smd4

Figures. You can't answer a simple question. People aren't approaching this with anything approaching logic. It's all visceral, emotional. A CRACK!! EGADS! Do I also see the Four Horsemen approaching?

This isn't a crack at a weld or a severed chainstay. It wasn't caused by stress from being ridden. It was caused by the headset cup. Will it get bigger? Maybe.
But while all we've heard over two pages is that it's DANGEROUS! Yet no one can tell give me a scenario of what might happen.

Oh, and why don't you tell me what "advice" I've given?

I think the membership of this forum skews to the octogenarian.

smd4

Because you can't explain it, can you?

You think it's going to instantly peel open like a sardine can?

Atlas Shrugged

Curious, what are looking for here other than attention? It is obvious that the bike is damaged and requires repair. Perhaps the OP enjoys watching the conflict such a ridiculous post creates.

raqball 

You appear to be awful defensive.. Like you know you are wrong but are now trying to convince others you are not.. I put forth a case and you have no response to it. Under the scenario I listed you would quite possibly crash and be seriously injured or die..

Please stop posting unsafe advice as it's not healthy for this community..

Meh, to the block list you go..

70sSanO

There was really no reason to even start this thread if you believe what you just wrote.

Just ride the damn bike and stop talking about it.

John

smd4

mstateglfr 

Cracks tend to grow.
A cracked headtube will make the bearings loose and shift stress where it isnt meant to be- fork and steerer.

Will anything come of it? Who knows. Just because someone can't give you a detailed answer of why something is dangerous doesnt mean it isnt dangerous.


I can't always explain the physics or chemical reason behind why something is dangerous, but that doesnt mean I am wrong to say it's dangerous.

unterhausen

This crack may have started because of a problem with the headset, but it clearly has grown. Now you might think that it will stop, but I think I wouldn't ride it out of uber range from home. If you get it fixed, then it could be a great bike that will last a long time. In its current state, it's not going to be rideable or maybe even fixable for all that long.

t2p

a frame with a cracked head tube is basically junk

easyupbug 

I agree with you source "...usually as a temporary repair..." and respectfully completely disagree with your suggestion as temporary on the front end of a bike can be devastating.

big john

I've had a number of component failures on both bicycles and motorcycles. Had pedals snap off twice causing crashes, had a mtb frame break and separate just before a descent, had another mtb snap a chainstay and bend the axle, and had motorcycle suspension components collapse while riding.

When I was a kid I was jumping my bike, a steel framed English 3 speed, and the head tube failed which locked the front wheel when the tire got jammed into the downtube. I went over the bars. Had to carry it home.

My friend was riding his Landshark steel tandem with his wife when the headtube split open. He said it got real loose and he couldn't steer it safely. Did not fall but had to get a ride home.

My point to all this is we don't know what could happen with that frame. Nobody can assure you that it is safe and nobody can say it will fail for certain. Why take a chance? Find an expert welder and get it welded, at the very least. There used to be a welder here who welded magnesium, titanium, super thin aluminum, whatever.
Maybe just send a picture to some ti framebuilders.

zandoval 

Sure, but not without further damage.

There are many ways ta fix this easy. Drill a hole at the end of the crack. Remove the head set lower cup. Clamp the head to close the crack. Wrap the out side with a thin steel wire or a steel collar. Braze the steel to itself to keep it in place. Do some tricky bondo cover up. Replace the lower cup after resizing it as it most likely caused the crack to begin with. Then ride your Frankenised bike with true confidence... Oh Yeah!!!

Camilo

I have no idea if this crack will result in some sort of catastrophic failure, but I'd be very wary. If the front end fails - for instance if the head tube splits causing the fork to let loose or simply flex backward into the frame, or causes the steering to be too wonky to control at speed - he could do a header and die or be severely injured by a head injury, broken neck, etc. I'm not saying it will happen and it's up to the OP to make their own judgement on that. But I have a close acquaintance who died from a front end failure and hit the pavement head first at about 35 MPH.

I'm one who advised that. It had nothing to do with warranty, but I was just thinking that they would be able to provide credible (as opposed to forum experts) about what to do about it. They might even, based on photos alone, be able to estimate repair cost.

As an alternative, you might see if there's a ti welder, better yet, a ti frame builder, closer or more convenient to consult.

Not knowing anything about the previous bike, I won't comment. But comparing a "minor dent" to a very significant crack in the head tube, and the risk of a front end failure of any sort is just silly.

But why would you not seek some sort of actual credible, expert opinion rather than a bunch of online knuckleheads like us? But like others have said, why ask if you just want to argue that the advice you get is stupid or wuss-like.

terrymorse 

It was almost certainly caused by the cyclic stress of riding over rough roads. Textbook fatigue cracking.

Paul Barnard

If it were to crack all the way through, that would put additional stress on the remaining material, making it more prone to catastrophic failure. The fork tube would be subject to movement that it is not normally subject to, and that may increase the fork's chance of catstrophic failure.

Additional cracking could also lead to slop that could affect handling enough to cause a crash.

amazinmets73

Terribly sorry to hear. If you don't mind me asking, was he or she wearing a helmet?

FWIW, this is a cross bike and will be ridden as such. If I'm going to have a catastrophic failure, it's always preferable to be riding a mud track as opposed to pavement.

Camilo

Yes, wearing a helmet and wearing it properly (if any of the dozens of rides I've done with him is any indication). I don't know if the cause of death was head, high neck or both. He's also a bike mechanic nerd, riding a high end steel bike, and it was really surprising to all of us that there was a failure causing the header. Do what you want, but why not just get some expertise rather than this pointless forum argument? Best wishes, I hope it works out for you.

Also, getting back to the original post, it's not stupid to buy a frame for the components if the price is right. You at the minimum have that going for you!

Milton Keynes

And I would wrap myself in bubble wrap if I were to get on this bike.

Trakhak

Please let us know what you decide to do. My money is on your deciding to keep the frame and ride it while leaving the crack as is.

WhyFi

Because he needs to find at least one person of questionable judgement to say what he wants to hear and reinforce the belief that he did the smart, savvy thing; the rest he can dismiss.

amazinmets73

I'm going to keep it but I'll abstain from riding it until I make some inexpensive 'repairs'. Then I'm going for broke.

unterhausen

The advantage of the way it is now is you can mark the end of the crack and see how quickly it grows. If you cover it in cruft, no matter how expensive the cruft might be, you won't be able to tell if it's growing.

Send a picture to a Ti framebuilder and see what they say
Whereabouts are you located OP?

philbob57

Sheesh, If only there were a frame-builder's forum someplace.... Except that they're likely - though not 'definitely' - to say, 'Call Lynskey, send it to a Ti builder for repair, or part it out for more than you paid for it.'

I wouldn't mind dying on my bike, though I'd like another 20 years of riding or so. I'd hate to get a disabling injury, though. Sure this crack might never get worse. Sure a failure might be gradual enough to let you stop without injury if it does get worse.

But you're risk-reward ratio here looks pretty bad for you. Frankly, it looks worse than shipping a bike without adequate insurance. Fool yourself once, it's on you. Fool yourself twice? A good friend might ask, 'Why do that to yourself?'

raqball 

Bingo!

amazinmets73

Norwich, CT.