Carbon frame problem.
Discussion
Bugger!!!!
Down at the Forest of Dean for the week and had another go at the blue trail which is very rocky and slippy. Dinged the rear wheel coming out of a berm and put a small buckle in the rear wheel. Didn't look too bad and carried on hurting my way up the long drag. Got to the end after the incredibly rough descent and noticed a rubbing from the rear on the way to the car. Took the rear wheel off and found this
The groove is on the drive side chain stay and is at a guess nearly 1 mm deep with a "step" at the trailing edge of the groove. Basically is it buggered? It is a lot worse than the photo suggests.
Bike is a 2012 Cube reaction 29er.
Down at the Forest of Dean for the week and had another go at the blue trail which is very rocky and slippy. Dinged the rear wheel coming out of a berm and put a small buckle in the rear wheel. Didn't look too bad and carried on hurting my way up the long drag. Got to the end after the incredibly rough descent and noticed a rubbing from the rear on the way to the car. Took the rear wheel off and found this
The groove is on the drive side chain stay and is at a guess nearly 1 mm deep with a "step" at the trailing edge of the groove. Basically is it buggered? It is a lot worse than the photo suggests.
Bike is a 2012 Cube reaction 29er.
It's fine, there will be no cracks as a result of rubbing and there is no sign of delamination, just keep riding it. I have a similar issue as I dropped the chain off the inner ring and have a similar scar on the chain stay.
Put some heli tape over it to reduce potential contamination (highly unlikely regardless) and it won't be an issue.
Put some heli tape over it to reduce potential contamination (highly unlikely regardless) and it won't be an issue.
f
king carbon.
Almost perfect for building bikes with yet a small 'incident' such as this can leave the rider wondering if the frame is a write off or could potentially become so.
This is my bike after I was knocked off on my right hand side, notice the damage to the left side of the bike - there was no sign of any impact damage to the bike such as chipped paint etc, I can only imagine the force transferred through, similar to snapping a breadstick.
I was fortunate to having a carbon testing facility at work, ultrasound revealed no delamination but placing it under the microscope revealed the fibres to be cracked and I took the decision to stop riding it.
king carbon.Almost perfect for building bikes with yet a small 'incident' such as this can leave the rider wondering if the frame is a write off or could potentially become so.
This is my bike after I was knocked off on my right hand side, notice the damage to the left side of the bike - there was no sign of any impact damage to the bike such as chipped paint etc, I can only imagine the force transferred through, similar to snapping a breadstick.
I was fortunate to having a carbon testing facility at work, ultrasound revealed no delamination but placing it under the microscope revealed the fibres to be cracked and I took the decision to stop riding it.
TheFungle said:
I was fortunate to having a carbon testing facility at work, ultrasound revealed no delamination but placing it under the microscope revealed the fibres to be cracked and I took the decision to stop riding it.
Bad luck mate, hope you're ok? Did the NDI guys suggest it was repairable?
TSCfree said:
TheFungle said:
I was fortunate to having a carbon testing facility at work, ultrasound revealed no delamination but placing it under the microscope revealed the fibres to be cracked and I took the decision to stop riding it.
Bad luck mate, hope you're ok? Did the NDI guys suggest it was repairable?I think bike carbon is too 'delicate' for the bay guys to work on, certainly in comparison to AC carbon so alas my frame is now sat in the garage with a U/S 731!
I transferred all the components over to a alu frame from a shop in Grimsby and that's what I've been riding for the past year, being perfectly honest it's been more than up to the job and has done sterling service, saying that I can't wait to get something considerably more exotic!
I run frame protector tape on the inside stays of my carbon cross bike, just to stop the mud wearing it away. Have heard reports of people who have flatted and kept riding with it catching and it did saw the whole way through. It's not the wonder material it's sometimes cracked up to be (excuse the poor unintentional pun)
Got taken out by an 4x4 a few weeks back. GPS trace goes 75kph-----------60-----40-0. If I replaced the brake hoods and the saddle, you would not be able to find a mark on it.
I don't have a carbon testing facility (or rather, I probably do but I don't know who to buy beers for to get access), but my insurance paid out minus some excess (thank heavens for a risk averse wife sorting the insurance), which my bike shop discount more than covered.
= 1 model up the range + upgraded wheelset
Insurance company didn't want the bike back. Not sure what to do with it. Was torn between keeping it for use on the turbo, or stripping everything off of it for spares/ebay and binning the frame.
Where could I send it to be checked?
I don't have a carbon testing facility (or rather, I probably do but I don't know who to buy beers for to get access), but my insurance paid out minus some excess (thank heavens for a risk averse wife sorting the insurance), which my bike shop discount more than covered.
= 1 model up the range + upgraded wheelset
Insurance company didn't want the bike back. Not sure what to do with it. Was torn between keeping it for use on the turbo, or stripping everything off of it for spares/ebay and binning the frame.
Where could I send it to be checked?
Edited by DrMekon on Saturday 17th August 21:05
DrMekon said:
Where could I send it to be checked?
In my case it was the NDT (non destructive testing) team who work on the Eurofighter Typhoon as their day job, first of all they used an Ultrasound machine to check for delamination, that showed up nothing, however when they stuck it under a 10,000 zoom microscope it showed clear signs of cracking.Not especially fancy equipment but none that I'd expect a 'bike only' company to have access to.
http://www.carboncyclerepairs.co.uk/index.html
try these guys though I still maintain that most carbon bikes arent made of balsa and are far stronger than most people will assume. Of course, if you want it to be broken
then yes, its a death trap, throw it away and get something new...
try these guys though I still maintain that most carbon bikes arent made of balsa and are far stronger than most people will assume. Of course, if you want it to be broken
then yes, its a death trap, throw it away and get something new...Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff