[Industry_Hack]

Until you've been burned by a "lifetime warranty", you can't fully appreciate what a load of crap some of them are. It's not the purchaser's/owner's lifetime. Many times, it's merely the usable lifetime of the product.

[RUSHTHEMALL]

oh.ok..........................so then what is the usable lifetime of the product?

[Industry_Hack]

Originally Posted by RUSHTHEMALL

oh.ok..........................so then what is the usable lifetime of the product?

Until it breaks.

[RUSHTHEMALL]

Originally Posted by Industry_Hack

Until it breaks.

what if it breaks a couple of months after you purchase it.your telling me thats it.your at a loss?.am no bike repair cat,but that does not sound right.i seriously doubt that, or people would not aqure them.nor shell out g-money for them.top models costing up 6k.

[noneed429r]

Originally Posted by Industry_Hack

Until you've been burned by a "lifetime warranty", you can't fully appreciate what a load of crap some of them are. It's not the purchaser's/owner's lifetime. Many times, it's merely the usable lifetime of the product.

I worked as a service mgr for bicycle shops in So. California. for 6 years in the late 80's to early 90's.
I never saw a problem where the manufacturer would not warranty a frame replacement as long as there was not clear abuse on the frame or an accident such as the bike hitting a car, etc. (hence my term "I was just riding along".)
Both Trek and Cannondale (Specialized too for that matter) were very good about this as long as it was still the original owner of the frame. It was considered lifetime of the owner not an arbitrary estimated lifespan of the frame.

So Hack, has the way that the big companies warranty their frames changed? Sounds like they might be getting sneaky like a lot of other industries nowdays. If it's a Mountain bike you should be able to ride it hard over mountains without the frame breaking right? That's how they are marketed and sold.
Lifetime should still mean lifetime !!

[Industry_Hack]

If you are twenty, should you expect your aluminum MTB to last for sixty years or more?

As far as I understand, "Lifetime" means the reasonable lifetime of a product. For shoes like Nike or Vans, that's three months, or "one season". For cycling products such as clothing, that might mean a cycling "season" of one year. For a frame or component that is not used competitively, and not abused, I would expect somewhere between three and five years. Also keep in mind that the warranty is nearly always for "defects in materials or workmanship".

My point was that no one should buy a product based on a "lifetime warranty", expecting that it will either last forever, or that the manufacturer will replace it.

[RUSHTHEMALL]

Finally something i am can surely touch base on,,,,,,,,,nike sneakers is not 3 months your are definatly wrong on that.if you look on the inside of the sneaker tounge ,you will see a white box with lettering and numbers.one of the numbers is a date it looks like this 041202,or sometimes its directly under the barcode it will read 04-29-06.if your sneaker in any shape or form becomes unglued,threading unraveled,even worn down on the bottom.nike will replace the sneakers with a brand new pair within 2 years of the date it states on your sneaker.i know this for a fact,because i have been a consumer of nikes for decades and have returned sneakers personaly,that i spent 175$ for and then a couple of months later the front became unglued or it was simply worn down within months. this is by far is a great sneaker and great service.it usto be 3 years but i guess things change for the worse at times.i think nike implemented this return service because they make sneakers that cost in the hundreds so its logical to back your product up in some form,if you want people to keep buying your expensive products.because here in nyc expensive sneakers is the norm .nike probably makes billions on sneakers on nyc alone.i myself own a pair of nikes that cost me 200$ and regularly buy 165,175$ nikes.here they are mostly worn as fashion and comfort instead of proformance.same would probably go with the bikes.if it cracks they would or should probably replace the bike,because to re-weld it would be worse,there is the paint issue and other factors.

[noneed429r]

Originally Posted by Industry_Hack

If you are twenty, should you expect your aluminum MTB to last for sixty years or more?

As far as I understand, "Lifetime" means the reasonable lifetime of a product. For shoes like Nike or Vans, that's three months, or "one season". For cycling products such as clothing, that might mean a cycling "season" of one year. For a frame or component that is not used competitively, and not abused, I would expect somewhere between three and five years. Also keep in mind that the warranty is nearly always for "defects in materials or workmanship".

My point was that no one should buy a product based on a "lifetime warranty", expecting that it will either last forever, or that the manufacturer will replace it.

Well things have changed then, Because frame warranties used to specifically say "lifetime of the original owner".

[Industry_Hack]

Originally Posted by noneed429r

Well things have changed then, Because frame warranties used to specifically say "lifetime of the original owner".

And "materials and workmanship".

[Industry_Hack]

People still pay more than $100 for Chinese sneakers? Any shoes that I own that cost more than $100 (besides Docs) are leather, and made in Italy.

Nike may offer that warranty, but their goal, like Vans is to take advantage of fashion trends and come out with new models, or variations of existing models, about every ninety days.