Originally Posted by clawhammer72

Searching through the threads, I found this from Sheldon Brown. (Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to link to the thread as a quote.)

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"If you're going to keep riding it, it would be a good idea to drill a small (3/16"?) hole just where the crack ends. This will stop the sharp end of the crack from acting as a stress riser. If you don't do that, the crack is liable to grow.

The poster who wrote "This crack could result in a sudden failure." is a well-meaning alarmist. The location of the crack means that it is mainly stressed in static weight bearing. It carries no share of braking load.

If the problem does get worse (the crack grows) it will give you plenty of warning. It will feel as if the headset is misadjusted (too loose) LOOOOOOONG before there's any chance of "sudden failure."

Sheldon "Seen This Before" Brown"
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Given that I've been riding this bike for years with the crack, I'm just not ready to throw in the towel unless I can get a little more evidence about why this crack is a big problem. I appreciate opinions, but I would like to know the reasons behind the opinion, at least so that I can make an informed decision.

Of course, I'm not interested in risking life and limb just to save a few hundred bucks.