Help! Found a Fissure on frame

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Comments

  • vrsmatt
    vrsmatt Posts: 160
    there appears to be a chip in the paint right where the crack starts......a result of work on the headset.

    on a wider note, that looks like a rubbish design there's nothing supporting the wider area of the tube the headset is in, that little bit of tube is doing an awful lot....hydroformed to go wide/thin, supporting the headset and all the stress going through it and with a weld just below the transition from wide to thin......I wouldn't want to replace with the same frame IMO
    Giant TCR Composite 1, Giant Defy Advanced 2, Boardman Comp, Santa Cruz Heckler, Raleigh M-Trax Ti, Strida LT, Giant Halfway
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    My son's alu framed budget MTB developed a very similar crack in the headtube but at the bottom. That had seen a lot of abuse though, so I wasn't really surprised.

    I'll check my Racelight carefully next time I strip it down though...
  • dwanes
    dwanes Posts: 954
    I had this happen on an 8 year old £600 Ridgeback hybrid still in very good overall condition.
    Still had the original receipt and got a full refund!!
    Nothing to do with the headset at all, a manufacturing material fault they said.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    VRSMatt wrote:
    there appears to be a chip in the paint right where the crack starts......a result of work on the headset.

    Impossible to say what came first - the chip, or the crack. The paint chip might well be as a result of the crack, not the other way round. Either way, a paint chip is not going to cause a structural issue.
    VRSMatt wrote:
    on a wider note, that looks like a rubbish design there's nothing supporting the wider area of the tube the headset is in, that little bit of tube is doing an awful lot....hydroformed to go wide/thin, supporting the headset and all the stress going through it and with a weld just below the transition from wide to thin......I wouldn't want to replace with the same frame IMO

    The headtube is machined, not hydroformed though. The design is not unusual at all.
  • vrsmatt
    vrsmatt Posts: 160
    Imposter wrote:
    VRSMatt wrote:
    there appears to be a chip in the paint right where the crack starts......a result of work on the headset.

    Impossible to say what came first - the chip, or the crack. The paint chip might well be as a result of the crack, not the other way round. Either way, a paint chip is not going to cause a structural issue.
    VRSMatt wrote:
    on a wider note, that looks like a rubbish design there's nothing supporting the wider area of the tube the headset is in, that little bit of tube is doing an awful lot....hydroformed to go wide/thin, supporting the headset and all the stress going through it and with a weld just below the transition from wide to thin......I wouldn't want to replace with the same frame IMO

    The headtube is machined, not hydroformed though. The design is not unusual at all.

    I meant to put a ? after the word headset..oops

    machined or hydro it still looks like a poor solution to me, the trabant isn't unusual in Russia, its still rubbish
    Giant TCR Composite 1, Giant Defy Advanced 2, Boardman Comp, Santa Cruz Heckler, Raleigh M-Trax Ti, Strida LT, Giant Halfway
  • DavidJB
    DavidJB Posts: 2,019
    The bike saw itself in the mirror and cracked in horror.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    imafatman wrote:

    As far as warranty is concerned you have 6 years under consumer sales act or whatever it's called these days. I would say this counts as not being fit for purpose.

    Get a life. You buy something with a two year (or whatever) warranty, then you have two years to claim.
    If you don't like it, then don't buy it.

    What do you mean 'these days'?
    Thats been around years!

    Good luck with the consumer rights act OP ;)

    Why 6 years? Why not 12, or 24?
    Things should last forever shouldn't they?
    No matter what you do to them :roll:

    People rip fabric against tarmac and want a replacement after a matter of days.
    How do you deal with pi55taking over 6 years???
  • darkhairedlord
    darkhairedlord Posts: 7,180
    IMHO but not gospel:

    The bike has been modified, so won't be covered.
    Burden of proof of a manufacturing fault is with the OP, if it's had work on the headset there is no way of proving this.
    The claim would be against the retailer anyway, not the manufacturer.
    It's a two year old aluminium frame and the bike has been modified!
    How much is it going to cost the OP to go to court and faff about with expert witnesses to claim against the retailer?

    Just stick a collar on it and either:
    Don't buy another Bianchi,
    Don't get work done at the same workshop,
    Don't buy from the same retailer,
    Don't ruin your bike by putting flat bars on it!
  • Mr _Tibbs
    Mr _Tibbs Posts: 46
    WallSt wrote:
    The bearings etc and internal didn't corrode away. I had a look. It's early on so only on the top through.

    I contacted Bianchi and I do know Switzerland has a 5 year policy. If they have an old frame, they may allow a discount priced replacement. Hardly worthwhile if too much, I know I can pick up the same frame for £300-400 with low usuage.

    Hoping the retail LBS supports my request, he said he would. However, it's Bianchi wholesalers discretion. He's at the Giro Italia. So awaiting response.

    Thanks for your replies. Take a look at this companies solution:-

    https://www.gripsport.com.au/photo-albu ... head-tubes

    Good luck, let us know how you get on
  • Mr _Tibbs
    Mr _Tibbs Posts: 46
    WallSt wrote:
    The bike in question:

    65507ECE-5F0C-42AD-A118-86ABC4CE66B1_zpssckh4pbl.jpg
    Yeah, I would make sure Bianchi don't get a copy of that picture.

    Consider refitting the drops for any photo evidence they request. I doubt it has any impact on the crack but it may provide an excuse for them to ignore you.

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