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Snapped chainstay on Langster - Yikes!

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Snapped chainstay on Langster - Yikes!

Old 07-12-07, 12:03 PM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by Tapeworm21
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.
Yeah, I remember you...attacked by a rogue bush, no?
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Old 07-12-07, 12:07 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Nullius
That's a common place for frame failure, I broke an old nishiki in the same spot.
You're the 2nd responder with similar breakage...Aluminum frame?

I also snapped a Cannondale mountain bike chainstay right behind the BB (about 5 yrs ago).
I'm no clydesdale, but at 6'2" 195, I could be too much for aluminium.
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Old 07-12-07, 12:12 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by blickblocks
Think Spec might want it for failure analysis? I heard tech companies do that with laptops that catch on fire and whatnot.
Yeah, that's what the LBS said. I'm taking it in today. I'm kinda curious, myself, as to the cause. Never crashed...and it's a clean break. Weird.
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Old 07-12-07, 06:54 PM
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Bah, I broke my Haro Group 1 BMX frame where the top of the rear triangle connected to the seat tube, that was impressive.

I guess bombing a BMX bike off 6' high walls onto asphalt several times a day wasn't a good idea?
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Old 07-12-07, 07:21 PM
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I bet a big bike company like Specialized will cover it to keep the lawyers at bay, if for no other reason.

Glad you didn't crash!
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Old 07-12-07, 07:38 PM
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I can tell from the photo's a saw didn't cut it.
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Old 07-12-07, 08:16 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by dwainedibbly

Glad you didn't crash!

Thanks! The frame held together surprisingly well; The site of the break wasn't even obvious until I unbolted the wheel.
I rode it (gently and s-l-o-w-l-y, on the sidewalk ) 4 miles to get home.
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Old 07-13-07, 12:10 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by C8H10N4O2
Yeah, I remember you...attacked by a rogue bush, no?
Yep... that be me. Thing came out of nowhere! That was about 3 months ago and my imprint is still in the bush. It makes me chuckle every time I walk by it.
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Old 07-13-07, 12:20 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by dobber
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.
they probably read this thread already!
 
Old 07-13-07, 10:24 PM
  #35  
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No doubt! But, like I said, I just posted to show the neat pix...wasn't really expecting a warranty replacement. However, I was expecting to hear from the "steel is real" crowd.
If they do replace it, it'll be nice. Otherwise, it was time for a new ride anyway.
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Old 07-14-07, 06:28 PM
  #36  
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You should mount it next to a can of EPO and a picture of yourself and sell it on eBay.
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Old 07-14-07, 07:08 PM
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!!--SPECIAL EDITION FLOATING CHAINSTAY SPECIALIZED FIXED GEAR TRACK PISTA HIPSTER FUN---!!

should be the title
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Old 07-14-07, 07:54 PM
  #38  
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Here are a few points:

1. Congratulations, you just invented the chain quick release! You can remove or swap chains without needing a chain cutter.

2. You have something in common with Lance Armstrong: youy both finished a ride with a broken chainstay. In his case he broke it in a crash, then really cranked on it, and won a Tour mountain stage. I wonder if a bike could be designed with only one chainstay.

3. It must have been an aluminum fatigue fracture. This has never happened on any of my steel bikes.
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Old 07-14-07, 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by ChromePista
3. It must have been an aluminum fatigue fracture. This has never happened on any of my steel bikes.


Oh god.
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Old 07-14-07, 08:38 PM
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Originally Posted by ChromePista
3. It must have been an aluminum fatigue fracture. This has never happened on any of my steel bikes.
refer to post by brooklynmachine. realize that the weakest point on any welded item (with the exception of a few alloys) is the area right next to a weld, called the heat affected zone. Add to this the fact that aluminum is a much less forgiving metal, since it is an excellent conductor, it's much easier to overheat than steel.
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Old 07-14-07, 10:29 PM
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so what are you saying ?
the break is within millimeters of the weld and the joint is still sound.. how much smaller can a heat affected zone get ?
what went wrong ?

maybe it's just that aluminum isn't such a great material for this application

Originally Posted by blu3d0g
refer to post by brooklynmachine. realize that the weakest point on any welded item (with the exception of a few alloys) is the area right next to a weld, called the heat affected zone. Add to this the fact that aluminum is a much less forgiving metal, since it is an excellent conductor, it's much easier to overheat than steel.
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Old 07-14-07, 10:55 PM
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Originally Posted by coelcanth
maybe it's just that aluminum isn't such a great material for this application
Maybe you missed my post about a steel bike breaking in the exact same place
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Old 07-15-07, 12:19 AM
  #43  
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Here is an interesting article. You may not agree with it. It compares steel, titanium, aluminum, and carbon fiber as frame materials and concludes that aluminum is the worst due to low fatigue endurance and its being subject to catastrophic failure.

https://talu.com/materials.php

From the article:
"Aluminum has the worst fatigue endurance of the different metals commonly used in bicycle tubing. Therefore, aluminum bicycle frames are sometimes designed to be jarringly stiff in order to avoid fatigue failures and to give the aluminum frame an acceptable service life. So much material must be used that aluminum frames may not weigh less than steel ones. Aluminum is also subject to catastrophic failure, so extra material must be added to provide an adequate safety factor."
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Old 07-15-07, 01:54 AM
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Originally Posted by ChromePista
Aluminum is also subject to catastrophic failure, so extra material must be added to provide an adequate safety factor."
The holy war over frame materials ignores the fact that Aluminium frames tend to be performance oriented, whereas mass production steel frames are invariably tourer, or burly mountain bike frames.

Steel frames still fatigue and snap. Ritchey made steel mountain bikes intended to last a single season of racing, back in the day. CroMo and the non air hardening Reynolds are pretty notorious for failure just next to the welds.

For a given weight of frame, you get more physical material to use if you build an alloy frame. So you can add heavier butting, or gussets without as much penalty.

But having said all that, I just like the ride of steel. It is much easier for boutique builders to work in, so all the interesting frames are steel.
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Old 07-15-07, 07:12 AM
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Originally Posted by coelcanth
so what are you saying ?
the break is within millimeters of the weld and the joint is still sound.. how much smaller can a heat affected zone get ?
what went wrong ?

maybe it's just that aluminum isn't such a great material for this application

the heat affected zone is always there, and generally going to extend for a few millimeters on either side of the weld. if the weld is too hot though, the HAF zone will also be hotter, so you want to have a small and relatively cool HAF zone. There is always also the possibility of materials defects as well.
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Old 07-15-07, 08:57 PM
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Real common spot to break a frame (and right behind the BB on the drive side)
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Old 07-17-07, 12:05 AM
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Originally Posted by BrooklynMachine

...Luckily you have a lifetime warranty w/receipt. Who knows what paint you'll get though.
Indeed. Just heard from the shop today. My color choices were rust, rust, and, oh yeah, rust.

But, hey, free new bike!

Thanks for all the advice, guys.
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Old 07-17-07, 03:14 AM
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Originally Posted by ChromePista
So much material must be used that aluminum frames may not weigh less than steel ones. Aluminum is also subject to catastrophic failure, so extra material must be added to provide an adequate safety factor."
That is so clearly bull**** that we don't even need to discuss it. Half the world rides Al bikes because they're a lot lighter than anything else in the same price range and they obviously don't just fall apart out of the blue.

Cheers for the replacement frame. It was only fair from Spec...
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Old 07-17-07, 09:56 AM
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My buddies steel mtn bike broke in the exact same location. We were biking and his rear end felt soft, so he checked it and the frame was cracked exactly like yours. I'd even bet that there were some burrs acting as stress raisers that helped initiate the cracking process on your frame. Your frame without a doubt should be warrantied, just like my buddies mtn bike was warrantied.
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Old 02-21-08, 10:49 PM
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another snapped langster frame

Powering up a hill, heard the now all-too-familiar *snap* of aluminum yielding to stress.

This time, above the TT. (I had 6" of seatpost in the tube)

Hopefully, the next warranty frame will not be RUST with cute li'l skulls.




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