Wrong-fit returns and warranty
If a part we checked for fit doesn't fit your bike, we take it back.
Every reply from the desk lists the compatibility check next to each part: speed count, freehub standard, brake mount, axle, ISO wheel size, valve type. That check is what we stand behind. A defect in the part itself is the maker's to answer, and we carry the claim to them for you.
Two different promises
People mix these up, so we keep them apart. A wrong-fit return covers our mistake: we said the 11 speed road bike chain would run on your cassette and it would not. A warranty claim covers the maker's mistake: the chain fitted fine and a plate cracked at 200 miles.
The first is ours to fix, quickly and at our cost. The second goes to the maker or their US distributor, under their terms, and we do the paperwork. Neither one covers normal wear, and neither one covers a part that was cut, bled or mounted before anyone noticed the problem.
When our check was wrong
If the part does not fit the bike you described, and the details you sent were right, tell us within 30 days of delivery. Send the reply reference and a photo of the part next to the place it should go. A photo of the rear dropout settles most derailleur hanger cases in a minute.
- We send the correct part, or refund the part price if we cannot source one.
- We pay the return shipping and the shipping on the replacement.
- The part should be unused and in its packaging. Trial fitting is fine. A cassette slid onto a freehub and taken off again is not "used".
The case we see most is a cassette for the wrong freehub. Shimano HG, SRAM XDR and Microspline do not interchange, and if our reply named the wrong one, that is on us.
When the details sent were wrong
It happens. Someone counts nine cogs on a 10-speed cassette, or reads "20 inch" on a kids' tyre and the rim turns out to be ISO 451, not 406. The check we ran was correct for the bike we were told about.
We still take the part back within 30 days if it is unused and in its packaging. You cover the return shipping, and we refund the part price or put it toward the right part. Before you send anything, check the five compatibility checks so the second order lands.
What cannot come back
Some parts change the moment they are worked on. Nobody else can use them afterwards, so we cannot take them back for wrong fit, whoever made the mistake. That is why we check length before we ship a chain, and why we ask for the fluid before quoting a hydraulic brake.
- Chains shortened from their boxed length.
- Inner cables and housing cut from a roll.
- Spokes cut to a calculated length for your rim.
- Brake fluid, lube and grease once the seal is broken.
- Disc brake pads and rotors that have been bedded in.
- Tyres that have been ridden, and bar tape that has been unwrapped.
A defect in any of these still goes to the maker under section 05.
Manufacturer warranty, passed through
Every part we supply carries the warranty its maker gives, for the period the maker sets. We do not add a warranty of our own on top and we do not shorten theirs. A replacement rear derailleur for a road bike, a wheelset, a hub, a light: the terms are the brand's, and the decision is theirs.
What we do is the legwork. Send us photos of the fault, the reply reference and roughly how many miles the part has done. We file the claim with the maker or distributor, ship the part to them if they ask for it, and pass on their answer. A typical claim takes two to six weeks, depending on the brand. We will tell you which brand is slow before you order, if you ask.
If the maker approves the claim, the replacement comes through us at no charge to you. If they refuse it, we send you their reason in writing and the part back if you want it.
Wear is not a defect
Drivetrain parts and brake parts are made to wear out. No maker will accept a claim for that, and we will not file one.
- Chain, 11 and 12 speedreplace at 0.5%
- Chain, 8 speed and belowreplace at 0.75%
- Check chain wear every1,500 miles
A chain past 0.5% eats an 11-speed cassette, and the cassette then skips on a new chain. That is wear, not a faulty cassette. Pads worn to the backing plate, a tyre worn through to the casing, a rotor below its minimum thickness: the same. The chain calculator page explains how to measure.
How to start a return or a claim
- Write to the desk. Email [email protected] or use the inquiry form, and put the reply reference first.
- Send photos. The part, the place it should fit, and any fault close up.
- Wait for a return note. We answer within one business day, Mon to Fri, and tell you whether it is a wrong-fit return or a maker claim.
- Ship it back only after that note arrives. Parts that turn up unannounced take longer to match to an order.