Boutique Wheels

[Simon Cooper]

I wondered what happens to them, and then found this while browsing last
night:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7241964769

Doesn't even have a stupid small spoke count, but there we are.

 

[[email protected]]

Simon Cooper wrote:
> I wondered what happens to them, and then found this while browsing last
> night:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7241964769
>
> Doesn't even have a stupid small spoke count, but there we are.

Let's see...the MSRP on that rear wheel was probably somewhere in the
neighborhood of $300. The seller got "about 500 miles" out of it
before the spoke broke. That works out to be about 60 cents a mile.
What a bargain ;-)

 

[Paul Hobson]

Simon Cooper wrote:
> I wondered what happens to them, and then found this while browsing last
> night:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7241964769
>
> Doesn't even have a stupid small spoke count, but there we are.

Ok, can't fix the wheel b/c of the hub...but is the rim useless too?
\\paul

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Simon Cooper wrote:
> I wondered what happens to them, and then found this while browsing
> last night:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7241964769
>
> Doesn't even have a stupid small spoke count, but there we are.

Straight-pull spokes = cheap sale on eBay.
--
Phil

 

[[email protected]]

Simon Cooper wrote:
> I wondered what happens to them, and then found this while browsing last
> night:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7241964769
>
> Doesn't even have a stupid small spoke count, but there we are.

Odd. 1. Why doesn't he file a warranty claim? 2. Why doesn't he
contact Velomax and have them fix the spoke? 3. Why doesn't he try to
drill out the spoke with one of those special bits? Something very
fishy about this eBay listing.

 

[Skippy]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Simon Cooper wrote:
>> I wondered what happens to them, and then found this while browsing last
>> night:
>> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7241964769
>>
>> Doesn't even have a stupid small spoke count, but there we are.
>
> Odd. 1. Why doesn't he file a warranty claim? 2. Why doesn't he
> contact Velomax and have them fix the spoke? 3. Why doesn't he try to
> drill out the spoke with one of those special bits? Something very
> fishy about this eBay listing.
>

Why can't he just unscrew the bit of threaded spoke from the inside. From
what I can see, it's on the drive side where the holes aren't blind. A pair
if snipe nose pliers and patience would work, no? Ok, so they'd then have
to find a new spoke and fit it...

Perhaps the owner just decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

Skippy
E&OE

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Simon Cooper wrote:
> I wondered what happens to them, and then found this while browsing last
> night:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7241964769
>
> Doesn't even have a stupid small spoke count, but there we are.

geee, a Velomax wheel with a broken spoke, how unusual.....

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

[email protected] wrote:
> Simon Cooper wrote:
> > I wondered what happens to them, and then found this while browsing last
> > night:
> > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7241964769
> >
> > Doesn't even have a stupid small spoke count, but there we are.
>
> Odd. 1. Why doesn't he file a warranty claim? 2. Why doesn't he
> contact Velomax and have them fix the spoke? 3. Why doesn't he try to
> drill out the spoke with one of those special bits? Something very
> fishy about this eBay listing.

Velomax doesn't warranty spoke breakage, only warranty applies to the
hub. A call(we have called more than a few times, we see broken spokes
on these all the time), and you get the 'gee, we hardly ever see a
broken spoke'-type drivel.

They will rebuild it, even if it's only 500 miles, for lots of time and
money-another wheel company on our 'how do they stay in biz' list. I
suspect they survive via OEM, give bike makers prices that make up for
margin....too bad, they are really crappy wheels.

 

[[email protected]]

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
> another wheel company on our 'how do they stay in biz' list.

Easy...sell the whole thing to Easton and let them deal with all the
disgruntled customers.

I remember looking at some sort of "users manual" on these wheels a
while back and LMAO at the advice they gave on how to deal with a
broken spoke in the field (i.e.., 80 miles from anywhere). The
directions started off with something about having to use a cigarette
lighter or "similar device" directly on the hub in order to melt the
thread locking compound so that you can then yank out the broken spoke
with a pair of vice grips. Of course that was just the beginning of
the fun...never mind trying to actually install the new spoke and
heaven forbid if the original happened to break flush at the hub.

A cigarette lighter in your jersey pocket? Too bad Bic still isn't
around as a big-time ProTour sponsor. They could get some mileage
outta that one.