cell1

My mountain bike's frame cracked recently whilst I was riding it to work. It happened out of the blue so to speak - I hadn't jumped off a gutter or done anything else to give the bike a jolt.

My guess is that there was a latent defect in the frame, possibly caused by the weld nearby the crack. I would be interested to hear anyone's thoughts.

Here is a little more info on the bike to help with your opinions:

• I bought the bike new from an eBay store for a bit less than $300 AUD.
• The crack occurred when the bike was 18 months old.
• The crack occurred just below a weld. (See the photos referenced below.)
• I ride the bike quite regularly to and from work which is about a 5km trip - it's all on the road (or footpath).
• I would say I'm a fairly conservative rider - I don't think the bike has had any harsh treatment.

Here are a couple of photos of the broken frame.

CCrew

Yup, it's broke

Strip it and put the parts on something else if they're worth anything and the frame isn't under warranty. Not to be a smartass, but you got what you paid for. It's why I buy name brands with warranties.

kycycler

+1 on what CCREW said.

jsharr

In 18 months of gentle use you have ridden the tires bald in the center? How many miles have you put on that thing? I would say look for a used bike without suspension if all you do is gentle path riding for a 5KM commute. All that suspension is going to do is rob you of power in your pedal stroke.

AndrewP

I would say definitely manufacturing defect, but not worth the price of fighting for a warranty replacement, when it is not the type of bike you need. Just look for a non-suspension hybrid with tire width between 32 and 37 mm

cell1

Hey, thanks for all your comments. I agree with them all which is why I just bought myself a much better bike without the rear suspension - 1 year warranty on the parts with 5 years on the frame this time.

estabro

At least you didn't break that bombing down a hill. Bones are harder to repair than bikes.