Why has this hole appeared in my frame?
People, I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter.
While sorting out creaking peddles on my road bike today I noticed a small puncture mark in the underneath of the left chainstay, just as it meets the bottom bracket.
The paint appeared flakey so I picked a bit away to investigate. And I found this hole:
My first thought was that something from the road has bounced up and punctured the paint and tube. There was white powder under the flakey paint which I assume to be Aluminium oxide.
The frame is a three year old Ribble EM2 dedacciai used in all conditions but cared for. Is this normal for a three year old frame? I have read elsewhere on the internet that these frames aren't very strong.
Is there any hope of salvage? Or, as I suspect, is it time to buy a new frame?
While sorting out creaking peddles on my road bike today I noticed a small puncture mark in the underneath of the left chainstay, just as it meets the bottom bracket.
The paint appeared flakey so I picked a bit away to investigate. And I found this hole:
My first thought was that something from the road has bounced up and punctured the paint and tube. There was white powder under the flakey paint which I assume to be Aluminium oxide.
The frame is a three year old Ribble EM2 dedacciai used in all conditions but cared for. Is this normal for a three year old frame? I have read elsewhere on the internet that these frames aren't very strong.
Is there any hope of salvage? Or, as I suspect, is it time to buy a new frame?
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Comments
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scrap, is my guess....some serious corrosion there...0
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It's called corrosion, and your frame is fubar !.. who said that, internet forum people ?0
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Thanks for the replies guys.
Is this likely to have been corrosion from riding in the salty winter road? I never would have thought it would eat through a frame like that.0 -
Looks like there is a small dent visible in the 1st pic ? Stone has pinged against the frame, chipped the paint off and then the bare metal has been exposed to the air, stone may even have pit a small hole in the metal itself and then the corrosion has set in. EM2 frame tubing probably v thin at some points so is prone to that ? Pretty bad luck, a risk with the really light alu frames I guess.0
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Alu frames don't last forever, especially when used in all weathers, the better quality they are, the longer they will last imo.0
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Looks like it corroded inside-out - water spray from the real wheel trickles down the seat-tube and collects in the BB shell. Putting your bike away full of salty water in a warm environment is ideal for corrosion. EM2 is a very thin, heat-treated alloy and wouldn't be expected to last long under those conditions.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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Thanks again for all the replies people. New frame time.0
