Sore back but cycling helps ease the pain...

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than2089

New Member
Hi folks, I regularly cycle the route 74 cycle track in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The exercise helps with my back and recently switched over from a sturdy Mtb to a road bike but noticed that cracks are beginning to appear in the frame. Kinesis Titanium Racelight Gran Fondo, anyone else with similar problem?
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
No experience of TI frames myself, but this thread may be of interest
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/kinesis-ti-frame-should-i-or-shouldn’t-i.233045/page-2

One of the posts mentions the TI is repairable, so probably not a write-off.

Welcome to cycle chat
 

roubaixtuesday

self serving virtue signaller
Depending on where the "cracks" are, this is potentially a life threatening safety issue. I'd advise stopping riding immediately unless you're absolutely certain catastrophic failure is not a potential.

Are you sure they're cracks, rather than some defect in the paint or surface finish?

Photos?
 

rogerzilla

Legendary Member
Kinesis have form for frames and forks cracking, in at least one case with fatal results. Don't ride it.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Good to have you and :welcome: to CC.

These kind of issues with ti are well known. Rather than try a repair I’d suggest you source a good Reynolds 531 frame, or a modern equivalent and fork, and transfer your gear over. I cant understand why people obsess over titanium when a good steel frame will last and last without issues.
Once you’ve converted I can guarantee you won’t feel like a ‘tit’ again :smile:.
 

Mr Celine

Discordian
Is this bike under any sort of warranty? Can you post photos of the cracks?

And before you follow @Cycleops advice you might want to note his location. I don't think the local council where he lives spend 8 months of the year chucking salt over the roads, which ensures that a good steel frame will rust and rust ;)
 

DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
When I was in hospital, one of the doctors and myself got round to discussing bikes, he said he had bought an expensive Ti framed bike, he was now on his third frame as they had all cracked, guess what he said, bike number three is going back because it’s cracked.
 

boydj

Legendary Member
Location
Paisley
I've had an original Kinesis GF Ti for many years. It's done thousands of miles with no problems. Maybe I should check it out in the morning.
 

Johnsco

Old Fettler
In my working life, I've worked on the manufacturing and ultrasonic testing of titanium tube.
Just about everything you do with the processing of titanium and its alloys is difficult. Specialist techniques are required and very-demanding quality assurance is essential if the product is going to be satisfactory. Costs are high and there is a terrible pressure to cut corners.
The technology of steel tube manufacture is well-understood and quality manufacture is not very expensive.
Where are the Ti tubes made ?
Are the tubes welded or seamless ? I would guess welded.
Hi-tech solutions may be OK for aerospace applications, formula-1 or medical-implant applications where expense is not an issue.
I'm not surprised to learn of problems with bike frame manufacture.
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
These kind of issues with ti are well known. Rather than try a repair I’d suggest you source a good Reynolds 531 frame, or a modern equivalent and fork, and transfer your gear over. I cant understand why people obsess over titanium when a good steel frame will last and last without issues.
Steel frames can crack too.
Personally, I've had a seat tube crack away from the BB shell (Mercian), a down tube crack most of the way round, just down from the head tube lug point (Singular), and a failed gearside dropout, where it goes into the chainstay (Thorn, same bike thrice).
 

Johnsco

Old Fettler
Yes - Steel frames can crack ... as can aluminium welds and components
Defective welding affects all structures - As does metal fatigue.
Welded joints are always the weak point in fabricated structures.
The welds in aircraft, offshore and other safety-critical structures are always carried out by coded welders and then X-rayed and often subjected to surface nondestructive (NDT) testing as well.
But --- The cost !!!
In my lifetime working in NDT, I've never been asked to NDT a bicycle weld or component.
...... although I'm sure that some upmarked products are tested in this way.
 
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