What's missing in the conversation is that some platers who don't normally plate thin walled tubing like that found in bicycle frames don't bother to bake the frame/fork immediately after plating in order to mitigate the risk of hydrogen embrittlement.
Electroplating is a major cause of hydrogen embrittlement. Some hydrogen is generated during the cleaning and pickling cycles, but by far the most significant source is cathodic inefficiency, which is followed by sealing the hydrogen in the parts. Baking is often performed on high strength parts to reduce this risk, and the ASTM, in 1994, issued a specification for baking cycles.
Anyone considering having bicycle frames and forks chrome plated should ensure the plater really understands the necessity of baking to minimize hydrogen embrittlement risk when plating thin walled tubing.