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Possible Frame Damage?
Hi, a larger partially rubber coated metal hook that was screwed to the wall above where my bike stands recently came out and dropped onto the top tube of my carbon road bike (closer to the seat tube). I dont know what hit - the metal part, rubber part or the screw with rawl plug that came out with it :-D I cant see any damage, and the hook only weighs about 80g. I’m curious if something like that could cause any major damage to the frame? The reason i ask i more because of the shock to a small point rather than force in total to frame. |
If you can't even see a chip in the paint/clearcoat, don't worry about it.
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Originally Posted by dabac
(Post 20779938)
If you can't even see a chip in the paint/clearcoat, don't worry about it.
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You might try the "coin test".
Lightly drop the edge of a coin along the tube in the presumed affected area. A change in the sound, or a hollow sound would be worrysome. I presume the tube will be OK, but keep an eye on it for cracks, noises, or changes developing. |
There's lots of youtube vids about the "coin" thing even from reputable repair shops.
I tried it on something I knew had damage and you had to be darn near perfectly on top of the known and visible crack to hear the change. I tried it on another bike with a much more involved repair job, and it worked. Get near the dime sized HOLE and the pitch changed. If there aren't any paint imperfections the coin trick might not even work. I'd ride it as-is and set a reminder to inspect it each week for a few months, visual check. That's all. |
I agree with burnthesheep. If it looks fine, it probably is fine.
My 10+ year old Tarmac has numerous rubs, dings, and scuffs on the cf frame, some quite deep. It hasn't exploded yet. But this post does highlight one of the issues with cf: damage can be invisible, though it is probably rare. You generally don't have that problem with steel, unless it is rusting inside the tubes. |
if an 80g coated lag hook falls onto your bike breaking the frame...it should have broken long before that.
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But if something falls on it again, it will asplode.
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Others have claim carbon is not fragile.
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Originally Posted by DefUnct
(Post 20779928)
Hi, a larger partially rubber coated metal hook that was screwed to the wall above where my bike stands recently came out and dropped onto the top tube of my carbon road bike (closer to the seat tube). ... I cant see any damage, and the hook only weighs about 80g.I’m curious if something like that could cause any major damage to the frame? The reason i ask i more because of the shock to a small point rather than force in total to frame.
Originally Posted by dabac
(Post 20779938)
If you can't even see a chip in the paint/clearcoat, don't worry about it.
But if you don't even see paint damage there is not likely any observable change anywhere. |
Or, if there are other paint chips, perhaps there were more serious previous insults to the frame integrity than the most recent incident.
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Sell it on and get a steel frame.
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Originally Posted by MikeyMK
(Post 20781295)
Sell it on and get a steel frame.
Sell it immediately and get a steel frame that you don’t have to constantly worry about, even after a safe falls out of a second story window onto it. |
Originally Posted by downhillmaster
(Post 20781480)
This. Sell it immediately and get a steel frame that you don’t have to constantly worry about, even after a safe falls out of a second story window onto it. (But I have never owned carbon, except for what is included in steel.) |
I thought people who buy carbon frames trust them to no end. If you worry this much about it - change to titanium and enjoy your bike.
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