Viewing 37 posts - 1 through 37 (of 37 total)
  • Carbon rim – is it a crack?
  • Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    Well yes, clearly it is and then some, but how. It’s a Giant TRX 1 Carbon rim on a Trance 2017.

    [/url]IMG_8723 by rogerbaker01, on Flickr[/img]

    I’ve only had this bike for a couple of months, haven’t ridden anything other than local trails and this damage was somehow made without me knowing, flattening the tyre or doing anything to the other side of the rim? I’ve not gone ‘Danny Mcaskill’ on it nor am I a 20 stone heavyweight. I only spotted it when I inspected the wheel because the tyre has been losing pressure in the last week and saw this damage.

    Secondly can anyone advise if this is likely to be covered under warranty? I’ve contacted the shop where I bought it but they have asked me to take it in and it’s an hour away. I’d rather not have to waste two hours if it’s a non-starter but will try and find the time next week. Can I expect Giant to replace the wheel or am I looking at funding a new rim?

    RobHilton
    Free Member

    Almost certainly not a sticker

    RamseyNeil
    Free Member

    Sorry but I can’t imagine how that could hav happened without the rim being subjected to some external impact . You may be able to get something as a good will gesture but I doubt that you can hope for a better result than that .

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    ChunkyMTB
    Free Member

    From that pic it looks like there is a ding right on the rim edge. Perhaps you ran pressure too low?

    shakers97
    Free Member

    That looks like a failure to me but don’t assume it’s your fault. New bike, no big impacts, you do the math. You’d expect a defect to show itself in the first few months. My guess is a QC issue – I’d be going in there with that and an expectation that they’ll replace it under warranty and offer a free service for your trouble!

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    Low 20’s pressure, honestly no dings I can think of – there aren’t even any rocks around here. I’ve ridden way harder and bigger on alloy rims and never had a problem.

    Santa Cruz would have us believe carbon can survive a beating and this wheel has had nothing close. 🙁

    slowbloke
    Free Member

    Santa Cruz put a lifetime warranty where their mouth is though

    dirksdiggler
    Free Member

    Looks like impact damage and non oe spec tyres.
    I think you’ll have a heard time with a JRA warranty/mfr defect claim.

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    dirksdiggler – Member
    Looks like impact damage and non oe spec tyres.
    I think you’ll have a heard time with a JRA warranty/mfr defect claim.

    I hear you and that was my gut feeling. I really don’t think it was caused by a ‘major’ impact if it was one and it causes me to question replacing it with another carbon rim. Maybe if I do I’ll go for a Santa Cruz.

    I swapped out the OE Nobby Nics before even riding the bike

    fossy
    Full Member

    Pressure too low.

    chestrockwell
    Full Member

    Think you’ll struggle if you let them know the pressure you were running at as it’s almost certainly outside the tyres recommended range.

    vdubber67
    Free Member

    That looks exactly like ever CX wheel I’ve ever broken through impact damage on the rim. Have to say I’m surprised you didn’t hear it ‘go’. It’s an expensive sound 🙁

    Rorschach
    Free Member

    JRA….
    I don’t fancy your chances but Giant Uk are pretty good with warranty stuff.It’ll be down to the LBS to maybe pick up some of the slack if they knock you back.I’d like to think they’d offer a rim at cost and maybe help out with the rebuild cost.

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    Thanks all. Seems consensus is largely the way I felt it would go. I think I’ll just suck it up, buy a new (alloy) rim and get a new wheel built up. If it were a lbs then I might hold out some hope, but it’s not local and based on the experience when I picked the bike up, I think it’d be a wasted 2+ hours and petrol money.

    Almost as gutting as the cost, is ruining the colour coordination!

    tpbiker
    Free Member

    I have the same rims.. This thread doesn’t fill me with confidence

    vincienup
    Free Member

    If it’s any consolation with the colour coordination you could get something made up by indiprint or someone else to key your replacement rim to the bike?

    Bad luck on the rim… 🙁

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    vincienup – Member
    If it’s any consolation with the colour coordination you could get something made up by indiprint or someone else to key your replacement rim to the bike?

    Bad luck on the rim…

    That actually is a consolation! Can’t say I’m overly fussed about sticking with a carbon rim after this experience, so a cheaper rim that I’m more confident with thrashing will do fine. Especially if I can get it coordinated!

    gravesendgrunt
    Free Member

    A mate of mine has gotten through 2 sets of Giants Carbon wheels that’s came with his 2017 Reign due to cracking,he’s a big lad mind.
    I have noticed Giant haven’t speced them again on current Reign models and are using DT Swiss 1501 Ally wheelsets instead of their own Carbon ones……so perhaps he wasn’t the only one having problems.

    kimbers
    Full Member

    Fwiw 20psi not too low , if they are wtb tough tyres.

    Run as low as that with at least snakeskin/exo tyres on my lb rims in plenty rocky places.

    I did crack a rear, looked very similar to yours.

    That was my own stupid fault UKGE at Are, got a pinch flat, reader off at first, but rode through a rock garden too fast… And bang! Tbf it held for the rest of the weekend, 60km not taking it easy !

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    gravesendgrunt – Member
    A mate of mine has gotten through 2 sets of Giants Carbon wheels that’s came with his 2017 Reign due to cracking,he’s a big lad mind.

    Interesting – did he get them replaced foc?

    kimbers – Member
    Fwiw 20psi not too low , if they are wtb tough tyres.

    Not even 20 in my case – more like 24psi – and yes tough. These tyres didn’t flat at the time either. Like I say I was surprised when I saw this, and that was after looking because I’d had to top them up during the week.

    Worth keeping an eye out if you’ve got the same wheels…

    gravesendgrunt
    Free Member

    1st one he got replaced under warranty ,not sure the outcome of second one that went-as I haven’t seen him since.He’s good friends with the local bike shop so they would fight his case hard I’m sure.

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    Mate of mine had a Giant carbon rim fall apart on a small drop the second time he’d ridden the bike.
    LBS sorted him out straight away as they’d had a few go the same way…

    jimmyoto
    Free Member

    You say you’ve only had the bike a few months?
    Sale of goods etc if it’s less than 6 months old burden of proof is with the manufacturer to prove that there was no defect present at point of sale. In my experience it’s almost impossible for them to prove this and should save themselves the hassle and just replace it for you foc.

    fossy
    Full Member

    I’ve done similar to brand new road rims after hitting pot holes. Gutting it is.

    crispyrice
    Full Member

    I would expect them to offer a crash replacement option.

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    If it helps you feel better about the carbon – i did the same to an lb carbon rim botching a hop over drainage ditch into a water bar (seems forcing the rear wheel bodily into a square edge with daft low pressure in the tyre isn’t good for it, who knew?) Ruined the tyre, (rim went clean through the tread of highroller) and I’m 99% certain the same impact would have written off an alloy rim and seen me walking to the car.

    As it was, tube in, reinflated, and forgot about it by the time i got off the hill, and rode the rest of summer being no less cack-handed with only minor pressure loss to show for it (few psi a week). When i finally got round to replacing the rim it had four other splits in it -including one clean across the rim bed. In my honest opinion, not a chance an alloy rim would have still been round and holding air in the same situation.

    In more direct regard to the op mind. Quite possible the rim was faulty, but that there is impact damage, possibly a tiny impact to a faulty rim but it’s not happened without the impact.

    MTB-Rob
    Free Member

    Why don’t you post it to the shop??
    not much to lose, might get a replacement, might get cost replacement

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    Just to follow this up….

    In the end I sent the wheel back to the shop, who in turn sent it back to Giant. I then waited a couple of weeks and have today received a new wheel in the post, complete with a new tyre. The shop couldn’t tell me what Giant’s conclusion was so it may have been defective, or not?

    The shop representative implied it had been defective saying he’d not had to deal with a return like it before, that I was just unfortunate it had cracked and that the new wheel should be fit for my purpose. A bit of a change in tack from when I first contacted him and pushed for a return but I guess time will tell. That said I’m happy with the outcome and appreciate the advice on here.

    Good timing as I have a day off on Friday and have been itching to get out on the bike for the last few weeks.
    Fingers crossed it doesn’t happen again!

    granny_ring
    Full Member

    A bit more air in the tyre then 😉
    A good result though.

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    Yes, I’ve also purchased a digital tyre pressure gauge to keep an eye on that too!

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    Good result in the end then.

    Sadly had similar with American Classic carbon rims and similar crack. 100% nothing at the time of cracking was due to the way I was riding or state of the wheel/tyre.

    Anyway, AC warranty said no. I must have stacked it big time (BS). Tried for ages and they’re not moving.

    Have had to give up and I’ve gone off carbon rims. Gone back to alloy. Can get decent tough alloy set ups for similar weight anyway.

    I’d say carbon wheels, go with stupidly expensive ones where the warranty is likely to pay out because it’s loaded in the price. Else, you’re risking a write off in situations that would simply dent an alloy.

    ianfitz
    Free Member

    for those interested in carbon wheels, worth checking out Santa Cruz. They have new wheelsets, which are (compared to Enve at least) cost effective. But have a world wide 48 hour replacement warranty. It actually sounds like a challenge to smash them…

    They claim they’ll send you another wheel within 48 hours where ever you may be.

    shermer75
    Free Member

    saying he’d not had to deal with a return like it before

    Isn’t that what they always say? 😉

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    shermer75 – Member
    saying he’d not had to deal with a return like it before
    Isn’t that what they always say?

    I was being diplomatic 😉

    I’d say carbon wheels, go with stupidly expensive ones where the warranty is likely to pay out because it’s loaded in the price. Else, you’re risking a write off in situations that would simply dent an alloy.

    I’d tend to agree – but they are stupidly expensive. If this one goes it’ll be replaced with an alloy rim for sure.

    hatter
    Full Member

    Those SC Reserve wheels do look tough but they flippin’ well should be as they’re heavier than an equivalent decent alloy wheelset and 2-4 times the price!

    Can’t imagine that having that much material in a carbon rim does much for long distance ride comfort either.

    If you’re a full-on rim smashing Gnar fiend with deep pockets they make sense but otherwise I’m not so sure.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    I’m with you Hatter.

    This is an interesting video on the subject by Starling Cycles’ Joe…
    http://www.starlingcycles.com/news/2017/11/8/carbon-vs-aluminium-wheels-which-is-faster

    hatter
    Full Member

    It should be noted that I’m not anti carbon wheels at all, they very much have thier place, but to think a carbon wheel is automatically better than an alloy is daft, especially as cheaper carbon wheels aren’t even that light.

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