Eridl

Hi all, A month ago I was riding my 2015 Trek Emonda S5 I bought new in 2017. I turned applied back break and then front. When I pressed the front brake the frame cracked, could not stop the bike anymore and ended up falling on the side of the road. I was lucky, as I hit a rock with my collar bone and did not break. The frame ended up breaking badly. So, I took the bike to the shop and filed a claim. Trek offered a 20 pct discount. Not what I was expecting. trek site is very clear “We'll take care of you” - warranty for life - “Each Trek carries a simple promise: We’ll take care of you and do what's right. We build our bikes to last, subjecting them to brutal punishment in the world's toughest test lab. And we back every bike with the best lifetime warranty in the business”. Well, it did not work for me, maybe someone else is getting this deal, but surely I did not. Trek states: “some kind of frontal load counteracting the normal forces on that bike pushing the front end towards the back causing the failure behind the head tube, there were no warranty defects”. I am very upset, not taking the 20pct discount, I do not trust them anymore. It is my opinion that the frame cracked while stopping and ended totally broken when falling. It should be covered by the warranty. What do you think, moreover would you buy another trek if you were me?

Bill Kapaun

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shelbyfv

I think the frame broke as a result of your fall. A manufacturing defect substantial enough to crack the frame just by applying the front brake would have not waited 5 years to become evident. JMO, probably Trek's as well. Welcome to BF!

Andrew R Stewart 

It's not uncommon (for the few times this is the case) for a brand to offer a customer retention discount when the "warranty" claim is not a coverable cause. At the shop I work at this has been offered, maybe, a dozen times or more in the 10 years I know of. Each time the frame was damaged by an incident not caused by a manufacturer's defect. Most time the customer understands, a few time they don't. Andy

CliffordK

Is there any history of going down on the bike for whatever reason in the past? Running into a parked car or door, flipping in a pothole, just plain crashed, etc? Roof Rack accident?

It could have happened any time since you bought the bike.

Also, how did you end up with a 2015 bike in 2017?

Mojo31

Where did the frame break? Pictures would sure help.

sdmc530

Post some pics, that would be helpful as well please.

CliffordK

@Eridl's Album:
https://www.bikeforums.net/g/user/524315
https://www.bikeforums.net/g/album/18831403

ShannonM

"Alex, I'll take "Bicycle Frame Damage" for $1000."
<looks at picture>
"What is a front-end impact, Alex?"

--Shannon

(Also, I'm not sure what we're supposed to glean from the picture of the rocks?)

CliffordK

Perhaps where @Eridl his his arm/shoulder.

I'm not seeing complete separation at the crack.

So, my question is whether the bike & frame will support the rider's weight.

Is the bike rideable, albeit VERY, VERY Carefully.

If one can slowly ride the frame. Braking? Then it may well not have caused the crash.

There are frame repair services. They may or may not accept the job, but it may be cheaper than replacement. Calfee & Ruckus Composites.

ShannonM

That frame is not rideable. By anyone, on any surface, for any distance.

I doubt that it's repairable. Calfee can do some magic with damaged carbon fiber, true, but I bet they'd pass on this one. Given how badly splintered the down tube is, the cracks probably extend several inches down from the break.

--Shannon

MudPie

I've had the opposite experience with Trek. I bought a 2008 Madone . In 2013, I noticed a creak from the seat post/ seat tube area. Upon inspection, I noticed a crack in an aluminum insert bonded to the inside of the seat tube. The insert interfaced with the seat post. I brought bike back to the same Trek dealer I purchased the bike, thinking they could remove the insert and re-bond another in its place. Instead they gave me a new frame.

shelbyfv

Yep, you had a manufacturing defect. OP had a classic front end collision.

blackbomber

Forget the bike - I’m so glad you didn’t break your collarbone!

Koyote

I’m not voting in the poll, since it’s pointless. Public opinion doesn’t establish the truth.

Common sense suggests that the frame did not break in the manner suggested by the OP.

shelbyfv

If OP hit his head on those nasty rocks, his recollection of the preceding time may be hazy. This is not uncommon and could account for the disconnect between his account and the obvious damage,

Koyote

Thankfully, it sounds like OP did not suffer a head injury. I think he or she is just looking for ammunition - wants to run back into the bike shop, hold out a cell phone, and say “look, everyone on the interwebs agrees with me!“

sdmc530

thanks for posting pics....that was an impact for sure.....its trashed! Bummer

70sSanO

Sorry about your crash, but glad you were not seriously injured. Obviously you heard something that sounded like a crack. You couldn’t see it. Things happen so fast in those situations. And depending on the speed it can sure feel like the brakes stopped working.

I’m just try to picture the sequence when you failed to negotiate the turn, where the bike ended up. Right hand would have gone into the road, left hand it would have gone into anything on the side of the road.

I will say that it is pretty amazing that you ended up unhurt if the bike ended up like that from the crash. Ironically there was a fire station close by for me and I walked there and passed out. I was riding with my brother and he picked up my bike from the station and our daughter got my Jeep. I got a plate and 11 screws in my collarbone.

John

davidad

Any damage to the front wheel? That would indicate an impact that cracked the frame. Part of the crack looks as if it is in the adhesive joint.

Eridl

Thanks everyone for all your comments. I’ll try to answer all questions.

1- it can be questionable, did it break before or after the fall. It is my word against anyone’s. Unfortunately there is no way to probe it. It happens fast, but at te same time its like time stops and you can recall all details, human brains are amazing! I say it broke before the fall.
2- the bike is unrideable. The fork is unstable and the wheel touches the frame. I left the frame with trek for them to dispose it correctly. BTW, I did not take the 20 pct discount offer. I bought a Ridley Helium frame that I really like.
3- I am happy I read almost everyone in this thread who had a crash came out well, except for John, hope you are good.
4- jajaja, the rock is at the side of the road, ended up hitting it.
5- happy you got a new madone frame. Those are expensive. If only I didn’t end up on the side of the road I would have been able to show the cracked frame, rather than a broken unusable unfixable frame.
6- The LBS had a new old stock emonda in the shop. Today these are imposible to find, bike market is booming and the sale of bikes increased more then 5000 percent Y/Y.
7- hey, not looking to go back to my LBS with my phone. Actually, not going back there again all. They couldn’t care less. In terms of the poll, just wanted to get thoughts around it! 9/12 skewed to no.

I hope I answered all questions, I still think Trek should have sent me a new frame. Safe ride all !!

70sSanO

I am glad you are well and got a new bike you like.

There is a possibility the bike had an issue before you bought it. No one knows the history of a new old stock bike sitting in a shop.

And I’m fine.

John

Dylansbob 

What kind of bike rack do you use? Looks like the initial damage was caused by impact of the downtube where a bike rack cradle would impact it.

veganbikes

If a bike is damaged due to crash or other issue then it would be a crash replacement. If the bike is flawed from the manufacturer or damaged from them, then it would be a warranty. It sounds like Trek did what is right and offered a crash replacement because the bike was crashed or impacted at some point. It doesn't look like it was a defect from the manufacturer so a crash replacement is exactly what I would have done.

I am doubtful the shop didn't care less, they probably just didn't want to hear another JRA story and customers demanding warranty on something that isn't really warranty. We had a customer who's frame magically broke into three pieces just riding along it suddenly asploded. We knew the truth but the owner wanted to claim it just poof was in three pieces (not at the welds with clear marks of damage from being impacted). Instead of them coming to us and saying "hey we ran it over with the our Mid-Sized SUV is there anything we can do here", they threatened lawyers and were just nasty to the core about it.

If you are honest about what happens people are more likely to want to help or seem like they care a bit more. When you here the same B.S. over and over just so someone can get a deal or get free stuff it kind of makes you jaded. It is nothing against you nor anyone else it just a plea for honesty. Look we all do dumb things sometimes maybe on "accident" maybe actually on purpose (hold my beer) and that is fine just come out and give us the truth. When Mommy or Daddy comes in and says "My little Timmy would never jump a curb" while little Timmy is in the back smirking it just makes me feel sad. Just tell us the truth, we already know, little Timmy knows and you know so why put on a charade for us?

All in all glad you are safe and glad you found bike you enjoy just be careful out there.

Eridl

Hi Clark,

I am honestly telling the truth. I put on the front brake and I am sure the bike somehow cracked at that point making it Imposible for me to put on the brakes, therefore falling on the side of the road.

The frame must have ended up breaking even more by the crash. I believe there must have been some problem with the frame. I paid my LBS to send the bike to trek for inspection. Trek came to its own conclusion. How many questions did they asked? Zero. Really, aren’t they curious to know how it happened? Clearly not. I am ok. I did not take the discount, just bought another frame, different brand.

I was expecting a different customer service experience. It is not nice ending up crashing, especially because there was a problem with the frame.

BTW, I do not have a rack to drive the bike, I place it in the back of my car

I posted my experience in this forum because I was very interested to hear all your comments. Thank you for sharing!