How did I crack my carbon frame?

[Rob3rt]

What a ridiculous thing to say. Given 'what' circumstances? If you want to avoid it happening to your CR1, then simply refrain from clamping it too tightly when it's on the stand.

You could say that about pretty much anything he posts...

 

[vickster]

Dirty dogs , I got a Shimano shifter replaced then the replacement knackered but was told the warranty was from original purchase , I now wonder if my replacement frame is still under warranty , what is my chances getting a third one

John Lewis warranty for example for TVs lasts from date of purchase. Moral, check Ts&Cs of warranty

 

[Citius]

It's reconfirmed my personal promise to myself never to buy Carbon. If I ever have oodles of money to throw at a bike, it's titanium for me...

Not sure if you've understood the issue here. It is not a 'carbon' issue - it is an 'over-tension' issue. Any tube, made from any material, will crush if compressed with enough force. I routinely clamp carbon bikes by the top tube. The trick is, I don't over-tighten the clamp.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

The issue for me is you seem to need to treat carbon with kid gloves and I'm a grade A klutz. I rarely see people complaining that their steelie has snapped in three places, but I wouldn't even need to worry Google to find stories of carbon bikes that are now considered unrideable because of worrying boo boos. I'm sure plenty of people can tell me they are totally bullet proof and invincible, but I wouldn't trust me with one.

 

[Globalti]

If you were old enough you'd remember plenty of stories about crushed paper-thin steel tubes. Both materials are extremely strong as structures but easily crushed as tubes.

 

[hatler]

Seatpost I believe, but presumably this is made more risky if that too is carbon

Seatposts in place are compressed in a perfect world scenario - pressure applied around the whole circumference equally.

Workstand clamps don't apply pressure uniformly, so I understand that the SOP for clamping a carbon bike in a workstand is to insert a metal seatpost and then clamp the stand to that.

 

[QED]

What a ridiculous thing to say. Given 'what' circumstances? If you want to avoid it happening to your CR1, then simply refrain from clamping it too tightly when it's on the stand.

I have never clamped my bike. I don't even own a bike stand. So unless a reputable LBS did it, that's not what happened to my planet X.

 

[QED]

Clamping does sound like the most obvious I must say but I think it is something that needs closer inspection by an unbiased party, if Planet X won't have a look. perhaps you could post a photo?

Photos posted below

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Out of interest, which reputable LBS are you using?

Photo's start here by the way

 

[Citius]

I have never clamped my bike. I don't even own a bike stand. So unless a reputable LBS did it, that's not what happened to my planet X.

Whatever you say - but frames do not fail like that unless they have been crushed somehow.

 

[QED]

As above - I'd take the offer.

Citius and djb1971:

I have taken the offer of £150 for a new frame, swapping the bits and sending it back to me. Once I saw the feedback here and got over my initial anger at Planet X's refusal to honour the warranty I realised this was reasonable-ish given that no one knows how the damage actually happened.

I probably would have been a lot less annoyed if it hadn't taken them 30 days to assess my bike, tell me the frame was a write off then blamed me for it and refused to honour the warranty on a 10 month old frame.

 

[Globalti]

So as I wrote earlier in this thread, learn to service your own bikes. That way you can be sure the LBS owner hasn't handed them over to the trainee. I was asked yesterday to go and look at a friend's bike - the friend had just paid £380 for a "service" and couldn't understand why the bike was rattling and the rear wheel rubbing on the frame. It took me 20 seconds to work out that both wheel bearings and the steerer were so loose that there was an inch of play in each. I can't understand how a bike shop could hand a bike back so badly out of adjustment.

 

[QED]

Thing is bike did go on Euro star in a bag... You need a bike box for carbon not a bag.

Noted. Will do. Any recommendations for a bike box with a good price:quality ratio?

 

[QED]

Out of interest, which reputable LBS are you using?

Photo's start here by the way

Chamberlain/Giant Kentish Town, London (in business for 28 years, sells carbon bikes that cost 5 times the cost of mine)

Lunar Cycles, Kentish Town London (recommended by far more experienced carbon bike owning mates)

 

[Citius]

Chamberlain/Giant Kentish Town, London (in business for 28 years, sells carbon bikes that cost 5 times the cost of mine)

Lunar Cycles, Kentish Town London (recommended by far more experienced carbon bike owning mates)

The relative value of the bikes they sell is no guarantee that the mechanics are infallible.