Comments on: Inspecting Carbon Fibre Bike frames

By: Gavin key

Gavin key — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:24:31 +0000

hello all just been reading your comments about carbon frames failing i’m currently in a warrnety disagreement with a online bike store called wiggle! i found what appered to be a crack on my down tube just starting to form i sent it back to my dealer wiggle who then sent it on to manafacture Basso for inspection upon inspection Basso tell me its not a crack but a surface mark between to layer of carbon a surface mark by definiton can not be between to layers any thoughts? and are going to repair it i fear it may not be safe to continue riding? its coming upto 6 weeks with no bike

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By: jim

jim — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:15:06 +0000

Hey I’m a USF grad thinking about returning to Tampa, is Flatwoods park still a good place to ride? What about riding to the park- is that road too busy now?

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By: dan padoin

dan padoin — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 22:07:46 +0000

i purchased aderoa frame , neo pro made from carbon fibre . i found the frame to vibrate on downhill descents . i had a second opinion done on the frame with similar results of oscillation occurring at high speeds . my understanding is you are from england , is there someone from ontario canada who could test this frame and determine the origins of this defect

thank you dan padoin

danpadoin@hotmail.com

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By: earl rise

earl rise — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 09:20:12 +0000

Hi Campbell
I reckon your idea for a venture examining carbon frames is a great idea. Would it be possible for you to have a look at a small crack or flaking of paint (don’t know which it is!) on my frame if I sent you a pic?
Can’t remember my word press ID or password so perhaps you can email me at:
risingearler@gmail.com

cheers

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By: Neil

Neil — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:25:00 +0000

Hi Campbell,
Interested to see if you are inspecting frames…. If so drop me an email or reply here as I’ve a carbon track frame which may have a crack in the BB / sea tube are? 2 lines around 1cm each which do not have the ‘feel’ of Scratch.

Thanks

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By: Crashes and injuries

Crashes and injuries — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:34:05 +0000

[...] After reading many carbon fibre horror stories of catastrophic failures I decided the bike wasn’t really safe to ride, nor should I ride it until it is checked. This is the sort of thing that worries me about the chip: “Additionally Carbon Fiber is highly susceptible to a phenomena called Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID). The Carbon Fiber looks fine on the surface, however the structural integrity of the fibers below the surface is less than satisfactory. The amount of damage below the surface varies depending on the type and amount of force of the impact. NDT is able to detect this damage using ultrasonic’s, if they have a suitable standard to compare the frame against. If not detected or repaired this can lead to catastrophic failure. Could get really ugly on a downhill run.” – The Cycle Way – Inspecting Carbon Fibre Bike Frames [...]

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By: Mark Croonen

Mark Croonen — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:28:13 +0000

Basically to fix it any chips in the gel coat you need something which is going to create a waterproof barrier. While paints can be used, I have also heard that clear coat nail polish works well. Easy to apply, waterproof and works with any colour. Just make sure the chipped area is dry, last thing you want to be doing is sealing in water.

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By: Mark Croonen

Mark Croonen — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:23:05 +0000

The whole warranty issue really is interesting, because I don’t think it is something we don’t give a lot of thought to when purchasing, sure we gloss over the fact of how long the warranty is but that is about it, not how easy it will be to claim.

Having just had my frame replaced under warranty I would just like to say that Giant bikes (Australia at least) were awesome. I simply took the bike into the LBS where I had purchased the bike, A day later the Giant rep inspected the frame and 8 days later a new frame arrived at the LBS no questions asked. The old frame was 4 years old and had about 50,000k and was replaced with brand new frame. You have got to be happy with that.

It is also the reason why I will buy a lot of bike parts overseas but buying frames and new bikes , especially Carbon is something I will always do locally. Unfortunately let’s face it, if you are going to buy a carbon frame you are going to have to accept that it will fail sooner or later and being able to get good local warranty support is well worth it.

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By: Jez

Jez — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:24:25 +0000

Hi Campbell,
Very interested to read your comments on the service you are thinking about. I was having the same thoughts but I do not have the facilities as you obviously do!

Would be interesting to have a chat.

Let me know and we can sort something
Cheers
Jez

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By: Campbell

Campbell — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 10:46:29 +0000

Interesting comments. I am a keen cyclist but also have 15 yrs service in the aerospace industry where i daily inspect impacted carbon fibre components in an research and development field using ultrasonincs. I was considering starting an inspection service from home. Have inspected a few stems , seat posts and frames in the past and yes damage was evident. Perhaps due to impact or fatigue as a result of forces exerted by rider over time on the road. Problem highlighted above is yes you may find damge but will the supplier replace expensive components free of charge. I currently inpsect my and friends bike for piece of mind / reassurance of saftey. (UK based) Interested in your views on my potential venture?? Worth while? Not basedon profit but firstly for saftey in mind.

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