CAAD9 Question
 

I have a quick frame question for people who might have experienced something like this before.

When I first inspected my frame after getting it, I saw what looked funny on the frame at the point where the seatpost clamp is. It looked a little 'ruffled'. After a few weeks of using, it looked a little more ruffled so I took it in to a shop, and they told me it wasn't anything to worry about.

I've been dialing in my fit lately and as a result I've been loosening/tightening my seatpost. Tonight, I was giving the bike a once over and I realized that the 'ruffled' area has developed into a crack.

The seatpost clamp is on the front since that reduces the chances of damaging the seatube (where the tube is partially 'open'). I'm not terribly worried about the crack since it's not really a stress point other than when tightening and loosening, but I still have a question. To clarfiy, the location is on the area where the seat tube has a bit of a gap in order to accommodate the clamp.

Does anyone think that it's feasible to cut the seat tube right below the 'crack' and move the clamp down there? It shouldn't have any effect on insertion levels and such, but I'm just curious. Of course, I'll have a shop give the bike a once over and do the job when I get back to school if they deem it necessary.

I figure you can cut a steerer tube, so you can probably cut this too without any functional loss.

Thanks!

pictures?

Can't get the camera to focus well enough.

Honestly, the top part of the seat tube, what you can see when you look down at the clamp, looked bumpy from the start. Now the bumpy areas seem to be cracking. I found another spot that is doing the same thing but in a different way.

I'll take my seatpost off and try to take a picture.

I don't think that cutting the seat tube is a good idea. A steerer tube is made to be cut and has different material thickness than a seat tube. If it were me, I would bring the bike back to where I got it and have them send it to cannondale.

They seemed not to care much the first time around.

R.t.c., do let us know what happens if you decide to bring it back to the lbs. It would be nice to know what they do in this type of situation.

Txs.

Alright, so I took the post off to have a good look.
AND.............



There isn't any crack. The 'crack' in the back is the result of an uneveness caused by the cut of the seat tube. Aka, it wasn't cut perfectly so the top surface isn't smooth. Instead it dips down at one spot, since it's a very sudden drop it looks like a crack (think plateau).

The other thing is similar as well. It's not cut smooth so there's a lump on top of the tube.

Shouldn't be an issue. Silly light playing a trick on me. Silly cannondale not cutting things smoothly. Silly me...

I'm probably driving by the shop where I bought the bike in the next week or so. I'll show it to them.

I couldn't see anything wrong either on either side of the tube (inside or outside) which I think would happen if there was a crack. I don't think the shop is going to be worried about it at all. I'm not worried about it anymore either. I'll just keep an eye on it and show it to them 'just in case'.

Maybe they could face it like a bottom bracket...

Tangential question -- did you try the macro setting on your camera (assuming it has one)?

Yes.

I got some pictures of it, I'll post them later. It's hard to photograph since everything around it is shiny (naked al scheme). The camera freaks out when auto focusing. I tried focusing on something and moving the camera after, but it still didn't see to do the trick.