Picked this bike up and while it looked particularly good, it was clear that salt (likely sweat) had seized up the ends of the cables in the cable stops.
During strip down, I had to use a flat ended screwdriver and a few taps on the end of that driver with a hammer to release them. This one took a few too many and as you can see I moved the cable stop.
On the right hand side it has bent inwards to the top tube, and on the left it has come away and actually cracked the tube slightly.
Very annoyed with myself! It's near a stress point but I feel it is far enough away to not be a deal breaker and aside from the visual imperfection I just need to keep an eye on it.
by i_enjoy_silence
9 Comments
Cracks in aluminum frames propagate quickly and are generally not repairable nor safe to ride. I can barely see the crack near the cable stop but that would be enough for me to call it quits.
Alu is unforgivingly brittle
It’s over
She‘s dead Jim
Take the paint off around the area to get a good look at the crack. Take a 2 or 3 mm drill and drill a hole at each end of the crack, this will stop the crack propagating. Using a carbide burr v out along the crack if this makes no sense to you find a person who tig welds. Ask them to repair the crack. It’s a very quick job for a tig welder but will trash the paint job.
I don’t actually see a crack in your photos… could just be paint. Definitely a bit of a dent though.
You can bond fibreglass to an aluminium frame, but it’s a lot of work and will look rubbish.
The only thing left to do…
https://preview.redd.it/9z455xsn2ywf1.jpeg?width=554&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2787819699174fbbe341cd9e66b1781a75ccfdad
Can someone highlight the crack for me? I see the dent at the rear and of the cable stop, but I can’t for the life of me see a crack.
My preferred method with stubborn ferrules is getting some triflow between the ferrule and the frame guide, letting it penetrate, then using needle nose pliers to grab the ferrule and twist it. If it’s still being stubborn after that, using a drill bit that fits snuggly inside the ferrule and very slowly engaging the drill (the bit should hardly be turning) should be sufficient force to knock the ferrule loose.