Frameset

Frameset is the frame and fork. There are way too many framesets to go into any pertinent detail. I would watch out for overpriced bikes from companies that claim to have the best alignment, the best painters, and the best manufacturing practices. The elitist snob bike company giving American frames a bad name should go to the polo field and dig up some horse manure, it smells better than the bike they produce. Your bikes are average at best but your fraudulent marketing skills, lack of standing behind your product, and failure to honor your published claims and manufacturing tolerances have deceived many.

Most manufacturers have turned their backs on the American worker and sent the bulk of their operations overseas. One benefit to manufacturing frames in Asia is the low cost. While a hand-made frame or custom frame requires lots of time and resources, Asian frames are made in sweatshops for pennies on the retail dollar. These manufacturers rarely argue when a frame is defective, it costs so little that they usually replace it without a hassle. Of course it would be nice if they didn't start this way but what can you do.

Forks have been one of the most recalled items on a bike. Nearly all of them are made from carbon fiber but no one seems to think it is a problem. Granted these forks are junk but it brings into doubt the intentions of shop owners and antics of their mechanics. A good mechanic will identify problems long before the manufacturer will acknowledge or remedy them. There is little recourse even through the CPSC. Once again, the mechanic is perceived as a troublemaker and mostly will be told to shut up by the shop owners and fork manufacturers. It's happened to me on several occasions and it is no vindication when they finally own up to the charade.

Several things will ruin a carbon fiber fork (this refers carbon forks with carbon steer tubes). The biggest problem is crushing the steer tube. Nearly every mechanic says they have a torque wrench as does the home mechanic. They don't and wouldn't know a torque wrench if they saw one. Carbon steer tubes are particularly sensitive to the crushing forces of an over-tightened stem. The lure of the lightest fork has made the weight weenies designers use thinner and thinner steer tubes to save that last 4 or 5 grams. Despite being easily crushed by the "torque-wrench wielding mechanics" they are more susceptible to flex, more easily fail, and are not capable of sustaining mimimal damage without seriously compromising their strength.

More information soon!