Crack in titanium top tube

res09c5t

Hi,
I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to the
manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube about 1.5
inches from the head tube. The crack is not at the weld. If you imagine
viewing this tube from the rear, the crack goes from about 2 o'clock to 7
o'clock. This seems strange to me, I've always heard about cracks at the
welds but never in the body of the tube. The bike hasn't been crashed. I
do weigh about 270. After finding it, I rode it around the block to see
what it was like loaded and the crack opened and closed as I pedalled.

Any thoughts? Am I too heavy for titanium? My general impression is that
titanium was strong.

Thanks. Sorry if I'm rambling a little but I'm kind of in shock over this.
Lyle

S o r n i

res09c5t wrote:
> Hi,
> I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to
> the manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube
> about 1.5 inches from the head tube. The crack is not at the weld.
> If you imagine viewing this tube from the rear, the crack goes from
> about 2 o'clock to 7 o'clock. This seems strange to me, I've always
> heard about cracks at the welds but never in the body of the tube.
> The bike hasn't been crashed. I do weigh about 270. After finding
> it, I rode it around the block to see what it was like loaded and the
> crack opened and closed as I pedalled.
>
> Any thoughts? Am I too heavy for titanium? My general impression is
> that titanium was strong.
>
> Thanks. Sorry if I'm rambling a little but I'm kind of in shock over
> this. Lyle

Stuff happens.

Bill "if it's under warranty they should take care of you" S.

Richard Brockie

res09c5t wrote:

> Hi,
> I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to the
> manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube about 1.5
> inches from the head tube. The crack is not at the weld. If you imagine
> viewing this tube from the rear, the crack goes from about 2 o'clock to 7
> o'clock.

I suspect that this is a butted frame, failing at the butting. Should
be an easy warranty case assuming that you are the original owner of
the bike. Take it to your dealer and they should sort you out.

> This seems strange to me, I've always heard about cracks at the
> welds but never in the body of the tube. The bike hasn't been crashed. I
> do weigh about 270. After finding it, I rode it around the block to see
> what it was like loaded and the crack opened and closed as I pedalled.
>
> Any thoughts? Am I too heavy for titanium? My general impression is that
> titanium was strong.
>
> Thanks. Sorry if I'm rambling a little but I'm kind of in shock over this.
> Lyle

--
R.

<> Richard Brockie "Categorical statements
<> The tall blond one. always cause trouble."
<> rmbusenet@brockie.org.uk

Nate Woodhams

res09c5t wrote:

> Hi,
> I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to the
> manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube about 1.5
> inches from the head tube. The crack is not at the weld. If you imagine
> viewing this tube from the rear, the crack goes from about 2 o'clock to 7
> o'clock. This seems strange to me, I've always heard about cracks at the
> welds but never in the body of the tube. The bike hasn't been crashed. I
> do weigh about 270. After finding it, I rode it around the block to see
> what it was like loaded and the crack opened and closed as I pedalled.
>
> Any thoughts? Am I too heavy for titanium? My general impression is that
> titanium was strong.
>
> Thanks. Sorry if I'm rambling a little but I'm kind of in shock over this.
> Lyle
>

Hi Lyle,

I had a Litespeed frame crack at the weld near the dropouts last summer.
Litespeed was pretty good about getting it fixed and shipping it back
to me. The whole process took 5 weeks. I have been riding the frame
100+ miles a week ever since with no problems (there is life after a
frame failure).

The Litespeed rep said they can replace any tube except for the seatube.

Good luck.

-NW

Tom Sherman

Nate Woodhams wrote:

> ...
> The Litespeed rep said they can replace any tube except for the seatube....

Because replacing the seat tube requires so much labor that it is less
expensive for them to replace the whole frame?

--
Tom Sherman - Quad Cities (Illinois Side)

Peter Cole

"res09c5t" <res09c5tremovethis@verizon.net> wrote

> I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to the
> manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube about 1.5
> inches from the head tube.

> Any thoughts? Am I too heavy for titanium? My general impression is that
> titanium was strong.

The important thing is "specific strength", or strength-to-weight. In that
regard, Ti, Al, steel, and CF are roughly equal. It's not a matter of Ti being
strong enough for you, but whether that particular frame design is. That's if
the failure was a design-related failure and not just a manufacturing flaw.
Some makers push the limit in some frames, they usually publish a weight
limit. Just because a frame is Ti doesn't mean it has more margin for overload
than any other. Of course, any frame, of any material, can fail from a defect.

Qui si parla Campagnolo

res-<< I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to the
manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube about 1.5
inches from the head tube. >><BR><BR>
<< Any thoughts? Am I too heavy for titanium? My general impression is that
titanium was strong >><BR><BR>


It is, but the frameset should be matched to you and your needs and it must be
well constructed. There are a lot of ti framesets out there that are not made
well, many with very common names. I think a well made ti frameset should never
break, crack or otherwise fail if made well.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Dan R H

I cracked my pre-Litespeed Merlin down by the BB. I'm 200. Damn, I loved
that bike. Got a replacement frame from MerLite, had it 9 months, sold it
and am now totally happy with my 5900...

Dan R H

"res09c5t" <res09c5tremovethis@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:MhIbc.3367$I66.350@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...
> Hi,
> I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to the
> manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube about 1.5
> inches from the head tube. The crack is not at the weld. If you imagine
> viewing this tube from the rear, the crack goes from about 2 o'clock to 7
> o'clock. This seems strange to me, I've always heard about cracks at the
> welds but never in the body of the tube. The bike hasn't been crashed. I
> do weigh about 270. After finding it, I rode it around the block to see
> what it was like loaded and the crack opened and closed as I pedalled.
>
> Any thoughts? Am I too heavy for titanium? My general impression is that
> titanium was strong.
>
> Thanks. Sorry if I'm rambling a little but I'm kind of in shock over
this.
> Lyle
>
>

David L. Johnson

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 00:03:56 +0000, res09c5t wrote:

> Hi,
> I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to the
> manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube about 1.5
> inches from the head tube. The crack is not at the weld. If you imagine
> viewing this tube from the rear, the crack goes from about 2 o'clock to 7
> o'clock. This seems strange to me, I've always heard about cracks at the
> welds but never in the body of the tube.

If the frame is butted, that might be the location where the tubing thins
out.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | When you are up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember
_`\(,_ | that your initial objective was to drain the swamp. -- LBJ
(_)/ (_) |

Nate Woodhams

Tom Sherman wrote:
> Nate Woodhams wrote:
>
>> ...
>> The Litespeed rep said they can replace any tube except for the
>> seatube....
>
>
> Because replacing the seat tube requires so much labor that it is less
> expensive for them to replace the whole frame?
>

That was my assumption. About half of the welds are on the seat tube.

-Nate

Stein Ballangrud Andersen

* Qui si parla Campagnolo
> res-<< I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to the
> manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube about 1.5
> inches from the head tube. >><BR><BR>
> << Any thoughts? Am I too heavy for titanium? My general impression is that
> titanium was strong >><BR><BR>
>
>
> It is, but the frameset should be matched to you and your needs and it must be
> well constructed. There are a lot of ti framesets out there that are not made
> well, many with very common names. I think a well made ti frameset should never
> break, crack or otherwise fail if made well.

Nor should any well made frame which is used for it's intended
purpose. Right?

Stein

--
--
Lbhe erfvfgnapr gb grzcgngvba vf gbb jrnx. Lbh jvyy arire orpbzr n wrqv!

Rudge

Just wondering, Is the top tube round or has it been manufactured with an
oval or teardrop cross section?

Werehatrack

On Sun, 04 Apr 2004 00:03:56 GMT, "res09c5t"
<res09c5tremovethis@verizon.net> may have said:

>Hi,
>I've got a titanium frame (I won't mention the brand until I talk to the
>manufacturer) that I just discovered a crack in the top tube about 1.5
>inches from the head tube. The crack is not at the weld. If you imagine
>viewing this tube from the rear, the crack goes from about 2 o'clock to 7
>o'clock. This seems strange to me, I've always heard about cracks at the
>welds but never in the body of the tube. The bike hasn't been crashed. I
>do weigh about 270. After finding it, I rode it around the block to see
>what it was like loaded and the crack opened and closed as I pedalled.
>
>Any thoughts? Am I too heavy for titanium? My general impression is that
>titanium was strong.
>
>Thanks. Sorry if I'm rambling a little but I'm kind of in shock over this.

At 270 lbs, it's my opinion that virtually any performance-oriented
bike will be stressed beyond its likely design limits. Frames in that
class are designed around the idea that they'll be used by competitive
athletes, and the profile for that group is a bit lighter than you.

Personally, I think I'd go with a conventional steel frame instead; it
will weigh a bit more, but given the total mass of the system, an
additional couple of pounds in the tubing will make little difference
in the overall results.

Certainly, I'd say it's worthwhile to talk to the frame's
manufacturer, and I suspect that the tube (or frame) will get
replaced.

And then, of course, ride!


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