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Just taken a call at work, it seems someone has knocked my pub bike over in my garage.
It's fallen into my lovely carbon framed Focus which is now sporting a nice crack down the seat tube.
So before I get home to asses the damage (and probably start crying), can carbon frames be effectively repaired?
From what I have read, on here, you will definitely need a spoon.
On a side note what on earth is your pub bike made of and did it fall from a great height 😯
Yes, they definitely [b]can[/b] be but without more details and knowing how technically adept you are, it's hard to say more than that.
2 schools of thought:
1) spoons, snot and tizer
2) carbon ribbon, epoxy and vacuum packing
On a side note what on earth is your pub bike made of and did it fall from a great height
Alloy! I haven't seen the damage yet so can't really add much. It was about a meter or so away and would have fallen sideways into it.
Clubber, I do most of my own maintenance etc. but frame repair will be way beyond me.
Cheers Andy.
Anyone ever had one done?
A mate used [url= http://www.carbonology.com/ ]Carbonology[/url] to get the rear triangle of his Yeti 575 repaired.
You don't really need to do vacuum packing though it'll produce a lighter, neater finish.
Really it depends how nice look a job you want to do.
If you want it professionally done, the link above do what you need - sure they'll give you a quote quickly enough.
Do Focus offer a crash replacement policy? If so then worst case you maybe able to get a replacement at a good price?
I bet it will be fine, seat tube is one of the least stressed on the bike, you could always ride it and see.
Of course the crack might propogate invisibly into the structural layers, meaning the frame might collapse under even its own weight at any time.
I'd just ride it.
DON'T FORGET CARBON FIBRE BARBS TO THE HEART!
Is CynAl taking orders? Im sure he can do you a nice industrial repair.....
Do Focus offer a crash replacement policy?
Not that I can see.
Not sure I like the idea of it collapsing at any time given that it's a road bike.
Claim on insurance ?? accident in the home??
DON'T FORGET CARBON FIBRE BARBS TO THE ANUS!
FIFY.
On a more serious note, just becuase it's carbon don't write it off. A mate cracked a chainstay on his 1st gen trek OCLV, rode it for years. AFAIK he is still riding it now, 9 years later.
If it's a small(ish) crack you can use arraldite and glue it back together, I've done this on a couple of roadies where the bars have swung back into the crossbar, they've been fine as they're really not load bearing, not too sure it'd work on anything like seat stays though.
I had a De Rosa that bust it's stays and the frame was written off, they'd seperated from the upper end of the seat tube and to be fair a Carbon Mast repairer I know had a go at "gluing" it back together, I sold him the frame and he rode it for a year then sold it on..
Ok, bit more info - it's a 2" long crack about midway up the seat tube.
I still at work and haven't seen it yet but it doesn't sound as though it's about to drop apart.
No accidental damage on the insurance unfortunately, I rarely fall off my bikes 😉
You may even find the 'crack' is actually just a scratch, or chipped laquer.
^ That's what I'm hoping for.
On a side note what on earth is your pub bike made of and did it fall from a great height
it could be made from bamboo. from what i've seen, it doesn't take much to crack a frame if it recieves a blow from the wrong angle or in the wrong spot.
had one guy on tour last year who had to get the train home because he leant his carbon wotsit against a wall and his mate leant his bike on that. result, crushed seat stay.
remember now, it was a cannondale flash.
You could try these Guy's, they've repaired a couple of carbon frames for Me
HQ Fibre Repairs
Vale Fram Workshop
Blofield Road
Lingwood
Norwich
NR13 4AJ
01603 713972
Great service and pretty cheap, compared to a new frame
+1 Parr's recommendation.
They recently repaired my Corima disc wheel. - Excellent job for a good price.
Here we are then...
[url= http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6186/6049590137_4369a2a8bc.jp g" target="_blank">
From the scuffs on the left it looks like the bars from the pub bike hit the seat tube side on, splitting the tube along the middle.
Aesthetically it's no big deal for me, but it's a definite crack and I'd guess very repairable.
I'm assuming it would be stupid not to get this fixed?
Thats an easy fix beware the bodge it's out there though ,you know the ones who think blathering epoxy and a bit of fibre on there....does it say anywhere on the frame it's ud or unidirectional fibre
I wouldn't even repair it, just keep riding.
does it say anywhere on the frame it's ud or unidirectional fibre
Doesn't say, just had a read up and can't find anything either.
I'd be happy to keep riding it if I knew it was structurally safe (which I guess it probably is), but that split's only going to get longer right?
Cheers Rorschach, waiting for them to get back to me with a quote.
Anyone with an idea of the cost involved to repair something like this?
If it's unidirectional yes it will get longer but only to the point where it meets a thicker section Which cubes in direction on the tube
It shouldn't cost more than 25 quid even done the pro way with a bladder and backing mould.Maybe 70 quid if cutting the tube out and scarfing a new one in
Its not possible its a crack in the paint where the tube has flexed along its length is it?
Bigyinn, I'm pretty sure it's a crack proper, you can see the tube flex slightly if you press either side of it.
Any ideas how I could check for certain, water down the inside of the seat tube or something?
25-70 quid seems reasonable, possibly a bit extra for paint etc, but I'm gonna feel a bit pissed that the frame's 'compromised'.
Or it's £700 for a Nanolight...
Cynic Al
When it comes to engineering, you really are a lawyer! 😀
Sanny - when it comes to engineering, you are an accountant 🙄
At least I've worked in the bike trade, got a science degree, machined my own components etc.
if the repair is done right it will actually be stronger (relatively) than the original tube in that area the only way to tell if its a crack is stick a knife through it ....highly unprofessional some people have pressurized things before after plugging the holes
an endoscope down the tube or finally ultrasound is the way we do it usually
Quick update and a little bit of info that might come in use for someone, sometime.
Got quoted £200 for the repair, the guy doesn't do paint so a bit extra on top.
So I bought myself a Nanolight which I've just taken out for its first spin, lovely frame and a lot nicer ride than the Cayo.
Might think about getting the repair done in the future, give me some time to get a few bits and pieces together for next years winter bike or something.
A pot of glue and some string..... er ... carbon fiber