Jinx5000

Hey Everonem

I just picked up a new bike a few days ago and upon inspecting it today I noticed something that stuck out and has been stressing me out since.

On both seat stays there are identical marks in the same location on the inside of the seat stay. Has anyone else had experience with this, it this a byproduct of the manufacturing process for carbon frames or could this be damage?

Thanks in advance for the insight.

geehue

That does not look like something that comes from the manufacturing process; the holes look irregular in both position and shape. Is the bike new or used? If used, I might suspect that somebody tried to mount something.

GlennR

New bike.. .bring it back and have the LBS give you an answer. If they don't have a good one, leave it and have them replace it.

Dunbar

My 2015 Cervelo S2 has something very similar on the back of the seat stays in the same location on both sides (although the holes are not as big.) I'm guessing this is a common place they hook air up to when vacuum forming the frame over the mold? Or maybe they use bladders inside the seat stays to give it that shape. Not sure but I wouldn't automatically assume your bike is bad.

TheRef

Fender or rack mounts?
I'm with the other poster who noticed that both wholes are irregular and not shaped symmetrically.
As the shop and see what they say. Compare to another identical bike.

Homebrew01

Make & Model ??

Silvercivic27

Snake bites. It's poisoned. Take it back.

Silvercivic27

It's an Orbea so maybe Spanish Fly bites?

Dunbar

They're definitely not rack mounts. I think the irregularity is more from the excess carbon fiber not being trimmed away so it just looks worse (which is highlighted by the light paint color.)

TrojanHorse

Go back to the shop and look at the rest of that same model they have on the floor. If they all look like that it's probably just a manufacturing side effect.

LesterOfPuppets

You just need a little carbon spackle.

GlennR

3 Carbon bikes, Madone 4.6, Madone 6.7 and Emonda SLR and not have holes anywhere like that.

Jinx5000

2015 BH ultralight DA

CliffordK

Most steel bikes have little holes in them for moisture and pressure and??? But the holes are normally near the bottom of the seat stays.

I like the idea of potentially part of the manufacturing process.

I have a couple of CF frames with aluminum dropouts and they don't seem to have those holes, and probably don't need them.

Does your frame have some kind of integrated CF dropout? I am a bit surprised the holes aren't just filled as part of the manufacturing process.

Dunbar

Cervelos do have carbon fiber dropouts.

Jinx5000

The BH is full carbon with carbon dropouts. I went to an LBS today who had a different BH in stock (BH G5) and it too had the same holes in almost the same location; however the holes on the G5 were perfectly round and clean.

Jinx5000

Would this seal the holes? And if they are intentional would it be bad to seal them up?

Dunbar

I think he's kidding since there's no such thing as carbon spackle. It makes sense that they need holes with carbon dropouts. Before metal dropouts are bonded to a frame they have a spot at the base of the seat stay to hook up air to the internal bladder. If it were me I'd use the smallest drill bit I could find to remove just enough material to get a round hole.

Jinx5000

Lol. Like crack spackle from SMPNL back in the day. Anyways, that makes sense, would it be necessary to drill it out just to make the holes even? Would it just be for aesthetics? If that's the case I can just go over it with a sharpie and make them both perfectly round...

Dunbar

Just for aesthetics. That uneven carbon fiber around the hole serves no purpose structurally. It should've been trimmed away at the factory. A drill bit would make quick work of it. Just make sure you select the right size drill bit before you start drilling!

CliffordK

I wouldn't make the holes BIGGER. You really don't want anything in them.

If it bothered me, I would take some white caulking or glue and just fill the holes. No, not Elmers Glue, that would work, but it dries transparent.

Jinx5000

Is it okay to fill the holes now or do I need th leave them open for any reason? Would it be dangerous to fill them with the possibility that something might drip down? I can always just black he holes out with a sharpie and make them symmetrical. Would nail polish work to cover them up if it's safe?

CliffordK

It is up to you.

I think the bikes with aluminum dropouts may have the stays sealed. Are you planning on carrying the bike on an airplane? Mailing it?

Personally, I'd use something gummy rubbery, like window caulking or silicone caulking.

Metis

The symmetry of the two holes on the frame seems to suggest some sort of manufacturing blemish. Probably the vaccuum holes for forming the frame as someone else pointed out. Someone at the factory probably forgot to clean them up somewhere along the assembly line.

Jinx5000

would you say that this 'manufacturing blemish' is purely cosmetic or could compromise the carbon, the ride quality or safety?