Carbon frame broken - refused warranty

[whitymon]

Yeah Trek and Specialized are pretty good and nice about that, but you just have to remember that you pay twice or even more sometime a specialized frame if not you tons of other so this is what's paying also the aftermarket support.

 

[Fangs2k]

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Straker,Are repaired carbon frames trustworthy ? I don’t know so just asking.
If the original frame broke and a repair is rarely as strong as the original structure I would worry about riding a repaired frame .
I’m not saying the repair is not up to scratch but really ?

We repair carbon/composite aircraft where I work, done right it’s absolutely fine, but it has to be done by somebody who knows what they’re doing.

 

[Just gan]

We repair carbon/composite aircraft where I work, done right it’s absolutely fine, but it has to be done by somebody who knows what they’re doing.

I had a carbon Sea kayak paddle repaired. A well known Scottish paddler said he wouldn't trust a repaired paddle. But the guy who repaired it reckoned the repair was probably the strongest part of the paddle now.

 

[Doomanic]

OP, your mate needs to request a copy of the service schedule. If there’s nothing on it about inspecting the carbon he can tell them to jog on.

 

[Just gan]

OP, your mate needs to request a copy of the service schedule. If there’s nothing on it about inspecting the carbon he can tell them to jog on.

Yes I would not trust a lot of dealers in all types of things from cars to tumble dryers. Next one can't do enough for you. Good customer service or bad you never know what your getting till you need it ,rant over.

 

[CJaMTB]

Any good carbon frame repairer will offer a warranty on the repair, if not the whole frame once repaired. I'd be perfectly happy getting my frame repaired, if needed. Many specialist bicycle insurance companies will now insist on a repair, rather than replacement, here in the UK anyway.

 

[Straker]

Find arguments for and against for that one but the pounding I put mine through I wouldn't trust Carbon or alloy repairs. A break often occurs just beside a weld I always seen in offshore industry. But some will say a weld is stronger ???? .

If you weld aluminium it looses its heat treatment and needs post weld heat treatments to regain some of the original strength. My comments were based on the observation that it’s easier to find a repair specialist for carbon frames that can provide a strong repair compared to the challenge of finding a specialist repairer for aluminium frames who will carry out the repair and requisite heat treatments.

 

[fasterjason]

A couple of comments...

1. For the OP, that warranty policy sucks and so does the dealer (seemingly). At my local Trek shop we will advocate for the customer if it is a legit warranty. It sounds like they don't want your business. Another friend sells Scott, I will ask if Scott is being harsh on warranty lately.
2. I cracked the downtube on my first MTB. That was 30 years ago, and It was a 4130 rigid GT Tallera. I brazed it and rode it for another month until it cracked again, scrapped the frame after that.
3. I have cracked several aluminum frames over the years, was always able to warranty them.
4. I have only seen one aluminum frame repaired successfully. It was a Pinarello Prince that was sent back to the factory. Very few have the oven and know what solution saturation and precipitation hardening mean.
5. I still race a carbon hardtail that I repaired 12 years ago. It had a hole in the downtube and a cracked bearing seat in the headset. It's a single speed so I don't get crazy on it.
6. I had catastrophic failure of carbon seatstays on a Yeti, no repairing that unfortunately.

In summary, shitty dealers are shitty. A good dealer can be your best friend.

All frames can break regardless of material. Steel is an easy fix. Non-ferrous are very difficult to repair, aluminum needs heat treating and titanium needs total inert atmosphere.

Carbon can be easy or difficult to repair depending on location, but there are options. The downside is failure mode, it can be catastrophic.

I would prefer an aluminum frame to carbon on an ebike (I have one of each), and carbon rims to aluminum because of rotational weight.

 

[Just gan]

If you weld aluminium it looses its heat treatment and needs post weld heat treatments to regain some of the original strength. My comments were based on the observation that it’s easier to find a repair specialist for carbon frames that can provide a strong repair compared to the challenge of finding a specialist repairer for aluminium frames who will carry out the repair and requisite heat treatments.

Yes heat treatment doesn't come cheap. I remember all the palaver when I worked offshore heating bands etc. I don't know enough about any of it to be honest.

 

[LowStandards]

OP, your mate needs to request a copy of the service schedule. If there’s nothing on it about inspecting the carbon he can tell them to jog on.

 

[Doomanic]

So what are "the maintenance instructions in the SCOTT manual"? That's what is important here. The point being that if there isn't a periodic inspection of the carbon frame then the service requirement is moot and would be a good argument in court.

 

[LowStandards]

So what are "the maintenance instructions in the SCOTT manual"? That's what is important here. The point being that if there isn't a periodic inspection of the carbon frame then the service requirement is moot and would be a good argument in court.

From his manual:

 

[Doomanic]

Not a single mention of frame in that...

 

[LowStandards]

So, he's getting a £1000 best case bill

£700 for the frame*, £300 for the work to swap everything over and service



*Guestimate from the shop, that price is if Scott is being nice