Originally Posted by
Phantoj
"Incorrect". Ground welds have superior fatigue life (which is what is important in bikes, not static strength).
Incorrect
Grinding the weld makes discontinuities in the grain structure which hurts fatigue life. There is a way to dress aluminum welds that actually helps fatigue life, it's called 'toe-grinding'. Incidentally, this does not include grinding the bead itself, but the HAZ on either side of the bead. What the C'dale did with their previous bikes was not this.