??Front fork cracked

BBH

Guys,

Was playing around with my new 2010 Boardman TC this morning on the workstand pre-ride.

I don’t know what possessed me, but, with a torch, I had a look in the hole at the back of the front forks where the break calipers are mounted through. The surface inside is rough with what looks like chips and certainly holes inside into the carbon. The hole for the back caliper is perfectly smooth inside. I am no mechanical expert, but this did not look normal to me? I cant see any defects in the carbon around the front fork.

My questions are really, Is it safe to ride? Anyone heard of manufacturing issues with Boardman front forks? What should I do?

I am going to go to halfords today but am also after some sound advice from the forum please.

I will try and post some pics

Thanks

bruce225

Well don't know if this makes you feel better or me worse,but just been out had a look at mine to find holes in mine stating about 4-5 mm inside hole...

Done some quick research and I could be wrong but I believe some carbon forks you buy,you have to drill a hole in yourself/LBS to fit for brake mounting,so if thats the case the strength must be in the fork legs outer carbon as such, so the inners bit with the holes in like we've got wont be load bearing...

Hope that's right :?

Monty Dog

A little knowledge and too much time are a bad combination. Unless you've crashed the bike or it has experienced a major impact, it's unlikely to be a problem.

Berk Bonebonce

And if you look at the bottom of the seat tube, behind the front mech, there might be a humdinger of a dent.

Get a block of carbon fibre and saw through it and it will contain small air pockets where one layer of fabric has not entirely mated with the one below it.

rake

i shat myself the first time i saw the dent but concluded it was too neat and wouldnt dent like that. 8) Must be some kind of massive power laying dent

BBH

Cheers for the replies guys!

Turns out, front forks were cracked inside with extension into the left front fork (inside)Halfords were helpful, they agreed it was unsafe to ride and was a clear manufacturing fault but were unable to get any immediate replacement forks and even tried to get me a new 2010 TC, but to no avail. The earliest they could deliver some new forks was 3-6 months. Which I cant wait as I have booked some sportives for the next 3 months.

They would not offer a 2011 replacement model as the prices have now gone up and would only offer me an equivalent bike at the price I paid - which would be much lower spec than I had.

I therefore left feeling gutted that I had lost the bike and with a bitter taste in my mouth about boardman bikes.

Still, guess it's back to the drawing board again !! :? :?

Bruce - please get yours checked out mate, I hope yours are nothing like mine were though!!

bruce225

How did they know they where cracked inside,thought forks where hollow?

Where are they looking exactly,then i will have a look myself..Just don't trust some of the Halfords guys...Just in case they are been over cautious,it's no problem to them to say there faulty and take your bike off you that way covering themselves.

BBH

Mate,

Yep forks are meant to be hollow, but this really didnt look right. I guess the halfords stores are hit and miss, but I did take mine to a good one with a guy who clearly knew what he was doing.

I looked in the hole on the front forks through which front calipers are secured. I looked from behind with a torch and found inside was not smooth. Instead it was cracked with holes in that were approx 2-4mm in depth through the entire left side of the hole. There appeared to be a crack around the rim of the hole where the bolt holding the front calipers in place was. One of the holes on the left side led directly into the body of the fork with no apparent covering at all. The right side and rear brake caliper hole were both smooth inside.

They may have been covering themselves, and the forks may have been ok but, rightly or wrongly, I would have always worried on those high speed descents as to the integrity of the front forks, So in a way I am glad to have the money back so I can start again.

Hope yours is ok.