in the long string of bad experiences I’ve had with unicycle.com this year providing me with parts that come bent, crusty with some unknown glue, etc. I thought I would add this to the list with a question.
My nightrider tire came packaged… well… it was special. I don’t really see how this was supposed to protect the tire, it’s literally cling wraped. Further the tube and cranks with it were shoved into the tire. Upon getting the tire, which was folded and mashed up, out of the wrapping I find the bead to be kinked and bent up in a few spots around the tire. I don’t even see how I would be expected to ship it back if I needed to…
I got the tire after a blowout, so I’m already weary about the bead, and they send me this… should I be worried? I imagine the bead will still set, but has anybody had a similar experience?
I really don’t see how this is acceptable, every part I get from them seems to come slightly damaged, but just not so much as to return it, and I’ve just decided I can’t shop at unicycle.com anymore unless I absolutely have to. I’d like to be able to still use the tire, but I wont if it seems like a risk.
Should I even be mad at this? I can’t say I’ve ever thought about it because I haven’t ever bought a new tire with a kink in the bead unless it was a folding bead, in which case I fully expect it to come folded.
It took about 6 months to convince UDC to replace a defective hub on an otherwise excellent unicycle they sold me. It was helpful to learn from this forum that my hub had a problem that had been well-known for five years or so, and that UDC had continued selling these hubs anyway.
Still, in general, I like UDC and think it is a good place to learn about and buy your first new high-end or mid-range unicycle, and to get specialized unicycle parts and products. The only unicycle-related stuff I buy nowadays is pedals, tires and innertube patches, though, and all that is available at my LBS or Amazon.
Same thing happened to my Duro Leopard tire that I’d bought from UDC (just one bend in the wire). I emailed them pictures of the tire to see if I should return it and they said I could if I wanted to, but the pictures didn’t show anything detrimental. They were great about accepting the return, but I ended up keeping it, installing it on the rim, and taking it for a ride. It’s been holding up for months, so I think it’s fine.
That’s the only “bad” experience I’ve had from UDC USA but I’ve had several bad experiences from UDC Canada. I will not be using that service ever again.
Juggle addict, was it you that had the nightmare involving UDC and the 36er spokes?
If so, that was IMO absolutely dropping the ball on their part and has stuck in my mind since.
I like UDC because they do make unicycles widely available and recognizable to a bigger group of people. However, I’ve been a bit disappointed a few times with the lack of knowledge at the US location.
The Canadian location sent me the wrong seat post but made it right, and the UDCUK hasn’t let me down yet.
UDCUS has taken care of me on warranty claims in the past though, and for that I will continue to use them for unicycle specific parts.
I would strongly recommend though, that people with questions ask here on the forum rather than UDCUS.
I remember a time when that was not the case though, and when I got my first 36er, I remember walking into the warehouse and piecing it together part by part. It was awesome. Their staff now seems to have been cut down significantly, and the ones left aren’t fully aware of the parts they are selling. If they see 2 things that don’t fit together, they don’t question it. Nobody could give me a straight answer on spokes, and usually their response was “just buy a new wheel” which was pretty disheartening to me to hear. If I was on their team for instance, I would be on these forums, hearing this, and trying to make it right, but somehow I feel more heard by Kris himself than anybody who is a supplier in the US. I just wish there were more communication and understanding.
Juggle addict: When they said, “Buy a new wheel.” What did they mean? I haven’t seen a place where I could buy a complete replacement wheel. There are plenty of parts to Do-it-yourself but I haven’t seen a “replacement wheel” for sale. As a result I’ve bought many 20 inchers from CL and have the leftover frames as reminders of what once was. At the same time, I’ll bet a complete replacement wheel would be just shy of buying a torker outright.
