Recently bought a Specialized Roubiax pro and although it rides like you would expect a carbon frame with a longer front-center with a little more trail and wheelbase than the usual competion bike, the fabrication quality of the frame looks like something turned out by amateurs in someone's garage.
You can actually see the mold part-lines in the top tube and the gusset between the top tube and the head tube looks as if it was an after-thought. There is no blend at the fillets at all.
I sent the first frame back to the manuf because it was so bad that everyone in my shop was laughing at the cosmetic grunge. So, they graciously sent me a second one. And, guess what---- it was a slight improvement on the first but Wong Foo (they are made in Taiwan) and the boys still don't have the technique quite down yet. Which is ok---practice makes perfect but a word to management----YOU DON'T SELL YOUR CRAPPY PROTOTYPES AS NEW BIKES. In fact, you don't sell your proto's period.
Specialized is taking a que from the auto industry----make it, sell it, and let the consumer test it. And, unless eight or ten people get killed, no re-call.
Giant is also catching on to the relaxed frame idea for long distance carbon frames. And their supplier knows how to make frames. So, guess what my next purchase is about to be. And, I just hate to give money to the French.
But even more, I hate to be screwed by a fellow American. No nationalistic pride here.
You can actually see the mold part-lines in the top tube and the gusset between the top tube and the head tube looks as if it was an after-thought. There is no blend at the fillets at all.
I sent the first frame back to the manuf because it was so bad that everyone in my shop was laughing at the cosmetic grunge. So, they graciously sent me a second one. And, guess what---- it was a slight improvement on the first but Wong Foo (they are made in Taiwan) and the boys still don't have the technique quite down yet. Which is ok---practice makes perfect but a word to management----YOU DON'T SELL YOUR CRAPPY PROTOTYPES AS NEW BIKES. In fact, you don't sell your proto's period.
Specialized is taking a que from the auto industry----make it, sell it, and let the consumer test it. And, unless eight or ten people get killed, no re-call.
Giant is also catching on to the relaxed frame idea for long distance carbon frames. And their supplier knows how to make frames. So, guess what my next purchase is about to be. And, I just hate to give money to the French.
But even more, I hate to be screwed by a fellow American. No nationalistic pride here.
