Broken new carbon bike?

Jaz
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Broken new carbon bike?

Postby Jaz » Sat Sep 29, 2018 9:46 pm

I had my heart set on a "brand new" carbon MTB today, that was supposed to be runout stock from 2016.
I did a quick test ride and was very happy with it, and then just as I was about to buy it my partner pointed out a chip in the frame near the rear axle.

Do you think the frame is ok?

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The photos below were after the salesman tried rubbing his finger over the chip:

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Image

The bike is a Felt Full-Suspension bike.

I was a bit disappointed as I am very tall and was so happy with the bike fit, colour and design, particularly after driving an hour and a half just to look at it. I guess if it's likely to fail I will just have to keep looking for another nice bike in my size instead.

Your thoughts are highly appreciated! :)
Last edited by Jaz on Sat Sep 29, 2018 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

NASHIE
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby NASHIE » Sat Sep 29, 2018 9:59 pm

Im not a carbon expert, but if its priced right and the shop gives a good extra written warranty on the frame then i would buy it.
It does only appear to be paint damage.

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Duck!
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby Duck! » Sat Sep 29, 2018 11:37 pm

Cosmetic.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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RonK
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby RonK » Sun Sep 30, 2018 10:11 pm

Don’t buy it.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

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Duck!
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby Duck! » Mon Oct 01, 2018 8:55 am

RonK wrote:Don’t buy it.
Why not? It's a paint chip on what is almost certainly an aluminium section of the frame.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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RonK
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby RonK » Mon Oct 01, 2018 10:27 am

Duck! wrote:
RonK wrote:Don’t buy it.
Why not? It's a paint chip on what is almost certainly an aluminium section of the frame.
Because he will have to look at it every time he rides it, there will always be a doubt and it will nag him.

So for peace of minds sake, don’t buy it.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

NASHIE
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby NASHIE » Mon Oct 01, 2018 2:21 pm

RonK wrote: Because he will have to look at it every time he rides it, there will always be a doubt and it will nag him.

So for peace of minds sake, don’t buy it.
Ride it hard and that will be the first of many :wink:

JPB
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby JPB » Mon Oct 01, 2018 9:14 pm

NASHIE wrote:
RonK wrote: Because he will have to look at it every time he rides it, there will always be a doubt and it will nag him.

So for peace of minds sake, don’t buy it.
Ride it hard and that will be the first of many :wink:
Kinda what I was thinking.
The first scratch hurts the most so if the first one is already there you wont be so upset when you do scratch it.

RobertL
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby RobertL » Tue Oct 02, 2018 11:11 am

Buy it. Go to a paint store and get the smallest can of paint made up to match the yellow. Touch it up with a fine brush.

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OnTrackZeD
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby OnTrackZeD » Thu Oct 04, 2018 9:29 am

You want to buy a new bike with a big question mark over the frame, it better be cheap!

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Duck!
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby Duck! » Thu Oct 04, 2018 12:09 pm

It's a paint chip, not a question mark.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

Jaz
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby Jaz » Fri Oct 05, 2018 2:15 pm

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. I just wanted to clarify that this post is about the safety and integrity of the frame structure and not the aesthetics of the bike. The bike is carbon :)

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Duck!
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby Duck! » Fri Oct 05, 2018 10:05 pm

Yeah paint isn't structural, decals even less so. :-) And as I said in an earlier comment, there's a very high probability that section is aluminium anyway. Most carbon dual-suspension MTB frames have an aluminium rear swing arm, shared with the aluminium-mainframed models in the series for simpler production. Those that do have a carbon rear will still have aluminium inserts in the dropout area, either as a lug butted into the upper & lower stay ends so the whole corner of the swingarm is aluminium, a sleeve bonded into a solid carbon lug, or as a skin sandwiching the carbon lug.

In any case, that section of the frame is very strongly built, and the blemish is nothing more than cosmetic. Don't worry about, just ride the thing and have fun. :-)
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

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Derny Driver
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Re: Broken new carbon bike?

Postby Derny Driver » Fri Oct 05, 2018 11:43 pm

I'd buy it, but hit the saleman up for quite a few hundred dollars off.
Take Duck's advice, he really is an expert on this stuff.

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