Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Prev Next
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [clydecat] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Awesome! Thanks!

Also, for everyone elses reference. Here are instructions for carbon version

http://www.feltbicycles.com/manuals/Bayonet3_Carbon.pdf
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Geek_fit] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I’m sorry I’m far From happy with Felts response! It’s great that the V3 brackets have “magically” appeared (ironic since the V2 was just fine according to FELT) and are now available for those who happen to read this thread, or happen to know someone like myself who has crashed and been through a couple of surgeries and can tell them to contact FELT about your bike. WHAT ABOUT THE VAST NUMBER OF FELT OWNERS WHO HAVE NO IDEA THEY ARE RIDING ON AEROBARS WITH BRACKETS PRONE TO FAIL?!?!? Just let them crash?!?! I specifically asked FELT if cracked brackets were an issue. I was told no. Then THANK GOD I found this forum. People came out of the woodwork with this issue! There is a post from a bike shop on the forum that carries spare parts for these brackets when this Inevitably happens! Ask yourself a question - If not for this for this forum and the numerous complaints would Felt have done ANYTHING? Would we know about the V3 bracket? I STILL see the old brackets on brand new bikes all the time. My shop guy has asked FELT why they don’t recall the bracket and he gets no answer. I ask the question again, Seriously - does someone have to die before FELT recalls this part? Or a C-spine injury serious enough to cause quadriplegia?!?! if you are a quadriplegic it’s far worse for the bike company because they have to pay for care for life - better if you just die . I completely cracked my helmet so I was very lucky not to to suffer a neck injury.... I’m sorry just because FELT is Ok with risking people’s lives until it becomes unprofitable to do so doesn’t mean we as cyclists (Or just decent human beings) have to be OK with this extremely weak (and forced) response to critical safety issue. Good God, Exactly how low is our bar? Recall the damn part so people are safe!!! I guarantee you the failure numbers are far higher than just the people on this post. And no it’s not because every single one of those brackets was over torqued. That’s just BS and FELT Knows it. That’s why the new bracket exists! FELT - recall the bracket before someone dies. Please.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Mrfuzzypants] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Mrfuzzypants,
First, I do hope you are recovering and well on the road to 100%

Secondly, let me clarify my thoughts on the replacement clamps. I AM satisfied with how fast I was able to get the clamps, once I went to a shop and raised the issue. The shop is a Felt dealer for "lifestyle" bikes, and a dealer for Specialized for everything else (TT, Road, Ebike, MTB) so this was low on their list.

I had forgotten all that is in this thread regarding the clamps. Without commenting on the percentage of failures, or theories on the reasons for failure, I have to agree that Felt should be doing more to address this issue. These clamps are not just on complete bikes, but on Bayonet bars sold as an accessory as well. My clamps did not break, but I replaced them before the have a chance, and thank YOU for that! My son is also getting his replaced proactively, as he is moving to England and wants this straightened out before he leaves.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [clydecat] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Thank you for that. After multiple surgeries it’s going to be a while and a long road but it could certainly be worse. I’m alive. I appreciate the response. So glad Greatzaa started this post over a year ago. And when people like yourself help to get the word out - it goes a long way to fixing a serious and dangerous issue. We should all tell everyone we know that owns a Bayonet equipped FELT that these brackets are failing. If FELT won’t take the time (or spend the money) to keep its ALL its customers safe - it’s up too us to take care of each other. Every Cyclist that has Entrusted their safety to FELT products deserves to know about this. Not just the ones who happened to be on this forum. Period. I really don’t want other cyclists going through what I went through so I’m glad for forums like this. Thanks again.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Mrfuzzypants] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Finally my LBS received new bolts from Felt Germany. I asked what’s up and why no urgency from Felt. Answer, different manufacturing waves of the bolts in different countries, which sounds like some were dangerous and some weren’t. But also this thread suggests there hasn’t been a recall anywhere. The above question/answer is just a guy having a convo with a guy at a bike shop so don’t take as fact.

The frustration on this thread also suggests it would be good for us to understand why no recall? If there was no issue in some jurisdictions please educate us. To be honest, I haven’t wanted to ride mine since I found out about it months ago - what a shame that is. I rode it once in a race and rechecked the torque in line with guidelines beforehand. During the race the extenders felt loose and I was worried when I shouldn’t be but that’s a separate thread discussion, just a little over torque is good...?!

This is a many thousand £/$/€ frame after all. Owners and the community deserve to know if one/many guys crash/es in some jurisdictions are not a reflection of risk globally.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Felt Bicycles] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Felt Bicycles wrote:
In our experience in working with consumers on an individual basis regarding issues involving the Bayonet 3 aerobar assembly, the primary cause has been improper installation. To simplify the installation process and improve the overall setup, as some of you have noted, Felt developed a new bracket system and accompanying hardware to alleviate any potential issues such as have been described in this forum thread. Here is how you can tell whether or not you have the updated bracket: (see attached)

Authorized Felt retailers have these new brackets available or available to them, so if you’re interested in an upgrade, contact your authorized Felt dealer for ordering information. This will be provided free of charge.

Finally, there are many terrific bicycle mechanics who produce great work. But we strongly encourage all riders to seek out an authorized Felt retailer for work on their IA Series, DA Series, or any other Felt bike. Missing components such as washers, incorrect bolt sizes, improper torque settings, or any other deviations from the manufacturer’s specifications can result in suboptimal performance, including causing the bracket or the aerobar to come loose or even break. All information regarding the proper installation and adjustment of all Felt bicycles can be found at the following link: http://www.feltbicycles.com/manuals[/url]. Any and all work performed on your Felt bike, whether by the rider or a bike shop, should adhere to the requirements outlined in the manuals and technical documents.

We strongly recommend ensuring that your bike is safe to operate before each and every ride. This includes checking tire pressure, looking for any loose bolts, inspecting your brakes, etc. Generally speaking, it’s good practice to take your bike to an authorized dealer regularly to ensure it’s in proper working order, the frequency of which depends on how often and the conditions in which you ride. Sweat and riding near saltwater conditions can corrode parts on your bike, so these factors are cause for shorter intervals between professional services. Every rider’s sweat rate and the frequency by which they ride near saltwater is unique, so again, we advise checking your bike for rust on a regular basis and consulting with your authorized Felt dealer if you have any questions.

For more specific information or questions, our customer service team is ready to assist you. Please contact them at info@feltbicycles.com[/url]
I contacted Wiggle.com today to enquire about getting replacement brackets for my IA14 which I purchased from them. They appear to be unaware of the issue and asked me for more information. They are one of, if not the, biggest online vendor of cycling goods in the world and a Felt dealer. I presume they sell a large volume of Felt products worldwide. They don't know about this issue.
I have sent an e-mail to the address you provided in your post to let Felt know and ask for guidance on how to proceed in obtaining replacements. I thought it best to let you know here also.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Ai_1] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I got a very quick response to my enquiry to Felt regarding V3 replacements for my V2 brackets. They responded yesterday afternoon telling me they'd contact the European office and ask them to follow up with me (I'm in Ireland). I heard from the European office first thing this morning who say that they have definitely informed Wiggle of the issue but will contact them again. In the mean time, to avoid delays, they'll sort me out with V3s.

So, their response is quick and quibble free. Kudos. My only concern is whether the issue warrants a recall. Does the Felt argument that they're safe if installed correctly hold water?
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Freddie] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
As a shop who sold a shit load of Felt tri bikes, yes, we have had a few issues with those clamps, but in almost all cases they were incorrect torqued by the customers and/or not built the right way or with completely corroded bolts due to sweat, salt and specially with indoor use.

That said, that Wiggle doesn't know about this is likely because they don't care or are too big or any other reason. All EU Felt dealers got a email with explanation that there are some issues with the V2 clamp. Not frequent or many, but they noticed some reports on the issues with these clamps (and some bolts too). Every dealer could order some V3 parts straight away after the memo by email. I did and received them just a couple of days later. But in a few hundred of B and IA bikes we ran into this issue like about 6 times.

But I do admit that if you are 1 of those 6 you get scared, true. But nobody in our customer base got hurt, nobody fell of their bike, just scared because of of your extensions is instantly a little loose.

So there are V3's available, Wiggle just need to order them. But I have hear rumours that they will not be a Felt dealer for too long. Different ownership, different strategy.

Jeroen

Owner at TRIPRO, The Netherlands
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Mrfuzzypants] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
This is EXACTLY why I am forever and will always be a Specialized girl. In 2015 they issued a mass recall on their aerobars. They not only sent me a letter personally, they also had the LBS contact me and insist I bring it in for a replacement. Specialized did this after only 4 instances. And no injuries. There are clearly more than 4 just on this page alone, and severe injuries. Customer service and just being a company with a conscience is so valuable. How many people will be hurt or worse because they didn’t stumble across this forum?
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [wineandtrichick] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
wineandtrichick wrote:
This is EXACTLY why I am forever and will always be a Specialized girl. In 2015 they issued a mass recall on their aerobars. They not only sent me a letter personally, they also had the LBS contact me and insist I bring it in for a replacement. Specialized did this after only 4 instances. And no injuries. There are clearly more than 4 just on this page alone, and severe injuries. Customer service and just being a company with a conscience is so valuable. How many people will be hurt or worse because they didn’t stumble across this forum?

Well, you got lucky with the right LBS. You don’t have a clue how many shops just didn’t informed their customers. As a fitter i have advised quite a lot of people the shiv when that was a fitting bike. Even 18 months after the recall i have had people coming in with the original aerobar hardware. They were never told that there was a recall, they were very surprised when i reacted shocked that they were still riding around with that recalled hardware. Maybe us customers got a personal letter, eu did not. Not saying that it matters but there were way more crashes then 4 with the specialized issue.

Owner at TRIPRO, The Netherlands
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Ai_1] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Ai_1 wrote:
I contacted Wiggle.com today to enquire about getting replacement brackets for my IA14 which I purchased from them. They appear to be unaware of the issue and asked me for more information. They are one of, if not the, biggest online vendor of cycling goods in the world and a Felt dealer. I presume they sell a large volume of Felt products worldwide. They don't know about this issue.

They know. That's just customer relations 101 for any big company.

Don't admit to anything that exposes any kind of liability until you have to or decide you want to.

Garmin are another example that springs to mind; if you contact them about a known fault with a unit you can guarantee they won't have heard of it before, even though there are hundred of complaints and reports of warranty returns and replacements.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [tri-run] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
As far as I know it was only the LBS informed by Speci over here in Europe.
Luckily I didn't trade in my Bayonet1 Bar for the old speci, what I wanted to do with a friend around that time.
He wanted to get lower(bayonet1), I liked the adjustability to angle the extensions more(specs).

But funny is, I knew earlier about the Speci recall through ST than my LBS, only a few days but...

Those threads are very important!

-shoki
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Freddie] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
To all,
Still recovering after yet another surgery due to injuries sustained due to a failed V2 bracket. We’ve already established from this relatively small forum sample size that this is a common problem so no need to beat that horse. Here are some things that bug me about Felts lack of urgency....

1. It’s apparently typical. Felt makes great bikes. They are not a “bad” company. Some have implied that the “powers that be” on this forum have relationships/financial interests with Felt. I don’t know about that. But the relative silence, or attempts at forum topic redirection on this post, by those powers when it comes to critism of Felt bother me. Unfortunately statements like “they don’t come much better than Felt” I feel are somewhat telling... the truth is most companies are “exactly like Felt.” No better. No worse. Examples are rampant.

2. I have been told by several lawyers that initiating a recall is something all companies (not just bike companies) just don’t want to do. For obvious reasons - it’s expensive, time consuming, brand injuring and lowers your bottom line. All companies have product liability insurance that cover inebivatable manufacturing QC issues or inherent design flaws (that’s why the V3 bracket exists). Coupled with multiple other types of insurance you can cover most of these occurrences as they occur. If there are no injuries you replace the part, call it good. If people get minor injuries do everything you can to fix it quickly (pay for injuries, replace bikes/parts, give something extra). - call it good. Try to get them to sign a non disclosure agreement so you don’t have to report the number. Deny, Deny, deny again.

3. When I asked Felt if there was a problem with the V2 bracket - what do you think I was told? Of course not. This is totally new to us. So you lie. And it’s not like Felt is required by law to report part failures to anyone. Not the government, not the consumer, retailer and certainly not the people who crash. SO there is no way to know how often this occurring and how many people have been hurt. We will never know. But Felt knows and they already have a replacement bracket that no one would know about unless they are on this forum.

4. So Felt blames you. And your shop. The above prewritten statement by Felt absolves them of all responsibility. Despite the apparent existence of a more robust bracket (why did you make it if nothing was wrong) they don’t even acknowledge that it could be a bad part. My shop built my bike. I didn’t. I own a torque wrench only to check parts to make sure they aren’t loose. I NEVER make major adjustments. But they are saying that it’s my shops fault. Or my fault. Until.....

4. Someone dies. Or worse (for the company) gets crippled - see Trek several years ago largest recall ever (you have to pay a paraplegic victim for life). Or until the cost of insurance premiums goes up so much due to claims, injuries or lawsuits it starts to significantly harm profits. There will be an monetary cost past which Felt simply cannot hide their dangerous bracket.

5. Then, and only then will you see a recall. I for one am dreading to see what the number is going to cost Felts customers.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [tri-run] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Curious, how do LBS inform customers of recalls?

I have bought 5 bikes in my time. Never did a bike shop ever note down my contact information. There are times when I only visit a bike shop once a year during tune up and re-stock of tubes. That'd be the only chance for them to inform me as a customer of a recall.

If I go in mid-year for new helmets / kits / race gels. A new employee won't even know what bike I have and whether I got it from the shop or not.

tri-run wrote:

Well, you got lucky with the right LBS. You don’t have a clue how many shops just didn’t informed their customers. As a fitter i have advised quite a lot of people the shiv when that was a fitting bike.
Last edited by: bloodyshogun: Nov 14, 17 23:53
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [bloodyshogun] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
bloodyshogun wrote:
Curious, how do LBS inform customers of recalls?

I have bought 5 bikes in my time. Never did a bike shop ever note down my contact information. There are times when I only visit a bike shop once a year during tune up and re-stock of tubes. That'd be the only chance for them to inform me as a customer of a recall.

If I go in mid-year for new helmets / kits / race gels. A new employee won't even know what bike I have and whether I got it from the shop or not.

tri-run wrote:

Well, you got lucky with the right LBS. You don’t have a clue how many shops just didn’t informed their customers. As a fitter i have advised quite a lot of people the shiv when that was a fitting bike.

For us, we don't sell a bike if no fit is done. We are a bit of a different cookie I guess. We have showroom bikes on the floor, but those are just to show so people get an idea how a specific bike looks. We don't have that much bikes in stock. We just order them after a fit is done. That creates a situation for us where we can be as objective as possible in advising customers which bike fits after a bike fit. We can sell them a bike if they like, we have 5 key brands, but if they don't buy from us that is also fine. Let them get the bike they want regardless of what we sell. With those 5 key brands we made the arrangement that we can order without pre-ordering stock. The downside is that it gives us very small margins, but on the other hand also no loss of money in dated stock and most important objectivity in advice.

We have all email address of our clients that bought bikes. Sure, they can change from address over time, its not completely waterproof but close enough to inform customers if needed. I do am surprised that none of the bike shops got at least an email address from you when you bought a bike.

Jeroen

Owner at TRIPRO, The Netherlands
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Freddie] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
2nd this. What surprises me in this is how the part failed. My understanding of over-torquing bolts when it's aluminum on aluminum is that the first point of failure would be the bolts and threads. This particular mode of failure is surprising.

I assume the most likely maintenance failure is over-torque, would be interested in understanding what other possibilities Felt has in mind. I don't think sweat can cause this. Or is installation of the spacer that important?


Freddie wrote:

If there was no issue in some jurisdictions please educate us..
Last edited by: bloodyshogun: Nov 15, 17 1:28
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Greatzaa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I just purchased a Bayonet 3 Devox for my DA. This is a very interesting read. Has there been any issue with the V3 replacement bracket?
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Fishbum] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I've been using mine for a few months without issue. Though this time of year it's all inside riding.

To be fair, I never had an issue with the original clamp though
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Fishbum] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I have had no issues with the V3 nor have I heard of anyone who has.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Greatzaa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Good to hear now if I could only get a response from someone at felt or bike shop that knew what the hell I'm talking about.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Fishbum] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
So I just picked up a used IA14 and it's got the V2 bars. What's the right move forward? Is it unsafe to ride?

JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [justinhorne] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I'm not building my da until I have the replaced bracket.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [justinhorne] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Make sure the washer is installed in the bracket; Make sure the bolts are torqued properly. Order the V3 bracket
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [Greatzaa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Greatzaa wrote:
Make sure the washer is installed in the bracket; Make sure the bolts are torqued properly. Order the V3 bracket

Sounds good. Just reached out to my LBS, thanks.

JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.
Quote Reply
Re: Felt IA aero bar fail [justinhorne] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Did they know what you were talking about because none of the shops around here that carry felt have any idea
Quote Reply

Prev Next