Big crashes need proper fixes as my grandmother used to say.
We supply a wide range of repair kits - and as many customers have found out, we are more than happy to spend a while on the 'phone explaining how to do stuff, but we have also found that sometimes our customers want to send things to us to fix. So far, since we started the Carbonology Repair Service (CRS) we've fixed a lot of bike frames (nearly 100), a lot of bike wheels (30 or so), plus a load of splitters and front air dams from track day and race cars, a good load of rear diffusers, a few belly pans, more than a handful of carbon sailboats and probably about the same number of masts - Oh, and a fishing rod... a big one! Not one single item has ever needed repairing again....
Dave says "Anyone that says you can't fix a carbon bike frame either has no idea what these materials are capable of (do you think they throw away helicopter rotor blades or fighter plane wings when they have a bird strike?) or maybe owns a bike shop and wants to sell you a new frame! We have had one mountain bike frame that did come back after us repairing it: But only because the guy properly smashed it up the second time (breaking his leg in the process!) but the repair we had previously done was completely intact...
We have a simple, bookable process for sending your items in for repair. Please read this before you send anything!
1. Call (01473 788 777) or email info@carbonology.com with details of what has broken. We may not be able to do anything with some stuff, so it would be a waste of time to even send it to us. A couple of photo's (sent as .jpg) suitably cropped and scaled so they are less than 2 or 3 Mb are welcome. 5 or 6 10Mb photo's on an email are not! If we think we can fix the item, we'll give you a rough idea as to how much it will cost - We are rarely wrong, but at this point it is just an estimate, we can only give a proper idea of cost when the item has been inspected - a lot of damage is hidden to the untrained eye.
2. If the price is ok with you, and we are more than 90% sure we can fix the thing (whatever it is) We'll need it here for a closer inspection and to fix the price. This will be at your cost, so strip the item to the minimum to save on postage - Particularly important with bike frames is to strip off the groupset, forks, wheels etc. We cannot allow any oil or grease into the workshop area, so clean items only please. (Tip: Get a frame box from your local bike shop - they're usually throwing them out)
3. In the box or packaging please include something that identifies your item that we can attach to it if you haven't already. We can (and do) have say 10 bike frames and other items in the workshop... and we need to get hold of you by phone or email the second the item arrives and gets 'booked in' to our system so you know we've got it, and we know that you know we've got it... got it?
4. When we get your item, we will inspect it and be in touch. At this point we will confirm the cost of the repair - or if it really is beyond repair, we'll advise you of this and send the item back AT OUR COST... So if this is the case, we've gone halves on shipping the item here and back and we're quits...
5. If we can repair the item, we'll go ahead when you instruct us to. When it is ready to send out, we'll contact you for payment at the price agreed plus postage and VAT. The item will leave with FedEx - our Transport Partner for large items, guaranteed on a next day delivery to anywhere in the UK, and normally around 3 working days to anywhere in Europe or 5 days to the rest of you...
6. You get your bike frame, splitter, diffuser, mast, fishing pole, wheel, or whatever back ready to fight another day at a fraction of the cost of replacement.
Note: As we cannot guarantee how you item will be used by you, we cannot guarantee our repair work. But suffice to say, our inspection processes are very tight and we will not send anything out we are not 100% sure will be stronger than the original.
So, what are you waiting for..! Our no obligation estimate process (by email) is free. We will give you a good idea of the cost before you send the item to us - and we will confirm that cost before we start any work...
Some feedback from the last few months...
Just opened the box. That's an awesome job, far far better than I expected, you are officially a wizard and I will tell everyone that I know. Brilliant! Simon (Ferrari 430 diffuser repair) March '10
Thanks for fixing my [Orbea mountain bike] frameset and doing such a good job. I wish I'd known this sort of fix was possible - I have thrown frames away which were less damaged in the past! Ralph. Cumbria. Feb '10