Confidence in cracked and fixed carbon frames?

Steve_F

My Giant TCR advanced frame cracked yesterday. After missing a club mate sliding along the ground I launched over his back wheel (it was the only place left for me to go) and coming down the seat post slipped and punched through the frame.

It's basically gone through the part of the seat tube where it narrows to clear the wheel.

Not found out yet where I am with warranty, the seat collar was tightened to the correct torque, but suspect it's pretty much my problem.

I found a guy online who is confident he could fix it but I've also spoken to two bike mechanics who wouldn't trust a carbon repair.

Would you trust a repaired carbon frame? I am a pretty fast descender and will be heading to the Alps later in the year. I really don't want to be nervous about it or have it break on me at speed.

No idea what to do now. I'm completely gutted, loved that bike and even if it's a replacement it'll be off the road for weeks, if I can arrord to replace it at all just now.

Anyone riding repaired carbon and happy with it?

Monty Dog

If you go to one of the established carbon frame repairers, then no reason why the frame won't be as strong. Luckily the seat-tube at that point is probably the least-stressed part of a bike frame and therefore a repair presently little risk to the structural integrity.

Steve_F

Cheers Mr Dog, will see if anything comes back on the warranty and if not will get it repaired. Hopefully I'll be confident on it but will just have to see....

nferrar

Personally I wouldn't, like you allude to it will play on your mind when you're hitting 60mph down an alpine descent.

Yossie

Keep it for a turbo training bike, if warranty doesn't sort it then claim off household insurance for a new one. You also scuffed and scraped your groupset, saddle and pedals at the same time, so they will need claiming for as well.

I don't think warranty will cover the frame as it didn't break per se - you broke it.

Decent carbon man will probably repair it fine, but it will play on your mind and ruin your rides.

Worth checking with Giant if they do a trade in scheme as well - ie you give them your old frame and they give you x% off a new one - brand allgiance and all that.

paulbricey

2 years after having a broken carbon rear stay on Colombus Man machine after a major off and getting it 'patched' I haven't had any problems, and it looks like one of hardest areas to fix !

jibberjim

I do all my rides on an R3 which the top tube had my thigh go through it, since then it's been repaired by HQ Fibre Products in Norwich for ~75 quid including shipping both ways I have absolutely no reason to doubt it.

Steve_F

I've spoken to Wiggle (well emailed them) and to Giant direct. The guy at Giant was really helpful about the whole thing. I've not got to take it into a local dealer who will communicate with Giant and see what can be offered/sorted out.

Will be going down this route before persuing the repair option.

Had another look at it last night and the carbon seatpost appears to either have smashed with the frame or got jammed into the hole, either way the seat post is stuck solid.

The area that would need repaired has about 5mm clearance to the tyre so there's not a lot of room to build up a repair.

Home insurance needed bikes listed individually, max limit was either £2 or £2.5k so they wouldn't cover me. M&S wouldn't either as I'd had a claim on my policy due to someone else's leaking pipe that was over their max claim limit.