Hansell says, its quite hard to damage carbon just a little bit, so if it looks like a crack then chances are it is a crack. Yet even those approaches dont ensure buyers that theyre getting a used bike without. It is more difficult to repair carbon than steel or aluminum, and any small cracks may become larger ones due to rapid crack. I abused the shit of one of the first santa cruz blur xc carbon bikes made its still going strong 10 years later.
Most road cyclists are looking for the strength of steel and the weight of titanium. If youve discovered a hairline crack on your carbon frame, is it the paint or a ruined. We were setting up our steeds in the basement of our apartment in preparation for the dolomiti superbike, a fantastically tough one day marathon. Their so good that i cracked my rental bikes carbon frame. How to tell if a carbon frame is damaged or if the paint just has stress.
Most bike frames will be made of either steel, titanium, aluminum, or carbon fiber. Mountain bike frames made of carbon are certainly more expensive than aluminium ones, but for example, carbon wheels can be almost 7 times more expensive than their alloy equivalents. Honestly, theres no play in the head stock and no notchy feeling in the bearings. How to tell if a carbon frame is damaged or if the paint just.
How to buy a used bike what to look for when buying a second hand road bike duration. This lower density means that carbon road bike frames do a better job when it comes to absorbing road vibration, which leads to a more comfortable ride. While your lightweight carbon frame could crack with miscare, your steel frame will rust. Apr 19, 2020 i have a cube with carbon frame, for the last 3 rides its started a cracking noise at the same area you mention. New listing giant propel advanced pro carbon road bike frameset ml 54.
Carbon damage should be stabilized with a carbon repair right at the beginning to prevent its. So, nobody got hurt, but his mum wanted me to check the frame, she was very sorry and apologized hundreds of times. A gravityrated, carbon bodied 35mm clamp mountain stem built for aggressive riding and the muscular look of todays carbon enduro and allmountain bikes. The bike is just short of 5yrs old so i popped it in to the supplying lbs who i havent seen since the day i collected it. I have no idea what caused it ive never crashed, i havent dropped the bike or knocked it over or dropped anything on it. The first carbon bikes such as looks kg86 were far from robust or reliable. However, carbon has its own peculiarities that set it apart and make it trickier to assess.
If you cant feel it with a fingernail, the crack probably isnt in the carbon. I have since done extensive research and reading on the subject too late i know so i know i should get a torque rench and be more careful but my main concern at this stage is how bad this crack. Carbon tubing was bonded to aluminium lugs and while the frames were significantly lighter than their steel counterparts, it was a devastating mismatch of materials. Did quarter test on the frame to see if i can here dead spots. Carbon care is a program exclusive to trek owners that offers riders significant discounts on replacements for damaged carbon. Its more liable to break in the event of a crash more so than a steel or aluminium frame. I figured since my frame hadnt broken in the intervening years, the damage wasnt structural. The frame will last longer, and you will have more warning of failure on carbon than any other material.
This startup makes a carbon mountain bike in the us for less. Is turbo training damaging your lightweight carbon frame. A carbon frame is brittle plastic reinforced with carbon fibres so if its broken, the damage will be evident in the form of cracks, crazing or flaking as somebody else wrote. Gravel bike vs cyclocross bike what really is the difference.
Why are carbon fiber bikes more popular than titanium bikes. Have a look at the frame in good light, or using your torch. Cracking or ticking sound coming from carbon frame when sprinting. Giant frame lifetime warranty my experience cyclechat. Carbon fiber bike frame repair rialto, california don. How to care for carbon bikes and parts carl hart bicycles. It offers a raceoriented seating position, while still allowing for better pedal efficiency in lieu of the obvious give and flex that a carbon fiber frame provides.
We want you riding your bike as much and as safely as you can, so we make it easy to replace a damaged carbon frame or part through trek carbon care. Our priority is to serve our riders with the most innovative cycling products in the world, and to stand behind the products that we sell. Other specializedbranded products as well as frame paint and graphics are covered by a twoyear warranty. Should your bike need repainting at some point, it must be done correctly and carefully. They do make a lot of noise under pressure, lots of creaks and cracks sounds. Carbon bike builders want you to buy new frames when you break one. How to tell if a carbon frame is damaged or if the paint. Cracked carbon fibre, how to carry out a basic inspection for fatigue damage on a bike frame. When it comes to carbon bicycle frames, durability. Carbon fibre is lighter than titanium, steel, and aluminium. Creaking sound coming from carbon frame when sprinting could be your fork crown.
On carbon frames you need to pay attention to tube junctions, the bottom bracket area, the top and bottom surfaces of the head tube, and the chain stays and seat stays. The carbon leather is nice and thick and offers some damping protection from rock strikes although a hard hit will still likely dent an alloy frame. My carbon fiber road bike had a pretty serious gouge in the downtube from dropping the chain. Perhaps youve been in a crash, or maybe your bike simply fell over in the. Cracked carbon fibre, how to carry out a basic inspection for fatigue. That 1993 trek 5200 was one of the earliest massproduced, fullcarbon frames on the market, and the claimed weight was around 1,100g 2. The groupset is shimano acera and it features 12t on the cassette and 483626t on the crankset. Chris mei, director of velobuilds office in shenzhen, china, explains how these low prices. Carbon will most likely crack or snap, whereas alloy will bend and deform. Ive done dropouts and a cracked steerer, but if its the fork blades, id.
Yesterday, a little boy hit my carbon framed road bike with his little bike while i was already standing. Its generally accepted that aluminum frames have a fiveyear fatigue life. Thats costly, so it pays to start with a bit of common sense. Carbon di2 bike cyclocross frame 12x100mm, 15x100mm 12x142mm thru axle disc brake bicycle road frameset 51. I dont know if bicycle frames are constructed with a clear resin coat first. We recommend using a professional bicycle painter who understands carbon frames, such as calfee design. Ive owned and ridden thousands of miles on all sorts of frames. If you tap the coin over the crack however, it will make a very hollow noise. The fee will be waived upon approval of repair work. While it is another useful tool for a proper carbon fiber facility, because of the thin materials used on all bike frames and components, you can. Do the same at a similar location that doesnt have a crack. As you can see, theres no real winner when it comes to mountain bike frame materials, with each style offering its.
I got one at such a good price if the frame was cracked it was still wroth the it for the components. Bikes like the santa cruz bronson carbon are similar in weight to their aluminum versions, but are significantly more durable and responsive. If you find a crack in your frame find your way to our carbon repair form link below. Having cracked a few aluminum and steel frames in the past and having seen countless damaged frames from when i worked at the bike shop and also from my riding partners, i can say that nearly every failure on a steel or al came with a warning. Sight down the tubes and look for ripples or damage dont buy the bike. Top 15 best hybrid bikes you can get bicycle guider. Warranty the frame if possible, get it repaired by a professional framebuilder, or junk it and get a new frame. Nov 07, 2019 we asked the experts if riders should worry about their carbon frames whilst exploring watopia. Back in august i decided to treat myself to a new carbon frame bike the giant defy advanced 2 after about 8 weeks and.
Since carbon fiber is done the same way, substituting carbon mat for glass, i would expect the resin coat to crack when subjected to flex, but those cracks would be cosmetic, not structural in nature. Unbranded carbon fiber road bike racing bicycle frames for. Hmmm, firstgen carbon frame cracks and company with reputation for cracking frames blames customer. If there are any differences in sound, the frame has probably sustained damage. Thanks to a high stiffness to weight ratio, ability to customize frame shapes, high resistance to fatigue and the experimentation it affords manufacturers to create whatever product they desire, its no surprise that we are currently living in the age of carbon. Many hours of handmade carbon rim will certainly cost more as opposed to minutes to form and. Its true, most of the cycling industrys carbon fiber products do come from taiwan, and sometimes china. This includes seatstays and chainstays on fullsuspension bikes.
Carbon fiber bike frame repair rialto, california dons. If everyone knows the aluminum frame will be 23lbs heavier but much cheaper than carbon, designers are free to use more material on the aluminum frame than if there was only one frame to suit both sets of. Frame has been replaced with no questions asked although it did have to shipped to the importer before the warranty was honoured due to the unusual nature of the crack so i cant complain other than the change of colour. The primary difference between carbon and aluminum comes down to weight and ride quality. Carbon fiber bikes we can build it stonger, lighter, faster, more comfortable. Apr 20, 2016 hi all, just wanted to make a thread about my experience with regards to giant and their lifetime warranty on their frames mainly because i spent aaaaages looking myself. Chinese carbon mountain bike frame ill never forget the day i was left most perplexed by our team manager mike blewitt after his seemingly bipolar reaction to my newest bicycle purchase. Heat pressing, drilling, demolding, deflashing, finishing, etc. Surely various frame designs and carbon layups were experimented with, and it is quite possible that the stresses of indoor riding which are different from the stresses of outdoor riding caused some of those frames to fail. Nevertheless, composite frames remain a common choice, especially for racers, and there is no better choice for a lightweight custom bike build. He was not very fast, the normal littleboydreamingonhis bike speed.
Just over a year later, i discovered a crack in the top tube while i was cleaning the bike. Another trick is to whack the tube with a quarter over and around the crack. A small crack or defect on the carbon frame is not a total loss. I dropped the forks and regreased the lower and upper bearings after a clean and the noise has gone. Carbon frames are typically lighter and can have a longer lifespan. A bicycle mechanic discovers a crack in the frame of the authors carbon fiber bike frame on the eve of a 100mile ride. If a carbon frame cracks from fatigue, it shows small crack in the paint, then splintering, and then it will look like crushed bamboo when it fails fully.
Because the bike is locked in, this causes a twist and can result in a cracking at the seatstay. You are welcome to send your frame in directly yourself or with the help of your favorite local bike shop. Mar, 2019 they began building frames in giaraffas garage in 2012, and their first bike, the aluminum, downhilloriented ggdh came out in 20, followed by the aluminum, allmountain megatrail in 2014. Carbon, with all its qualities, also has its shortfalls. Aug 17, 20 carbon vs aluminum frames which is stronger. A normal frame should have a full sound when you tap it. Get the best deals on giant carbon fiber frame road bike racing bicycles when you shop the largest online selection at. Apr 26, 2018 who would ever figure their would be such good mountain bike trails in south florida. Have a smooth and quiet ride with carbon bike frames. I usually like to stay open minded until we get both sides of the story, but this doesnt. I have been riding a carbon mtb for a couple of years, and have a carbon road bike, at first i though the frame must be spiltand was quite worried but was told its fine. Aluminum subjected to the same loads as a carbon frame can fail catastrophically too. Just as one impact of this nature could break an aluminum frame and not a carbon frame, repeated stresses in this manner would cause an aluminum frame to break sooner as well. The last frame i broke was an aluminum one and failure caused me to crash.
Cracking my first carbon mountain bike frame florida mtb. Lots of brands offer the same frame in aluminum and carbon fiber, with carbon being the really light option for weightsensitive customers. Jul 24, 2018 others tap carbonfiber frames with a coin, listening for a change in pitch that might signal a crack. Evil bikes frame failures singletrack magazine forum. But carbon fiber frames and parts are also made in us bike. How to repair a carbon bike frame at home singletracks. May 23, 2016 sheet style is most common in bike frames, and is what it sounds like. Matt appleman of appleman cycles repairs a carbon frame. Yet even those approaches dont ensure buyers that theyre getting a used bike without hidden. Dear fellow riders, this is my first post here please be kind i got my first ever carbon bike a coupe of weeks ago and i guess i cracked the seat tube by over tightening the seat post. I was initially pretty freaked out about caring for the carbon frame, and did purchase one of these, they seem to work well to protect from those scary down tube hits.
Take a look through any secondhand bike site and youll find pages of late model carbon frames with cracks, broken seatstays, and crushed. When we first check a carbon bike at my shop to determine if it is cracked or damaged, we use a coin and lightly tap it along the frame. The process of repairing a carbon fiber bike frame that is cracked, damaged, or split is to lay new carbon fibers and epoxying them in the same direction as the original fibers. The frame of the talon is its main feature, as it is fully carbon, and a big reason as to why the bike weighs just around 20 lbs. Luckily, damage to carbon frames can usually be repaired, whereas rewelding or patching a cracked aluminum frame is not safe. Others tap carbonfiber frames with a coin, listening for a change in pitch that might signal a crack. Nov 19, 2019 in most cases, it is possible to have a carbon bike frame repaired effectively and safely, saving money in the long run. On a carbon bike, the catastrophic failure point is much higher than an aluminum bike due to the flex qualities of the carbon material. The end result is a stronger bicycle frame than the original build at a negligible weight gain. Like carbon, you need to treat steel frames carefully. I couldnt agree more with don hanson a steel frame is more like a nostalgic old car it has its classic appeal, but in most ways it is simply outdated. The 10 things you didnt know about carbon fiber bicycling. Why you should be riding steel and not carbon road bike. While it is another useful tool for a proper carbon fiber facility, because of the thin materials used on all bike frames and components, you can most likely visually see any cracks.
Steel and titanium are the most popular options for custom and handmade bike building. Sep 02, 2009 whatever the material, there are many things to look out for when buying a secondhand bike. Uv damage is essentially nonexistent to reputablebrands carbon frames. I had seen similar cracks like this before but they were labeled as crack in the paint instead, not in the carbon layup. Giant carbon fiber frame road bikeracing bicycles for. Im wondering how many people with carbon frames have had problems with cracks.
I ride both carbon and alloy bikes and after the initial adjustment phase of riding something so light, you realize how strong it is and forget about damaging it as much. Carbon fiber is undoubtedly the wonder material for modern day bikes regardless of the discipline. Apr 04, 2019 frames tended to be overbuilt in weld areas to avoid cracking due to fatigue. Just like our frames, roval wheels are warrantied for life. Oclv carbon is treks patented carbon fiber process, the result of more than 25 years of experience building the worlds finest carbon fiber bicycles in waterloo, wisconsin, usa. After a crash in your carbon frame, carefully inspect the frame for any cracks. Welds can act as stress concentrators and nowadays, many highend alloy frames, such as the cannondale caad series, smooth out the weld area to avoid any localised stress concentration. Also, the elasticity of carbon fibre is usually less than the paint, so if the paint is cracked, theres a high chance theres been some kind of trauma to the carbon too. The next mtb i buy will likely be my last until the inevitable midlife crisis where i have a bit of money and i spend 10k to build one. Caution must be used because any paint stripper that will remove polyurethaneurethane paint will also damage the epoxy resin matrix holding your carbon. Designed to perfectly match the ride quality and performance of our 35mm m7 carbon bars. Fox has had a bunch of forks get warrantied for creaks in the steerer tubecrown press fit in the last year or two.
Afterall, the best road bike frames are strong, lightweight, comfortable and responsive. Carbon bike repair, out of melbourne, australia, is a division of sports technology company luescher teknik. This means that you will be able to go fast on the flats and beat any hill in front of you. Experience matters, especially when working with a material that holds seemingly endless possibilities but presents such unique challenges as carbon fiber. If you find any crack anywhere, stop riding the bike. Global warranty policy at specialized, our first guiding principle is that the rider is the boss. Ltd is a professional oem of carbon fiber frames, wheelrims, time trial frame,buy bike. The vast majority of modern bikes, however, will be made from aluminum or carbon fiber.