I think the weld has failed, this has been backed up by some engineering experts who I work with. Now I am not the original owner of the bike. Shall I contact Trek or chalk it up as being unlucky. Luckily I was just at a set of traffic lights and the cars didn’t run me over. I have twisted my ankle though 🙁
Plenty of seat-post in the frame, and well bellow the minimum insertion

You can see here that the weld has failed:

and the other side has just collapsed.

looking at oxidisation it’s been going for a while?

might be worth seeign if they’ll do a crash replacement price for you?

I’d wait until after the Bike Show before contactign them, though – you’ll get a more considered reply.

The V brake mounts would suggest its not of a recent vintage. So you may struggle with warranty. May be worth a punt though. Ask Hora. He’s an expert on warranty claims 😉

If it was me, I’d just be thanking my lucky stars that it didn’t go at a far less opportune moment. Glad you’re ok. Could have been nasty, that

trek have a good rep so get in touch with em. And if you get a positive response post it up.

Will Trek even speak to you given you’re not the original owner?

Your experts are wrong about the weld in my opinion.

Its a shame, but as said brake mounts suggest it isn’t new, it had an owner before, maybe he didnt run enough insertion & the rest has happened over time.

Think of it as a blessing, your not too hurt & you can buy a new shiny frame. 🙂

Your experts are wrong about the weld in my opinion.

why do you say that Tinsy?

Beacause the tube that snapped, is just that, a full tube, its of quite considerable wall thickness as its the seat tube, the weld that was connectiing it to the top tube is intact but the thin walled top tube has actually broken away.

A weld has not broken there, yes its broke near a weld, but a weld has not broken.

Can you see if the area of top tube that broke has a thinner wall thickness than say 25mm away from the weld?

There is no broken top tube, the weld has come away from the tube completely taking none of the top tube with it. The bit of metal left of the seat tube is all weld. I don’t think it bonded with the top tube…

It looks like the failure started around the hole in the seat tube/top tube junction (basically because that’s the darkest bit suggesting it’s been cracked longest and therefore oxidised most) – that may well have been caused by overheating during welding but it doesn’t look like the weld itself failed (though maybe that’s semantics) until it was overloaded due to the cracked seat tube.

But it’s very difficult to say for sure from pics so your experts may have a clearer view and therefore explanation.

Close up of top tube please.

Clubber is right it started at the hole, (the hole is there to let gasses move/escape during welding)

I have to say I agree with Tinsy, although I do not claim to be any sort of expert.
Simply, the tube that has snapped has not been welded onto anything. It’s part of a complete tube which has the top-tube and seatstays welded onto it.

As you’re not the original owner, you’ll not get a warranty claim. Also, from my experience as a former Trek dealer, they won’t deal with you direct.
You’d be best taking it to your local Trek dealer and seeing if they can sort you out with a reduced price replacement through Trek. You’re in no way entitled to it, so I wouldn’t be that surprised if they say no. However, it’s of benefit to them if you keep riding their bikes, so they may be willing to work something out for you. Having dealt with them a lot in the past, they’re a pretty reasonable company and they’re generally pretty accommodating.

is that your GF rig?

they’re well known for snapping iirc. maybe see how others failed, if similar could be a known prob.

Yep, Rigs were well known to fail there – and I heard that Trek were generous with warranties.

It is a Rig and I have seen a few go there. I was only going to ride it for a few months while I buy bits to build an Inbred up.

Well done Rich!

You’ve made a good job of that one mate! 😉

I am usually pretty good and have never damaged a frame before. Except when I was hit by a car that was a Kona.

£250 ebay chinese carbon special replacement? 🙂

I doubt Trek would give me a Chinese replacement 😉 I would like steel next time anyway!

I doubt Trek will give you any replacement 🙂 (fingers crossed I’m wrong though…)

Looking at it, the seaqtpost only seems to be inserted 2″ below the broken weld. Not sure that would be enough to be honest. (unless you’d pulled it out a bit.)
I’d want to have minimum of 4″ inserted below the weld.

Ask Hora. He’s an expert on warranty claims

dont mention seatpost insertion!

thats a gary fisher rig isnt it ?

i must have one of the last remaining purple ones that havnt snapped like that.

most of em did it.

you had plenty in the seat tube but not enough beyond the seat tube top tube junction – iirc and ive not checked on my frame but the tubes butted and the post below the top tube wasnt supported – like it was shimmed up almost.

iirc lifetime warrenty from trek but that frame is at least 8 years old now. – do you have the reciept – trek are sticklers for that.

Get the bit welded back on and get a really long seat post to ensure good post insertion 💡

ive not checked on my frame but the tubes butted and the post below the top tube wasnt supported – like it was shimmed up almost.

My GF Ferrous was the same – internally butted so only the top 100mm or so of the seat post was supported.

Seat tube rusted through before it could snap.

Get the bit welded back on

I don’t think that’s an option. Reworking fatigued alloy doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.

Sugru then?

trail_rat – Member
thats a gary fisher rig isnt it ?

i must have one of the last remaining purple ones that havnt snapped like that. most of em did it

I’ve got a very well ridden one in good nick too. Rich, I don’t mean to be rude but, how much do you weigh?
Good luck with Trek, fingers crossed.

organdonor is there a weight limit for the bike?

wwaswas – Member
Sugru then?

I was thinking gaffa tape…

If i remember correctly, Trek do state a weight limit for their bikes, but it’s pretty high (around 20 stone)
I once had a 30 stone american guy in the shop wanting a Trek, but I couldn’t sell him one in good conscience.

I’m certainly not 20 stone.

I seem to remember reading it was 75-80kg. I could well be wrong though…

Edit: that’s only 12.5 stone (about what I weigh), that can’t be right, can it?

Are you sure its not the edge of a decal?

If i remember correctly, Trek do state a weight limit for their bikes, but it’s pretty high (around 20 stone)

Was GF part of Trek in 2004/5?

12.5Stone? I doubt that as the average weight of a UK man is 13Stone

Yeah, it’s been part of trek for quite a bit longer than that, IIRC. They never made a big song and dance of it til around 2009, but it’s been part of the trek group for a long time.

12.5Stone? I doubt that as the average weight of a UK man is 13Stone

Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s around the 19-20 stone mark. Thing is, a 10yr old frame won’t handle 20 stone as well as a new frame.

It’s all academic really, as you’re not the original owner. They’re not gonna cover it under warranty. I certainly wouldn’t have warrantied it if you’d brought it into my shop. I’d chalk it up to bad luck and see if a Trek dealer will maybe be generous and do a crash replacement deal.

Still got mine and it’s fine…

im 12 stone …. although my bikes now a wall decoration bearing many war scars and stories… i was 11 stone when i raced it.