Bicycle Mechanics - Don't Do This!

This was not very smart. I live in the midwest and took a vacation to Hilton Head Island. I carried the bikes on a simple bike rack on the back of my car. On the return trip of about 1000 miles I loaded the bikes on to the rack in a thunderstorm and was in a hurry and not very careful. I thought I had strapped everything down carefully. When I got home and unloaded the bikes I saw that my wife's steel framed front fork on her Trek had rubbed against the chain stay on my new Canondale T2000. The frame is aluminum on the Canondale and after 1000 miles of rubbing and friction on the chain stay more than 50% of the aluminum was gone in that spot. My new frame is toast.

These are the little lessons one doesn't forget. At least I'll "try" to remember that!

Bjlaw - that is a serious bummer. Maybe some folks will take extra time loading their bikes because of your post.

I learned without being as unfortunate as you. We were returning from St.Simons in someone elses car and rack. I loaded my bike but wasn't comfortable with the way it was attached. I just happened to look back @50 miles out and my bike was bouncing around unattached to the rack. I was lucky, no harm done and I learned a valuable lesson.

Of course there are the horror stories of folks who forgot their bikes were on the roof rack of their vehicles when they pulled into the garage, trashing bike, rack, car, and maybe house.

could the frame be welded? ive seen it done on an aluminum engine case. filled a crack with a weld then milled it back down.

Shaharidan.

I asked my LBS that question and they said it probably could be and they checked with the canondale factory. The factory said due to safety concerns they would definitely recommend not doing that. They did however offer to send me a new frame at a much reduced price because the bike was so new. And of course they wanted to literally destroy the frame and make sure it was not on the road due to safety concerns. They want to protect their name too.

Great, to get a good machine shop to do that kind of work wouldnt be cheap anyway im sure, and your always better off when you can go with new. glad to hear they are helping you out with it. :)

When you started the story saying you were loading the bikes in a thunderstorm, I thought you were gonna say you were hit by lightning. :p

Sweet deal!

you should ride it, then, when it inevitably breaks, warranty it! do some bunnyhops or hard sprints! better yet, try wheelie dropping!

Originally posted by bjlaw
Shaharidan.

I asked my LBS that question and they said it probably could be and they checked with the canondale factory. The factory said due to safety concerns they would definitely recommend not doing that. They did however offer to send me a new frame at a much reduced price because the bike was so new. And of course they wanted to literally destroy the frame and make sure it was not on the road due to safety concerns. They want to protect their name too.

True that! I work in a bike shop and I can vouch for this. Cannondale will usually send a 'sympathy' frame (i.e. discounted). It's an unfortunate incident, but you are in the Cannondale 'family'. Kapiche?

Ouch! That's a hard lesson to learn. Makes me glad I tie wrapped some foam pipe insulation on the frame of my bike rack. Cheap insurance. I've not carried two bikes yet, but wnder how to best ensure the frames wouldn't rub. I'm thinking that putting foam pipe insulation around key frame members, or strapping long pieces of insulation on one bike in between the two.

supcom, your LBS should be able to get some foam blocks that are just for this purpose. They are big and dont compress like pipe foam.
Also watch out for your tires and exhaust being in close proximity.

Kapiche?

You mean capice, signiore?

Merci, je détestent pour citer inexactement, particulièrement sur ces forum.

:thumbup:

Cannondale's offer is very reasonable and makes good business / goodwill sense for them, and good safety sense for you.

On this same topic, how many of you have ever collected on a manufacturer's frame warranty? The first owner of my Schwinn KOM-10 got a free replacement frame before he sold the bike to me. When the BB shell of my 1971 Nishiki broke after 20 years and 40k miles, Nishiki offered me a $150 (my original purchase price) discount on a new Nishiki. A local Nishiki and Trek dealer even offered to apply the discount to a new Trek. While I was pondering the deal, I bought the used PKN-10 at a yard sale, instead.

I have warrantied many frames for others. Cannondale, Giant, Specialized, Bianchi. They have all been good about it. Giant had the least warranties and Bianchi can be a little slow and sometimes sends the wrong frame but thier heart is in the right place. If they don't have your frame they will work you a deal on an upgrade.

When you started the story saying you were loading the bikes in a thunderstorm, I thought you were gonna say you were hit by lightning.

me too...