shivermetimbers wrote:
I'm going to go out on a limb and say anyone dumb enough to make permanent ghetto ass modifications to their bike instead of just waiting for the proper repair from Specialized and voiding their warranty is a complete idiot.....how's that, better?
No, I'd say that's actually worse.
I don't have my bike in front of me to look at how you might TIG weld the pivot components, but it's a good idea if there's a suitable joint there. If I had a race this weekend and was worried about riding with the original bolts, I'd absolutely consider having those components TIG welded. If that would make me a complete idiot in your eyes, I think I'm OK there. The only thing that might look at little "Ghetto" is the black finish missing around the welded area. I totally agree with the Ghetto assessment of your Scotch Weld approach if you were saying that also.
I would not expect my LBS or Spec. to bless the approach (because of liability), but they would absolutely follow through with any warranty repair after the fact. My LBS is all about figuring out ways to make sure riders don't miss races and then picking up the mess later as needed. I've seen the same from Spec.
I've been through the fork recall issue on my Tarmac, the seat post issue on my Shiv, and now the bar issue on the Shiv. I'm still a big Specialized fan because of how they have responded to these issues.