Fork end misalignment on Bianchi Infinito CV 2017

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debeo
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:10 am

by debeo

Hi,

I have an issue with fork end misalignment on Bianchi Infinito CV from 2017.

The wheel is misaligned. Hooks are straight, but left is about 1 mm deeper than right one. In the end it is giving a big wheel shifting.
It has been checked that wheel itself is properly dished, other things like quick release are fine too. When rotating or using different wheel it is the same.
You can clearly see asymmetry there. Moreover the axle on the deeper left side (with quick release) should go even deeper to straighten the wheel.

Bike is 200km old and the fork is like that since I bought it brand new, second hand (with all tax papers, including frame number on them).
Before I bought the bike I got a confirmation from Bianchi that this fork has already been replaced. They had a service/returning action and checked the serial number for me.

Of course I have wrote to Bianchi but they are silent as they customer service is...
Attachments
Wheel 1
Wheel 1
Wheel 1
Wheel 1
Wheel 2
Wheel 2
Fork end right side
Fork end right side
Fork end left side
Fork end left side

1415chris
Posts: 1433
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:59 am
Location: Surrey UK

by 1415chris

If you checked other things as you describe you did, misaligned dropouts, that's the conclusion.
I had similar issue with my fork, which came as a part of the new frameset ( Cervelo). Fork was replaced with no much questioning.

by Weenie


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SchallUndRauch
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Location: East of West

by SchallUndRauch

Bianchi's customer service is not to be recommended then?

debeo
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:10 am

by debeo

SchallUndRauch wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:43 pm
Bianchi's customer service is not to be recommended then?
They still have chance but it is hard to recomend something which almost nonexist :noidea:
I am seriously considering to open FB account and go public with it if I don't receive any reasonable reply.

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kgt
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Location: Athens, Greece

by kgt

Mass made in China frames like Bianchi or Cervelo often have such issues.

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

kgt wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 3:08 pm
Mass made in China frames like Bianchi or Cervelo often have such issues.
Of course you have data to support this statement - please share it.

Aren't we past the Made in Asia is worse thing? The vast majority if high end frames and forks come from China/Taiwan. Is there some epidemic of out of alignment frames of which we are all unaware? Anybody had a misaligned Giant or Specialized or Trek? That's millions of bikes. Surely there must be many that are not good. This thread will be full of pics of such bikes in minutes I am guessing.
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tommasini
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by tommasini

Once I thought I had a similar issue on a new frame set..........but it was only an extra blob of clear coat in the crotch of the dropout. Once filed off it was perfect.. Maybe a less stressful approach on this 2nd hand (?) bike is file the shallow dropout a bit or use something like a 2 part epoxy to build up the deeper of the two.
Last edited by tommasini on Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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kgt
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Location: Athens, Greece

by kgt

Mr.Gib wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 5:06 pm
kgt wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 3:08 pm
Mass made in China frames like Bianchi or Cervelo often have such issues.
Of course you have data to support this statement - please share it.
Here:
https://www.hambini.com/blog/post/botto ... g-opinion/

Just read Hambini's blog. He presents all the data relating poor tolerances to mass made, subcontracted frames. In contrast smaller European manufacturers like Look or Time do not have such alignment issues since they better control their production.

BTW Hi-end Giants are made in house and not subcontracted like Spesh or Treks are. See Trek's vs Giant's BB tolerances at Hambini's test. No comparison...

DJT21
Posts: 381
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:35 pm

by DJT21

debeo wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 1:59 pm
SchallUndRauch wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:43 pm
Bianchi's customer service is not to be recommended then?
They still have chance but it is hard to recomend something which almost nonexist :noidea:
I am seriously considering to open FB account and go public with it if I don't receive any reasonable reply.
It's a second hand frame, hence you aren't a Bianchi customer. Warranty only applies to the original owner.

debeo
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:10 am

by debeo

tommasini wrote:
Fri Jan 04, 2019 5:23 pm
Once I thought I Had similar on a new frame set..........but it only only an extra blob of clear coat in the crotch of the dropout. Once filed off it was perfect. Maybe a less stressful approach on this 2nd hand (?) bike is file the shallow dropout a bit or use something like a 2 part epoxy to build up the deeper of the two.
If writting emails, sending messages on social media and making a phone calls trying to catch somebody who speeks English since September is not less stressful approach, then I have no idea what could be.

Bike has been bought brand new, but from second hand. Fully legal, with all tax data and frame serial number on them.
The forks from 2017 Infinito have had a safety racall-replacement action. What I manage to got from Bianchi is that the fork has been changed.
Taking safety action background into consideration it is giving me realy serious doubts about the fork. Is it to much I want from big, old company to properly deal with they production errors with possible safety issue?

I am taking into consideration drilling dropout but what concerns me is it should be the left one (with quick release), which is already much deeper than right one.

PokojniToza
Posts: 202
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 10:41 pm

by PokojniToza

Bianchi Customer Service is quite responsive when you go through the official dealers, and I have seen them approve warranty claims for the most pettiest of defects. One guy even got a brand new Oltre Xr4 for the defective Oltre XR2, since they had no XR2s on stock at the time. I would suggest that path with the help of the original owner, if that is feasible.

Edit: I was in a crash and there was a minor scratch on the head of the fork, so I needed some assurance from them concerning the fork's structural integrity, and I got a response in less than a week, once again, going through through the official dealer.

debeo
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:10 am

by debeo

If only I can go with a dealer. What I have is their bike too! Anyway I don't want do bother you about Bianchi's customer service.

Do you have any ideas why it is like that? Except factory issue... and if there is any other resolution, if Bianchi keep ignoring me, than drillig this much deeper left dropout even futher?

AJS914
Posts: 5397
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

Just file it with a round file until the wheel sits straight. Problem solved.

2lo8
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by 2lo8

I'm the kind of person that goes over every inch of a frame. I really have not been impressed with the quality of most carbon frames, low-to-mid, brand name or China-direct. I don't think I've walked away from a full inspection of a carbon frame and not found some kind of non-paint fault. Some were quite bad and structural or prevented a frame from being built up properly. These kinds of issues are not very surprising, and I think they push these frames through QC hoping the end consumer doesn't notice. There's also the issue that carbon frames can't be cold set. A lot of these problems were only noticable without components on them.
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debeo
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:10 am

by debeo

AJS914 wrote:
Sat Jan 05, 2019 5:04 am
Just file it with a round file until the wheel sits straight. Problem solved.
How far will be still safe to ride? Left dropout is to file and it is even now much deeper than right one.

by Weenie


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