Originally Posted by dwmckee

We have two cracked Cannondale carbon frames, a defective Felt frame with a sheared chain stay and Specialized frame with a cracked BB shell on the wall in our shop to show people as examples of what can happen to a carbon frame. All of these frames were replaced under warranty as mfr defects and all are cut in half per manufacturer's instructions when replaced under warranty, but we saved the frame parts to show people. I am certain hundreds of defective carbon frames are replaced under warranty every year across the major brands. We have already completed two carbon frame warranty claims at our small shop this year alone. Is everyone under the assumption that that the big-brand frames are all somehow defect-free? Defects in carbon frames of one in a few thousand are quite normal with all brands. We sent 10 Warbird forks back to Salsa last spring under fear that there was a consistent defect in them. We also have seen two Trek aluminum frames completely shear around in the middle of the down tube at a stress point that is created at the internal butting and a Fuji steel touring bike with the weld cracking at the bottom bracket shell; I am sure those are manufacturing defects as well but we were not the shop that would be filing the warranty on those.

To be realistic about it, one random defect sent to Mr. Hambini and his ranting profanity about it hardly tells us anything about any brand. Everyone is just hoping Mr. Hambini does not let loose in a specimen of their own favorite bike next time while savoring the voyeuristic delights of his rants on all of the bikes they have not opted to purchase.

If he were a real "scientist" offering meaningful commentary on manufacturers he would have a scientific random sampling process and data on the ratio of defects to overall production runs, not providing comments on a single item and making assumptions about the entire brand from it. Every bike brand hat sells carbon bikes has defective carbon frames and Mr. Hambini's rans about a single case may help to make us all a bit more wary at the end of the day but they really tell us little about what to expect from any brand.