Originally Posted by
BCRider
You can't "fix" a carbon frame. .....
Sure you can. It's like with everything else, you just need the skills and the supplies suited for the job.
Originally Posted by
BCRider
Once you bust too many fibers in any given area there is no way to restore the strength to that area with just glue ......
Quite right.
Originally Posted by
BCRider
..short of wadding on an exterior "splint" of carbon and epoxy over the crack and extending well out in each direction and tapering back to the original sizes.
Well, the taper would be pretty much optional for a part loaded in compression, and the thickness of the splint wouldn't have to be more than 1.0-1.5 mm. But otherwise it's a fairly accurate description of a decent method of repairing a CF frame.
Originally Posted by
BCRider
And I can't think of many folks that would want to see a wart of this sort on a carbon race frame.......
But it takes all kinds, doesn't it? If that would be the condition that'd let me ride a frame way above my regular price range I wouldn't have any qualms about it.
Besides, at 1.something mm it wouldn't be much of a wart.
Originally Posted by
BCRider
Carbon frames are like Humpty Dumpty.
Not at all. The big issue with (nice) CF structures is that they are so weight optimized and thin walled that it's really hard to make a "seamless" repair. OTOH with the strength-to-weight ratio you can get even a rather crude repair won't carry much of a weight penalty. And for a strut loaded in compression crude will do just fine.
Still, I agree with the overall sentiment about the risk of hidden damage. If I knew more about the damage mechanics I wouldn't hesitate to do such a repair and ride it afterwards. But the way the OP tells it I'd probably be more hesitant.