Cracked paint or seatpost shaft?
#1
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
Cracked paint or seatpost shaft?
I was cleaning the bike and noticed this under the seatpost clamp. Depends on who you talk to it is either paint or the frame. What does it look like to you?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Chapel Hill NC
Posts: 1,683
Bikes: 2000 Litespeed Vortex Chorus 10, 1995 DeBernardi Cromor S/S
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 645 Post(s)
Liked 797 Times
in
446 Posts
Not sure what I’m looking at - is that gnarly crusty thing in the hole..... the seat post 😟?
#3
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
#5
On Holiday
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,014
Bikes: A bunch of old steel bikes
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 394 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 14 Times
in
12 Posts
There are definitely cracks radiating from the sides of the bottom hole at 3 and 9 o'clock. I don't think you're looking at a catastrophic failure situation though.
#6
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
#7
Banned
in theory the drilled hole stops the vertical, slot from cracking those horizontal crack lines, have to remove the paint to see if its the metal..
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Elevation 666m Edmonton Canada
Posts: 2,491
Bikes: 2013 Custom SA5w / Rohloff Tourster
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1241 Post(s)
Liked 327 Times
in
251 Posts
Been riding with the seat post too high??
Open bin... throw IN. BYE>>>
Open bin... throw IN. BYE>>>
Last edited by GamblerGORD53; 02-22-19 at 12:56 AM.
#10
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
#11
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: NE Tennessee
Posts: 917
Bikes: Giant TCR/Surly Karate Monkey/Foundry FireTower/Curtlo Tandem
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 169 Post(s)
Liked 84 Times
in
62 Posts
What is the frame material. Post #4 almost looks like carbon although it could be hone marks.
Nevertheless, in #4 , there looks to be some cracks making it through to the inside.
If it is a steel frame, then a welder trained in frame repair could grind out the crack, weld, grind and repaint it. But, would it be worth it on a steel bike.
Any chance that it is under warranty? Are you the original owner? What does your LBS think?
Nevertheless, in #4 , there looks to be some cracks making it through to the inside.
If it is a steel frame, then a welder trained in frame repair could grind out the crack, weld, grind and repaint it. But, would it be worth it on a steel bike.
Any chance that it is under warranty? Are you the original owner? What does your LBS think?
#13
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
What is the frame material. Post #4 almost looks like carbon although it could be hone marks.
Nevertheless, in #4 , there looks to be some cracks making it through to the inside.
If it is a steel frame, then a welder trained in frame repair could grind out the crack, weld, grind and repaint it. But, would it be worth it on a steel bike.
Any chance that it is under warranty? Are you the original owner? What does your LBS think?
Nevertheless, in #4 , there looks to be some cracks making it through to the inside.
If it is a steel frame, then a welder trained in frame repair could grind out the crack, weld, grind and repaint it. But, would it be worth it on a steel bike.
Any chance that it is under warranty? Are you the original owner? What does your LBS think?
#14
On Holiday
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,014
Bikes: A bunch of old steel bikes
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 394 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 14 Times
in
12 Posts
I wouldn't drill relief holes just yet, but instead just watch for a while. The big question is how the cracks happened. Assuming that the post is the correct diameter, perhaps something happened during initial assembly. If the seat post is too small, flexing could have done it as would over-clamping. It's certainly worth it to get out the calipers and measure. How do the cracks line up with the post clamp?
#15
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
I wouldn't drill relief holes just yet, but instead just watch for a while. The big question is how the cracks happened. Assuming that the post is the correct diameter, perhaps something happened during initial assembly. If the seat post is too small, flexing could have done it as would over-clamping. It's certainly worth it to get out the calipers and measure. How do the cracks line up with the post clamp?
#16
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,418
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,720 Times
in
2,537 Posts
if you want it to last the longest possible time, don't stop drill. You won't hit the end of the crack and even if you do it just makes the crack longer. Your bike, but people who recommend stop drilling have heard about it but have no technical knowledge of when it is appropriate or not
#17
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
if you want it to last the longest possible time, don't stop drill. You won't hit the end of the crack and even if you do it just makes the crack longer. Your bike, but people who recommend stop drilling have heard about it but have no technical knowledge of when it is appropriate or not
Likes For DynoD500_SR20-d:
#18
Senior Member
Those cracks remind me of the Kestrel 400. We sold a few of them back then and they all developed cracks like that freaking out the owners. The cracks were in the paint and it took the Kestrel rep to come in and convince them that the bike was fine.
#19
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
Thanks for getting in touch.
It doesn't look like there's any structural issue with the frame, it could be that a small amount of movement in the aluminium when tightening and loosening the seat collar has caused the paint to separate slightly the best thing I could recommend is you mark the ends of the cracks with tape or a sharpie and see if the crack grows over time.
If you would like us to further inspect the frame we would need to have it back. If we find a material or manufacturing defect we would look to replace it with the new Endurance AL which you can have a look at at the link below:
#20
Cycleway town
They're offering to take it back. The stuff does crack, and i think they're cracks. And i'd send it.
#21
I ride to clear my mind
Thread Starter
Ribble Bikes for the win. This alone makes me a lifetime customer. They are even putting a new bottom bracket on for a clean swap. Only thing I have to do is get internal cable now cause this frame is internal vs external.
I 1000% recommend Ribble to anyone looking for a bike online.
#22
Full Member
That is definitely cracking of the seat post probably from overtightening the seat post clamp. This is a dangerous condition and this is one of the few areas on a carbon bike that I would trust a repair. It you let this go it can crack around the circumference and the seat post could out on a hard bump in the least safe place.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,126
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1050 Post(s)
Liked 1,311 Times
in
755 Posts
That is definitely cracking of the seat post probably from overtightening the seat post clamp. This is a dangerous condition and this is one of the few areas on a carbon bike that I would trust a repair. It you let this go it can crack around the circumference and the seat post could out on a hard bump in the least safe place.
#25
Full Member
By the way - There seems to have been a remarkable reduction in breaking carbon frames. I don't know if people are finally getting the idea that you don't complain about a carbon fiber frame breaking when you run into the side of a car at 15 mph or if they are getting the hang of the material and we're getting very few frames and forks breaking without reasons? I have seen this occur but have finally gone back to CF and my Colnago CLX 3.0 is easily the best bike I've ever ridden. But perhaps it just fits me better than most other bikes?