Racer Sportif in Toronto ruined my frame !

I bought a NEW Aquila road frame from Racer Sportif on Dundas West in
Toronto. When I bought it, I asked them to install the headset, face
and chase the BB shell ( Italian threading ). I was transfering parts
from a bike that was killed by a car, so I didn't need or want them to
do anything more. When I picked up the frame a week later after work,
I did not notice they stripped BB shell because there was a layer of
grey rubber on the threads and I so tired I forgot to check before I
left the store. After I cleaned the BB shell at home I discovered they
had wrecked the frame. The drive-side of the bottom bracket is
stripped to a depth of 8mm from the outside of the shell.
Racer Sportif has not offered any restitution for their stupidity. I
am posting this warning to anyone to let you know my experience with
Racer Sportif on Dundas Street West in Toronto.
Maybe we should keep this as a running thread about Racer Sportif,
lets just chronical their horrors and screw-ups, and if you should
know anyone thinking about buying from them then direct them to this
thread.

Laz

Laz wrote:
I bought a NEW Aquila road frame from Racer Sportif on Dundas West in
Toronto. When I bought it, I asked them to install the headset, face
and chase the BB shell ( Italian threading ). I was transfering parts
from a bike that was killed by a car, so I didn't need or want them to
do anything more. When I picked up the frame a week later after work,
I did not notice they stripped BB shell because there was a layer of
grey rubber on the threads and I so tired I forgot to check before I
left the store. After I cleaned the BB shell at home I discovered they
had wrecked the frame. The drive-side of the bottom bracket is
stripped to a depth of 8mm from the outside of the shell.
Racer Sportif has not offered any restitution for their stupidity. I
am posting this warning to anyone to let you know my experience with
Racer Sportif on Dundas Street West in Toronto.
Maybe we should keep this as a running thread about Racer Sportif,
lets just chronical their horrors and screw-ups, and if you should
know anyone thinking about buying from them then direct them to this
thread.

Laz
Find out who the OWNER is and talk to that person direct, as any
business person worth their salt will make good on a screwup by their
subordinates. Unless of course the owner is the one behind the deed and
if that is the case, perhaps he should consider MLM as a career choice.

On 17 Jul 2004 19:01:36 -0700, (Laz) wrote:

I bought a NEW Aquila road frame from Racer Sportif on Dundas West in
Toronto. When I bought it, I asked them to install the headset, face
and chase the BB shell ( Italian threading ). I was transfering parts
from a bike that was killed by a car, so I didn't need or want them to
do anything more. When I picked up the frame a week later after work,
I did not notice they stripped BB shell because there was a layer of
grey rubber on the threads and I so tired I forgot to check before I
left the store. After I cleaned the BB shell at home I discovered they
had wrecked the frame. The drive-side of the bottom bracket is
stripped to a depth of 8mm from the outside of the shell.
Racer Sportif has not offered any restitution for their stupidity. I
am posting this warning to anyone to let you know my experience with
Racer Sportif on Dundas Street West in Toronto.
Maybe we should keep this as a running thread about Racer Sportif,
lets just chronical their horrors and screw-ups, and if you should
know anyone thinking about buying from them then direct them to this
thread.

Laz


Last I was there (about 2 weeks ago), the shop was on Bloor St W., not
Dundas.

Yeah, correction: Bloor St. West. Thanx.

H. Morgan wrote in message . ..
On 17 Jul 2004 19:01:36 -0700, (Laz) wrote:

I bought a NEW Aquila road frame from Racer Sportif on Dundas West in
Toronto. When I bought it, I asked them to install the headset, face
and chase the BB shell ( Italian threading ). I was transfering parts
from a bike that was killed by a car, so I didn't need or want them to
do anything more. When I picked up the frame a week later after work,
I did not notice they stripped BB shell because there was a layer of
grey rubber on the threads and I so tired I forgot to check before I
left the store. After I cleaned the BB shell at home I discovered they
had wrecked the frame. The drive-side of the bottom bracket is
stripped to a depth of 8mm from the outside of the shell.
Racer Sportif has not offered any restitution for their stupidity. I
am posting this warning to anyone to let you know my experience with
Racer Sportif on Dundas Street West in Toronto.
Maybe we should keep this as a running thread about Racer Sportif,
lets just chronical their horrors and screw-ups, and if you should
know anyone thinking about buying from them then direct them to this
thread.

Laz


Last I was there (about 2 weeks ago), the shop was on Bloor St W., not
Dundas.

On 18 Jul 2004 06:02:01 -0700, (Laz) wrote:

Yeah, correction: Bloor St. West. Thanx.

Titanium frame?

On 17 Jul 2004 19:01:36 -0700, (Laz) wrote:

snip
I am posting this warning to anyone to let you know my experience with
Racer Sportif on Dundas Street West in Toronto.
Maybe we should keep this as a running thread about Racer Sportif,
lets just chronical their horrors and screw-ups, and if you should
know anyone thinking about buying from them then direct them to this
thread.

Da. About 6 years ago I was in there to get some replacement ball
bearings for a no-name front hub. At that time I did not have a tool
with which to measure them, so I had brought a couple of them with me
and they sold me some replacements.

As I would find out later, they were the wrong size.

Needless to say, I haven't been back since.

H. Morgan wrote in message . ..
On 18 Jul 2004 06:02:01 -0700, (Laz) wrote:

Yeah, correction: Bloor St. West. Thanx.

Titanium frame?

No a regular cromoly type- I know the pedigree of Aquila ti is suspect
and subject to rumour and speculation; also ti has a tendency to gall
during tapping; BUT this is not the case with my frame just some idiot
forgot which way to chase an Italian thread and was too stupid to go
and look at one in the shop when he was doing it.

On 18 Jul 2004 15:00:01 -0700, (Laz) wrote:

H. Morgan wrote in message . ..
On 18 Jul 2004 06:02:01 -0700, (Laz) wrote:

Yeah, correction: Bloor St. West. Thanx.

Titanium frame?

No a regular cromoly type- I know the pedigree of Aquila ti is suspect
and subject to rumour and speculation; also ti has a tendency to gall
during tapping; BUT this is not the case with my frame just some idiot
forgot which way to chase an Italian thread and was too stupid to go
and look at one in the shop when he was doing it.


Hmm. I feel for you. I suspect that they felt that since the BB
threads could still engage, that it is good enough. I also suspect
that you will see markedly faster wear in the BB and shell itself. The
frame will not last long without surgery. A replacement BB shell is
certainly in order if Racer Sportif will not come good for a new
frame. It would be a real shame if they did not. Perhaps a letter from
a lawyer would convince them? I forget what the limit on small claims
court is these days, but it might cover the cost of the frame. It
couldn't hurt to file, and if they don't show up, you win. You
certainly have a strong case anyway.
If you are resigned to keeping the frame, I know who could
successfully replace that shell, but it wouldn't be too cheap, as you
need a repaint too.

No, the threads only barely engaged at the end. They screwed it up and
they hid it. Racer Sportif does not have a good reputation. Notice
that I said I forgot to check their work when I picked up the frame ?
It was because I was in the shop once before when some fellow was in
there complaining about the Aquila he bought, but he didn't have a
reciept so the counter-guy/manager/Mr.Stupid was trying to say there
was no proof that he bought the frame there ( of course it makes sense
to go to another place when there is something wrong with your
purchase, right ?)- so, at anyrate I had made a mental note to check
their work and only bought the frame because the bike that was killed
was also an Aquila and the geometry was the same, so there would be no
tinkering around with my position, set everything as before and go
riding. I did check the headset before I left and it was installed ok-
no knocking or play- but forgot the bb. The bike is ruined; I have
managed to salvage it for riding with some Loctite Steel Putty on the
ruined threads. It's not precise, but it is holding; I'm going on some
longer and harder rides with it and like I said it is holding. I don't
want to waste any of my precious free time trying to press a legal
issue; I'd rather ride, you know ? I would rather get the word out
about their disrespectable business practice than engage in a
settlement for a few measley dollars or a lousy substitute frame and
involve myself in a conspiracy of silence as part of the settlement
deal. I'm just going to use it for the rest of this year and next year
get a new bike from somewhere else.
Thank-you for your input.

Laz

H. Morgan wrote in message . ..
On 18 Jul 2004 15:00:01 -0700, (Laz) wrote:

H. Morgan wrote in message . ..
On 18 Jul 2004 06:02:01 -0700, (Laz) wrote:

Yeah, correction: Bloor St. West. Thanx.

Titanium frame?

No a regular cromoly type- I know the pedigree of Aquila ti is suspect
and subject to rumour and speculation; also ti has a tendency to gall
during tapping; BUT this is not the case with my frame just some idiot
forgot which way to chase an Italian thread and was too stupid to go
and look at one in the shop when he was doing it.


Hmm. I feel for you. I suspect that they felt that since the BB
threads could still engage, that it is good enough. I also suspect
that you will see markedly faster wear in the BB and shell itself. The
frame will not last long without surgery. A replacement BB shell is
certainly in order if Racer Sportif will not come good for a new
frame. It would be a real shame if they did not. Perhaps a letter from
a lawyer would convince them? I forget what the limit on small claims
court is these days, but it might cover the cost of the frame. It
couldn't hurt to file, and if they don't show up, you win. You
certainly have a strong case anyway.
If you are resigned to keeping the frame, I know who could
successfully replace that shell, but it wouldn't be too cheap, as you
need a repaint too.

(Laz) wrote:

I know the pedigree of Aquila ti is suspect
and subject to rumour and speculation; also ti has a tendency to gall
during tapping; BUT this is not the case with my frame just some idiot
forgot which way to chase an Italian thread and was too stupid to go
and look at one in the shop when he was doing it.

It seems as if there were three folks who made dumb mistakes-- the
inattentive shop wrench who cross-cut the right-hand, right side
Italian BB thread, the manufacturer who originally tapped the Italian
threading, and the guy who bought the bike despite this rather
grievous flaw in specification.

There are sob stories behind many a 26tpi Raliegh or metric-threaded
French frame, too. But whether archaic English, French, or Italian,
lucky cyclists will never stumble across one and savvy cyclists will
know to run far away when they do!

Chalo Colina