Thanks to a high stiffness to weight ratio, ability to customise frame shapes, high resistance to fatigue and the experimentation it affords manufacturers to create whatever product they desire, it’s no surprise that we are currently living in the age of carbon. The broken chain then got it… rolf_f Posts: 15,960. Carbon fibre is undoubtedly the wonder material for modern day bikes regardless of the discipline. to break a cf frame you really have to smack the frame hard. 1. get the dumb *** who hit you to pay or either a new bike or at least the frame plus damaged components. It has the look and texture of actual carbon fiber. Definitely an easy test for someone to do on their own. 2. most carbon fibre frames come with a life time guarantee so might be a Chance of getting it replaced by the manufacturer. BMW gives us an inside look at why it won't be so bad. Is it a crack probably caused by the saddle pressure? The crack in this Corvette’s fiberglass is on top of the right rear fender. I also have a Carbon Road bike that I have crashed a few times and has a major paint chip out of it, but is still structurally sound. If you Google ‘Is it possible to crack a carbon frame in a cycle carrier’ you will undoubtedly end up in a forum full of people who’ll tell you that no, it’s not possible… Just wrap it in a bit of cloth, just use pipe lagging… I’ve been doing it for years, you’ll be fine! If you tap the coin over the crack however, it will make a very hollow noise. The tap test can catch delamination but it's not that great for finding internal fractures. “The fatigue tests that we run here are almost a matter of going through the motions,” said Chuck Texiera, a senior engineer at Specialized. 1. A: Yes: uncompressed carbon will not laminate completely to itself nor to the other plies. With a frame, there’s a lot of surface area to work with, but there are limitations. It's a myth that carbon can't be repaired. Our take. Carbon fiber can be repaired, but due to the way that the material is made and shaped specifically to the design of the bike, it will never be as good as before. Required fields are marked *. As production methods improved, these issues have been resolved. Check for cracks. Fatigue cracks will lessen the strength of the frame and will also reduce its stiffness, eventually causing failure. They are the same as any other metals. But then you look at the manufacturers website and they say things along the lines of: Carbon frames are NOT designed to be clamped in a stand or a cycle carrier. Major bicycle brand flagship models are usually equipped with carbon fiber frames. Is it possible to crack a Carbon frame in a cycle carrier? More suitable techniques for welding frame pieces together make the joint much stronger so as to avoid further breakage. Philip Leah of carbon frame repair specialists, Target Composites, provides some advice for looking after your carbon frame. In essence you might be fine clamping a carbon frame once twice, or even a thousand times… BUT do you know what damage you’re doing to your frame internally? It was replaced under warranty. Trying to find out if i need to replace the entire frame or if i could get the crack repaired and without breaking the bank! In fact, carbon fiber is one of the most repairable materials and each Appleman repair is covered by a 10 year warranty. If you want to do that get heavy duty carbon frame check out SC V10C, or GT furyC:thumbsup: I don't know if you've ever done the 'tap test' but it is blatantly different to even a tone deaf person when you hit on a spot that is bad. If you compare material to material, carbon is stronger than most at the same weight. Can carbon be fixed? REGISTERED IN ENGLAND Company No. Same thing at the headtube and the seat cluster. While this is normal, please avoid excessive or repeated pressure because this could lead to damages.”, https://www.bmc-switzerland.com/int-en/support/carbon-care/, So, on the one hand we have perceived wisdom telling us it’s fine to clamp away and on the other we have a manufacturer telling us that finger pressure alone is enough to deform a frame…, But it’s this that is the most telling: “avoid excessive or repeated pressure because this could lead to damages.”. Matt Appleman of Appleman Cycles repairs a carbon frame. Yep, that little line, under the ‘O’ is a crack caused by over tightening in a cycle carrier. It is in the worst possible place. Because of the location and severity of this crack, we need to get access to the underside of the fender. Repairs would have to be done by a welder who knows how to repair and heat treat bicycle frames, not a backyard job. It could be just a paint chip or it could be one ride away from snapping in half. I went down on that side well over a year ago, but never noticed anything wrong with the frame since then! He was not very fast, the normal 'little-boy-dreaming-on-his-bike'-speed. Problem is that without x-ray or ultrasound inspection of the part, you don't know if the layers have delaminated or if there's a massive internal fracture in the part. Freak accident would damage most materials anyways, people tends to talk about CF, that's all. So without anymore information, I would say you have a crashed frame with frame failure. Isn’t it worth keeping that gorgeous carbon safe? Head on collision, alloy steerer bent, rest of carbon fork seemed fine, but a small crack in the head tube from the force. Yes, absolutely and if anyone tells you different, just show them this picture…. Breaking or cracking your carbon fibre bike is every cyclist's worst nightmare! There is a small crack in the top tube of the frame. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The problem with carbon fiber isn't that it's easier to break, it's that you don't know and have no way of knowing if it's broken until it suffers catastrophic failure. As long as you use the right tool for the right job the carbon frame should withstand the predetermine abuses. Plenty of carbon fiber for a few more repairs. While there’s every possibility you could clamp your frame a thousand times without a problem… There’s also a possibility you could crack your frame tomorrow. Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Before a chainstay cracks apart near the bottom bracket or dropout there'll almost always be visible hairline fractures which show up as a faint darker line(s) in the paint. Page 2 of 3 - CRACK IN CARBON FRAME - posted in Tech Q&A: I've had a small accident on my carbon road bike. There are carbon recycling methods though. They were welded by MIG with CO2 shielding, no pre or post weld heat treat. This video shows the basics of carbon fiber lay up, step by step for vacuum bagging. Treat a modern carbon frame well and there should be limited potential for degradation over a bike’s working life. And while I’m not entirely sure, my guess is this myth began as a legitimate concern when carbon frames were in their infancy (~25 years ago). JavaScript is disabled. The Easy Start kit is for making a shape out of carbon fiber using a mold. Simply cut it to size, peel, and stick. And carbon fiber? Carbon does not develop small cracks which could fail later like a steel or alloy frame might, by nature of it being a composite material. So I was cleaning my bike on sunday ready for a ride on monday and I noticed a crack in the carbon fibre on my seat stay!! Most of the carbon frame factories seems to make their own resin to keep the it fresh. Carbon frames are made from sheets of fabric cut and glued together in layers. Our take. Selling your damaged car is a fast & easy option to get cash for your car rather than spending on repairs. The heat treated frames found on heavy trucks were made from SAE 1027 modified. 1. If I were refused a replacement with your frame, I wouldn't be upset. What is the most common way a bike frame gets damaged? Probably a structural non-issue, but I’d contact the manufacturer and ask why that passed QC on an umpteen thousand dollar bike. Inconsistencies lead to cracks and frame failures. Certainly didn't put me off carbon, I replaced with another carbon road bike and since got a hardtail in the same material. Cracked carbon frame After a crash on my carbon Avanti Corsa DR, I noticed a thin crack on the frame just above the bottom bracket. Carbon Fiber Vinyl Film . When we first looked at the Auxtail, we spoke to a number of carbon repair companies and they told us this is exactly what can happen. Chilled Carbon. But I needed to add carbon fiber to an existing structure. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. It is a very distinct noise. Inspect the area every time you stop. Seam and weld cracks are relatively easy to fix. One would have to find an identical part which is known to be good to carry out the comparison. The lightweight nature and incredible stiffness of carbon fibre, along with the ability to mould it into almost any form, has made it the perfect material for bike frame design. 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. Arghhh! Subscribe to this blog. What is the most common way a bike frame gets damaged? Is the weave slowly being pushed further and further apart? With a metal part, you can see the dents and go "hmmm...that doesn't look good, I better replace the thing before it breaks". Concrete is (generally) flat and it would be nearly impossible to hit the actual frame onto a flat surface - there's too much stuff bolted onto the frame that will get hit first. Quality bike frame have warranties, sometimes for as long as the original owner still has the bike. 2 The broken chain then got it… If this one isn’t found in time, the result is usually catastrophic failure and a trip to the dentist (at best). |. 165 Dalegarth way, Broughton, Milton Keynes, MK10 7BG We will not work on any steel frame bike with a carbon fiber seatpost because carbon fiber seatposts are forbidden in steel frames due to the pinching force of the clamp. A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. However, this adhesive-backed film is as easy to apply as a sticker. 10118777 That's a big issue. A stress crack may not be repairable at all, and I'm not sure I would trust it in any case on the BB. We are your specialist for the repair of your carbon bicycle. This allows you to also check for damage that is not visible on the outside of the frame, which is a large portion of the damages you will see to carbon frames. Even if you had a chunky aluminum frame, it is easy to save a pound or two with the ... the weakest points. A common, and scary, place that frames crack is the underside of the down tube, just behind the headtube. What would let you find an internal defect? The tap thing only works on absolutely destroyed carbon. Q: Will I lose frame strength by not compressing? Your email address will not be published. Carbon fiber recycled from a car isn't strong enough to be used in building another car. Its definitely cracked, about 30mm long with a deep chip in the carbon. “We just about never see a failure or fatigue. So, nobody got hurt, but his mum wanted me to check the frame, she was very sorry and apologized hundreds of times. Carbon fiber parts should be considered disposable or consumable, like a Bic lighter! The top (visible) layer is four-harness satin carbon cloth, Hercules AS4 (370 g/sq. it's just as bad. Sure, I could easily add layers of the fabric to my frame, but I didn’t have any way to compress it. Carbon will not drape to the contours of the frame well; it is stiff enough that it wants to straighten out, not wrap around the frame members. I specifically remember the specified carbon content being 0.05% MAX on at least some of the frames. Crack in paint on carbon frame - better pics. Perhaps it is scenarios like this that the perception of ‘weak carbon’ is coming from? And since it's internal how are you going to know where to look for it? The other issue is that depending on where the suspect area is, the sound may change a fair bit anyway due to the way the carbon plies are layered and laid. Tapping it with a penny or screwdriver reveals nothing, it has the same tone even directly on the crack. Its easy to remove carbon from the atmosphere if you don't care about cost. When carbon breaks it does so with a tear, crush or puncture. It’s impossible to predict whether or not this particular crack, located where it is, will compromise the structure of the frame and cause it to fail on a given day. But like a steel or titanium frame, a carbon-fiber frame can sometimes be repaired. A small crack or defect on the carbon frame is not a total loss. You could see a visible crack. mtbr member Reputation: Join Date Oct 2004 Posts 2,008. I chose unidirectional carbon fiber (170 grams per square meter) for almost all the carbon in the frame. Steel is even more bomber and easy to fix. Carbon fiber can't be melted down, and it's not easy to recycle. 07-29-2009 #10. macming. What’s worse is that when carbon fiber fails, it fails spectacularly. It’s been a few months and with consistent riding, the crack … Carbon, with all its qualities, also has its shortfalls. Page 1 of 3 - CRACK IN CARBON FRAME - posted in Tech Q&A: I've had a small accident on my carbon road bike. to break a cf frame you really have to smack the frame hard. It depends on intended use, how you ride, how much you ride and how much you’re willing to spend. Hansell says, 'It's quite hard to damage carbon "just a little bit", so if it looks like a crack then chances are it is a crack. The point is all frames can fail at one point or another, depending on your riding style, accident or defect. Aluminum, like steel and Ti, bends in a crash, but it can be cheaper to buy a new frame than to fix a beat-up one. 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