Bought a used bike, and after getting home, saw these small cracks on the front of the bike, on the steering tube. At first, thought it was just the paint but when I run my fingernails over it, it feels deeper and the cracks are on the tube. I should have done a better job looking closer at the bike.
Is it safe to ride this bike or should it just be salvaged for parts now?
It's a 2016 Lapierre Audacio 300, it has an aluminum frame and carbon forks.
by idontplayminecraft2
11 Comments
It looks like it might just be cracks in the paint/decal. Do any of those cracks extend beyond the white-colored portion?
If not then it’s likely nothing to worry about.
That being said, no one can definitively tell you that a bike is safe to ride based on a picture alone.
Commenting because I’m interested in the answer. Those cracks to me look like it’s just in the paint but I don’t know anything I just sell insurance.
Those are paint crack: carbon, aluminum or steel don’t crack like that. If the frMe was cracked, the cracks would have been on the black part too but they are not.
That part of the bike is not made of carbon. Looks like the paint has cracked. Looks like it propagate from the sharp edges of the logo, which might suggest it have been in outside in the sun. But they look quite deep. See if it is a carbon part. If aluminum I would look for deformation on the frame.
It looks like a sticker cracking to me..aluminum doesn’t crack like that at all..so you’re probably fine to ride the bike..that headtube its on is really strong anyways…no sudden failures there.
What your feeling is the outer clear finish and the thin sticker under the clearcoat.
Yes. As long as the frame itself isn’t cracked. That just looks like the paint.
just the paint
Remove the sticker, problem solved
yes, just crazing in the paint
Take it to a carbon repair place before something horrible happens.
The white thing is a plastic decal. Large format ones are prone to cracking because they change size differently than the metal under them. Cosmetic.
If you want you can probably lift the whole thing off with the right solvent.