Cracked carbon Trek.

[durianrider]

I always rate Trek for their lifetime warranty. This one got denied warranty cos it failed under 'seat bounce' WTF!?.

Its a world cup rated XC bike and only a few months old. Is it meant to be riden on bike paths and out of the saddle when you hit some 1cm tree roots lol!

In the pursuit to build light weight stuff, quality has dropped and hence Trek's lifetime warranty now has to have some SEVERE limitations. Im disappointed for sure.

 

[durianrider]

Maybe I could get a job in their advertising department?

 

[avanti]

If you bought the bike/frame from an authorized Trek dealer I'm surprised that you had problems with the warranty. Although it looks like there may have been insuffient seat post length in the frame

The good news is that it looks repairable (although perhaps ugly) and you may end up with a stronger frame.

 

[The Gnome]

I feel for you...you can check out the conversation about a Lemond ti/carbon bike I had fail about a month ago...I guess just look under my posts...it's here in same column...Trek, who made the bike, completely f###ed me on the warranty...they have become a really sad and pathetic company...you will be offered something from their crash program I would imagine...I was offered a madone from 2009 (?) for 1300 bucks ...I told them to go f#ck themselves via more money and crappy production...they never even argued that it was a production fault...they knew obviously...personally, after being screwed by a company like that over a 2500 dollar frame, I will give every minute I have when the chance arsies to spread the word far and wide to lose them sales...welcome to the fine world of Trek...but again, sorry for your loss...I guess slowly the word will seep thru all the pr bs amongst us real bike riders never to buy trek products...

 

[The Gnome]

btw..."seat bounce" is an excuse...sounds like an old monty python sketch with the insurance agent: I am sorry vicar...you see we would have covered this if your a## hadnt touched the seat...but you see you sat on it and there we are..."

 

[deboat]

I can relate what happened to you. My 9.9 broke at the right chain stay. Trek stuffed me around for four months then said it was not a defect. WTF!!
These frames are not good valve for money! I paid for the frame to be repaired. And thought I should change the name on the frame to KRAP.
Trek has the worse service ever. And yes I was the original owner, never crashed, three months old, Etc.....
I also tell everyone how bad there service is!!

I should have spent the same money on a custom ti frame!!
My lesson was learned the same way as you.

This is when you have to decide on what you do next. Take them to court? This cost more money and you might loose. Or you pay for someone to repair the frame. I like this because my cash went to a cool guy who is passionate about bikes instead of some suit wearing toolbag. I think the court thing is a loose even if you get a new frame, because then you cannot tell anyone what happened.

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

Although it looks like there may have been insuffient seat post length in the frame.

The seat mast broke at the point where the seat post ended. The end of the seat post can be seen in one of the images. It is interesting that the mast flares out after that point. Usually I think that putting enough seat post in to go through the seat cluster area is a good idea, but with that flare I am not sure it would make a difference.

Carbon MTB frames are a bad idea unless you are sponsored or use the bike only for racing. Their chief selling point is light weight and that means thin tubes and less durability. If they were content to make them as heavy as a metal frame then they would hold up fine (albeit with more susceptability to impact damge), but then people would start asking questions like, "Why should I pay two or three times as much for something that does not weight any less."

The prices often do not make sense. As the poster above noted, you may be able to get a custom ti frame for the same price as many of the big manufacturers stock carbone ones.

 

[deboat]

I don't think that carbon frames are a bad idea. And when I rode the Trek it's performance was great. The bike handles good, geometery is well thought out BUT The service I got from Trek was so bad that I will not buy or recommend the brand to anyone. I know that any frame material can fail so I don't blame carbon. I think when you buy something from a big manufacture part of the high cost is the service you should get. Cheap china carbon frames are lookng not so bad now.
The repair that was done on my frame is great!! Not ugly at all!! carbonbikerepairs.com.au if you want to view it.

 

[bc_hills]

I know that any frame material can fail so I don't blame carbon.

Blame carbon, or at least the workmanship of that particular layup. That post wouldn't have broke if it were alu. If you hit something hard enough that you broke an alu seat post with your a$$, your seat post would be the least of your worries (IMHO)!


Anyway, durianrider, what did you hit, I mean "roll over", when the post broke?

 

[deboat]

I have broken a Thompson alu seat post on my MTB and it took all the inpact so it did not hurt at all!!!
And they replaced the seat post under warranty!!! GREAT COMPANY!!!

If the carbon frame had a bad lamination then it is a manufacturing defect.
WARRNTY!!
Not the fault of carbon but the maker.

 

[TexPat]

Um, you didn't have enough seatpost in the frame, which is why your frame broke.

 

[dsut4392]

Um, you didn't have enough seatpost in the frame, which is why your frame broke.

Could be. Durian, could you post another photo showing the minimum insertion point mark on the post, and whether the post is cut (assuming it's the original post that came with the frame. Doesn't look to me like an unreasonable amount of post sticking out, though it also doesn't look like much post was inserted to the frame.
Assuming you followed the instructions on the frame & post, the blame would then lay squarely with Trek.

FWIW, Pace had a spate of alloy frames cracking & snapping at the seat tube/top tube junction, and a friend of mine snapped his Alloy Trance there too (warrantied, though no doubt there was seat-bounce involved as he is something of a 'passenger'!). It's poor frame design, not carbon that's the culprit.

 

[GreasyMonkey]

Agreed.

Um, you didn't have enough seatpost in the frame, which is why your frame broke.

You only have 1/3rd the length of the seatpost inserted, so any forces that are not linear to the seat-tube axis applied at the seat (by the rider) will be approximately doubled by the short lever arrangement - and being transferred by the seat-post to seat-tube only, at what appears to be the thinnest walled section of the seat-tube extension. Asking for trouble to my thinking.

Why use such as short seatpost? To me it makes common sense to use one that will insert BEYOND the seat-tube cluster, where the strength and support is.

 

[bc_hills]

oops. Next time I'll look more closely at the photo. I thought it was the seat post that broke, not the seat tube. Anyway, sucks even more to break a frame like that. I will never ever ever have a carbon trail bike. Good luck with your David and Goliath epic, or is that the end of the story? No warranty, buy a new bike?

 

[Bustedknuckle]

The seat mast broke at the point where the seat post ended. The end of the seat post can be seen in one of the images. It is interesting that the mast flares out after that point. Usually I think that putting enough seat post in to go through the seat cluster area is a good idea, but with that flare I am not sure it would make a difference.

Carbon MTB frames are a bad idea unless you are sponsored or use the bike only for racing. Their chief selling point is light weight and that means thin tubes and less durability. If they were content to make them as heavy as a metal frame then they would hold up fine (albeit with more susceptability to impact damge), but then people would start asking questions like, "Why should I pay two or three times as much for something that does not weight any less."

The prices often do not make sense. As the poster above noted, you may be able to get a custom ti frame for the same price as many of the big manufacturers stock carbone ones.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/All-Carbon-Mountain-Bike-MTB-Frame-Stylish-Arch-Design-/190543567906

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/All-Carbon-Mountain-Bike-MTB-Frame-Stylish-Arch-Design-/190543567906

I modify my position to include cheap cheap carbon. But still no expensive and light weight carbon that will be bounced off rocks when regularly crashing.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Cheap china carbon frames are lookng not so bad now.
The repair that was done on my frame is great!! Not ugly at all!! carbonbikerepairs.com.au if you want to view it.

I hate to break it to you, but that frame *is* a cheap china carbon frame. Chinese production quality is excellent. The ONLY difference between the Trek labeled frame and the generics is generally speaking finish.

I can respect that Specialized has built a brand that people willingly pay thousand(s) more for. But don't denigrate the Chinese brands you and others are not comfortable with. It's very likely that's what you or someone you know rides anyway.

Nice to hear you could get it fixed anyway.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/All-Carbon-Mountain-Bike-MTB-Frame-Stylish-Arch-Design-/190543567906 Haha! The seller doesn't commit to any product in advance. (7-day lead time) What an awful customer for the producer.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

I always rate Trek for their lifetime warranty. This one got denied warranty cos it failed under 'seat bounce' WTF!?.

Its a world cup rated XC bike and only a few months old. Is it meant to be riden on bike paths and out of the saddle when you hit some 1cm tree roots lol!

In the pursuit to build light weight stuff, quality has dropped and hence Trek's lifetime warranty now has to have some SEVERE limitations. Im disappointed for sure.

Trek Bontrager post? Installed with the limit line below the clamp?

 

[Elagabalus]

I always rate Trek for their lifetime warranty. This one got denied warranty cos it failed under 'seat bounce' WTF!?.

Its a world cup rated XC bike and only a few months old. Is it meant to be riden on bike paths and out of the saddle when you hit some 1cm tree roots lol!

In the pursuit to build light weight stuff, quality has dropped and hence Trek's lifetime warranty now has to have some SEVERE limitations. Im disappointed for sure.

It's hard to see, but looking up through the broken off piece of the seat tube (2nd photo) there is the black colored carbon and then a light colored piece. Is that the beginning of the seat post or is it a shim/extra material (put in by Trek) to make the seat post fit better?

If it's the latter then its definitely Trek's fault and a poor design as well.

 

[usedtobefast]

based on what i see, that Trek is a P.O.S. that seat mast should not have failed.

 

[rrj1170]

Trek Failure

Trek makes crap bikes. I had one 28 years ago when the head tube cracked. That was the last one I ever bought. They are nothing but the McDonald's of cycling. Adept at marketing and persuading people they produce quality bikes. Unfortunately, people are sold a bill of goods by the LBS. The majority of buyers are not knowledgable about bikes and don't know any better when the buy one. Stay away is my advice. There are far superior manufacturers.

 

[biker77]

I believe that Trek make a bike that is equal to other makes. What should set them apart is the lifetime warranty. Surely they have a better reason than "seat bounce"? What does that mean from carbon engineers?

 

[MD FACG FACP]

If they don't warranty that, what the heck do they warranty ? Very disappointing someone was drunk in Wisconsin when they made that frame. I truely hate that company. Sorry about your frame DR, suxs !

 

[The Gnome]

at some point trek will learn via producing crappy frames...some shark lawyer's kid will snap something, become a quad who needs constant attention for the dribble at 75 bucks an hour for his life and it will be totally their fault and they will deny like they do most on frames...and someone will get ****ed off and have enough time and money to take them to court and win bigtime...at that point, even strongarm won't touch them...in the meantime, just don't buy any trek bikes...total peice of crap machines...

 

[MD FACG FACP]

I hate to break it to you, but that frame *is* a cheap china carbon frame. Chinese production quality is excellent. The ONLY difference between the Trek labeled frame and the generics is generally speaking finish.

OCLV frames are made in the USA