Snapped chainstay on Langster - Yikes!
 

"Just riding along" and heard clicking...thought it was time for a BB cleaning, but soon started to sound more serious...got home and found this. Drag.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...ide_Break1.jpg
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/CU_Break.jpg

Oh snap..

Seriously, thats nuts.

Specialized should warranty the frame. To the LBS you go!

[Edited to recant conjecture as to cause of snappage] Still, I didn't expect THAT!

they should still warranty it.

U R Beast. do warranties cover you being too awesome?!

thanks for replies. I'll give the warranty coverage a shot. Just posted to share the grisly pix.

You made me go check the stays on my langster. Did you just overtighten it or what'd you do?

he actually used a hacksaw! crazy!

Unsure exactly what caused it. [Edited to recant amateur metallurgic analysis]

The frame should be able to handle the chain wrap. And a properly drilled hole shouldn't make the frame any weaker at that point.

I'd stay mum about the chain and just give SpecialEd the "I was just riding along" sob story.

yeah... edit your replies!!! I'll delete this one

damn! What year is that frame, 2006?

Wow. I missed the deleted posts, but I would venture to guess it's a combination of too hot of a weld (or enlarged heat affected zone) evidenced by the "chunky" appearance of the fracture, combined with the vent hole that may or may not have acted as a stress riser.

Lukcily you have a lifetime warranty w/reciept. Who knows what paint you'll get though.

hey, forgive me if this is a dumb question: did you happen to be running a 130mm spaced rear wheel? that could have caused something like that on a 120mm langster.

If you didn't run a wider hub like ninjaman said or try out your new Sawzall on it, you should be in the clear w/Specialized. They'll warrantee that most certainly.

Good theory, but I't's a 120mm Phil.

Thanks for the replies. I'll let you know what happens.

If you brought that into my Specialized dealer they wouldn't even ask you what happened. New frame there for sure. That is clearly a mfg defect and not abuse.

i worked at a shop where our main 'box bike' was specialized. thats definately a warranty item.
good thing is that you didn't get hurt.

I broke a Reynolds steel road frame in the same place in the early 90's. I don't see it as that big of a deal.

Yeah, good eye. It's a 2006. About 6K miles on it.

Think Spec might want it for failure analysis? I heard tech companies do that with laptops that catch on fire and whatnot.

Specialized is pretty good with warranties. I wouldn't sweat it too much, except you'll be out of a bike for a little while. Pretty crazy it snapped like that. I'm on my second Langster frame myself, only I crashed on mine.

That's a common place for frame failure, I broke an old nishiki in the same spot.