Oh F*cking C*ock- is it busted?

Tricycleboy

Help!

While giving the bike a good clean/ once over i found this on the drive side joint just above where the hanger is on my (carbon) Ribble Gran Fondo!



click the image and hit 'previous' to see a few more shots.

its only 7 months/ 2k miles old- so should be in warranty with Ribble. Any i can tell you for nowt they will be getting an irate phone call in the morning!

I heard a crack coming home the other night- thought it was probably my computer knocking the stem- glad i checked now.

Is it completely fecked? or is it a paint chip? any commuters out there with any knowledge of carbon? HELP!

meanredspider

It doesn't look good but might just be cracked paint.

Carbon frames can certainly be repaired though.

fossyant

Looks like a paint crack - is the drop out alloy - if so then this is most likely. Not serious, but worth keeping an eye on.

Tricycleboy

kind of hope its cracked paint meanredspider- it just seems to wrap most of the way round the joint.

and if i was going to draw a line on a bike to demonstrate where i'd guess a stress crack would form- that would be it.

Any experiences of getting a replacement under warranty from Ribble? it was tough enough to get the thing off them in the first place- and they might just be a load of sh*te to get a replacement from.

really sad now...

Fat-Boy-Roubaix

I have seen similar pics of ribble white carbon frames, in a similar place they paint the whole bit and it could be the paint cracking on the join between the carbon frame and the metal/alu part that is where your wheel and rear hanger go. I have an exposed laquered carbon bike and youcan easily sop all the areas where metal parts are being used/inserted

Ribble will offer to take it back for inspection, I am no expert but it looks like paint crack, carbon tends to just fail rather than crack

Tricycleboy

I am fairly sure it does have alloy drop outs actually.

just found this

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40004&t=12792620

seems it might be an ongoing issue with this frame.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Coin test. Tap the stays at their mid point to get an idea of how they should sound. Work towards the affected area. You'll be able to tell from the change in pitch if the frame is cracked.

Tricycleboy

just did the coin test- to be honest i don't really know what i'm listening for, but both stays sound about the same, so i'm seeing that as a positive. assuming they're not both cracked. which i'm sure they're not.

Hopefully Ribble will keep their end up and i'll get it sorted one way or another.

Thanks for the advice guys

The Rookie

The carbon tends to be thickest as it approches joints like that, it does to me just look like a paint crack cause by differential expansion (it's been cold recently I think....) and nothing to worry about, that said it is always best to check, a mate had an ally drop out all but fall right out a front PACE fork while the wheel was off the ground, gave him a very nasty moment.

Simon

spasypaddy

im 99% certain its a paint crack. ive seen it a few times on ribble. still get it checked properly and speak to ribble. and if all else fails blame wiggle

Tricycleboy

I have had an email back and forth with Ribble (very fast in responding i must say).

Ben there did his level best to convince me it was a paint crack- and while from you guy's advice and his insistance i too am 99% certain that is true- but i really dont want that 1% in the back of my mind on a 45mph descent. And i would never be able to sell the frame in that state as no one in their right mind wants to take on that 1% chance either. As a former skydiver i'm more than happy with calculated risk, but i was taught that you do everything you can to reduce that risk.

So they're picking it up wednesday. because it has to go back to Italy (why?) they say it could take up to 2 months to sort out!

Anyone want to sell me a Bianchi frame/ bike- 55cm recent via nirone, infinito or sempre please . Might as well use the time to try out something else, and i fancy one of them.

cheers for the help guys

rolf_f

Mine has had a crack since May. There's a few more there now and it'll go back after Christmas. Can't say it's worried me and I've not had it over 50!