Buyer Beware - 2 month old bike, leaking brakes and Biktrix says "wear and tear"

[Gionnirocket]

One of the qualifications to be a proper Biktrix owner is that you have to defend your purchase under any circumstance. Plus, you have to shut down any conversation that has a hint of criticism.
It's no different than BMW ownership. BMWs are perfect even though the earth's atmosphere and gravity occasionally cause parts to fail.

BTW, any negative response to any part of this post is proof that it is factual. LOL

I'm so surprised that the usual squad of Biktrix cheerleaders (undercover employees) hasn't chimed in yet.. Very unusual
That said... If it's the caliper leaking it should be covered under warranty. Anything else it could be poor assmbly/inspection.

 

[FloridaZen]

I hear ya. But a bike at that price point isn’t going to have quality parts, it just won’t. I‘m guessing some no-name brand for the brake set? I see the “upgrade” are the tektro’s. What does that tell you. Just drop it off at the bike shop and hopefully your $3,700 bike will only cost ya another $100 or so to fix. Welcome to the e-bike world.

Sooo for us new to biking ….How do we know it is a “quality part” like I have no idea Tektro is good or bad quality? I am leaning towards LBS purchase but even there I really don’t know. They have huge range of price levels too. Then I see people order Specialized or RM and then they immediately upgrade all sorts of parts.… and I read of their problems too. I hope this doe not come across as snarky, it is a genuine question. Is it purely a function of spend more $$? As I like most of us have a budget. When does it shift from paying for quality to paying for a brand name?

 

[mschwett]

Sooo for us new to biking ….How do we know it is a “quality part” like I have no idea Tektro is good or bad quality? I am leaning towards LBS purchase but even there I really don’t know. They have huge range of price levels too. Then I see people order Specialized or RM and then they immediately upgrade all sorts of parts.… and I read of their problems too. I hope this doe not come across as snarky, it is a genuine question. Is it purely a function of spend more $$? As I like most of us have a budget. When does it shift from paying for quality to paying for a brand name?

controversial subject, for sure, and an interesting question. at the very highest cost levels, you're not paying for quality, but often light weight, features, aerodynamics, or finish/style. but in bikes, the very highest cost levels are unlikely to appear anywhere near most ebikes - e.g. the set of brakes, derailleurs, cranks, cassette, in shimano's highest end road parts costs over $4k by itself. quality, yes, reliable, yes, but built first for speed, light weight, etc.

the big three manufacturers of bike parts are shimano, sram, and campagnolo. they each have a range from very low cost to high within each type of bike parts - mountain, road, etc. we've owned bikes with parts from nearly the cheapest sets to the most expensive within a couple shimano lines, and have not had problems with the inexpensive ones.

tektro makes a very, very wide range of brakes, some which are so cheap that they can't be terribly good, and some which are excellent. like most all bike parts they're made in taiwan or china, which really doesn't mean anything. some things made there are fantastic quality, some or junk. my personal strategy is to stick to larger, well known brands or boutique brands which have very strong word-of-mouth, and in the larger brands, avoid the one or two cheapest levels of components. for something like hydraulic disk brakes, which are a bit mysterious compared to simple cable pull brakes, that's an absolute for me. if my life depends on the reliable operation of something where i can't fully see exactly how it works and that it is working, i won't buy the very cheapest version of it, period.

 

[fooferdoggie]

tektro makes a very, very wide range of brakes, some which are so cheap that they can't be terribly good, and some which are excellent. like most all bike parts they're made in taiwan or china, which really doesn't mean anything. some things made there are fantastic quality, some or junk. my personal strategy is to stick to larger, well known brands or boutique brands which have very strong word-of-mouth, and in the larger brands, avoid the one or two cheapest levels of components. for something like hydraulic disk brakes, which are a bit mysterious compared to simple cable pull brakes, that's an absolute for me. if my life depends on the reliable operation of something where i can't fully see exactly how it works and that it is working, i won't buy the very cheapest version of it, period.

Yes I have seen this way to much. my life has depended on the quality of my brakes and how well they can stop me. its not worth saving a few dollars. plus better brakes feel far better in use I mean when you can use a single finger on each hand to stop a tandem that weighs around 400 pounds on a 18 degrees slope its pretty good.

 

[AHicks]

Sooo for us new to biking ….How do we know it is a “quality part” like I have no idea Tektro is good or bad quality? I am leaning towards LBS purchase but even there I really don’t know. They have huge range of price levels too. Then I see people order Specialized or RM and then they immediately upgrade all sorts of parts.… and I read of their problems too. I hope this doe not come across as snarky, it is a genuine question. Is it purely a function of spend more $$? As I like most of us have a budget. When does it shift from paying for quality to paying for a brand name?

I say it's a roll of the dice. My bikes are NOT generally considered high end, in fact they're most often the opposite. I buy them at a discount knowing full well they may need some upgrades as we go.

Another way of looking at it, especially if you've been hanging out here a while, is how many others are complaining about short service life on this part? NONE maybe?

And from the bike manf. perspective, if there were a common problem with their brakes, I'm thinking that might draw some concern from their legal dept?

I say some are cut out to service their own bikes, some are willing to take the time and collect enough patience to learn to take care of their bikes, some are more than willing to take their bikes in to the LBS for service, and some just like to complain.

Bottom line, fix it and move on. Winter is going to be here soon!

 

[Rossterman]

You’d think for the price they charge they’d stand behind what’s likely a leaking caliper. Send you a new one and they’d be done. Pads are wear/tear items not calipers. In retrospect, it probably would have been wise to get the name brand brake set option but there’s no reason to expect the base stuff to give up the ghost so soon.

 

[fooferdoggie]

You’d think for the price they charge they’d stand behind what’s likely a leaking caliper. Send you a new one and they’d be done. Pads are wear/tear items not calipers. In retrospect, it probably would have been wise to get the name brand brake set option but there’s no reason to expect the base stuff to give up the ghost so soon.

most people would not be able to swap out a caliper so there is a shops fees too.

 

[verstappen]

You’d think for the price they charge they’d stand behind what’s likely a leaking caliper. Send you a new one and they’d be done. Pads are wear/tear items not calipers. In retrospect, it probably would have been wise to get the name brand brake set option but there’s no reason to expect the base stuff to give up the ghost so soon.

That's what I was thinking as well. I did do research before buying and it doesn't seem like this is a common problem so you'd think they'd bite the bullet and help on this one, but the fact that they specifically exclude brakes in the fine print of their warranty might mean this is fairly common. I was strongly considering the brake upgrade but had read that the base brakes worked well enough so I passed.

most people would not be able to swap out a caliper so there is a shops fees too.

When the bike is 2 months old I think them eating their profit and just giving a partial refund to pay for labor ($200?) is reasonable. If this is a common problem and the number of refunds would jeopardize the company they might want to scrap these shitty brakes.

 

[fooferdoggie]

That's what I was thinking as well. I did do research before buying and it doesn't seem like this is a common problem so you'd think they'd bite the bullet and help on this one, but the fact that they specifically exclude brakes in the fine print of their warranty might mean this is fairly common. I was strongly considering the brake upgrade but had read that the base brakes worked well enough so I passed.

When the bike is 2 months old I think them eating their profit and just giving a partial refund to pay for labor ($200?) is reasonable. If this is a common problem and the number of refunds would jeopardize the company they might want to scrap these shitty brakes.

of course but they cant just send the part out. often brakes are sold all assembled.

 

[tomjasz]

And here we are again. Buy a bike from an internet sales company and then complain when you’re the repair guy. 7 years of CS and I learned there are lots of disingenuous customers that want a warranty for the issues they created. Now please don’t assume im saying this is the case here. I’m not. BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO SIDES TO EVERY “STORY”.

 

[Mike TowpathTraveler]

I just read the Biktrix warranty/terms of service and cut & pasted this for everyone's edumacation:
No warranty except for out of the box defects/ damages within the first 14 Days of delivery on:
Braking System including but not limited to rotors, brake pads, brake fluid, braking power, etc.

So there you have it. For another 500 bucks, you could have gotten the time tested Magura braking system, as an option. And I am most sure that had you required a warranty claim on those brakes, Magura would have worked with you.

Tough pill to have to swallow, but I think they spell it out pretty clear. You know, one of the fun things in bicycle ownership is upgrading the components on our bikes with higher quality components; making our rides true, one-off customs. Seriously, every single component on that bike, save for the drive system and battery, can be upgraded to much better parts than what came with your bike. Including those heavy weight China made, no-name tires. I'd have my local LBS evaluate the front brake for a replacement with a quality brake and rotor; then next month or two, look into replacing the rear brake with whatever high quality brake you choose to go to.

This accomplishes several things: It develops a "relationship" between you and your friendly bike shop.......you come away with a much better brake and rotor and it's a good learning experience to know that high quality made bike components are miles above what you get, with an entry-level priced and equipped ebike. Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.

 

[fooferdoggie]

So there you have it. For another 500 bucks, you could have gotten the time tested Magura braking system, as an option. And I am most sure that had you required a warranty claim on those brakes, Magura would have worked with you.

thats about double the price of them. so ya easy to warranty that.

 

[verstappen]

And here we are again. Buy a bike from an internet sales company and then complain when you’re the repair guy. 7 years of CS and I learned there are lots of disingenuous customers that want a warranty for the issues they created. Now please don’t assume im saying this is the case here. I’m not. BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO SIDES TO EVERY “STORY”.

And again, I'm not complaining I'm the repair guy, I'm complaining the brakes lasted 2 months.

If you think the damage was caused by my negligence that's a completely different story. I would generally assume that would have happened very soon after delivery/assembly, which is actually the only time they would warranty this.

 

[fooferdoggie]

And again, I'm not complaining I'm the repair guy, I'm complaining the brakes lasted 2 months.

If you think the damage was caused by my negligence that's a completely different story. I would generally assume that would have happened very soon after delivery/assembly, which is actually the only time they would warranty this.

it would have been hard unless you really abusd the brakes or could not bleed them well. its jsut them choosing to not help you.

 

[AHicks]

And again, I'm not complaining I'm the repair guy, I'm complaining the brakes lasted 2 months.

If you think the damage was caused by my negligence that's a completely different story. I would generally assume that would have happened very soon after delivery/assembly, which is actually the only time they would warranty this.

Stuff just happens, thankfully not often. Would have been nice if they stepped up to take care of the problem, but their policy is pretty clear, so they do have a leg to stand on in denying the claim.

This is not that big a deal. Fix it and move on.

 

[TForan52]

most people would not be able to swap out a caliper so there is a shops fees too.

I think most could if they tried. Really quite easy.

 

[greeno]

If you lived close by I have an extra Shimano SLX BR-M7120 4 piston caliper just sitting in my parts box I would just give ya.
But the pads for these things are like $50 per caliper and shipping to the far north probably wouldn't be worth it for you.
If you really like the bike drop a couple hundred bucks and upgrade front and rear and be done with it.
My buddy had a rear hub blow up after about 2 months of occasional riding, never got any satisfaction from this same company your dealing with so we got a DT Swiss rear hub and some new spokes and I built him up another rear wheel set-up and has hasn't had any issues since. He's got the lower end Tektro's on his bike and their still working. But he only rides maybe once a week so there's that.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I think most could if they tried. Really quite easy.

depends on if the like are run though the frame then the whole system will have to be bled and setup.

 

[fooferdoggie]

If you lived close by I have an extra Shimano SLX BR-M7120 4 piston caliper just sitting in my parts box I would just give ya.
But the pads for these things are like $50 per caliper and shipping to the far north probably wouldn't be worth it for you.

I finally found decent prices on pads new ceramic ones that I have not tried yet. our tandem eats the pads up fast.

 

[Comfortably Numb]

I looked at Biktrix before I bought (and NOT Biktrix) and decided it was too high a price for what you got.
I wanted to support a 'Canadian company' but there was no way I was going to pay what they wanted.
I recall wanting to upgrade a few things and the price went up from there. No way.
I felt the same way about Rize. Expensive and crap support.
Screw the warranty's fine print. Put decent components on it if they are going to fail that soon.
Do what's right. CN