Seven Axiom SLX, 4-season and all-road

Ah! I always thought it was an older all steel Colorado for some reason!

If the TT turns out to be fine, geting it re painted to as-new standard is still no problem, it will just be more prep work as the frame cant be media blasted and will need to be stripped back to raw material by hand... (may still be possible to mask off the carbon tubes and blast the Ti, but would need to see the frame to see how the Ti/ carbon is bonded)

And another option - just sand the paint off to check damage, and if it is ok, just leave it as is and roll with the battle scars. The bare Ti wont corrode, so it doesnt need any paint.

and if it is ok, just leave it as is and live to tell the tale.

ftfy

I still vote for gumwalls

It's the top tube with the damage

The carbon parts of the frame could be damaged though, no?

And another option - just sand the paint off to check damage, and if it is ok, just leave it as is and roll with the battle scars. The bare Ti wont corrode, so it doesnt need any paint.

Considering I thought about turning it into a frankenstein bike... this also is a possibility :)

^^The carbon tubes could be checked with x-ray, but i see no way to check the bonding between carbon and Ti

The carbon parts of the frame could be damaged though, no?

Yes, they could.

But the way I was hit from the side, and the way the bike slid under me... when I went down sideways and I slid along the ground, the bike was not on the ground (I was, and it was still attached and in the air - when it finally detached I wasn't moving that fast and I'd born the brunt of damage by losing skin)... I was surprised there was even damage to the top tube. I didn't think it needed writing off (the original thread is testament to that).

I'm still of the opinion that the damage isn't as bad as suspected, but neither the insurance company nor Cyclefit could really take that risk and tell me it's OK to ride.

So...

If the TT is damaged under the paint... I won't trust the carbon either, must've been a super hard knock when I first went down, harder than I realised.

If the TT is fine under the paint... I will trust the carbon too, must be as I originally hoped and that I took most of the damage and that the bike only took superficial.

What to do with the Serotta? It depends on the damage. If it's just paint... this thing is going back on the road. If it turns out to be the top tube and it does have a slice in it...

Sounds like penetrative dye testing might be a good option. You cover the crack/notacrack with some very highly coloured dye, leave it for a while, and then wipe it off the tube. You then cover the tube in a fine white powder. If there's a crack the dye will have worked its way into the crack before you wiped off the excess, and will seep into the white powder making a mark. It's a very effective system for detecting small surface cracks, and the stuff is easy to get hold of and pretty cheap.

^ science

Yeah, it is and hoops agree with me :)

What Dan said, for some reason I thought it was the full lugged one and therefore had carbon and epoxy behind it, which would have made it a lot trickier. However if it's not visible Id just run with it. Personally....

Not sure dye penetrant testing will work in my case, without first sanding off the paint anyway.

There is definitely a crack in the paint, and the test will reveal that but not tell me more.

I'm going to opt for the removal of paint, initially in a band around the top tube where the damage it. This will be done using wet and dry, and should reveal whatever damage there is under the paint.

I think this will be enough to see all that there is to see. If I'm in doubt after the area is clean of paint, then I'll move on to dye penetrant testing.

Yes, you'd need to remove the paint first. But as someone has already pointed out, it's titanium, so paint is strictly optional.

Cracks however, are eventually mandatory ;)

Sadly true 😢

Not as severe as it originally appeared, but two definite cracks in the titanium top tube of the Serotta.

Now think both the assessment by Cyclefit, and the pay out by Hiscox were spot on.

1 Attachment

Fucksticks

Bad luck

Nah, it's right.

I have the Seven, which replaces the Serotta. And at least I know... which means now I can freely decide what to do with the remains of the Serotta.

I think the frame and fork should both be considered dead. If any framebuilder ( @coldharbour ) is interested in taking these for dissection and any possible learning... the price is £0, just collection from near Tate Modern. Happy to give it to anyone else too, but framebuilders can be first in line. Just don't ride it!

I'm also thinking the Deda bars are dead, not that they're worth much.

The hit and run was a side-on thing... bars and frame took the impact, nothing else.

Which leaves to be sold:

• Full 2006 Campagnolo Record 10 speed groupset with more recent 2013 Campagnolo Record skeleton brakes. The right side brake lever is scratched, but the rest has only slight wear and tear.
  
• Fizik Aliante saddle with carbon rails
  
• 2009 Fulcrum Racing Light carbon clincher wheelset (Shimano and Campagnolo compatible)
  
  

I guess that's it. I'll keep the pedals, always handy.

Oh... and the Seven is actually back in the shop.

So much for Shimano saying "We won't ship a product until it's done to our quality standards"... the left brake lever wasn't returning to position, had a slow release after being pulled. A problem with the master cylinder apparently.

A replacement has already been ordered, should be fitted tomorrow or Tuesday.

SS-couplers where the crack is, then sell it to Amey

This is not the craziest idea I've ever heard (the couplers).

But the cost makes it a bit prohibitive, and no-one would put the couplers where the cracks are... otherwise I might be amused by that idea.

and no-one would put the couplers where the cracks are...

Just needs some marketing gibberish

I was not serious btw

Marketing gibberish e.g. "Disc brakes are dead"

Tubes Airy titanium rack acquired.

No idea whether it will work with the wide Swarf fenders or some fatter tyres... when I get the Seven back I'll find out.