Nasty cracking sound

markos1963

Out on a ride today, hammering down a hill I hit a bump in the road. There was a nasty loud cracking sound from the front that frightened the c%$p out of me. I've had a good look around and can't see any damage at all. The frame and fork are carbon with an alloy steerer, alloy bars and carbon stem. Whats gone wrong?

will3

markos1963 wrote:

Out on a ride today, hammering down a hill I hit a bump in the road. There was a nasty loud cracking sound from the front that frightened the c%$p out of me. I've had a good look around and can't see any damage at all. The frame and fork are carbon with an alloy steerer, alloy bars and carbon stem. Whats gone wrong?

I have a slightly slippy seatpost that creaks and cracks over bumps.

iga

Uh oh, you've probably cracked the carbon headtube or fork underneath the surface and the next time you hit a bump it'll shatter, the carbon dust will then get into your lungs, give you cancer and you'll die!

More likely the bars shifting slightly in the stem. Could always drop the fork to check the steerer.

markos1963

iga wrote:

Uh oh, you've probably cracked the carbon headtube or fork underneath the surface and the next time you hit a bump it'll shatter, the carbon dust will then get into your lungs, give you cancer and you'll die!

More likely the bars shifting slightly in the stem. Could always drop the fork to check the steerer.

Thanks for that, I read your first statement fell off my chair and now recovering from a shattered hip :shock:

Brian B

markos1963 wrote:

Out on a ride today, hammering down a hill I hit a bump in the road. There was a nasty loud cracking sound from the front that frightened the c%$p out of me. I've had a good look around and can't see any damage at all. The frame and fork are carbon with an alloy steerer, alloy bars and carbon stem. Whats gone wrong?

Did exactly the same as yourself a few weeks back and could not find anything wrong either when examing my bike. Probably just the headset just getting rattled or the handlebars moving slightly in the stem. Let me know if you find anything out of the ordinary in the near future and I will do the same.

Doobz

headset and fork play. I had this a while back and had to drop the forks a little and make sure the bearings were seated correctly and then push the forks back up and tighten the headset back again. Link below for headset how to if your not sure..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRFqU07u8DE

Tom Butcher

I'd go for the bars slipping slightly in the stem - I've has similar with ally on ally.

markos1963

Thanks for all your replies, I seem to remember a few weeks ago flipping my stem(oo-err!) and taking a spacer out. I thought I had tightened everything up to the correct torque settings but now I know what to look at I'll give it another go.