Been having a bit of a rough patch with my bikes... actually just that one. Well obviously it was cut up so I couldn't ride it. Got a new one, same bike... pulled it out of the box and measured it... same issue as the last one. Couldn't find anyone who was willing to machine it to fix it, so another warranty claim...
This time they gave me some different options:
1 - buy the bike back in which case I find another frame to swap my comps over to (I bought this as a frame only and built it up from scratch).
2 - take a 2017 FS
Smuggler model for no charge
3 - take a new 2018
Carbon Vanquish for $900 (Cost of the frame - cost of my frame)
I lost a bit of sleep over this as none of the options were exactly free, all needed me to buy some different parts or modify something I had to get a working bike again.
Back and forth I went... almost had myself convinced to get the FS bike but for the type of riding here, I just couldn't see it... and I'd just convinced a friend to ditch his FS bike and get a performance hardtail. My LBS had
2018 Kona Honzo ST in stock for the same price as what I would get as a refund from my other frame. I rode a demo AL version... bike felt great, geo almost exactly like my Trans Am. But that frame is HEAVY. I though my TA was heavy at 6.5 lbs. That Kona was like 1 lb more. And sliding dropouts... I hate those things. The ones on my TA were loctite'd and torqued until the hex was about to round... they had slipped on me once. Ehhh... so that carbon bike.... $900. Plus my dropper was a different size and my rear wheel is non-boost. Same with the Honzo though. Efff! Starting to get expensive anyway I look at it.
So I slept on it and went back and forth and my wife finally just told me to go for the carbon bike. So I did. Managed to chisel a little more off it, but still $800! And building a new wheel and getting a new post. Man... I hope it's worth it. And I'm a little scared about the whole carbon bike thing...