Cracked Carbon Frame - TREK ELITE 9.7

mtbcy
mtbcy Posts: 7
edited December 2012 in MTB workshop & tech
Anybody had any experience with cracked carbon frame?? The bike was bought new in Sep 2010 and has had very light use mainly on roads. Crack is on a rivet on the inside of the frame near the rear brake calliper. The rivet holds the brake cable to the frame. Bike is like new - never been crashed or dropped. My local dealer submitted a warranty claim but Trek have rejected it saying the damage is from small stones hitting the frame over a period of time. Sounds rubbish to me. If a MTB can't handle road use and light dirt roads it's not a MTB!!! Thanks for any help.
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Comments

  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Mmm, Trek like to do things very 'by the book' which tends to mean rejecting a high number of warranty claims for very tenuous reasons. A friend broke a 9.8 years ago and they gave a similarly vague (and wrong) justification for the damage!

    There are companies that repair frames, do that and get on with using it!
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    I'd have to wonder, why did you get an MTB for road and light dirst roads?
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Im guessing it's because they're comfier.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    To be honset I'd go back again to them myself.

    I'd expect better support than that, and with limited use well within what is resonable for the product i'd expect it to be repaired or replaced with in a two year period just due to my standard consumer rights :S

    But easy life is do what Njee says, get it sorted and caryy on, i'm just a grump and would want them to sort it!.
  • mtbcy
    mtbcy Posts: 7
    Attached is photo of the damage to the frame. Shows crack leading straight from the rivet.

    Anybody have names & e-mails for senior guys at Trek I can argue my case with?????
  • mtbcy
    mtbcy Posts: 7
    And photo of the OUTSIDE of the frame - showing NO impact damage.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Woah, that looks pretty weird! Have you done anything to that, or is that just how it ended up?

    The MD of Trek was Nigel Roberts IIRC - have a Google - I imagine his email will follow a similar format to all the other guys, may be worth a try.
  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Bloomin heck, had a mental picture of a hairline crack or something, but that doesnt look nice.. I'd be back onto them myself.
  • mtbcy
    mtbcy Posts: 7
    I haven't done anything to it! The bike has only been used maybe 20 times. Was checking the tyres this week before a short ride and found the crack.

    If it was small stones hitting the frame over a period of time you would see other marks and scratches in that area. The bike is otherwise like new.

    I came up with a name - Colin Knell - who supposedly is their European Warranty Manager????????
  • EH_Rob
    EH_Rob Posts: 1,134
    That doesn't look right at all, I'd start hassling them.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Yep Colin's head of warranty I think - he crops up on STW under the username TrekCol I think, worth dropping him a line, the frame looks to be in good nick, so that's very odd damage.
  • mtbcy
    mtbcy Posts: 7
    Many thanks - will try to contact through STW forum. I tried the e-mail "colin.knell@trekbikes.co.uk" but not sure if this is correct!
  • 386ka
    386ka Posts: 479
    Am I the only one who can't see the attachments? :(
    A much loved, Giant Trance X3 2010
  • mtbcy
    mtbcy Posts: 7
    happy to e-mail them to you if you want to see!
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    386ka wrote:
    Am I the only one who can't see the attachments? :(
    No....
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • 386ka
    386ka Posts: 479
    mtbcy wrote:
    happy to e-mail them to you if you want to see!
    :D
    Well, upload them to http://imageshack.us/ or tinypic.com or photobucket.com and share the links here. :)
    A much loved, Giant Trance X3 2010
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    386ka wrote:
    Am I the only one who can't see the attachments? :(
    I'm guessing you have some sort of ad-blocker type thing installed?
  • 386ka
    386ka Posts: 479
    Yes, but even when it's off, they are not showing up.
    A much loved, Giant Trance X3 2010
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    No ad blocker, still can't see them.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    No ad blocker, still can't see them.
    Pity, she's really hot.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    what browsers are you guys who can't see them running?
    In ie9 with a tracking block list, I can't see them either, but it's fine in everything else.
  • 386ka
    386ka Posts: 479
    Firefox here.. But, I can see them via Chrome?! Strange..
    A much loved, Giant Trance X3 2010
  • I cant see the images but it might be worth you finding out what happens when a rivet is overcompressing carbon fibre and theres a hole drilled through the carbon.
  • milko9000
    milko9000 Posts: 533
    Can't see them via Chome Mac, no adblocker. Often the case on this forum for me for some reason.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    edited June 2012
    Ah, bang goes my theory. I'm on Windows8 64-bit now, and the images don't appear in Ie10, either desktop or Metro (no adblocker or tracking blocker on either).
    Hmm.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Don't run an add blocker, no company firewall, ie9 in Win7 64bit.....

    Just a rubbish site, use tinypic/photobucket etc....
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Firefox and they work fine for me. I'm running an adblocker too.
  • DodgeT
    DodgeT Posts: 2,255
    Ie9 and I can see them, when the site hasn't froze/not responding that is...

    Any update on the crack?
  • paulbrownbiz
    paulbrownbiz Posts: 1
    edited November 2012
    Hello,

    I've just come across this post. My elite 9.7 has also cracked but on the chainstay, it looked very similar to yours in the way it went! After three months of discussing with Trek I got so fed up I had to purchase a new 9.8 frame as they refused to warranty, claiming that the rear mech had come up and hit the frame!!!

    Do you know that they don't manufacture the TCT frame now and have replaced it with OCLV.

    What was the eventual outcome with your frame?

    Cheers

    Paul
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    They only did TCT for a few year, as a cheap OCLV. It's all just names anyway frankly, doesn't mean anything particularly!