Would you ride this frame?
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My Calfee had a similarly shaped ("L") crack in the seat tube, near the location of the derailleur clamp. It was due to my stupid, ham fisted installment of said clamp. Mine was different than yours due to the stresses that are applied in those unique areas.
I called Calfee and he told me that it was fine for a while, but that ultimately I needed to get it repaired. Which I did, and it's been fine ever since.
Craig repairs all types of CF bikes and all kinds of problems. I'd send him the picture and ask his opinion. It's free and he actually knows what he's talking about.
I called Calfee and he told me that it was fine for a while, but that ultimately I needed to get it repaired. Which I did, and it's been fine ever since.
Craig repairs all types of CF bikes and all kinds of problems. I'd send him the picture and ask his opinion. It's free and he actually knows what he's talking about.
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I probably would not
I am far from an expert here. From the photo, the cracks *appear* to go below the finish level. I am quite amazed how much damage from a minor impact. I would be concerned of a stress riser causing a failure down the road. That's a tough decison to make because this involves some serious cash. You could try getting some additional opinions but I doubt many shops would want to stick their neck out on liability. Contacting the manufacturer might be a good idea also. I hope it works out for you.
I am far from an expert here. From the photo, the cracks *appear* to go below the finish level. I am quite amazed how much damage from a minor impact. I would be concerned of a stress riser causing a failure down the road. That's a tough decison to make because this involves some serious cash. You could try getting some additional opinions but I doubt many shops would want to stick their neck out on liability. Contacting the manufacturer might be a good idea also. I hope it works out for you.
Being 185lbs, I don't think I could decend on it without worrying. The fiber is obviously damaged, thats it's strength. Your health is worth a lot more than the cost of a repair, or worse case a new frame.
Sorry to see it bro, not sure if anything other than a steel would have taken that blow. And even then you would be looking at a nice dent.
Sorry to see it bro, not sure if anything other than a steel would have taken that blow. And even then you would be looking at a nice dent.
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68 Posts
Man that sucks. At first look, it looked like its just a cosmetic clear coat damage, but the large original photo shows fiber indeed has been cracked. Although, I doubt there is a immediate danger to you, but I would advise not to ride it. It may worsen the damage and less chance of a repair, if at all. I hope you can get it repaired and salvage the frame.
I don't really have answer for you but I'm curious to know if you can feel any extra flex/give in that area.
I would give it a thorough testing with the hands and thumbs first. If you feel any deflection that you don't feel a few inches away than don't even consider it.
If it feels solid than I might consider riding it.
We need someone like Kerry who might know what kind of stresses the top tube generally sees. I would be more concerend with compressive stesses than tension.
I would give it a thorough testing with the hands and thumbs first. If you feel any deflection that you don't feel a few inches away than don't even consider it.
If it feels solid than I might consider riding it.
We need someone like Kerry who might know what kind of stresses the top tube generally sees. I would be more concerend with compressive stesses than tension.
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21,743 Posts
Low stress
Looking at it, I would say it's pretty shakey. The top tube is not under much stress, and many people have ridden with dented top tubes for years - no problem. The difference is that once CF is fractured, it can easily propagate a crack all the way around the tube. I agree with the suggestion to do a pressure probe - if you can flex this, then it's toast. Rideable, yes, but when you hit that potole or your handlebar swings around and whacks the frame, the tube could easily come apart. CF is a great material, but if this were metal, you would likely only have a dent and not be the least bit worried about it. Everything has a tradeoff.Lifelover said:
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Yep. That's what I'd do.terry b said:
Pressure Probe
Thanks to everyone who has responded! To give a bit more detail, I can definetely feel flexion when pressing with one or two thumbs. Under the right lighting conditions you can see movement in the crack as well when you flex the frame by pressing against the bottom bracket area. Also I'm guessing the crack has gotten worse since the bike fell over. When it first fell, I checked the bike thoroughly and didn't notice anything wrong. Granted I could have overlooked this, as I way mainly checking the wheels, spokes, drivetrain etc. However on the last couple of rides, I seem to remember hearing a creaking noise that I hadn't heard before.
One bike shop employee (who is an Orbea dealer) told me that he would ride the bike no problem at all. And bacisally that was that, just to keep an eye on the crack and see if it gets worse.
The other bike shop owner actually took the time to look closely at the crack, took a picture with his own camera, and recommended I do the same. He would contact Orbea (he is also an Orbea dealer) and see what they say after looking at the pictures. I'm really glad I took that high-resolution macro shot with my digital camera. You can see in so much more detail the crack and how deep it actually goes.
So depending what Orbea says, I will also take terry b's recommendation and contact Calfee to see if they could repair the frame and how much that would cost vs. a replacement deal from Orbea. I'll post an update as soon as I have more details.
Thanks to everyone who has responded! To give a bit more detail, I can definetely feel flexion when pressing with one or two thumbs. Under the right lighting conditions you can see movement in the crack as well when you flex the frame by pressing against the bottom bracket area. Also I'm guessing the crack has gotten worse since the bike fell over. When it first fell, I checked the bike thoroughly and didn't notice anything wrong. Granted I could have overlooked this, as I way mainly checking the wheels, spokes, drivetrain etc. However on the last couple of rides, I seem to remember hearing a creaking noise that I hadn't heard before.
One bike shop employee (who is an Orbea dealer) told me that he would ride the bike no problem at all. And bacisally that was that, just to keep an eye on the crack and see if it gets worse.
The other bike shop owner actually took the time to look closely at the crack, took a picture with his own camera, and recommended I do the same. He would contact Orbea (he is also an Orbea dealer) and see what they say after looking at the pictures. I'm really glad I took that high-resolution macro shot with my digital camera. You can see in so much more detail the crack and how deep it actually goes.
So depending what Orbea says, I will also take terry b's recommendation and contact Calfee to see if they could repair the frame and how much that would cost vs. a replacement deal from Orbea. I'll post an update as soon as I have more details.
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Squizzle said:
I would let Orbea know their dealer told you this. They may sell you a replacement for cost in exchange for info like this. That is terrible advice for anyone to give, yet alone an Orbea dealer. He's setting himself and Orbea up for huge liability damages.
I'd also contact Calfee as Terry B. suggested.
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460 Posts
aaaahhhhhh no!
wouldn't risk it.
wouldn't risk it.
I cracked my Orbea frame also (see pic) and the LBS/Orbea were willing to give me a deal on a replacement. It was considerably less than MSRP, but not nearly as deep a discount as I was hoping for. If you end up replacing your frame I hope they offer you a good deal.
S.o.l.
Just talked to my LBS who's Orbea rep happened to be in his shop today. He said Orbea does not have a crash replacement policy, period. My LBS guy was willing to give me $100 off on a new frame and thats about it, not a great deal if you ask me.
I have contacted Calfee Design to see if they can repair the frame. I think I will also contact Orbea directly and let them know about the advice I received from one of their dealers who told me it was safe to ride the bike.
Damn, I really love this bike too. I'm still hoping for a bit of luck when contacting Orbea directly, otherwise I'll have to add them to my blacklist. Too bad.
-Bummed
Just talked to my LBS who's Orbea rep happened to be in his shop today. He said Orbea does not have a crash replacement policy, period. My LBS guy was willing to give me $100 off on a new frame and thats about it, not a great deal if you ask me.
I have contacted Calfee Design to see if they can repair the frame. I think I will also contact Orbea directly and let them know about the advice I received from one of their dealers who told me it was safe to ride the bike.
Damn, I really love this bike too. I'm still hoping for a bit of luck when contacting Orbea directly, otherwise I'll have to add them to my blacklist. Too bad.
-Bummed
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atpjunkie said:
You know, I don't mean to be naive but I'm genuinely shocked. This was the early rap on carbon fiber (not bombproof and failures could be catastrophic, yadda yadda) and then I think we've all gotten fairly convinced that the paranoia was a bunch of hooey, etc.
Then something like this happens which doesn't seem at all consistent with the current sales pitch re: carbon. How's a cyclist to know what's true?
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