Another cracked ti frame?

Approx 12 years old road bike (On one Lynskey built) noticed this as I set it up on an indoor trainer. What’s the collective thoughts? (I’ve already done some trials but i’m no Hambini)

As someone who has just ordered a Ti Camino all these cracked Ti threads are really helping my mood.

Could be worse, you could have a Laverack sized order on its way! 🤞

Not a crack

Other materials are possible to crack or not also 🙂

As someone who has just ordered a Ti Camino all these cracked Ti threads are really helping my mood.

Its ok, a titanium frame is a frame for life.

That looks to me like an overlap where the weld ended over the top of the start.

As someone who has just ordered a Ti Camino all these cracked Ti threads are really helping my mood.

How many bikes have you had since 2008?

That looks to me like an overlap where the weld ended over the top of the start.

That’s what I was thinking, however I wasnt sure if it was a crack starting to propagate from that area. I had never noticed it before until it was hooked up to the turbo trainer and I was worried my lardy arse had broken it.

Applied some dye penetrant

cleaned off excess

Looks like its hunky dory. Looks like theres a wee bit of undercut.

And…breath!

Looks like the weld didn’t penetrate at that point. Seeing as it’s been like that for 12 years I wouldn’t worry too much.

Other materials are possible to crack or not also

Being a wild and crazy guy, I’d go as far as to say more frames don’t crack than do crack 😛

Ok, I used to be a “crack inspector” :o) in a specialist part of the O & G industry. So bike frames & Ti not my speciality. Looks like a bit of cold lap & imperfect weld profile. Using Dye-pen is a valid means of detecting surface breaking defects but the correct procedure needs following. Ignoring the dye-pen result & looking at the picture I’d say there’s probably nothing to get excited about.

‘crack inspector’ … haha did you have a business card? Thanks for the replies. The reason I was concerned was that I hadn’t noticed it in a decade and all of a sudden when I start using it on the trainer. I’m always a wee bit nervous on the trainer as i’m sure the twisting forces cant be that great for bikes.

Wouldn’t say it was a crack as you’ve already heard, but whenever i’ve done dye penetrant, it’s been under UV to then clearly see what residue is left, not seeing that from the pics?

““crack inspector” :o) in a specialist part of the O & G industry”
I work in a hospital. That took me a while to untangle!

““crack inspector” :o) in a specialist part of the O & G industry”
I work in a hospital. That took me a while to untangle!

Glad you managed to decipher my shorthand. Should have thought before I hit the “post” button !

but whenever i’ve done dye penetrant, it’s been under UV to then clearly see what residue is left, not seeing that from the pics

if there’s no penetrant after developing, means there wasnt a crack it was hiding in?

Sorry OP but that’s shoddy Lynskey welding for you from a time when their frames were cracking left, right and centre round seattubes. Having said that it is just shoddy welding and not a crack. Ride and enjoy.

Still have no idea why people buy ti frames. What a headache.

Can the mods at ‘STW Official Crack Inspector’ to @Davesport user name? oh go on, I’ll be your friend.

Good Ti is great, but there’s a reason it’s expensive. Shame that it’s reputation is tarnished by poor quality stuff.

Headache free owner of a 1997 Airborne Lucky Strike. Only work it has ever had was disc tabs welded on by Vernon Barker a few years later. 23 years on and I creak more than it does. Expect it will see me out.

Joe

Still have no idea why people buy ti frames. What a headache.

I have 8 cracked aluminium swing arms & 2 front triangles on my wall in 8 years.
& yet it’s my 25 year old Ti HT I should worry about?

Copying a response to another recent thread:

Stuff breaks from time to time – all materials, all manufacturers, regardless of cost. No ti manufacturer claims that ti is ‘for life’ – it is a common assumption, but frankly standards will date a frame and make it unusable more likely than failure. My first ti bike had a 1 inch headset, rim brakes, 135 QR spacing and whatever the opposite of long/low/slack geometry is!

There are things that can be done to lessen the failure rate (design, manufacturing, materials etc), but they cost more. On the whole there is a relationship between price and quality and warranty. I say on the whole to avoid offending some folks. That doesn’t mean that cheap products are worse. It means that the time, materials and money required to guarantee quality a longer warranty and the support structure required to facilitate it just costs more, and this is reflected in the price.

Cheaper products generally (but again not in every case) carry a lesser warranty for a reason. Taking the appropriate care during manufacturing a ti frame does take longer and this is reflected in the price. Brands such as 22, Seven, Moots etc that offer a lifetime warranty do so because their failure rate is low. They also manufacture their frames in house so they can monitor quality during manufacture more easily and deal with repairs directly, more cost effectively and tend to repair rather than replace.

I have ridden Sevens and Moots for years. Never had one crack. I have however broken carbon and aluminium frames in the same timescale.

Exactly what Solarider (or his copy and paste job) says.

The term frame for life originated in the early 90’s I believe when MTBing was in its infancy and we were just blasting down single-track. Not smashing off of 4,5 & 6 ft drops however many times per ride. Plus there are so many cheap Ti frames out there surely people must acknowledge they’re not built to the same standards as the top tier ones are. A Hyundai is made from metal and plastic. So is a Ferrari.

I would far rather buy an expensive steel frame than a cheap Ti one.