[Organon]

On a scale of one to completely shagged, how bad is this crack in my frame? The top of the rear left wheel stay is soft with carbon sticking out and the rear wheel moves offline dragging against the brakes. It seems broken through. I’ve never had a broken carbon frame before and immediately looked at whether repairs can be done. Apparently so, but does anyone have an idea of what this would cost to repair?

I have identified atlantic-boulevard.co.uk in Bury and targetcomposites.co.uk in Cheshire as possible CF specialists. Does anyone know of other good carbon specialists in or around Manchester?

What are your experiences of carbon repairs? Are they costly, can you trust them or was it the deathknell for your bike? I am imaging the weeks ahead without my bike and have to stop myself immediately looking online for a replacement.

Topic

[DrG82]

As it’s a seat stay the risk

As it’s a seat stay the risk from a repair failing is less life threatening than if it were a repair to a fork or head/down tube. I’d have a laugh and buy a carbon repair kit to have a go at fixing it yourself and keep it as a winter bike. It’s fairly easy to do a solid and safe but not massively pretty repair.

[srchar]

It’s a Canyon Ultimate CF,

It’s a Canyon Ultimate, yes? With no sentimental value and, even after being repaired, much reduced monetary value.

Stick the whole bike on eBay. Someone will buy it either to repair, or for the components. Repairing it, assuming you are honest when it comes to sell, will add barely any value, as there are very few people who would risk a repaired third-hand frame from eBay.

When you’ve got shot of the broken bike, buy a new one from Canyon, enjoy that “new bike” feeling, and don’t ever mount it on a turbo trainer.

[martinkiely]

I know the guys at Target

I know the guys at Target Composites, and I know they have some pretty high tech kit for checking frames out for hidden damage, and the repairs & paint matching he does is fantastic. Fairly standard job for them, so I’d not worry about the repair at all – whether it stacks up financially is up to you of course, but to reply to some of the above, I’d certainly be getting it looked at first before just binning a frame you seem to be pretty happy with otherwise.

[CXR94Di2]

Ive use my carbon cyclocross

Ive used my carbon cyclocross bike on a turbo for nearly 5 years.  It hasnt broken.  However I have heard of the odd failure, but its extremely rare.  I understand the extra stresses if you try and mimic outdoor power riding-standing up trying to rock the bike.  

In my quest to improve my indoor experience I built a full length rocker board, which does allow rocking motion and has I suspect lessened frame stresses.

Carbon fibre is extremely strong in longitudinal direction, but easy damaged under side impact where its vulnerable.  Just gently squeeze a top tube with your hand feel it bend.  Thats why in high stress areas the lay up carbon fabric layer is rotated 45 degrees to increase multi directional strength.  Tubes could be made thicker walled ,but would offer less ride comfort and add weight.

 

Personally I would scrap frame and rebuild bike onto new cheap carbon frame or even go for another material.  I like steel or titanium more these days

[Rick_Rude]

Put it on eBay. Some idiot
Put it on eBay. Some idiot will underestimate the repair and overpay…maybe. Worth a shot.

[Pilot Pete]

 “The £400 odd quote above is

 “The £400 odd quote above is on the upper price end for a seat stay repair, I’d guesstimate more like £250.”

The other £150 will be used up trying to match the scrapes, scratches and general wear and tear to the paintwork to make the repair look invisible! 

PP

[peted76]

I suspect that your frame was

I suspect that your frame was damaged before you sat on it a bit hard and heard a crack. 

And if you’d not been hard on it, it’s logical that it would have been damaged on a trainer. If I were Canyon, I’d not warranty race or lightweight bikes used on trainers either. I can only imagine the force being put through the seat stays by a big guy sprinting. 

 

However that’s totally repairable and a very common fix for a carbon repairer. A decent repairer will let you know of any other damage also. The £400 odd quote above is on the upper price end for a seat stay repair, I’d guesstimate more like £250. 

 

[vonhelmet]

Bobbinogs wrote:

Bobbinogs wrote:

Boombang wrote:

..Unsure what Canyon’s viewpoint on turbo trainers is…

From their FAQ website:

No Canyon bikes are intended for use, or officially approved to be used, with turbo trainers. However, in our experience, all models can handle stationary training. This may seem like a contradiction, but let us explain what this means. At Canyon, we have an unparalleled approach to testing our bikes. We are the only bike manufacturer in the world that checks 100% of its carbon forks, handle bars and stems. However, at this time, we do not conduct long-term testing for the use of carbon bikes on turbo trainers. For this reason, we cannot recommend their use in good confidence. It all comes down to our ability to guarantee product safety, and to our responsibility, as a manufacturer, for you and your health. 

So, nice and clear then!

It means you’re on your own, but they don’t want to come out and say it.

[bobbinogs]

Boombang wrote:

Boombang wrote:

..Unsure what Canyon’s viewpoint on turbo trainers is…

From their FAQ website:

No Canyon bikes are intended for use, or officially approved to be used, with turbo trainers. However, in our experience, all models can handle stationary training. This may seem like a contradiction, but let us explain what this means. At Canyon, we have an unparalleled approach to testing our bikes. We are the only bike manufacturer in the world that checks 100% of its carbon forks, handle bars and stems. However, at this time, we do not conduct long-term testing for the use of carbon bikes on turbo trainers. For this reason, we cannot recommend their use in good confidence. It all comes down to our ability to guarantee product safety, and to our responsibility, as a manufacturer, for you and your health. 

So, nice and clear then!

[bobbinogs]

I think what concerns most of

I think what concerns most of us is not whether the damage can be repaired…it is the fact that such a simple and soft impact caused it in the first place.  Then, even with a short ride, there would have been a lot of very unusual stresses on the other areas (particularly the other seat stay which is the bit that would be a concern given the location of this break).  

So, more about the damage that cannot be seen rather, than the simple fracture that can be seen/fixed.

 

At the end of the day, this is one for the OP to decide on.  Hindsight will dictate the right choice in the end.

[matthewn5]

Carbon can usually be

Carbon can usually be repaired. It’s one of its advantages as a material over alloy or welded (not brazed) metal frames.

Please let us know what the carbon repair companies say.

[kil0ran]

Organon wrote:

crazy-legs wrote:

Try @re_carb in Manchester. I’ve seen him repair far worse than that, you’d never know it had been broken. I’d say the stresses of mounting the bike on a turbo is likely to have created that stress point, all you did was give it the final knock.

I’ve just emailed three firms including recarb (in new mills I see, not too far away by train.) I’ve never heard that trainers can be stressful on bikes, though I’ve never used one. Do all these Zwifters know this?

I’m a heavy rider and the one time I stuck my best bike on a trainer I could feel loads more flex than I ever do on the road. And that was before I’d read the articles about it.

If you think about it, even seated you’re getting a small amount of side-to-side sway on the road. On a trainer the bike is clamped solid and all the force has to go somewhere. Elite supply a very sturdy steel QR with their trainers and specifically state that you shouldn’t use anything else.

Oh and my best bike is 931 stainless steel, not carbon. I’ve built up an old aluminium frame out of spares to use for trainer season.

Seriously, if you have the time, have a go at building a replacement frame up. £30 toolkit and access to Youtube is all you’ll need. You might even get away with using your existing cables and outers. Just get a professional to cut the steerer for you. 

[Organon]

crazy-legs wrote:

crazy-legs wrote:

Try @re_carb in Manchester. I’ve seen him repair far worse than that, you’d never know it had been broken. I’d say the stresses of mounting the bike on a turbo is likely to have created that stress point, all you did was give it the final knock.

I’ve just emailed three firms including recarb (in new mills I see, not too far away by train.) I’ve never heard that trainers can be stressful on bikes, though I’ve never used one. Do all these Zwifters know this?

[crazy-legs]

Try @re_carb in Manchester. I
Try @re_carb in Manchester. I’ve seen him repair far worse than that, you’d never know it had been broken.

I’d say the stresses of mounting the bike on a turbo is likely to have created that stress point, all you did was give it the final knock.

[bobbinogs]

I’m with the others, probably
I’m with the others, probably the softest way to crack a seatstay I have ever heard of. I would bin it, buy a replacement and swap everything over.

[Author]

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