Bottleneck: Road bike spare parts - Why are spare parts for road bikes hard to find?

A fall, carelessness when parking or transporting - and the bike that was just immaculate becomes a case for the workshop. TOUR reader Alexander Friedrich can tell you a thing or two about how quickly such a mishap can happen. When loading his bike into the car, he wasn't paying attention for a moment and the carbon fork cracked. No problem, he thought, the dealer will get a new fork. Not so: although the bike was less than two years old, the manufacturer didn't have an original fork in stock. The problem: the frame was painted in a bright, poisonous green colour. A technically suitable fork was available, but not in the desired colour. Friedrich had to wait over a month for the replacement fork to be repainted in the right colour.

Friedrich's case is an example of a problem in the bicycle industry that hardly any racing cyclists take into consideration when buying a bike. Dirk Zedler, long-time TOUR employee and one of the leading bicycle experts in Germany, also confirms that important spare parts are often difficult or impossible to obtain, even for relatively new models. He knows many comparable examples from his professional experience. Zedler's testing institute in Ludwigsburg prepares, among other things, expertises in which the value of bicycles after accidents is determined. Time and again, Zedler has to classify relatively new bicycles as total losses because crucial components such as the fork cannot be procured and cannot be replaced by other components due to special designs and assembly standards. "We recently had a particularly blatant case," reports Zedler. "A renowned racing bike brand was unable to procure a technically suitable fork for a high-end frame that was only three years old." Zedler sums up the problem in a nutshell. "The bicycle is well on the way to becoming a disposable item."

No uniform standards

One reason for this trend is that there is currently no regulation or EU directive that forces manufacturers to keep spare parts in stock for a certain period of time. In addition, many manufacturers apparently lack awareness of the problem. Uwe Wöll sees this as another reason for the misery: "In the bicycle industry, there are still no common standards for how repairs, complaints and spare parts supply are handled." Wöll is Managing Director of VSF Service GmbH, a subsidiary of the industry association "Verbund Service und Fahrrad", which brings together almost 300 players from the bicycle world, including bicycle dealers, manufacturers and wholesalers. In his role, Wöll is in regular dialogue with many VSF dealers. From their feedback, which the VSF systematically records, Wöll knows that bicycle manufacturers have completely different approaches to whether or not they keep certain spare parts in stock. A situation that would be unthinkable in the car industry, for example. There, the manufacturers have established certain processes with their suppliers to ensure that repairs are completed in the shortest possible time. Replacement vehicles are often available to customers for the duration of the workshop visit so that they can continue to be mobile. Customers of bicycle manufacturers can only dream of such solutions. "Too many manufacturers rely on dealers to somehow iron out the problems and offer customers a solution. That often used to work in the past," says Wöll. "But with the complex technology and sensitive materials on modern bikes, dealers are increasingly reaching their limits."

The price of progress?

Cynics might casually dismiss this development, which affects not only racing bikes but all segments of the bicycle market, as the price of progress. For many decades, most bikes were technically very similar. Forks could be swapped almost at will between different brands, there were three relevant standards for bottom brackets and a handful of diameters for seat posts that were easy to obtain. As a result, almost any defective bike could be repaired with a manageable amount of effort. In recent years, however, the industry has produced an almost unmanageable variety of different frame shapes and geometry variants with many special technical solutions, catapulting the bicycle to an unprecedented level. The downside of this development is that more and more manufacturers, in order to set themselves apart from their competitors, are cooking their own soup when it comes to important interfaces between the frame and functional components such as pedalling and steering bearings, seat posts, wheels and brakes. However, customers only find out whether the companies have made provisions for the eventuality that the relevant components need to be replaced when the parts are urgently needed.

Incidentally, this problem can be observed not only with complete bikes, but also with components and wheels. We regularly receive enquiries from readers hoping for a tip on how to get hold of an urgently needed spare part. For example, TOUR reader Hans-Georg Belting recently complained that Shimano can no longer supply centre chainrings for the triple version of the Dura-Ace 7800 groupset produced until 2008 - doubly annoying because the small chainring on this crank is attached to the centre chainring. Without a centre blade, the crank is therefore worthless. We also received numerous complaints because Shimano was no longer able to supply spare parts for the Dura-Ace Di2 groupset soon after the first generation, which was produced until 2012, was discontinued. Michael Wild, marketing manager at German Shimano importer Paul Lange, admits that this case was "not a good story", but points out that Shimano has learnt lessons from it.

In general, the supply of spare parts at Shimano is relatively good compared to the rest of the industry, partly because parts from one groupset can often be replaced by compatible components from another groupset. However, supply problems are notorious with system wheels. For example, the special spokes for various older Ksyrium wheels from Mavic have not been available for years. Anyone interested in this and other examples will find numerous entries in the TOUR forum where those affected can exchange information and look for solutions together.

Product cycles too short

An improvement in the situation is hardly in sight at the moment. Much would have been achieved if the bike industry had finally managed to break the eternal spiral of excessively short product cycles and often completely unnecessary colour changes. Expert Dirk Zedler also sees this as one of the main reasons for the misery. "If wheels remained in the programme for three years instead of the usual one model year, the supply situation for spare parts would improve immediately." If the bikes were available for longer, this would also benefit dealers, as their stocks would lose value less quickly. However, as long as manufacturers who do not overhaul their model range every year have to fear being branded as no longer innovative, this is likely to remain a pipe dream. Zedler therefore fears that it will probably take a lawsuit brought by a bike owner against one of the major manufacturers to the bitter end to persuade the industry to rethink its approach.

YOUR RIGHT

The most important terms relating to liability for material defects and warranty - and what they mean:

Liability for material defects (formerly warranty)
- two years from the date of purchase
- the seller is liable by law to his customer for goods free of defects and consequential damage incurred
- typical wear and tear or damage caused by the customer is not a defect
- Intended use is a prerequisite

Guarantee
- Voluntary quality promise by the manufacturer
- The duration, reasons and scope of warranty services are defined, as are the conditions to which the buyer must adhere
- Assembly costs and additionally required components are usually not included
- The contact person is usually the bike dealer, but the manufacturer provides the warranty
- Many manufacturers link a warranty to the customer having their bike regularly inspected by the dealer (usually once a year) and being able to provide proof of this.

Crash Replacement
- Voluntary offer by the manufacturer to replace a component at a reduced price after a fall or accident.
- The term of the offer, the conditions and the procedure are defined. The contact person is the bike dealer, who acts as an intermediary with the manufacturer.
- Any assembly costs are generally not discounted.

Right of cancellation for distance selling
- valid for a fortnight from delivery of the goods
- in the case of internet or telephone transactions, the purchase of the goods may be cancelled without giving reasons.
- the goods must not be used or damaged.
- Products customised for the customer are excluded.

Product liability
- valid for ten years from the date of purchase
- the manufacturer is legally liable for the safety of the product. If a component fails when used as intended, the damage must be compensated.
- claims must be addressed to the retailer, who must name his supplier within four weeks. Otherwise the retailer is liable.

You can find out what you can claim against your dealer and the manufacturer of your bike on our website www.tour-magazin.de under the web code #26237

Interview with Dirk Zedler, publicly appointed and sworn expert for bicycles and electric bicycles, www.zedler.de"The situation with spare parts is dramatic."

Mr Zedler, do you have an overview of how often it happens that important spare parts for racing bikes, wheels or components are no longer available just a few years after purchase?
We calculate the repair costs when preparing the expert report, or at least we try to. Repairs very often fail because parts are no longer available after just one or two years. It can even happen that a replacement fork is not available in the current season. Then a repair is often not worthwhile and the bike is a total loss. With the exception of a few bright spots, I would describe the situation in the bicycle sector as downright dramatic.

Are there any components that are particularly frequently affected?
Individual rims, individual cranks, a single brake lever, special frame-specific seat posts or colour-matching forks are the frontrunners. Matching spare parts are becoming increasingly difficult to find due to the trend towards integration that has prevailed for some years now. The many dimensions of front and rear wheel hubs, inner and steering bearings are also making availability more difficult. It is often not even possible to switch to another manufacturer.

Are bicycle manufacturers actually obliged to keep important spare parts such as special seat posts or forks in stock for a certain period of time?
If I observe the market like this, there is obviously no deadline. I am not aware of any court judgement, at least for the bicycle industry. In other sectors, courts have ruled that a reasonable period of time should be set, which also depends on the value and service life of the item. Personally, I would welcome it if at least compatible spare parts in a basic colour or at least raw without paint were available for as long as the manufacturer offers a warranty.

Can a customer demand to receive a replacement fork in a certain colour? Or is the manufacturer already out of obligation if he supplies the fork in a neutral black colour?
As I said, there are no judgements. The situation is rather such that you have to be happy. The whole unfortunate situation will probably only change if a cyclist goes through such a process. That takes money, perseverance and a good lawyer. As exhausting as it is, it will only improve through such pressure.
improve.

How can road bike buyers assess before they buy whether they will have to worry about problems procuring spare parts later on?
The more complex and integrated the bike is, the less chance there is of getting spare parts later on. Manufacturers whose frame platforms are not renewed every year are also preferable. In our experience, the major manufacturers are better positioned when it comes to components. Although the spare parts are relatively expensive due to stockpiling, they are available and the bike rolls again.