2 months old and cracked carbon

Matt_E

steals hub caps from cars
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at peace
Nobody here likes to read that, I am sure. I'll alleviate your concerns right now - it's not a $7k jetski hull.
It's a bicycle, quite a bit less than $7k.
Pic of said bike:

PSR2KTx.jpg


See those seat stays? Pretty skinny, eh? The whole thing weighs 21 lbs with the heavy leather saddle.

I bought it in the last days of August and have put on about 2,050 miles on it so far. Not a single problem. I babied it - cleaned and serviced once a week, looked over daily. This is my main transportation, so it needs to be reliable and in top shape. Certain things wear out faster when dirty or in winter, problems are typically much cheaper to solve if caught early.
So yesterday I parked the bike in an unused office space at work. When I geared up to go home, I found the big crack in the top tube that definitely had not been there hours earlier.
Pics of crack:

DSC_8466-L.jpg


DSC_8472-L.jpg



And then there is a smaller crack on one of those skinny seat stays. Pics:

DSC_8471-L.jpg


DSC_8467-L.jpg




So here's the neat thing about a composite bicycle frame from the big names: it should be a free warranty replacement without hassles or trying to get some guy in a garage on his phone (no offense to budding hull builders). The warranty just says to immediately stop riding and take it to a Giant dealer for inspection. ANY crack at all is a problem.
Dropped it off at a local shop this afternoon and the Giant rep for the region should be looking at it today or tomorrow. (If it was today, I haven't heard back yet)
Giant has a lifetime warranty on frame and fork for the original owner. They won't fix damaged frames - they only replace them. If it's within 60 days, labor is covered, too. I am just outside that window, so I am curious how that will be handled. I can easily do the swapover myself, but I'd prefer not to and I'd like to have another factory warranty.

TL, DR: New carbon bike frame broke but I am only a little sad because I'll get a new one for free.
 

Matt_E

steals hub caps from cars
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In case you can't see the seat stay crack: look at the very end of the blue line, then draw a line perpendicularly across the red line. That's the crack.
 

Big Kahuna

Administrator
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
Could someone have sat on it? That was 250 lbs+?
the crack on the seat stay looks like a downward flex crack. Or from hitting a pothole. Same with the top tube.

But. Carbon frames do crack sometimes. I have known guys that will get them. they crack. replacement cracks. back to aluminum.
 

Pablo

sqeez bth levrs & lean bk
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georgia
Matt. One of the guys I work with has been a semi-pro cyclist off and on over the years with sponsorship and his dad is a GIANT dealer as well. Not that ur worried, but he was saying that frame will be warrantied without problem (at least his dad would). Good luck.

Have y'all seen some of the abuse the bikes on the Roubaix race take? Those are carbon road bikes that get hammered on cobblestone roads with road wheels.
 

Matt_E

steals hub caps from cars
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Could it possibly just be cracked paint from the frame flexing?

The cracks are in two different spots, which seems to indicate more than just flexy paint. However, a couple things on that: Giant clearly states that ANY crack at all is a concern and to stop riding immediately. And the paint is warrantied for a year, as well.
One of the service techs that took the bike yesterday said he thought he saw a flaw in the paint on the top tube.

Big Kahuna said:
Could someone have sat on it? That was 250 lbs+?
the crack on the seat stay looks like a downward flex crack. Or from hitting a pothole. Same with the top tube.

Nobody sat on it. The space is access controlled with very few badges being able to open it.
Also no to the pot holes. It was 2000 easy miles.

Pablo said:
Have y'all seen some of the abuse...

I posted about it here mainly as a point of interest, since there is some overlap in composite technology between skis and bikes.
 

Matt_E

steals hub caps from cars
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Giant is replacing the frame and as I understand it, paying for the labor to swap. Should have it back in two weeks, which is the biggest pain in the ass about all this.

Re: carbon frames in general. I don't quite understand the fear or 'hell no' attitude about them. It's not like they fail, kill, maim riders with any regularity. Steel, Ti, CrMo, etc all have potential for breaking.
 

DAG

Yes, my balls tickled from that landing
Location
Charlotte, NC
Did/are they going to tell you why it broke? Sounds like you baby'd it. If they don't know why it broke, it likely the replacement is of the same subpar manufacturing technique
 

Sospikey

Trying to get upside down
Location
Sweden
I've seen multiple cracked frames. Most common in crashes, when the fiber gets crushed. All frames wear, in this case I'd guess on production issues causing the cracks.
The thinner seatstays on many newer bikes are there for a reason, they make the frame more forgiving (more Comfort) while still being stiff and efficient.
I've been on carbon frames (both road and MTB) for 6-7 years now and wouldn't go back to alloy...
 

Matt_E

steals hub caps from cars
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There was no crash here, not even a pothole. 2000 miles is a lot in two months, but that was an easy 2000. Not even a pothole hit. Didn't have to true a wheel once, which is my own measure. That bike got babied. Cleaned - including chain and whole drivetrain - at least once a week and relubed. Everything inspected at least once a week, too.
(Went 2000 miles without a flat, too! Yay tubeless road tires. F'n awesome)

I will say this: I've been using a clamp-on rack on that bike so I can carry an MTX Explorer saddle bad for my commuting needs. I make a habit of keeping that relatively light, but it's still at least ten pounds hanging off the back and bouncing a lot. I can't help but feel that was a very strong factor in this. I won't be using a rack anymore.
 

Ducky

Back in the game!
Location
Charlotte, NC
That's crazy....I would probably never notice those cracks. I actually windexed my computer screen to find out what was actually the crack, and what was just dirt on my screen.
 

Matt_E

steals hub caps from cars
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Update. The LBS called me on Tuesday to let me know the bike was done. Giant elected to replace the frame. While I am grateful that the warranty worked, I did get a bit frustrated with the shop.
They assured me that there'd be no cost to me. Yet, when I picked up the bike, they tried charging me $120 for the bike build because I didn't buy it from them. Granted, the tech approached this as if he was embarassed to even ask and was not insisting upon it. I laughed and refused to pay - I had told these guys specifically to let me know if there would be charges I'd have to pay. They assured me that Giant would pay for the labor.
Long story short, I didn't pay a dime.

The same tech told me that riding on a trainer is what caused the damage. I replied that the bike had never been on a trainer.
They did replace one cable housing because it was allegedly too short. I don't know how true that is, as I had ridden 2,100 miles with it the way it was. While I appreciate the effort, I don't appreciate the absolutely terrible bartape job they did with the same old bartape that was already on there.
The seat post has graduations printed on it that make returning it to a previous setting very simple. And yet, they missed doing that.

Final complaint, not against LBS but against fate: Six miles after getting it back, I destroyed the front tire. Hutchinson Intensive 25mm tubless, had been going strong without a single flat for 2,100 miles. Something cut the casing and now it's trash.

Happy to have it back.
 
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