Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Cracked Head tube after 150km!

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Cracked Head tube after 150km!

Old 08-15-08, 07:06 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
simnorm's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Quebec City, Canada
Posts: 106
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Cracked Head tube after 150km!

Last Wednesday, I went on a quick lunch ride and I could hear some rattles from up front. It sounded like a loose headset. I looked more closely today and saw a crack about half an inch long at the top of the head tube.

Here's a pick of my bike, it has less than 200kms and I got it 3 weeks ago.
(hey, it keeps raining)



I quickly took the bike to my LBS and they confirmed that the frame is done for. Sorry no pics, I was in panic mode when i left. The good thing is that Rocky Mountain has a lifetime warranty and according to them it's a pretty fast process.

So now I have a Devinci Optimum 61 full Ultegra on loan from the LBS and I'm riding with a buddy tomorrow at 8AM. I'm worried that riding that Ultegra will spoil my Tiagra/105 groupo and send me on an upgrade frenzy. We all know Tiagra is garbage

Wish me luck and good thing I didn't buy it online!!!
simnorm is offline  
Old 08-15-08, 07:12 PM
  #2  
AiM SmAlL mIsS sMaLl
 
UniversalFrost's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Belpre, Ohio
Posts: 293

Bikes: 08 Spec. Rockhopper, 11 Spec. Crux, 04 Cervelo Soloist

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
yes, Ultegra is the way to go, plus you can score it cheap on eBay.

JOE
UniversalFrost is offline  
Old 08-15-08, 07:26 PM
  #3  
cab horn
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 28,353

Bikes: 1987 Bianchi Campione

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 42 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 25 Times in 18 Posts
Crack after 150km? Jeeze.
operator is offline  
Old 08-15-08, 07:30 PM
  #4  
100% USDA certified
 
the beef's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Seattle -> NYC
Posts: 4,023
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 2 Posts
closeups?
the beef is offline  
Old 08-15-08, 07:36 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
simnorm's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Quebec City, Canada
Posts: 106
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by UniversalFrost
yes, Ultegra is the way to go, plus you can score it cheap on eBay.
JOE
that was expected.

Sorry no pics, I was in a rush to take it to my LBS. (HR at around 120)
simnorm is offline  
Old 08-15-08, 07:36 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 711
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Looks like your LBS took care of you pretty well. Kudos to LBSs.
schnabler1 is offline  
Old 08-15-08, 09:00 PM
  #7  
Making a kilometer blurry
 
waterrockets's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Austin (near TX)
Posts: 26,170

Bikes: rkwaki's porn collection

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 91 Times in 38 Posts
You won't notice any difference between Ultegra and Tiagra. Maybe after 6 years.
waterrockets is offline  
Old 08-15-08, 09:03 PM
  #8  
**** that
 
mattm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: CALI
Posts: 15,402
Mentioned: 151 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1099 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times in 30 Posts
Originally Posted by waterrockets
You won't notice any difference between Ultegra and Tiagra. Maybe after 6 years.
fwiw, i noticed a difference going from campy veloce to centaur.. isn't that about the same jump?

anyway sorry to hear about your old bike! at least it wasn't a catastrophic failure..
__________________
cat 1.

my race videos
mattm is offline  
Old 08-15-08, 09:15 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1,225
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by waterrockets
You won't notice any difference between Ultegra and Tiagra. Maybe after 6 years.
I can tell a difference between my Ultegra and Tiagra bikes. The Tiagra seems a little less smooth in the way the shifter action feels, and the brifters are larger and less rounded. I wouldn't say it's a few hundred dollars' worth of difference on its own, but in my opinion, the difference is apparent.

I haven't tried Dura-Ace, but my gut tells me the difference between that and ultegra is probably less apparent.
RazorWind is offline  
Old 08-15-08, 09:21 PM
  #10  
Making a kilometer blurry
 
waterrockets's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Austin (near TX)
Posts: 26,170

Bikes: rkwaki's porn collection

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 37 Post(s)
Liked 91 Times in 38 Posts
I work on a lot of different bikes and other than the way the brifters feel due to shape, in my experience, Tiagra can shift just as crisply as my Dura-Ace groups. This is just shade-tree bike wrenching though. I'll bet new Tiagra feels better than Dura-Ace with year-old cables.

Don't get me wrong, I love my DA, but it's really just bling and grams. There are subtle engineering differences, but they're very subtle in feel too.

Maybe I'm just less sensitive to it due to the distractions of my screaming quad pain.
waterrockets is offline  
Old 08-16-08, 08:23 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
simnorm's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Quebec City, Canada
Posts: 106
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I really wonder what frame are they going to replace it with. It looks like RMB stopped making traditional geometry frames for 2008. Their alu frames are all compact with similar geometry to the Allez or so it seems.
simnorm is offline  
Old 08-16-08, 09:05 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 7,859
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Considering the size of the frame and the seat tube, have u ever considered to buy a Basket ball??
ultraman6970 is offline  
Old 08-16-08, 09:26 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
enjoi07's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: san diego
Posts: 2,981

Bikes: custom caad9

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
since we are talking about frame malfunctions...what do you think about this lil' ding? safe to ride?
enjoi07 is offline  
Old 08-16-08, 09:29 PM
  #14  
AEO
Senior Member
 
AEO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: A Coffin Called Earth. or Toronto, ON
Posts: 12,258

Bikes: Bianchi, Miyata, Dahon, Rossin

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
Originally Posted by enjoi07
since we are talking about frame malfunctions...what do you think about this lil' ding? safe to ride?
it'll live and you'll live too
__________________
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
AEO is offline  
Old 08-16-08, 10:12 PM
  #15  
Batüwü Creakcreak
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: The illadelph
Posts: 20,787
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 228 Post(s)
Liked 287 Times in 160 Posts
Originally Posted by AEO
it'll live and you'll live too
+1. My old frame had one of those after a crash. Cannondale cleared it, as did two of their stores.

No big deal. Just look it over every now and then to make sure it's not cracking.
ridethecliche is offline  
Old 08-26-08, 04:00 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
simnorm's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Quebec City, Canada
Posts: 106
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Just got my new bike, my LBS was 3-4 days late in contacting RMB. I think I like the new color better than the old one.
simnorm is offline  
Old 08-26-08, 05:20 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
dstrong's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Awesome, Austin, TX
Posts: 4,231

Bikes: Specialized Roubaix, Interloc Impala, ParkPre Image C6

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 254 Post(s)
Liked 86 Times in 56 Posts
Did they send a complete new bike or did they (or the LBS or you) have to transfer all the components over?
__________________

2014 Specialized Roubaix2003 Interloc Impala2007 ParkPre Image C6 (RIP)

dstrong is offline  
Old 08-26-08, 05:23 PM
  #18  
I like my car
 
ShadowGray's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 1,747
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Ooh I really like the gray color... very nice!

And pssh, ultegra is nice bling, but it doesn't change how your ride feels- as nice as ultegra is, if you're comfy on that bike, nothing else will change your mind.
ShadowGray is offline  
Old 08-26-08, 07:36 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Gatineau, Quebec
Posts: 347

Bikes: Rocky Mountain

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I prefer the grey colour, too. Did they upgrade the bike to a Solo 30, or is that just the new frame with your old components moved over?

Nice to see they replaced it so quickly, anyway.
Jaeger is offline  
Old 08-26-08, 08:12 PM
  #20  
pan y agua
 
merlinextraligh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 31,275

Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike

Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1428 Post(s)
Liked 697 Times in 353 Posts
Originally Posted by waterrockets
I work on a lot of different bikes and other than the way the brifters feel due to shape, in my experience, Tiagra can shift just as crisply as my Dura-Ace groups. This is just shade-tree bike wrenching though. I'll bet new Tiagra feels better than Dura-Ace with year-old cables.

Don't get me wrong, I love my DA, but it's really just bling and grams. There are subtle engineering differences, but they're very subtle in feel too.

Maybe I'm just less sensitive to it due to the distractions of my screaming quad pain.
Then again some people can tell an audible difference between speaker wires on stereo systems
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
merlinextraligh is offline  
Old 08-26-08, 08:25 PM
  #21  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
simnorm's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Quebec City, Canada
Posts: 106
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
RMB sent just the frame to my LBS which transferred all the components over.
I'm not kidding you, the LBS manager contacted RMB Wednesday or Thursday of last week and I got the bike this morning. I'm very happy with both my LBS and RMB. Awesome service!

The frame is a 2006 Solo 30, it's the same frame as my old 2006 Solo 10. The Solo 30 were sold with 105/Ultegra and my Solo 10 is Tiagra/105.
simnorm is offline  
Old 08-26-08, 08:30 PM
  #22  
Violin guitar mandolin
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Friendsville, TN, USA
Posts: 1,171

Bikes: Wilier Thor, Fuji Professional, LeMond Wayzata

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by merlinextraligh
Then again some people can tell an audible difference between speaker wires on stereo systems
Everything depends on the sensitivity and needs of the user. Under normal conditions I can't tell much difference between the different levels of components. I have Tiagra and DA. If I really start cranking through the gears hard for a while I notice the DA is a bit better. In looking at the gear, I suspect the DA will last much longer. I sure wouldn't buy DA at the usual price!!!! But I also suspect I'd kill a Tiagra pretty quickly on a hard tour.

The speaker wire thing is hysterical. I worked with a fellow who had really good ears and had worked in speakers for a long time. I needed wires. He said either zip cord or braid up some. So I braided thin wires. Twisted pairs braided. Took an evening. No comparison at all to any of the other wires. I even borrowed some kind of megawire that was supposed to be good. My braided wires made from scrap wire were exceptionally clean sounding. Through excellent speakers under careful listening conditions. Add some background noise, or not quite as good speakers, etc and I couldn't tell. That's about the difference in the Tiagra vs. DA. There, but if you're not sensitive and not looking, you won't know it. I only notice the DA when I'm really demanding everything out of the bike!

As an aside, the whole speaker thing is fascinating. My brother in law showed me lots about speakers. He makes excellent speakers. Out of surplus this and that. Get rid of the box and they're much better. I've got really very good clarity and imaging going on at the moment. I can hear the speakers, but not a box. 14' plywood folded horn subwoofer plus twin tube speakers. 8" concrete casting cardboard with one end plate each, holding good $5 surplus oval car speakers with heavy magnets and horn loaded tweeters. Or something like that. He said "buy" so I did. They beat the pants off my last speakers and cost me $25! Cool stuff.
mandovoodoo is offline  
Old 08-26-08, 08:33 PM
  #23  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 190

Bikes: Giant OCR 3, Bontrager, Trek 1500

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by merlinextraligh
Then again some people can tell an audible difference between speaker wires on stereo systems

"claim to"
jim6b is offline  
Old 08-26-08, 10:38 PM
  #24  
i ride a bicycle
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,021
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by merlinextraligh
Then again some people can tell an audible difference between speaker wires on stereo systems
Originally Posted by jim6b
"claim to"
Before I went back to school high-end audio was one of my hobbies. Gimme a double blind speaker-wire audition and I will prove people with trained ears can tell a difference. In general I prefer a bright sound, so I use Nordost cables to brighten up my relatively neutral Vienna Accustics speakers.

Mac

P.S. Oh yeah, and on the bike topic, I also like the new color better. I assume the 30 is an upgrade from the 10? Was the upgrade free or just a good deal?

Mac
sac02 is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.