Cracked Head Tube (with pics). I Need Advice!
173
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475 days
krazyfranco posted 15 weeks ago.
I don't know, but my gut tells me that frames aren't supposed crack and you should NOT ride it. I'd take it to the shop if I were you, see what they say.
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1268 days
JamieM posted 15 weeks ago.
I would stop riding it and take it to the shop. Keep in mind that if you keep riding it, aluminum won't bend slowly like steel. One day it will likely just snap and that's not going to end well.
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1264 days
Anton posted 15 weeks ago.
Well, Chunky...I hoped you enjoyed that bike...because now it's an ex-bike.
Don't ride it...Jamie is so spot on. It will snap, probably sooner than later. I'd start shopping for a new frame and switch your grouppo over.
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47
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288 days
longhair posted 15 weeks ago.
Heed all the previous advice. I am a mechanical engineer, and am very familiar with failure modes of aluminum. Aluminum fails catastrophically without warning. Consider yourself lucky that you were tipped off by the crack.
On the bright side...you can probably find a great deal on an 07 leftover, or buy the bike of your dreams.
979
Member
309 days
ChunkyB posted 15 weeks ago.
longhair wrote:
On the bright side...you can probably find a great deal on an 07 leftover,
That's a possibility. And I'm thinking if I do get another frame, I might buy at a shop so I can have a warranty. I guess I'm once bitten twice shy.
longhair wrote:
or buy the bike of your dreams.
That's not gonna happen. I'm still in school, and I have a wife and a baby on the way, so that's not really an option.
So, anyways, I'm going to go to my LBS tomorrow or maybe Tuesday (tomorrow's my anniversary) and see if they can take off the fork and check to make sure it's not just the paint that's cracked. If it is cracked, then I'm thinking I'll stop riding it, and hopefully find a frame on the cheap and learn how to put a bike together.
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
841
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244 days
TriSooner posted 15 weeks ago.
ChunkyB wrote:
I'm late to the party, but in this case, "worse" means complete structural failure while you are riding.
just keep riding it till it gets worse?
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246 days
GGehrke posted 15 weeks ago.
If it were me (which is to say, this is not good advice, but it is what I would personally do if we're being honest) I would hit that with some steel wool to get the paint off and see for yourself if it's a crack (I'm thinking most sandpaper would scratch the metal up, but steel wool would probably leave it unscratched enough that you'll be able to see a crack). Assuming it is, I would use a dremel etching bit to sort of grind a gouge over the crack and possibly even drill a teensy-weensy little hole right at the very top of the crack to keep it from going futher. Then I would slather on JB Weld and keep riding it while looking for a good deal on a new frameset. Unfortunately, I believe that would also make it harder to tell if the problem does get worse, so it does have to be viewed as a temporary fix.
49
Member
128 days
Jay posted 15 weeks ago.
it is in a weird place for sure, the headset is just under that. so i would take it for a bumpy ride around the neighbourhood to see if it gets worse. if not, keep riding it untill you find a new frame or it gets worse.
i'ma mtb guy so i have had a headtube rip right off wich wan't fun. but ther ei snot as much stress on a road bike.
727
Member
432 days
theShiba posted 14 weeks ago.
GGehrke wrote:
If it were me (which is to say, this is not good advice, but it is what I would personally do if we're being honest) I would hit that with some steel wool to get the paint off and see for yourself if it's a crack (I'm thinking most sandpaper would scratch the metal up, but steel wool would probably leave it unscratched enough that you'll be able to see a crack). Assuming it is, I would use a dremel etching bit to sort of grind a gouge over the crack and possibly even drill a teensy-weensy little hole right at the very top of the crack to keep it from going futher. Then I would slather on JB Weld and keep riding it while looking for a good deal on a new frameset. Unfortunately, I believe that would also make it harder to tell if the problem does get worse, so it does have to be viewed as a temporary fix.
I like to make it a rule that anytime I think JB Weld might be a good solution, I should slap myself...
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637 days
azstinger11 posted 14 weeks ago.
thats sound advice there friend.
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tsilcyc posted 14 weeks ago.
Assuming it's not a crack in the paint, I would not ride it. Think of it this way, a new bike would cost less than this...
http://www.1800wheelchair.com/asp/view-product.asp?product_id=914
... which you'll need after you break your neck. I would imagine the head tube collapsing would cause you to go head first into the ground. Sorry for being dramatic here but this is a no brainer.
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diva_mom posted 14 weeks ago.
happy anniversary!
Don't be so easy on yourself 'cause this one might be all that you have left
I was just pulling my bike off of my trunk rack, and I noticed a small crack in my head tube. I can't tell if it's just the paint, but it looks like it's through the frame. It's aluminum, btw. I bought the bike used about 6 months ago (it's a 2004), so I think there's no warranty since I'm not the original owner. Does anyone have any advice as to what I should do. Is the frame completely done, or should I just keep riding it till it gets worse? Thanks for any replies, and sorry the picture isn't great.
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
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