OK – so what frames have failed on you then?

Does anyone have a good story to tell about Orange warranty??

Yes me. They sent parts for my ST4 twice, out of warranty, and I had email replies and parts almost instantly. Broken on Saturday/Sunday, fixed by Thursday. When I spoke to them they were very reasonable and helpful.
The final break was sorted, just the rocker was a smidge to tight a fit in my opinion, so loading up pivits really. This *may* be that the main triangle was then also out of true.
This was on a 3+ year old bike that spent it’s life in the Peak and Highlands, under a hefer (14st) of me and was ridden a couple of times a week properly offroad, and commuted twice a week on a 16 mile trip.
Not ideal that it broke, but I am not complaining about it, I could have carried on riding it….

S+M Dirt Bike
Trek Fuel 90 x 2 – both cracked in same place on chain stays

Current ride – Nicolai Helius – bought 2004 and still in excellent condition, totally indestructible

Almost all the frames I’ve ever owned have “failed”.

In the early nineties – three Rocky Mountain Blizzards in two years. Bottom bracket shell stretch x2 and seattube to seatstay cracks.
Next up was two Trek OCLV team issue frames in 6 months, brake boss snapped off one and the bonded in bottom bracket fell out of the other.
Next to go was my ninety five Kona Explosif – it took me eight years to break this at the dropout, but for a few of those years it was in a loft. Welded and still going as my SS.
1999 Intense Uzzi SL – I ran this for 7 years and the only bit that didn’t break was the main frame – something broke at least once a year. Frame retired in 2005 when the bearings started lasting weeks as it was all so wobbly.
2000 Trek 8900 didn’t fail… probably because the forks and wheels always failed first!!! Eventually the bottom bracket needed PTFE tape to stop it creaking as the shell had stretched/worn. Sold to a friend cheaply with all it’s history known in 2010.
I did not manage to break the Nicolai Nucleon which was my main bike from 2005 to 2010… but it was a beast of a bike and would probably survive armagedon.
2005 Nicolai BMXTB – didn’t fail as it was too small so I sold it
2007 Balfa Minuteman cracked at seattube after 4 years
1993 Dave Lloyd CATS WISKAS retro project. I broke two retro Pace forks on this so decided to sell it before I broke it, or it broke me.
2011 White 19 steel cracked at dropout after 6 months
2010 Nicolai Helius AM – not failed yet, two years and counting.
2010 Ragley Mmmbop – not failed but I did break the RS Rev forks so I replaced it with a Ragley Troof so I could fit stronger Fox 36 forks
2012 Ragley Troof – not failed yet, but I’ve only had a few months.

Original Raleith Torus Ti frame – cracked top of seat tube/top tube – was replaced within 7 days!

The replacement cracked at the seat tube / BB junction.

The third one was flogged on ebay immediately!

2009 Gary Fisher Paragon. Just above weld between seat an top tubes after a couple of years. Looking at the forums at the time this was a known issue. To be fair I’m big and my smaller mate with the same frame has not had an issue.

Replaced under warranty with the new, redesigned, trek branded version of the frame. Had lots of hammer since without issue. LBS rebuilt the bike using new frame without charge – is that the norm?

I also folded the forks on a hire bike in France in the 90s, followed by a heated exchange with hire guy in my crap french about whther I’d been jumping the bike – 20 years later and from a safe distance I admit I may have been riding the the bike a little ahem beyond what it was designed for.

My Pace RC303 failed at the weld between the seat tube and the seat tube-top tube bridge. Quite a common failure on them, I believe. It was replaced by an RC305 under warranty, which I sold.

My 2004 Rocky Mountain ETS-X cracked at the lower shock mount a few months after I sold it.

1982(ish)Raleigh Tuff Burner, seat tube/BB weld crack

I frickin loved that bike 😥

2009 Yeti 575 – Carbon rear triangle snapped …

’93 or ’94 KHS Team – buckled downtube. Probably my fault for hitting a Landrover wheel rut at 90 degrees at about 20 miles per.

Giant ATX 990 – pitting in downtube under paint (it blistered, I took the paint off to look, screamed and took it to the local Giant dealer, who got me a new triangle even ‘though it was a second hand frame).

Marin (ech) Attack Trail. Frame was fine, but everything else blew up. Three SID air shocks, the travel adjust QR, the granny ring (god knows), every bottom bracket (It was ISIS) went after six weeks of riding. It was a real Friday bike. Should have bought the Orange Sub 5 I’d intended to buy in the first place.

Just to even things out, frames I bought that never, ever complained:

DeKerf Generation (Ten years going, now being ridden by a good friend)

Two Mountain Cycles San Andreaseseseses

Genesis Io

Orange Sub 5

Orange 5

Commencal Meta 4

Alan Audax

It would be great if there was an online survey for every frame where you could tick the ones you’ve owned and the ones you’ve broken. If enough people filled it out we’d get breakage rates for each frame

On One Inbred 853 – Chainstay gave out to chainsuck, reapired and still in use.

+1

I’m glad it went coz it’s much better now 🙂

Only the one…. Litespeed Niota full sus. Cracked around the weld at the pivot on the toptube. Replaced with no real fuss.

diablocableguy,

I have a 2011 Tanuki, and just noticed the frame is cracked. It sounds like the same location as where yours is cracked. Is Kona taking care of it for you no problem?

Raleigh Grifter (c. 1985) cracked at seatstay bridge.
Giant NRS (c. 2001) cracked chainstay near dropout. I was able to replace the stays and carry on using the frame.

BITD, I had an Orange Aliuminium O that had a crack on the top tube. I bought is 2nd hand from a shop (an ex race bike) and despite not being the original owner Orange sold me a brand new one for £100. Which I promptly sold on and recouped my costs :). So another cracking good orange warranty story (sorry ill get my coat…)

Only other failure was a noleen shock disintigrating at the top of the Firmounth leaving me with a 2 hour walk back to the car park. Shimano spd shoes are not made for walking.

Messiah, yes your frame wrecking capabilities were legendary BITD too. Along with Scotty (Dangerous)…

Specialized Demo 8
Commencal Meta 5.5

Both cracked round the shock welding

Yeti 575…..borrowed off of a friend !!

Yeti Big Top, original 2011 frame, carbon split top of wishbone / seat stay area.
Replaced under warranty via BETD / Silverfish / Yeti, no issues, quick turn around. Now on the 2012 version.
😆

Ancient brand-x XC frame – cracked headtube, still commuting on it

Intense Socom – cracked top tube/pivot mount, still riding it…

Remind me never to let any of you lot near either of my bikes!

94 Marin rocky ridge – cracked on seat tube at welds
Haro DHR – the intense m1 rear chain stay cracked

Isaac Force – rear chain stay
Isaac Force – rear chain stay
Isaac Sonic – main tube
Trek Madone 5.5 – bottom bracket
Kinesis Evo Cross 2 – rear chain stay
Colnago Extreme Power – rear chain stay
Giant Advanced XTC 2 – seat tube
Trek Top Fuel 9.0 – seat tube

My carbon road bike frame disagreed with a car and failed lol

….and as of yesterday the left side chainstays on my trek Fuel Ex 9 🙁
Now i get to compare the warranty on a Trek with Giants I suppose