Cracked frame & tubing cracks - any suggestions?

http://cdn.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/pdf/manuals/2010%20MY%20Bicycle%20Frame%20and%20Warranty%20Policy%2008%2007%2009.pdf.

"The lifetime Limited Warranty is conditioned upon the bicycle being operated under
normal conditions and use, and properly maintained." so maybe.......

i would consider putting a jubilee clip around the crack to offer support to the seat post and frame whilst you do carry on riding it.
can it not be alu welded?

^^ or a turbo clip. you can get them in all sorts of sizes, most are designed to take several thousand PSI of pressure acting upon them, so should be fine holding a frame together

I +1 the clamp idea, if you think about it, the seatube has a deliberate "crack" in it anyway, so if you clamp it should be fine. However, you shouldn't ride a cracked frame, replace it asap.

I just noticed a weird spot of rust on my Fuji Track, picked at it with a thumbnail and found that it was a scratch/hole in the steel. So, five minutes and a bit of sandpaper later I've got this:

What's happened there? I hadn't noticed a crack, it's not all the way through the tube. Is it terminal? Is it safe to ride?

don't pick at rust spots

that looks terminal

Misleading title...
Hides pipe away.

don't pick at rust spots

I've learned a lesson there.

that looks terminal

I was afraid people would say that.

It has corroded through from the inside. Sadly it is scrap metal now.

Pics don't work for me. Sad face

I tweeted a pic, does this one work?

https://twitter.com/Sparkes/status/367681565695807488

Yup, perfect. Cheers

Which tube is it? Seat tube?

Yup, seat tube.

10000 miles from a c. £500 bike is, er, um... 5p a mile!

Dunno why old Brit steelies don't go like this; one of mine is 93 years old and is not cracked/rusted though yet.

I never coated the inside of the frame in anything protective, rode it in snow/rain and generally abused it every day. In retrospect it was always going to happen.

I'm struggling to decide what to replace it with. But I'd like to shotblast it, let it rust and hang it on the wall.

Maybe I'm a little naive but I wouldn't call that a write off. The seat tube is going to take downward force mostly so I wouldnt expect it to split randomly.

I have seen in the mechanics section, whenever people find cracks, ripples on the downtube by the headseat etc, the advice given is usually 'get rid of it' rather than 'this is how I would fix it'.

In my life I've had a seatpost snap on me which I knew was coming as it was slowly bending towards the back wheel and when it did go, I could see the fault in the casting process.

Have people had catastrophic splits in frames from damaged frames whilst riding, or is it just pre-empting the end and saving themselves any inevitable injury by paying the few hundred quid for a replacement frame?

No it might go on for a while, I had a bike with a seat tube that was broken at the bottom bracket, it was like it for years, and would clatter horribly over rough roads as the tube banged against the lug. But that was an old gas pipe tubed frame, as is any 93 year old frame (probably)
Rest assured that the frame in the picture will fail at some point. I don't know when, tomorrow? next week? next year? And yes, I have known several people who have had frames fail. None of the end results were all that pretty
A solution would be to wrap the crack in carbon wrap and epoxy like http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/Products/fishing-rod-pole-repair-kit.aspx

but it is a bodge, and if you are asking on here I would only suggest scrapping it really.

I've just ordered an All City Big Block. The Fuji's going to fail eventually, so I'd better prepare. Will need an ahead headset and stem, so that'll have to wait until next payday. Hopefully the Fuji will last another 6-8 weeks of light commuting duties, then the parts will swap over and it'll go on my wall as a memento!

I may look for a temporary fix until then, possibly a terrible homemade hodge involving jubilee clips...

Ive got this crack in my frame, its always been there but seems to be getting a tad bigger. Does it look like a repairable job? My plan was to wrap a hose clamp round it and cross my fingers for now...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1151021_10152151730857818_1633652767_n.jpg

cheers,
Rob

first step would be to drill a small (4/5 mm) hole at the end of the crack, to stop it going any further.
That would probably stop it getting worse. If it has been there for ages it will almost certainly slow down the crack spreading, probably for ever.
You might have a seat post that is a bit too small, so when tightening the clamp the tube has had to flex too far.
I guess that should be 27.2 and has a 27.0 (but that is a pure guess!)
A hose clamp won't do anything, unless you want to clamp a hose!

I just got Dammit's cracked Cannondale.
(see here https://www.lfgss.com/post3688253-473.html )

As an experiment I have had a go at fixing it.

First job, explore how extensive the crack is

next drill the ends of the crack to stop it spreading

Next wrap it in carbon fibre tape
This is a simple enough process, apply resin to the frame, once it has gone almost hard wrap it in carbon tape (I used 25 mm, a bit like handlebar tape) then brush resin into the cloth till it is completely impregnated

This is then wrapped in heat shrink tape and heated with a hair drier

This squeezes the resign into the tape, and a lot of excess drips out.

It is now curing and I will ride the bike now for a while and see what happens. If nothing happens I will strip the carbon off in a few months and see what is going on beneath and then redo it.