This Chinese carbon bike frame was damaged in shipping, and a crack inside the downtube makes it unsafe to ride. The company OG-Evkin have already agreed to replace the frame under warranty, but can I fix it myself?
I use cheaper carbon fibre bike parts all the time, and things have broken and snapped on me in the past, but I have never tried to repair them. However it seems a shame to throw this bike frame away. The crack is in a very critical area, and if ignored, could easily spread and cause a catastrophic failure, but I think it can be fixed.
I bought a carbon fibre repair kit on Ebay for £12, which includes the resin, hardener, and a large patch of woven carbon fibre, but the issue is getting the patch in the right place. The crack is inside the downtube, and not easily accessible. There is no direct access, and I can only reach the crack from either the bottom bracket, or the headset. In addition, I need to apply pressure behind the carbon repair patch while the resin cures to ensure a strong permanent bond.
So in this episode, my brother and I spend an afternoon trying to repair this cracked carbon bike frame, using a cheap repair kit, some plastic bags, and a mountain bike inner tube.
OG-Evkin Frame – Use code ‘Tracevelo’ for 10% off at checkout:
QONQI Road Carbon Fibre Frame Rim/Disc Brake
Timestamps:
00:00 – Start
00:34 – Diagnosing the problem
03:37 – Discussing the crack
04:50 – The initial plan
07:30 – Repair discussion
09:22 – Problems to overcome
12:15 – The plan
14:52 – 1st attempt
17:42 – 2nd attempt
19:48 – Repairing the repair
23:20 – Removing the repair apparatus
25:25 – Checking the repair
27:10 – 1 month later
29:26 – Potential issues with the repair
31:31 – Bonus clip – Replacement warranty frame
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi – http://www.go2dev.co.uk
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tracevelo/
Email:
tracevelouk@gmail.com
Please note:
I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!
47 Comments
Well done, Luke and Charlie for a great video! Amazing patience, troubleshooting and problem-solving skills there. Also congratulations on the new frame – it looks real cool! 🥖🥖🥖
TBH, a stupid idea.
So unusual name on this channel… Charlie
I would use Easy Composites for all the epoxy / carbon supplies. You can then also specify how long you want to take your epoxy to cure too! 40 minutes is not enough!
Facebook marketplace listing, as new condition 😅 great work 👏
I have a Giant Propel with a clicking noise. Now I'm worried. 🤔
That new frame is gorgeous, I love the 90s neon feel. If I had the budget for a new bike, this frame would be at the top of my list.
De myth-ing epoxy black arts. Before monocoupe construction, carbon frames were pieced together just like this. I repaired my Gaint TCR Comp BB shell blow out and held up 10 years. It can be done, and preparation is the key. Excellent video as alway!
Whoa!!! You're a legend now!!! Personalized bike under your name! Congratulations👏🥖🥖🥖
"… repair will last the lifetime of the frame." Well, by definition, no? 😉 But great job, fantastic results. You put a lot of thought and effort into it and I think it paid off.
I love your creativity and how you always move forward without fear of failure!!! Awesome
Brilliant stuff, repair and re-use! How cool to have your own frame too.
Very cool😮
Best Baguette ever! Realy enjoyed this episode! And congrats to your first merch! 😍
Top content, love it, thanks Luke. i will be coming back here in a week or 2 to read some of the engineer comments 😉🥖
Luke, excellent video as always. Question on the stem setup – is this a FSA acr /smr style headset that you are running with a standard bar and stem? I am thinking of swapping out my integrated bar stem for something more traditional and wondering if I can do it with a standard bar and stem. Cheers!
Build with new part on it
Get Hambini to check it out and see what he thinks. Although everything is sh1t according to him 🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖
I bought the exact same carbon repair kit from eBay as you! I used it to fix a small crack in the seat post collar of my winter bike, if the crack was anywhere else on the frame I would have just binned the whole thing. I fixed it about 2 years ago and it’s literally been fine. There’s a lot of paranoia around carbon fibre, it’s not as fragile as people make out and it can be repaired amateurishly providing the damage isn’t too bad or in a dangerous place. Common sense more than anything.
Great video!
Anyone else here for hambinis comment?
A really fun video… congrats in the new frame! I might actually look into getting one.
🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖 Charlie, the fix and the amazing new frame!
Good thing I've quit smoking long time ago. This video could easily cost me a dozen back then.
That was a totally brilliant video! 😊
I've been riding OG Evkin bar, stem, post for years and never had a hint of a problem…
You should be first in line to play Macgyver in a remake.
I also was very impressed with condition of the internal surface, very smooth and clean!
Oh my god , its so scary.
I'd be happy to see some baller ospw or aero gains for some of the builds
Genius. and a custom sick frame by the end
Great job Luke! When I saw the initial video of you telling about the cracked frame my problem solving brain kicked in and basically came up with something similar. You could've used a TPU tube though! Then you wouldn't have had the faff with plastic bags! Even though you seem to have fixed the frame, personally I'd still not ride it. Hang it on the wall as a reminder but I don't think it's worth the risk! Great content, well done again 👍
Good job, I'm doing exactly the same thing right now to fix small cracks on a chain stay road bike frame using almost everything on that method except I'm using a release tissue to avoid the resin to get attached to a ballon.
That's extremely impressive! I really didn't think it was possible to do this with such a terrible access. That repair looks fine to me, I'd ride it. The techniques you used are very smart, you two are geniuses! 🥖🥖🥖
I bought an endoscope from aliexpress on sale for around $4 and had no idea what I was going to use it for. However, it turned out to be a great thing for checking where what. 🙂
That cut frame half (with some wheel and handlebars) would make a god sign for a bike shop / bike repair. 😀
brilliant !
you did an Ok job, saved a frame from the bin.
sanding, prepping, pressing, was bagette 🥖🥖🥖
Sorry, here it is in short:
-Help epoxy gel migrate in the original crack while pressing (pressing it from outside, tap and vibrate )
– double the carbon weave in the center, possibly angled diagonally.
I Would not worry about propagation points, and the stress by sharp modulus change,
it's not like you put a stiff iron vise in it, the variations in your 1 layer woven layup and the epoxy thickness acts as a dispersive random pattern.
Last observation, next time try doubling the carbon fabric in the center of the patch, It's the strands that brings solidity.
This one should get millions of views, well done Luke ❤
Hey Luke, for additional insurance, you may want to add a Kevlar patch or two on top of the carbon patch. In the unlikely event the downtube fails, the Kevlar will hold it together thereby reducing the chance of a crash. You can also purchase woven fabric that is a mix of carbon and Kevlar tow specifically designed to address this issue….
Excelente video y hermosa bicicleta! Tengo un tubo de sillín og evkin y cero falta hasta el momento
Well played, I thought you were going to fix it from the outside but this is class.
Love this! Love the repair attempt and the new frame color. Great job and well deserved
This video brought so much joy to my day, cheers 🥖🥖🥖
Your own bike , look at you , amazing
Best Trace video to date! Get your brother in more, he’s great 🙌🏼
the ETOE channel has some nice tutorials for repairing bike frames👍maybe it could be helpful if problems come again
🥖🥖🥖🥖🥐
What an awesome video ❤ loved it
Thanks for all the kind words everyone! It was a genuine privilege to be invited to help Luke out with one of his videos – he's an absolute pro and puts his all into every video. We both had a blast and I'm so glad we managed to pull it off in the end. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat!
You guys are always so supportive of what Luke does and I can tell you that it means the world to him to have such an awesome bunch of people cheering him on. You rock! 🙂
🚴♂🔧🪛🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖