Your opinion on this frame

burnthesheep

Short story: crash including a handlebar hit to the top tube
Symptoms: a crack appeared in the paintwork

I went ahead and got some quotes for the repair, but wanted to be 100% sure it was in the fibers. I borrowed a borescope and it came up clean. I also sanded off the paint and primer and found nothing. You normally need to remove the crack or "rot" before you build it up for a repair. There's nothing there.

Both places I got quotes from looked only at the painted picture and said "broken, here's your quote".

I can't find any broken fibers.

Quoted photo:


Borescope: should have shown up on that side with the internal cable, nothing, I spent an hour looking


Paint and primer removed:

Matthewfalle

from what those pictures show it looks fine tbh.

burnthesheep

To be safe, before riding it in a more usual way, there is a slower speed cycle path behind my house. It's got some bumps in the path. I can cover the area with a piece of something taped over it to protect with UV and take it off after each and inspect again.

I may do this for a little while and ride my cyclocross bike instead. If after some riding and inspecting it hasn't changed, I'll get a paint shop paint over the spot.

No need to be too excited too soon.

Edit: Wow! That was your 12000th post. That's a lot!

arlowood

Not sure what you're expecting from the Bikeradar world. You've done a more thorough job of inspecting and testing the frame than anyone on here could.

As MF says, it looks fine from the pics you've provided but I'm guessing you think that yourself anyway.

In the state you show above with the paint removed you could take it or send pics to another carbon repair specialist and ask their opinion - but again it will only be an opinion unless you are prepared to ship or take the frame to them for a detailed inspection.

From your description and those pics my view would be put some clear coat or tape over the sanded back area and just ride it normally for a week or so. If there's no obvious change then get it resprayed

Vino'sGhost

Out of interest, how much were the quotes and what did they say they would do?

svetty

Just get it re-painted and ride it....

imafatman

What do you want to know? You've sanded back the paint and primer and the carbon looks pristine and you've been inside with a camera scope and found nothing.

The diagnosis is obvious, this frame is completely buggered and will need replacement.

burnthesheep

For those that asked...........

Within a 2 hour drive there are two carbon repair options. One place quoted $250 for only sanding, build up the repair carbon, smooth, and clear coat over the repair.

The other place quoted $850 and demanded re-spraying the entire frameset in clear coat. This place's price for the repair was $400, but would not do it without a full repaint or re-clear.

In the future, as it is too late now, I found out that our local hardware store rents thermal cameras for $40. I could have kept the paint on and used my heat lamps and the thermal camera without sanding the paint off.

Something to consider if you already own a heat lamp and can cheaply rent a thermal camera. The procedure is online, you can google it.

Vino'sGhost

burnthesheep wrote:

For those that asked...........

Within a 2 hour drive there are two carbon repair options. One place quoted $250 for only sanding, build up the repair carbon, smooth, and clear coat over the repair.

The other place quoted $850 and demanded re-spraying the entire frameset in clear coat. This place's price for the repair was $400, but would not do it without a full repaint or re-clear.

In the future, as it is too late now, I found out that our local hardware store rents thermal cameras for $40. I could have kept the paint on and used my heat lamps and the thermal camera without sanding the paint off.

Something to consider if you already own a heat lamp and can cheaply rent a thermal camera. The procedure is online, you can google it.

Thanks!

proto

I seem to recall a carbon repair specialist telling me that one way to be certain is to put the suspect area under load, effectively distort it, and then any cracks would become apparent.

To my untrained eye your frame looks fine. I've certainly ridden frames with a lot more damage than that and not worried about it.

davidof

Anyone competent will be able to just paint the area you've sanded too.

I'd be happy to ride that.

Poppa Wheelie

To be honest the normal way to test a composite material for cracks is to tap test it. The simplest way is to use a coin and tap the area. You'll be able to hear a change in tone in the area of any cracking or delamination. Note, you'll also hear a thickness change where there are any but from the photos that doesn't apply to the suspect damage area.

Google "carbon fiber coin tap test"