Hello.
I'm someone who got into Gusto Cobra Road bikes about a year ago.
Recently, while checking a creaking sound from my bike, I discovered a crack on the down tube.
I was a first-time buyer who purchased from a shop, and since the Gusto homepage mentioned lifetime frame warranty, I contacted the shop where I bought it.
The shop took photos of the crack and submitted them to Gusto headquarters, and I received a response the next day.
"It appears to be damage from external impact, and since it cannot be considered a product defect, warranty cannot be applied."
Honestly, I was quite shocked hearing this response.
The crack is located on the down tube, an area that is usually hidden by the wheel and not easily visible.
As someone in my first year, I don't even know exactly how this crack occurred, and I've never felt any impact strong enough to damage the frame while riding. I haven't had any falls either.
It's been about a year since I bought the bike, and my total mileage since last year is less than 5,000km.
I barely rode in winter, and when I did ride, it was mostly light riding at the Han River or just a few times on the Gran Fondo Medio course.
I'm even afraid of going fast, so I don't ride aggressively.
Of course, I can't completely rule out the possibility of some impact I'm unaware of, but given my usage conditions, it's hard to understand how a crack could appear on the down tube in just a year.
At least from my perspective, it felt unfair to simply conclude it as "damage from external impact," and I felt that product quality and potential structural issues should also be investigated.
Not understanding the decision, I called the contact number listed on the Gusto homepage directly.
During the call, the representative said they had personally examined my bike while it was at the shop.
The gist of what I heard during the call was as follows:
"It doesn't appear to be damage from a product defect.
It seems you're concerned about the race next week, but it should be fine for race participation.
However, if left as is long-term, the carbon layers could be damaged and cause problems.
For now, it doesn't appear to be a problem."
But what is this race next week?
It's the Seorak Gran Fondo.
It's already a nerve-wracking race to do with a perfect bike, so honestly, I'm confused whether I'm hearing correctly that it's okay to go to Seorak with a bike that has a confirmed crack in the down tube.
It doesn't make sense to me.
What followed was even more confusing.
During the call, the topic of my bike maintenance came up.
It was something like I apparently haven't been maintaining my bike well overall, and I was also told that I should get an overhaul from a professional shop every six months to a year.
But I have never neglected my bike.
Although I've only been riding for a year, I've been getting regular check-ups from a skilled mechanic.
I've visited the shop frequently for camera installation, saddle replacement, seatpost replacement, and have consistently received basic check-ups of brakes, shifting, and bottom bracket condition each time.
Since my bike has an exposed bottom bracket structure, the mechanic frequently inspected the bottom bracket condition by removing the crankset.
But it didn't make sense that the topic of "maintenance condition" or "overhaul" suddenly came up in a call about warranty for the crack.
Isn't the point that there's a crack in the down tube, and I've been told that warranty doesn't apply to this crack?
And what was even more absurd was that the representative seemed to know me, perhaps because I had attended brand events a few times.
This made it even more bitter for me.
In conclusion, headquarters maintained that warranty was difficult based on photos and their examination, and I was directed to repair through a carbon repair shop.
Additionally, I was told they would give me a Pinarello team kit jersey later.
Honestly, I don't need it.
What I wanted was not a jersey, but a credible explanation about the frame crack and responsible action regarding safety.
Today I went back to the shop where I service my bike to check the crack condition.
They told me absolutely not to take this bike to Seorak.
They said that if something goes wrong, it could be a serious problem, and I shouldn't race in this condition.
While the importer and the shop where I bought the bike said there would be no major problem with race participation, the repair shop I trust told me absolutely not to ride it.
The very fact that judgments differ so much about the same crack makes me very anxious and bitter.
I was going to contact the person who said they needed a Gusto fork and play rock-paper-scissors to let them have mine if they won,
but fortunately, they said Gusto is handling it, so that's a relief.
The conclusion is as follows:
I got into cycling with the Gusto Cobra Road bike, attended brand events, and had affection for it as my first road bike.
But a down tube crack appeared just a year after purchase, and the warranty was denied due to external impact.
And I even heard an explanation that it's possible to participate in the Seorak Gran Fondo with a frame that has a confirmed crack.
I find this response difficult to accept.
I'm leaving this post for reference by others who ride the same bike or who are considering purchasing Gusto.
In particular, the down tube area may not be easily visible as it's usually hidden by the wheel, so I encourage you all to check it.
Though Gusto users won't be able to claim warranty!
