| Oct 23, 2019, 6:01 PM (10 days ago) | | |
| I have been riding a copenhagen wheel since August 2017. I use it to commute. Recently it began making a grinding noise and so I attempted to consult with Superpedestrian regarding maintenance. I live nearby there Cambridge Ma headquarters and have been to their location and recieved help in the past. This time however, I was met with stonewalling and intitially a denial of any service due to the wheel being out of it's warranty period. I was not looking for warranty work, instead ready to pay for maintenance. The text that follows are the two most recent emails. |
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Hi Michael,
Thank you for sending in the video.
Our Support team has diligently reviewed the noise of Wheel (01031721900140000000 - registered August 2017 - mileage 2,530+) and determined that the noise is a bad bearing, which can occur when the Wheel is repeatedly exposed to wet conditions. Due to the nature of the problem, this cannot be repaired.
As one of our earlier adopters, and as holiday discounts are approaching, we will extend an exclusive one time replacement price of $950 + shipping. If you would like to take advantage of this pricing, it will be available until Nov. 15th. This Wheel will have one month warranty from delivery date, presuming that the Wheel is used in reasonable conditions.
This is a goodwill offer that we reserve the right to cancel at any time before the deadline, and delivery may take many weeks. At any point in time we reserve the right to cancel the order and process a full refund. If you are interested please enter code
MICHAEL_950at checkout.
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Hello Superpedestrian,
Thanks for your diligence. I am not surprised that the wheel bearings are the problem and need service. I use this wheel to commute to work. However, as is stated in the user manual which I read upon purchase: "store inside during inclement weather". I have a second bike which I ride if rain is forecast for the time of my commute. The wheel has not been repeatedly exposed to wet conditions. I have been quite careful to protect the wheel from wet weather due to it's high cost. So the wear of the wheel bearings is due to the regular intended use of the wheel. 2500+ miles is a reasonable and expected lifespan of a wheel bearing, indeed on the lengthy side, whether the bearings be loose balls or cartridge. In my 40+ years of experience riding and maintaining bicycles, overhauling or repacking wheel bearings, bottom bracket and headset bearings is a basic maintenance. It is unacceptable that this copenhagen wheel's wheel bearings are not serviceable. That the bearings are not serviceable is a significant and even fatal flaw in the design of the wheel. Without being able to service the bearing, essentially characterizes the wheel as disposable due to it's shortened lifespan. It is akin to having to replace a bicycle wheel because the tire is worn out. Tires and bearings are disposable, not entire wheels, especially at the high cost of the unit.
Your "goodwill" offer to buy a new wheel for $950 plus shipping seems anything but goodwill. I consider it penalizing me as an early adopter. Superpedestrian seems not to stand by the integrity of it's product, and the severe limit of the warranty of the offer reinforces this impression. I don't understand why the warranty would not be the same year long period since I would be purchasing a new wheel. The discount is minimal considering that the wheel is only 26 months old. I own a variety of bicycles ranging in age up to 44 years. The components and wheels continue function at their original level of performance due to proper maintenance. I called a few of the bike shops recommended on your website and found that the cost to overhaul the bearings of a rear hub to max out at $30. Considering the complexity of the copenhagen wheel, I would allow doubling the cost to perform such maintenance. I therefore would expect the purchase price of a replacement wheel to be more in the ballpark of $60 to perhaps $100. Your selling an expensive bicycle wheel with such a short lifespan due to it's inablity to accept basic maintenance, by design, borders on scamming the consumer. I would never again purchase a such a wheel, and in good conscience will have to reccommend against anyone purchasing a copenhagen wheel.
Your service policy has significantly changed during my ownership of the wheel. I had experienced difficulties during the first year of owning the wheel. I consulted directly with Superpedestrian and was invited to bring the wheel to your location for service. Superpedestrian even provided a lender bike while servicing my wheel. The mechanic even informed me that he checked the spoke tension and reported that it was fine. My recent experience contradicts what I had come to expect from Superpedestrian, and has been entirely unsatisfactory.
I plan to continue to ride the wheel, as it seems there is not another reasonable choice. The bearings are noisy, likely dry and worn, but the wheel continues to roll. I understand the recommendation to check the spoke tension annually and so brought the wheel to one of the bike shops listed on your website, Crimson Bikes on Mass Ave. The mechanic was unable to perform the proceedure to test the spoke tension because the length of the spokes are too short to accommodate the tension meter to anchor on the spoke and measure the tension. The mechanic was unaware that his shop was listed on your website. I then borrowed a Park Tool tension meter from a friend and found the same problem.
https://www.parktool.com/product/spoke-tension-meter-tm-1
So it appears that Superpedestrian's reccommendation is unachievable, unless you have another tension meter which you could direct me to. I would also like the specification for the measure of tension. Please provide me with this information so that I can follow through with regular maintenance.
I am left extremely disappointed and unhappy with Superpestrian,
Michael Monaco
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