What is it with Mavic spokes? (Warning: LBS and Importer rant).

[Timmy!!!]

I broke a spoke on my front Crossmax SL when racing at Ballarat just over three weeks ago, so of course I need to buy a new spoke in order to get up and running again. No problem, I thought, because it's not like they're an oddball wheelset. After all, they're standard issue on my Giant Anthem so there's bound to be quite a few of them floating around. I should be up and running again shortly. Or perhaps I was wrong...

I have tried several well-known CBD shops (CBD Cycles, BSC Bikes, Cecil Walker, iRide) and while all of them were very helpful indeed, none of them had the necessary spoke in stock. That's understandable, given the wide range of Mavic spokes. So I went to my LBS who apparently had one in stock. I paid for it, took it home, and discovered that it was a drive-side rear spoke and not a front spoke.

So, like the good little boy that I am I went back to my LBS and told him (again) exactly which spoke was required and he ordered one for me. I heard the proprietor on the phone to the importer and I was surprised how many times he had to explain what it was that he wanted. It was as if the person on the other end of the phone was dealing with something unusual or foreign.

That was over 2 weeks ago, and so far no spoke. I hassled my LBS owner about it today and he called the importer while I was there. Apparently (so my LBS proprietor says) they didn't know what spoke was required so had not actioned the order. ("The piece of paper had just been left on the desk" he said). While he was talking to the importer I heard him go through exactly the same process of ordering the spoke as he did over a fortnight ago. He told them the model of wheel, location of spoke, year of wheel, and colour. 2 minutes later they called him back and asked what colour he wanted. Oy...

Is it just me, or is 3 weeks too long to wait for a replacement spoke (which I STILL don't have)? And why would I ever want to buy Mavic wheels again, if the importer doesn't support the product?

 

[akashra]

Are GroupeSportif the only importer for Mavic gear in Australia? I thought there was someone else in Queensland also importing their gear (Echelon perhaps? Can anyone confirm or correct?).

I would possibly suggest you try Trailmix, they have a pretty good relationship with Groupe and sometimes it might just be necessary for the right person to talk to the right person on the other end to get anything done.
I know BikeNow also always have books and books of spokes on stock, but whether they have the one you're after is a good question.

But I agree - it's unjustified that we pay such a huge markup when distributors won't support products. If customer service and parts availability is near none on essential items (Hello, Shimano, are you paying attention here?) then there's absolutely no reason we should buy (and 'support') local.

 

[top_oz_bloke]

There's something to be said for conventionally built wheels.

Although I have discovered that nowhere in Newcastle carries double butted spokes which I thought was kind of odd.

 

[Zyphryss]

There's something to be said for conventionally built wheels.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[gixer7]

http://www.247cycleshop.com/

I get my spokes from here generally to avoid the problem described. Cheap enough to buy all required sizes to have spares in your garage.

Althoughy my LBS (Wooly's Wheels) usually have stock.

 

[c3024446]

Hmm, i don't like the sound of this. Just bought some Crossmax STs of ebay from America. If i break a spoke, there is probably no LBS in Newcastle who can help me. My chasing of bargains may come back to haunt me.

But if enough people have problems, maybe someone (me?) can by some front, rear drive and otherside spokes in bulk and flog them off with express post on eBay. Hmmm.

 

[Timmy!!!]

http://www.247cycleshop.com/

Thanks, that's a very nice link. My order is now completed via Paypal. I'll be interested to see who or what turns up with the spoke first. I now feel no guilt whatsoever about buying online.

I honestly don't know who is the importer. All I know is how long it's taken me NOT to get a spoke through them. Something I didn't disclose in my original post is that I've got my other LBS trying to get one too. They're an extremely dependable mob (Bike Hub Ballarat) and I trust them. But they've been let down by the importer as well. They ordered one a week or so ago and followed up on the unfilled order and then phoned me today to say that the importer had mistakenly sent the spoke to a Canberra shop. All sarcasm aside, how on earth can an importer get Ballarat and Canberra confused?

When and if the spoke turns up via the local importer I will happily honour my orders with the relevant LBS's. It'll be nice to have a couple of spares, and it will also be equally nice to be able to compare how long it took for each supply path to come good.

I agree with what's been said about conventionally built wheels. After this experience it would take something very special for me to buy Mavic wheels in future. They're good wheels, but this kind of grief isn't worth it.

 

[cramhobart]

A couple of years ago I had to supply my LBS with a serial number to order crossmax spokes. Why?
Because the distributer at the time (I'm not sure who) refused to supply spokes unless the serial number was from a set of wheels that they had imported into aus. I was in the shop and heard the shop guy having this explained to him in a tone that was far from friendly... I still love the wheels though

 

[cramhobart]

A couple of years ago I had to supply my LBS with a serial number to order crossmax spokes. Why?
Because the distributer at the time (I'm not sure who) refused to supply spokes unless the serial number was from a set of wheels that they had imported into aus. I was in the shop and heard the shop guy having this explained to him in a tone that was far from friendly... I still love the wheels though

Ironically this was the start of me buying from CRC!
My brother in law has recently had a similar experience with a shimano xt wheelset, 3 months to get a couple of spokes.

 

[Timmy!!!]

Interestingly enough, the online supplier at 247cycleshop sent me an email to say that the offending spoke has been dispatched. It took 4 hours 52 minutes from me posting the order to them dispatching the product.

 

[quiggs]

I have broken a couple of spokes on mavic crossmaxes over time and the lessons I have learnt is take the wheel with you when you go to buy the replacement spokes. Check the spoke quickly in the required space and then check again. I have learnt through no ones fault that what the mavic product guide says the spoke should be and what the actual spoke is, is sometimes several millimetres different.

I have dealt with BSC out at Bruswick street and also the shop down on Kings way whose name excapes me at the minute. Price was the same $10 each

hope this helps

Quiggs

 

[tomacropod]

Some shops keep a Mavic folder full of spokes from different models and years of wheels. There's a Road folder and an MTB folder. Email Groupe Sportif and ask which of your local bike shops have this collection of spokes.

Even having this in stock doesn't guarantee success though - a particular year of a particular model can have multiple different lengths of spokes in a particular location depending on when in the year they were made, whether they're OEM or not etc. There are (I estimate) around 200-300 different Mavic spokes between their road and mtb wheels.

Conventionally built wheels require at most 25 spoke lengths, in two butting options.

- Joel

 

[rangie]

I have broken a couple of spokes on mavic crossmaxes over time and the lessons I have learnt is take the wheel with you when you go to buy the replacement spokes. Check
[snip snip]
Quiggs

This and other mavic issues have led me to believe I will forever stay away from these...the distributor does not help either :-(

 

[RichJS]

A bit over a year ago I asked around a couple of LBSes about them getting me some spare spokes for my Crossmax SLs. They all gave vague answers along the lines of "oh yeah, we can get you some."

Then, 9 months ago I broke a spoke. Took the wheel to an LBS (Bike Shed Braddon) and they replaced it. They also sold me (at my reqest) one spare spoke of each length - Rear Drive, Rear Non-Drive, Front. Note that two of the lengths are only a couple of mm different. $10 per spoke seemed pretty reasonable - for Mavic bits.

 

[Timmy!!!]

The saga continues. My LBS rang today to say that the spoke had arrived. Miracle! I went down to pick it up and.... wrong spoke! Yes, that's right folks, the distributor had sent a spoke that certainly ain't for my wheel. It was too long, so I guess maybe I could have used it and saved a few mm for later. Not.

To summarize, the distributor has so far:

• Failed to send the spoke once;
• Sent a spoke to the wrong city once; and
• Sent the wrong spoke once.

It's going well, isn't it?

 

[SteveC22]

Distributers should be shot I rekkon, they are ruining the industry. Buy everything you can from CRC because they charge the right price..

I just paid $120 for 2 linkage bolts for my Intense but if you look on the intense website or ebay you can buy them for $6.oo each. Nobody will ship to Australia as you have to go through the very high priced distributor... I mean come on its 2 f*cking bolts, how the f*ck can you justify $120???

 

[gixer7]

The saga continues. My LBS rang today to say that the spoke had arrived. Miracle! I went down to pick it up and.... wrong spoke! Yes, that's right folks, the distributor had sent a spoke that certainly ain't for my wheel. It was too long, so I guess maybe I could have used it and saved a few mm for later. Not.

To summarize, the distributor has so far:

• Failed to send the spoke once;
• Sent a spoke to the wrong city once; and
• Sent the wrong spoke once.

It's going well, isn't it?

I reckon you owe me a beer! (Assuming 247 come through and they always have for me).

 

[Timmy!!!]

I reckon you owe me a beer! (Assuming 247 come through and they always have for me).

I reckon you're right.

 

[ScooterXC]

Not mavic but hey

I've been waiting a year and a half (not that i have the wheels anymore) for a 5x2mm nipple from shimano for XTR wheels.. I think the bike industry for the big brands doesn't see something like a spoke as very important. Even though they are losing a customer every time they do this..
my rant is complete

 

[Craftworks]

I can see all sides here - the customer, shop and wholesaler.. experiencing all 3 at some point...

Every mavic dealer should have a folder from Groupe Sportif (if they dont tell them to get on the phone and get one - all the part numbers are listed and takes any confusion out of the process - that is given that you or shop dude knows the exact model..

Shimano have a great online dealer system with all the technical data and part numbers also..

My point is part numbers are precise when trying to explain what the spoke is that you require. Describing what spoke it is is not - everything is based on systems and not necessarily indivdual knowledge.

A great example is that I worked at a shop that had the biggest account in Aus with a distro - the person couldn't help me until I gave them our customer number as they didn't know who we were..