Yes I agree.

The parts make no difference. If you can, contact the shop where you bought the bike. They may have records of the sale...serial numbers, etc...that you can use to prove ownership. I've had 2 Specialized frames break and both have been replaced through the shops I bought them from without providing any kind of documentation. But, after looking at your picture, I don't think your bike is a Specialized. I don't think they ever that kind of frame.

While FLYcrash is wrong about the frame failing catastrophically, the frame has failed. Putting bandaids on it or having it welded may void the warranty.

Since this is your transportation, think of it like you would a car. Would you continue to drive a car that had a broken ball joint or broken brakes? This is the equivalent, although cheaper to fix.

Thank for all you suggestions and don't think I haven't thought about everyone of them before.

OK, so why did you get that MASSIVE SETBACK seatpost then?

Before I installed the seat-post I contacted the manufacture and inquired about the set-back, seat-post with this frame.
They informed me that the seat-post set-back should have no effect on the frame. So I installed it, it's not like I didn't do my homework when installing new parts. The frame is close to 15 years old.

I needed to extend my reach to the handlebars.

Wow, I'm amazed they told you to go for it...

To my eye, that frame design is totally asking to fail as yours has even without a lot of setback on the post. It needs gussets.

I think there was an inherent design problem with this frame and the company didn't want to admit that. With out proof of purchase there is no liability for them to replace or repair it. I'm glad it lasted as long as it did.

Definitely inherently flawed design. There's nothing substantial to resist this force...



Load from the suspension makes the situation even worse... awful design IMO.

If that crack as been there for 3 months and hasn't gotten any worse then I'd say that you're OK for now. I second the idea from some dozen or so posts above to save your spare change, monitor the status of the cracks (mark the ends with paint or permanent marker) and save up for one of the $100 frame options from Performance or Nashbar.

Given the picture and the shape of that frame I'm thinking that there's a lot of bending, tensile and compressive forces in the rather short leverage arm in the seat tube joints. The design of that frame is not one that I would have bought on a bet even before seeing this post about a crack. There's just too much going on that depends solely on the bending strength of the tubes. Tubes that are far better used for direct tensile or compressive loads.

I'm thinking you didn't see the frame. I was thinking an incredibly long seatpost before I realised it was a suspension frame...

Thanks, but I realize the issue at hand and thanked you all for your advice. What more can I do...
I know the frame will need to be replaced.
So what's the point in beating a dead horse.

@Kimmo,

IMO, International Maritime Organization???

@Kimmo,

BTW, thanks for your diagram...

If you really need to keep riding it for a while, maybe a cable looped from the saddle to around the downtube with a turnbuckle to tighten it up would give it some support.

@Kimmo,

Despite your opinion, my opinion, the manufactures opinion and everyone's opinion, here on the Bike forum, the bike has preformed flawlessly up until now.
So I guess I beat the odds with this one. Maybe it's time to retire this bike once and for all.

@dnomel,

Thought of that too, believe me, I've thought of just about everything mentioned in rearguards to this tread I created. I'm almost resenting ever posting this thread.

LOL, you're gonna need a thicker skin than that...

I prescribe two shots of concrete so you can HTFU. Is this your first time on a forum?

Hah! Are you for real? It has failed. It will shortly injure you if you persist in riding it.

Please have a friend shoot video so we may all enjoy having told you so to the utmost ; )

Take it to the local bike shop. Outside chance there is a factory recall on the frame.



Tom

The bike has been great up to this point. I've been riding it for 10 years or more without any issues. Just regular maintenance is all that was needed.
Nothing lasts for ever. It's time to get a new frame. I know this, but I have to keep it on the road in it's present condition. I know the risk I'm taking, but I can't just scrap the frame. If I could, I would have changed the frame when I first discovered the crack.

As for a recall, good idea but if there was a recall on this frame. I'm sure it has expired by now. Aren't there limits to recalls anyway?

Bottom line is, that I'm going to continue to ride this bike until such time, that I can afford to replace the frame.
This my not be satisfactory to some of you, but this is the reality of my situation. If I get injured while riding it, that's to bad. But I doubt that will happen.

Hi cyccommute,

Why wrong? I once saw the remains of a titanium frame that had shattered instantly into three pieces during normal riding. Not even a pothole.

Maybe aluminum holds better than titanium. Maybe the position of this crack isn't a source of worry. I'm seriously curious, so let me know.

The shop were I originally purchased the bike has since, moved,went out of business, changed their name and number, whatever, but I have no idea were they are. This was over 10 years ago that I bought the bike.
I've made lots of changes to the bike that if there was any kind of warranty, I'm sure the changes I made would void out any warranty.
Anyway, the situation remains the same. I need a new frame, but until then I have to keep this bike on the road.
Hay, it's my ass, isn't it???

All of my experience with broken frames (4) and broken parts have been with aluminum parts tearing more than fracturing. Both of the aluminum frames I've broken complained before breaking and then gently broke. The same has occurred with aluminum rims and crank arms...lots of noise than then they slowly tear apart.

Both steel frames I've broken have gone 'Plink!' and fractured like most people would expect aluminum to do. Pedal spindles have done the same thing as have all the spokes and hub axles I've ever broken. None of them have given any kind of warning like aluminum does. This make sense if you think about the material. Steel is really stiffer and springier than aluminum. It should fracture rather than tear.

Now Geosammy's frame is broken. It probably makes a lot of noise...creaks and groans...while he pedals. At some point, the crack is going to reach a point where the weld will separate but I doubt that it will be a sudden release. The lower tube will probably buckle and bend...although it could be cracked too...but I doubt that it will be connected one minute and completely disconnected the next. If the frame were steel and the weld had failed like it has, I'd suspect that he would have been dragging butt on the rear wheel long ago.

As for the titanium, I'd suspect something else occurred. The frame may have not been welded properly. This could include not properly flooding the area of the weld with inert gas so as to keep from oxidizing the titanium. But that could happen with any weld on any material.

Hi Stuart,

Thanks for your reply. Makes sense. I didn't know how aluminum frames tend to go. I still wouldn't ride the OP's frame, but I think we're in agreement about that.

Also, your speculation about the Ti frame seems to make sense. The owner of that shattered frame said it was only six weeks old, which would point to defective manufacture.

I was hearing noise before discovering the crack, then the pinging stopped. A short while later is when I found the crack.
There isn't any more noise coming from the bike anymore. This is why I suspect that the crack won't cause the frame to fail. This may be wishful thinking, but even after the crack I continued and will continue to ride it out.
I'm also curious as to how long I can keep this bike on the road. It may tear, as cyccommute has described. I have to take this risk. I'm not in position right now to do anything about it and I need this bike to get around.
Only time will tell what my or my not occur. In the meantime I'll have to look for a new frame.