Is this normal?

I have a Schwinn mountain bike...I know, I know, should have gotten a Trek or something else. But I was just getting into riding last year and the wife bought me one for Christmas. Anyway, I've only ridden it on trails twice and not very hard. The Bonnet Carre trail is hardly hard-core trail riding.

Well last time I rode, just at the beginning of the trail I went to switch gears and the derailluer sheared off and went into my spokes. I had to sit at the truck for an hour while the other guys rode.

So I filed a warranty claim with Schwinn, sent them pictures etc. They sent me a new derailluer. After pulling the old one off, I noticed the frame was bent, so I sent them another email with picture and this is what they sent me.

Thank you for your patience. After careful review, your claim has been approved as a good will gesture. This is a good will gesture rather than warranty because the damage shown in the photos is most often caused by the derailleur being out of adjustment. Derailleur adjustment is recommended every 30 to 60 days, and is considered to be basic maintenance.

We’re very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused and we’d like to replace your entire bike so we can get you back in the saddle as quickly as possible with as little trouble as possible. We will be sending you the same model of bike as we still have them in stock.

To ensure the defective bike cannot mistakenly be ridden by anyone else, we ask that you provide “proof of destruction” photos that demonstrates the bike is inoperable.

Hopefully, this will be a little cathartic for you – take a hammer or saw to the defective frame and release any pent up aggression (be sure to wear the proper safety gear) to ensure the bicycle can never been ridden again. Snap a photo or two and send them in – we’ll ship your brand new bike immediately thereafter.

We’ll ship your replacement bike through Fed Ex and they do a great job of getting it to you within 3 to 4 days (in most cases).
In very rare circumstances, it may take them up to a week depending on their overall parcel volume.

If your new bike doesn’t arrive after 7 business days or if you have any additional questions or comments, just drop me a line and I’ll do all I can to help.

Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to assist you!


They want me to destroy the bike! That seems a bit odd to me, has anyone ever heard of this before? I don't know if I feel comfortable sawing my bike in half or whatever when they haven't sent me the new one yet.