Cracked Frame - options?

Surveyor11

So after watching a hairline crack develop helplessly on my commuter (Giant SCR 3.0 - about 2007 vintage), it has now developed into an alarming crack which circles the seatpost which is now basically holding the frame together. End of the road for this old lady.

I will look to swap over the half decent components (Tiagra shifters / RD) and Mavik Askium Wheels to a new frame, but only if I can get something cheap and chearful - money to tight to blow on a fancy frame.

Bought it from a boardsie a few years back, so trying to go after Giant probably will not bear much fruit. Also though about a Ribble - cheap and chearful frames aplenty there.

Any one know of any other options I've overlooked, other than scouring LBS's for a few end of line bargains? Can it be repaired / welded, or too dodgy?

Seaneh

Put a wanted ad in the adverts subforum?

Wibbs

Looks like aluminium from the pics. You were lucky as that material tends to just crack and fail in a not nice way. If it is ally, no way would I repair it anyway, it's the least repairable of the frame materials. The person doing the repair would really need to know what they were doing and even then it would be weakened.

Surveyor11

Wibbs wrote: »

Looks like aluminium from the pics. You were lucky as that material tends to just crack and fail in a not nice way. If it is ally, no way would I repair it anyway, it's the least repairable of the frame materials. The person doing the repair would really need to know what they were doing and even then it would be weakened.

Yeah is an ally frame, just as we'll the seat post is in a bit, would have sheared off clean otherwise, frame has done at least 15k with me in the saddle and whatever the guy did who owned it originally

Surveyor11

Repost, please delete

Glencarraig

How about a Dolan Preffisio frameset, great reviews, £199 new, dolan-bikes.com

cdaly_

Surveyor11 wrote: »

So after watching a hairline crack develop helplessly on my commuter (Giant SCR 3.0 - about 2007 vintage), it has now developed into an alarming crack which circles the seatpost which is now basically holding the frame together. End of the road for this old lady.
Bought it from a boardsie a few years back, so trying to go after Giant probably will not bear much fruit.

It might be worth checking with Giant. AIUI, there is a lifetime warranty on their frames (or so I was told when buying mine). Can't hurt to try.

It is possible to weld aluminium but you need the right equipment.

Seaneh

Glencarraig wrote: »

How about a Dolan Preffisio frameset, great reviews, £199 new, dolan-bikes.com

Same frame as the Ribble winter trainer and is currently cheaper on ribble.

Surveyor11

Seaneh wrote: »

Same frame as the Ribble winter trainer and is currently cheaper on ribble.

thanks for the heads up Glencarraig on the Dolan, and good to know Seaneh that the ribble winter bike is the same frame - caught my eye at that price. Cdaly_ might be a long shot with giant as I'm not the original owner.

Fender76

Hey Surveyor, I just put a Felt Alu frame in the adverts section...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056801637

Would be willing to come down on that price...

Surveyor11

Fender76 wrote: »

Hey Surveyor, I just put a Felt Alu frame in the adverts section...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056801637

Would be willing to come down on that price...

That would be perfect but would struggle at €300, how far you willing to come down?

Fender76

Make me a reasonable offer..!

Run_to_da_hills

If you drill two small holes at the end of a crack it will stop it from spreading.

(An Aviation trick

clog

You can get the Preffisio frame only for £99 +10 p&p. On ebay but comes direct from Dolan. Just re build with the forks off the cracked frame.

Surveyor11

clog wrote: »

You can get the Preffisio frame only for £99 +10 p&p. On ebay but comes direct from Dolan. Just re build with the forks off the cracked frame.

Ok appreciate that, it's a genuine Dolan? I know that these are generic just want something that's safe

Fender76

Surveyor, I'll go to 225.. its a very decent frame... not a scratch....

Seaneh

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

If you drill two small holes at the end of a crack it will stop it from spreading.

(An Aviation trick

This is terrible advice...

Surveyor11

Seaneh wrote: »

This is terrible advice...

For a bike or an airliner

clog

dolanbikesuk on ebay is the dolan factorys own ebay account. I'm sure if you just rang them up they would sell on direct to you for that price as well.
One thing thoughis the headset these frames take is integrated 36x45 and not the more common 45x45 but you can get one off them at the same time for £14.

Surveyor11

Fender76 wrote: »

Surveyor, I'll go to 225.. its a very decent frame... not a scratch....

fender, thanks for the offer - not sure if I can stretch to that at the moment, assuming you're including headset and seat post?

Fender76

Yeah, FSA headset and Felt seatpost included.....

Could also throw an Ultegra 6700 front derailleur (see other ad) in to sweeten the deal...?

Surveyor11

Fender76 wrote: »

Yeah, FSA headset and Felt seatpost included.....

Could also throw an Ultegra 6700 front derailleur (see other ad) in to sweeten the deal...?

Ah yer some man, children are going to go hungry and unclothed over this will have to mull it over with the boss (ie wife!) the joys....

Fender76

No bother.. I know exactly where you're coming from..!

endacl

Surveyor11 wrote: »

Ah yer some man, children are going to go hungry and unclothed over this will have to mull it over with the boss (ie wife!) the joys....

Hey, just feed them the old frame! In my day.....

Incidentally OP, this happened to me back in April 2011 on what was my Giant FCR from 2008:



May not be much help but I dropped it back into the bikeshop (where my mate works). He contacted Giant and he basically kept annoying them about it. The entire bike was sent back to Giant. While the warranty was only meant to be 2 years I think, I'm now in possession of a new Giant frame with the old bits of the bike put back on.

I'd recommend getting on to Giant yourself, it's might be worth a shot.

Seaneh

Surveyor11 wrote: »

fender, thanks for the offer - not sure if I can stretch to that at the moment, assuming you're including headset and seat post?

Frameset = frame, fork, headset usually.

kumate_champ07

looks like a manufacturing defect, the metal was probably overheated during tig welding, this makes the area brittle and prone to failure over a short time

Canis Lupus

Sure can you not just wrap a bit of duct tape around it?