Cracked carbon fork, safe?

okgo
okgo Posts: 4,368
edited January 2011 in Workshop
Hi all,

Just wondering if there was a way of testing whether the fork was cracked, or whether it may just be the paint that has cracked due to some flex...

Pics here

PsS2oKY9.jpg
I5fU3TxM.jpg
Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com

Comments

  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Terminal - the crack coincides with where the leg is bonded to the crown.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Paul RS
    Paul RS Posts: 107
    Replace them.
  • Tap your forks and you might find that that crack represents the delineation between an aluminium fork crown and the carbon legs.
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    BMC offer a two year warranty so I will get them down to Evans asap for a replacement pair.

    Just annoying as I was planning to start riding to work tomorrow, and had done the dummy run today. Just thankful that I've cleaned it and noticed before it snapped while was descending that steep hill in Richmond Park.
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Cracks look deadly. Last winter I was labouring under a really troublesome handling and bumpiness in the front end of my hack that appeared. It felt more jarring than usual over rough surfaces and steering was al ot more unpredictable. After a couple of months of riding up and down I finally washed the bike to reveal the same fork cracks as yours.
    I feel pretty lucky that they didn't snap at some point going down a hill (such as Richmond Park one that I know well) I check my forks every couple of weeks now.
  • Go on, tell us ... When you took the wheel out, did the leg of the fork drop off?
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    that's carbon for you!

    Told you steel was the future.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • Two words- catastrophic failure :shock:
    Specialized Langster
    Specialized Enduro Expert
    Specialized Rockhopper

    This season I will be mainly riding a Specialized
  • okgo
    okgo Posts: 4,368
    Haha, no it didn't drop off.

    It actually still feels fairly strong! Still, I took it back to the shop today and the cha laughed and said he would have no issues proving it was a warranty claim :)
    Blog on my first and now second season of proper riding/racing - www.firstseasonracing.com
  • Well that's pleasing to hear.
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    Go on, tell us ... When you took the wheel out, did the leg of the fork drop off?

    This happened to me with a steel 531 fork, twenty odd years back mind. Rode about twenty five miles on it thinking the front wheel felt a bit flexible. Mentioned it to me dad when I got home. He took the front wheel out, and the blade fell off.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    My son was complaining that his back wheel was a bit floppy. Turned out he'd broken the axle!
  • moonshine
    moonshine Posts: 1,022
    SheffSimon wrote:
    Go on, tell us ... When you took the wheel out, did the leg of the fork drop off?

    This happened to me with a steel 531 fork, twenty odd years back mind. Rode about twenty five miles on it thinking the front wheel felt a bit flexible. Mentioned it to me dad when I got home. He took the front wheel out, and the blade fell off.

    that near as dammed happened to me last year on my steel winter fixed gear commuter. with an alloy fork.. i had this funny squeak that i couldn't track down - I repacked the headset, checked all the wheel bearings for play .... then noticed the crack at the same place as the photos
    I took the front wheel off and i was able to break the fork like a chicken wishbone - :shock:

    i was very relieved not to have ridden it any further!
  • penugent
    penugent Posts: 913
    SheffSimon wrote:
    Go on, tell us ... When you took the wheel out, did the leg of the fork drop off?

    This happened to me with a steel 531 fork, twenty odd years back mind. Rode about twenty five miles on it thinking the front wheel felt a bit flexible. Mentioned it to me dad when I got home. He took the front wheel out, and the blade fell off.

    That's steel for you. No wonder carbon has replaced it!!
  • darren H
    darren H Posts: 122
    Never really had a problem with forks. Have carbon ones on both my regular bikes. That is some crack in those forks mind.
    Have to say if that was me I would be writing a stiff letter to the manufacturer and wanting an answer.

    Did you say bmc. Bloody not good enough in my view. Could have been nasty