Cracked aluminium frame

twinsen

Hi Guys

My Cube Peloton from 2011 have developed a cracked frame. It has only 15k done. Since Cube gives only 5 years’ warranty for aluminum frames, this is out of warranty since April. Is there any chance this is fixable?

imurdaddy

It could be welded no bother find a reputable local general engineering compny/welder and they could do it grind back the weld and give it a bit paint, it dosent look bent inwards or anything so should be doable, could try contacting cube to see if they offer anything goodwill but unlikely, it's poor to Crack after 15k unless it was getting hammered over rough terrain, iv a wilier mortorolo about 12yo and we'll abused no cracks

Eamonnator

Unless I had proven complete confidence in whomever was fixing the frame, I'd be inclined to bin it.
I'm not sure, that I'd trust a local general engineering welder to do such a specialised job.

Pablo Rubio

Aluminium Frames are also supposed to be heat treated/tempered after welding to relieve stresses and distortion caused by the welding.
Personally I 'd bin it as well. I have a Felt Al. training frame with a crack at the B/B heading for the bin at the mo.

iwillhtfu

I'd usually be first to say bin it but I'd look into a repair on that.

It's at the rear and in my opinion if it were to break/crack again it wouldn't lead to catastrophic failure.

Either way it#s a good excuse to pick up a new bike

tomasrojo

I got a crack in an aluminium frame, and the advice I got was not to bother trying to fix it. But it was a pretty cheap bike. I don't know personally, but I was told that aluminium isn't as repairable as steel.

twinsen

I have read few forums already, and usually no one recommends fixing aluminum frames. I just wanted to be sure, or hoping someone could recommend right place to go around Dublin.
In general, I am bit disappointed. This bike was only used for "training", always kept inside, dried after rain and all that.
My other bike trek hybrid has done 26k now, never seen inside my house, user for commuting, always carrying two bags, work laptop, after 2 crashes, all good.
I suppose I could get a new bike, it won’t be cube though

imurdaddy

I don't know about heat treating it that's only sales man talk, I work in mechanical engineering and I'd get it welded if your not worried about cosmetics it could be built up to be stronger than originally, the weld is fair crude looking anyway and any trained welder can repair that for sake of €30/40 I'd be repairing before bin, now if it was a more structurally critical place I'd say bin but it looks like a clean crack, iv seen much worse repaired not bikes in fairness but that's not my business but seen aluminium heads and crank cases for race motor bikes fixed and of course frames, I'd nearly guess be less stress on rear triangle of bike, another way is weld the crack and the weld a sleeve over it, not pretty but cheap

But if you would not have confidence in it bin it

imurdaddy

Eamonnator wrote: »

Unless I had proven complete confidence in whomever was fixing the frame, I'd be inclined to bin it.
I'm not sure, that I'd trust a local general engineering welder to do such a specialised job.

You'll notice I said reputable company/welder not a guy who done a fas evening course, and it's far from a specialised job, to a time served welder 20min aluminium is welded at low temperature so distortion/weakness is going to be minimal for a training bike would any of that matter? scandium alloy is the only heat treated I'm aware of in common use.

I'd definitely get onto cube a bike 4 month out of warranty fails like that is surly a case for goodwill even if you got offered a discount on new if you bin it be better than nothing, disgraceful to fail like that but like I said weld looks very bad to start.

twinsen

I believe it is fixable, but the bike now would be worth no more than 300e, so it all depends how much would this all cost, visuals are no issue for me. But if welding will cost me 200e, then I'll just buy a new one.

Anyone knows where to ask? Shops ?

imurdaddy

twinsen wrote: »

I believe it is fixable, but the bike now would be worth no more than 300e, so it all depends how much would this all cost, visuals are no issue for me. But if welding will cost me 200e, then I'll just buy a new one.

Anyone knows where to ask? Shops ?

Shop will only try sell you new one, Google engineering firms local to you, it won't cost a fraction of €200 I'd do it if you were in clare, but try cube you never know

magicbastarder

i'd contact cube and explain the situation. i've had stuff (not as expensive as this, mind) replaced or repaired out of warranty as a gesture of goodwill before.

even just to contact them and ask them are there any special offers they might do for people in your position.

check_six

Talk to manufacturers is a good starting point. A crack on the weld like that would logically have to have originated in the manufacturing process rather than a crash, I'd guess. I'd think you could get some joy from Cube.

Of course they could turn around and say that you are just putting out such massive wattage that you are exploding frames. If they do say that, get them to put it in writing, frame it, and hang it on the wall with the broken bike!

magicbastarder

even just to ask them should you expect the welds to fail first; if they shirk you off, explain that you will be very reluctant to buy cube again as you cannot trust the welds, and that you'll be telling the guys down the club too.
but only take that route if their response is wilfully unhelpful or unfriendly.

mp31

Yes it's fixable... according to these guys http://www.carrswelding.co.uk/repairs/cycling/

There may be similar establishments closer to home.

If you contact Cube, would you please keep us informed on how that progresses.

endacl

Gaffa tape. Be grand.

twinsen

I am going to the shop tomorrow to see what my options are from their point of view. If they will fob me off(90%chances they will), then i will contact Cube directly. But i just don't see this ending any other way than just buying new bike
The worst thing is 4 of my friends bought Cube bikes after my recommendation, my wife got one just last December(she was riding trek bikes since 1998). So i just hope this will get resolved somehow in my favour.

But looking at the positives, i was doing over 50km downhill when it happened, and i am still in one piece, so there is that

Anyway, i will keep you updated.

iwillhtfu

If you're in Dublin these lads seem to specialise in welding on all materials.

http://www.motoengineering.com/