Watch This Before Buying a Santa Cruz or A Carbon MTB

In this video I explain my experience with Santa Cruz.

[duyle]

I have a Aluminum Giant. Got a new rear triangle, no questions asked. Giant has lifetime warranty on their frame. Sure it’s not a high end and less desirable than a Santa Cruz but it does the same job. More money doesn’t always equal better things. Sometimes it’s better to drive a Toyota with better warranties than a Ferrari without one, especially in rush hour where speed matters not. :)

[isaiascabral]

Honestly Santa Cruz has a point, I wouldn’t blame them for not warranting your frame. There really isn’t anyone to blame it really was just unlucky that it happened the way it did.

[tennischampx]

*Just an awesome **Latest.Bike** ....well constructed, sturdy, great looking…got me back out on the trails!! Could not be happier!!*

[dvoob]

I have rock hits similar to what happened to you once every 2 or 3 rides on my Pivot, and I've had 0 issues with cracking. As a former bike shop employee I feel like this is something Santa Cruz should have covered in good faith.

[loomspace]

Good info for new riders on what to expect with a 'warranty' claim. Shocking to me that it's such a casually informed purchase at that price, or that people spend that much on an offroad ride and not budget in damage. I've designed and fabricated composite products for over 20 years, the last carbon MTB I had was in the early 90s when they were intentionally overbuilt. My advice on crash replacements is replace the carbon with alloy unless you have the disposable income.

[peterharding]

I've always avoided carbon for mtbs. Actually I had an equivalent issue with carbon road wheels. These were £750 a pair. Deep rim. The rear rim was hit by a stone on a local lane and that spot delaminated. I sent photos to the manufacturer who said the warranty didn’t cover as it was an accident and not a manufacturing fault. For anything other than smooth roads I think carbon is risky.

[rosevillemtbdad]

Useful and thought-provoking info, thanks for sharing. You can see both sides - typically a "warranty" is meant to address defects in materials or workmanship, not acts of God. That said, MTB is a rough and tumble sport and bikes need to be able to withstand that. That section was mellow and you weren't doing anything inappropriate or reckless. Sometimes bad luck taps us on the shoulder - glad you found a solution and kept on rolling. I have SC Heckler w/ CC carbon frame, good to know how they approach these situations. Cheers bud....

[KeanyKing]

I had a similar problem with my Nukeproof Giga. On my first ride, a pretty nasty rock hit the frame and ripped out a small piece of carbon. I called the dealer and he cleared everything with Nukeproof and they replaced the whole frame through the Crash Replacement program.

[federicomarmolejo]

I had a 2018 Nomad that i put through many many trail, enduro like and bike park miles. Last year i removed a leopard like pattern protective tape from DYEDBRO from the rear triangle and discovered a very small hair line crack. I send SC the pictures and explained how i have ridden my bike etc. They requested more pictures and after 3 days they approved a warranty replacement. However since they did not have in stock the 2018 frames anymore they actually shipped me a 2021 model. I was super happy with their customer service and how fast i got a new frame (10 days). I know people that have waited months for warranties replacements from other manufactures. I am really surprised you did not get that cover, but glad you have ridden that nomad hard since them.

[thorpe]

had the near identical experience with my 2018 Nomad CC. On my 3rd ride a racket ball sized rock drilled a small hole in the down tube, just off the edge of the plastic guard. The hole penetrated nearly all layers of carbon. Got the exact same response from Santa Cruz. Told me I could buy a new triangle. I ended up sealing the hole with epoxy glue and Kept an eye on it. Alternatively, when I snapped both chain stays on my Intense 951 that was almost a year out of warranty, they replaced it with an M9 at no charge. Most people will never need warranty support but when you do, dealing with an honorable company makes a huge difference.

[bigunk]

That’s why I don’t mess with carbon AT ALL. Strong and yet so fragile

[jacobgiraffa]

The replacement front triangle cost $300. SC said they usually charge $600. Since the replacement I have installed thick 3m tape in the same location the rock hit. I have had gnarly wrecks and similar rock strikes with no problems.

[waterboxer]

I grew up when steel frames dominated the bicycle industry. I never developed a longing for carbon. Carbon has no aesthetic appeal for me, although I know it is an excellent bicycle frame material.

I ride steel, aluminum, and titanium bikes. All three metals are easily recycled. Neither metal is subject to "sudden catastrophic failure."

[lekkerpruven]

I remember a video where they tested the strength of the frame. Bashing it, dripping weight on the fork to simulate a short landing after a jump. The frame was enormously strong. Seeing this damage even under a guard leads me to believe the current frames aren't that tough. Prices go up, quality goes down.

[johncole]

Nowadays news of good customer service gets around. Carbon fiber will never be my material of choice because it has been proven to fail. Manufacturers that market durability under false pretenses should prepare for the backlash or move aside for those that will do the right thing. Bike frames are all about the geometry anyway, so consumers have alternatives. Thanks for sharing your experience

[wallyr.]

Foes Racing USA. I know the carbon fiber “plastic” bikes of today are very nice looking and for some reason they become the trendy thing. I’m still an old-school guy and I love my aluminum bikes. I ride a Foes and I absolutely love it, yes it’s heavier but that thing is built like a tank, it will never fail you. I know the pros ride the carbon fiber “plastic” bikes, but keep in mind they go through several frames per season, something that the rest of the 99% of us can’t afford to do.

[simonm]

Unfortunately this is the big disadvantage of carbon fiber, it has a lot of strength in fiber (and tube) direction but it's sensitive if it gets impacted from the side. This side impact can be a result from a rock, or a crash. While metal is flexible and can also get dents without breaking instantly carbon fiber is flexible up to the point where it breaks, it can't bend like metal.
Personally I ride a Scott Aspect, a XC hardtail bike costing 10 % of this Santa Cruz, but it's good enough for me to have fun and it has a frame and rims made of aluminum, there's not a single part made of carbon fiber.
Nevertheless always a good ride and much fun on your Santa Cruz

[sluggaboy]

I would have told Santa Cruz that the frame was defective because under this circumstance there is no way this rock could break the frame unless there were a factory defect. And how could you of known that there wasn’t a hairline fracture if there was a guard covering it?

Thank you for this video btw. It really put a lot of perspective when purchasing my carbon bike in the future

[polishguywithhardtospellna]

Good to know how reality of lifetime looks like.
Btw, BC POV broke his frame with his tigh, and Eric wasn't even hurt in his leg other than small bruise after the hit.

[topheavy]

I had a really good experience with replacement of a carbon frame for my Giant trance a few years back. No obvious damage though - just a crack formed on the top tube. I think that a single rock strike should be covered. It’s should be built to withstand that. It’s mountain biking after all. I think the term used is “fit for intended purpose”. The car analogy was bogus.