Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Oh no! Not again...

Another lock failure..
I took a trip to Rodalink in Sri Hartamas today with my cycling buddy Billy.
We checked out the bikes and while we were at it, I saw a lonely Tern Link Uno.
Curious about its handlebar latch lock's integrity, I tried to open it.
To my shock, it came out easily.
The stop-pin in the latch did not engage at all.


An actual latch on the Tern Link D8
Learning from past experience...
When I discovered this, I told the technician at the store.
He immediately told me that one of the Marketing manager from K2 Asia was nearby.
I wasted no time in getting the guy to look into this.
The man, who witnessed the lock failure told me that the pin was broken.
My question is this: "How the hell can you sell something brand new that is broken?"
If the earlier lock failure on my big boss' Tern Link D8 was purely an isolated case, then surely, the rest of the Tern bikes are okay.
I tested another bike at random and the problem is apparent.
"Oh, I have emailed Tern in Taiwan and am awaiting for their response..", said the K2 guy.
I told him that my big boss was so sporting, all he wanted was a replacement bike. He didn't even mention any legal action against the dealer and manufacturer..
If K2 Asia would have any good business sense, they will recall the faulty bikes before any more cyclists are hurt.


The issue is not with me...
I don't have any beef with K2 Asia or Tern.
Its just shocking and disappointing to find that such a good quality bike has its flaws and it was so obvious that the lock pin was not broken which the marketing guy had insisted in the beginning.
I also told him that I am not buying any Tern bikes in the near future and that what happened before my eyes had convinced me that the slightly offset handlebar latches can be a danger to unsuspecting cyclists if the lock pin did not engage.
So, if you own a Tern, please check your latch and make sure that it locks securely before you go for your rides...

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