they shall try to put any other dropperpost from their shelf into your bike and see if the problem is solved... it is a 100bucks component... and also to try the dropperpost completely without connecting to the cable to see if the cable routing isn´t an issue...
And If I have a chance to exchange CUBE for TREK with same or better components (mainly drivetrain, suspension and motor), I would take the chance immediately. Mullet setup is OK, many people in fact prefer this for e-bikes.