Originally Posted by
rmfnla
2. The head tube is in compression via the steering tube and HS assembly, so even if it cracks as long as it is still attached to the top and down tubes it should not separate.
All that being said, IMHO only a fool would ride that frame...
This is along my line of thinking. Common wisdom -- which is often sound -- holds that cracks in head tube lugs are dangerous. But I'm curious about the mechanics and real world examples of such failures and their effects. The example image I posted is based on the largest head tube crack I've seen.