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Is my frame cracked?

by alston251
Thu, Oct 18, 2012 00:10
14

I recently had a fall where my front wheel went into someone's rear wheel.
When i got back home i found a small mark on the top tube of the frame where i think my bars collided with the top tube. There's no visible damage to my aluminum bars or the bar tape.
I'm not sure if the carbon is damaged as I've tapped the mark and it didn't make a different sound when compared to tapping other parts of the top tube. I'm not sure if i should be concerned.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Here's the photo:

Cheers

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14 comments

Avatar
alston251 | 11 years ago
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I just celled up fibre-lyte and am about to send them some photos of the damage. I originally wanted to contact carbon cycle repairs but it seems like nobody is answering the phone or replying the emails.

They gave me a rough quote of about 50-60 quid which i recon is pretty decent.
Has anyone used them before?

Avatar
alston251 | 11 years ago
0 likes

Thanks for the link to Focus, i have just sent them the photo and an inquiry.
The reply from Wiggle basically said that they can't do anything because they don't stock that model anymore and they have ceased to purchase from the supplier.

Would a carbon frame repair be fine if i can't get anything from Focus?

Avatar
step-hent replied to alston251 | 11 years ago
0 likes
alston251 wrote:

Thanks for the link to Focus, i have just sent them the photo and an inquiry.
The reply from Wiggle basically said that they can't do anything because they don't stock that model anymore and they have ceased to purchase from the supplier.

Would a carbon frame repair be fine if i can't get anything from Focus?

Did a bit of research on carbon frame repairs recently and they seem to be fine if done properly (like any repair) - and are much more economical than a new frame! There's a few options around. Try Fibre-Lyte - they gave me the most reasonable quote - or Carbonology (I ended up buying a repair kit from them for a small crack in a round seatstay. Haven't tried it yet though!).

Hope that helps.

Avatar
Kapelmuur replied to alston251 | 11 years ago
0 likes
alston251 wrote:

Thanks for the link to Focus, i have just sent them the photo and an inquiry.
The reply from Wiggle basically said that they can't do anything because they don't stock that model anymore and they have ceased to purchase from the supplier.

Would a carbon frame repair be fine if i can't get anything from Focus?

No doubt a lawyer will correct me if I'm wrong, but the responsibility is with the retailer not the manufacturer re the Sale of Goods Act.

Goods have to be 'fit for purpose' and a bike frame that cannot withstand a predictable impact clearly isn't.

Avatar
mathewshotbolt replied to Kapelmuur | 11 years ago
0 likes
Crosshouses wrote:
alston251 wrote:

Thanks for the link to Focus, i have just sent them the photo and an inquiry.
The reply from Wiggle basically said that they can't do anything because they don't stock that model anymore and they have ceased to purchase from the supplier.

Would a carbon frame repair be fine if i can't get anything from Focus?

No doubt a lawyer will correct me if I'm wrong, but the responsibility is with the retailer not the manufacturer re the Sale of Goods Act.

Goods have to be 'fit for purpose' and a bike frame that cannot withstand a predictable impact clearly isn't.

frames aren't designed to be impacted by handlebars. If you try your luck with Focus they'll likely call you on it as they will know where the bars would have contacted.

a mid-toptube crack in a frame with that much localisation can only be from an accident.

Your best bet would be honesty and they will likely offer you a crash replacement for a great deal less than a new frame cost.

Avatar
Bird On A Bike | 11 years ago
0 likes

Have you seen carbon fail catastrophically? I have. It's not pretty and the resulting shards are sharp and lethal. You don't want to be sitting astride a top tube when it does go! If you're in any doubt, at all, don't ride it. I'd get in touch with Focus themselves, not Wiggle. They will know the tube strength/thickness etc and will be able to assess the problem.

I hope this helps.

http://www.focus-bikes.com/int/en/service/contact.html

Avatar
alston251 | 11 years ago
0 likes

It's a Focus Cayo. Only got it in june or something, so bit annoyed really. It was only around 20 odd mph as well. I've emailed Wiggle to ask about the warranty already, but no reply yet.

Avatar
Gkam84 | 11 years ago
0 likes

What make of frame and age of it?

I'd go back to the manufacturer and give them a "half truth" not that you went down or anything. Just that you hit a pot hole and you saw a crack on the frame when you got home. 3

You might get a nice free replacement 26

So try that first and see, then look at other options 19

Avatar
alston251 | 11 years ago
0 likes

I didn't have any car polish on hand so i tried some furniture polish then tried some Brasso.

The area now has lost the matte finish and has gone glossy but the marks are still present. Also, you can feel the cracks coming out of the frame. So i think it's pretty evident that the frame is cracked.
So, should i run the risk and keep riding it or get a carbon repair or get a replacement?

Avatar
Bobbys boys | 11 years ago
0 likes

Car polish works fine

Avatar
alston251 | 11 years ago
0 likes

Frame polish or furniture polish?

Avatar
Gkam84 | 11 years ago
0 likes

I would just get a cloth and some polish and give it a wipe. See what happens. Just a normal wipe down.

Avatar
alston251 | 11 years ago
0 likes

It's a matte lacquer/ varnish finish. No I haven't really tried anything on it yet. I'm just trying to get as many opinions as possible first before doing anything.
I was gonna ride it when the road rash heals up better and see if the cracks propagates.

Cheers

Avatar
Gkam84 | 11 years ago
0 likes

Have you tried polishing it up to see if its just a mark?

Also, what type of finish is it? To me it just looks like cracking in the finish 39

p.s. I like your weapon's 4

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