Oct 24, 2011 carbon bike repair, out of melbourne, australia, is a division of sports technology company luescher teknik. How to repair a carbon bike frame at home singletracks. Our current turnaround time is 7 to 10 days without paint touchup and 3 to 4 weeks with paint touchup. Ollie is shown through the whole process of repairing broken carbon fibre. Ive destroyed one set of carbon bars admittedly on my downhill bike, in a crash.
Remember not to sand the exposed carbon fiber cloth if you can avoid it. Carbon fibre frames and components were once the preserve of superexpensive highend road bikes, but with improved manufacturing techniques they now dominates the road bike market, while becoming increasingly common in. Aug 19, 20 hi there, my brother has recently put a nice big scrape in his new carbonfiber bike. This is the second in four months, and this one failed after less than 25 rides. So i will try to repair it while its on the bike, risking a crack only if i remove. If you like my tutorial, you can do me a favor and subscribe to my youtubechannel. You can do a search here and on other sites about carbon components and failure modes. Broken carbon is the premier carbon fiber bicycle repair shop. Raoul luescher built his first carbon frame in 1992, and has 20 years of experience in. Carbon bicycle and component care trek bicycle store. The end result is a stronger bicycle frame than the original build at a negligible weight gain. Both great jobs with no noticeable loss of rigidity no evidence of failure after thousands of kilometres.
Professional repair companies wont even touch those. To see if its really just cosmetic, or something more tearinducing, ive laid out a few options for you below. What you need to know about repairing carbon fiber lord corp. But then i found appleman cycles based out of minneapolis. Most repairs are done on bikes but we also have experience working on car parts such as front lips and carbon fiber treking poles. Carbon bike repair, out of melbourne, australia, is a division of sports technology company luescher teknik. We know that professional repair costs can be expensive.
I got one at such a good price if the frame was cracked it was still wroth the it for the components. Also, the elasticity of carbon fibre is usually less than the paint, so if the paint is cracked, theres a high chance theres been some kind of trauma to the carbon too. You can hold the bike by the carbon post if its round and you clamp it gently, but you may scratch it unless youre very careful and the jaws of the. Broken carbon is the premier carbon fiber composite bike frame repair location.
We are at the same address and have had a change in our fantastic staff. If there was enough stress on the carbon to create the cracks you found, then the material around the cracks has also been stressed to just below the point of failure. Carbon fiber bike frame repair rialto, california dons. Stuff sets rock solid and i figure i will just ride it until the wheels fall off, or the rear triangle actually fractures and explodes into a million pieces. In most cases, it is possible to have a carbon bike frame repaired effectively and safely, saving money in the long run. Dear lennard, i have a cracked carbon fiber seatpost.
I figured since my frame hadnt broken in the intervening years, the. This video was about a carbon fiber layup repair, not paint. Apr 04, 2005 a bugugly fix would be to grind the afflicted area and then some down to bare metal, then apply a permanent bandage of carbon fiber strips bonded with epoxy to maybe 23 mm thickness over the cracks and preferably also extend this some distance on to the top tube as well. How to repair a chip in a carbon bike frame is my frame. Pretty much anything can be repaired, he says, noting that the process of layering carbon, compressing the frame, and curing the new material is similar to. Get your broken, cracked, or damaged carbon fiber bike frame repaired.
Ignoring the lesson about being a showoff, i tried in desperation to buff the marks out with my. Our carbon repairs are performed in the worlds most advanced carbon bike hospital. Disturbing the weave will make your repair obvious. Apr 19, 2012 carbon fibre has a reputation of being a bit fragile, but thats far from the truth, finds margot mcgovern picture courtesy of paint my bike. Carbon fiber bike repair and inspection ruckus composites. Cbt coalville ltd is the new rebranded version of carbon bike technics. Even if you can place significant force on the compnent today, you have creaed a stressriser. Id never seen it before and although the bike, after a bit of chain tool activity, was. How do you know if you cracked the carbon fiber due to. We can fix almost anything so dont be afraid to inquire about your repair. The broken chain then got itself entangled in the rear derailleur. Since 2003, weve managed repairs for over 12,000 riders, retailers and manufacturers. Do not try to repair carbon fiber handlebars, seatposts, forks, saddles.
Nov 19, 2019 in most cases, it is possible to have a carbon bike frame repaired effectively and safely, saving money in the long run. The broken pieces may not need to be discarded, as they may be fixable in the hands of expert carbonologists. Mar 03, 2018 remember not to sand the exposed carbon fiber cloth if you can avoid it. For instance, if there is damage to a carbon fiber hood on a shelby mustang, a technician can spend several days recreating the. Cracked carbon canada has 3 employees carrying various ceritifcations and years of experience working with carbon fiber. You can watch the full tutorial in the video and have a detailed description in the written step by step part down below. So, if you dented the frame, finish the ride, but do so carefully. My cracked carbon road bike frame had a soft spot in the top tube that flexed. If the dent changes shape, grows a crack, or for carbon fiber the carbon looks dull, cracked or hairy delaminated then you. I started my career building and repairing windturbine blades before moving on to aerospace and then bikes. Carbon fibre has a reputation of being a bit fragile, but thats far from the truth, finds margot mcgovern picture courtesy of paint my bike. Just over a year later, i discovered a crack in the top tube while i was cleaning the bike.
You might be just fine to just repair the cosmetic damage with a method like the one we wrote about here. Predator is now offering the very affordable, allencompassing diy carbon repair kit. Packed with topoftheline supplies, our kit allows the crafty cyclist to repair hisher small to medium crack in a jiffy. It is certainly possible to repair a carbon fiber bicycle frame. Gabes rts carbon 650c carbon fiber tubular wheel resurrected for those hungry riders out there who might attempt to do a similar repair, i should remind you that in this repair i do not add carbon fiber for supporting structure around the crack and is purely aesthetic. Since 2008, our composite technicians have evaluated over,000 bikes, and we proudly stand behind every repair and inspection. Appleman bicycles can repair your damaged, broken, busted, or cracked carbon fiber frame. A bugugly fix would be to grind the afflicted area and then some down to bare metal, then apply a permanent bandage of carbon fiber strips bonded with epoxy to maybe 23 mm thickness over the cracks and preferably also extend this some distance on. We now have a modern new look and we are in our 8th year. Despite the negativity of the other answers, carbon fiber is much more repairable than most people think. How to tell if a carbon frame is damaged or if the paint. The seatstay especially is a part of the bike where you wont have to agonize over it. Ive had seat stays on a carbon fibre bike repaired after a crash and the cracked bottom bracket on an aluminium bike repaired with carbon fibre. I recently fixed my own cracked carbon fiber mountain bike frame and, since i know there are a lot of aging carbon fiber frames out there, i thought id post my experience here, in case its helpful to anyone else.
We fix carbon fibre breaks, cracks or chips in frames, stays. Backed by bachelors and masters degrees in engineering as well as over a decade of professional cycling experience we can get your bike back on the road or trail in no time. Carbon fibre repair carbon bike development pty ltd. Frame carbon crack or just paint road bike, cycling forums. Repair scratches and chips on your carbonaluminum bicycle. If your seatpost is carbon, the safest thing to do is to purchase an inexpensive aluminum seatpost thats the same diameter as your post and then use it for clamping when you work on your bike. Through the past eight years our engineering and art departments have perfected the process of complete repair for almost any carbon fiber structure. Ive been fixing carbon fiber for over 10 years and have a deep understanding of advanced composite structure repair. We utilize specific inspection techniques that result in the most accurate testing methods available for composite materials.
Can i repair a cracked carbon bike frame on my own. How to tell if a carbon frame is damaged or if the paint just. Im wondering how many people with carbon frames have had problems with cracks. Cabon fiber has evolved a lot and, contrary to some retrogrouch hysteria, is actually really tough. Carbon fiber bike frame repair rialto, california dons bicycles. Jul 29, 2015 can you fix a carbon fiber bike yourself. Its very likely youve already gotten the best advice, which is get a new frame. What seems to be a benign crack on the outside can be completely delaminated on the. This guide is intended to be a helpful resource for someone considering repairing their carbon frame at home. Took a chunk out of the carbon on the underside of the swing arm but didnt completely crack it. I first read on another forum this week that if the crack is not too bad, it is possible to have it repaired.
If the cloth has been cracked through, you can still salvage your part. Can you fix a carbon fiber bike that is cracked or broken. Breaking or cracking your carbon fibre bike is every cyclists worst. According to this diy carbon fiber repair kit we stumbled across, cracks and abrasions in your frame are quick and easy repairs to do at home. If you go look at his images youll see that they look a lot like yours. Feb 24, 2012 pretty much anything can be repaired, he says, noting that the process of layering carbon, compressing the frame, and curing the new material is similar to the way new carbon bikes are made. I filled it with pcclear epoxy, just like fixing a surfboard. In the china carbon thread someone posted a picture of his bike after he was hit by a car. Should i worry about a chipped carbon mountain bike frame. My carbon fiber road bike had a pretty serious gouge in the downtube from dropping the chain. Even if it went through the paint and took a nick of carbon fiber out, youre fine. Carbon fiber is an immensely strong material, but very sensitive to manufacturing faults and far more difficult to engineer than metals. Coupled with our industryleading customer service team, we provide a fast, friendly and positive experience when you want to. We will get your carbon fiber bike back on the road or trail quickly.
Dec 30, 2011 gabes rts carbon 650c carbon fiber tubular wheel resurrected for those hungry riders out there who might attempt to do a similar repair, i should remind you that in this repair i do not add carbon fiber for supporting structure around the crack and is purely aesthetic. Carbon fiber bike frame repair rialto, california don. From your story, im surprised trek didnt take care of you. Since 2006 we have repaired and xrayed over 30,000 bikes and wheels. Appleman bicycles can repair your damaged, broken, busted, or cracked carbon fiber. If the dent changes shape, grows a crack, or for carbon fiber the carbon looks dull, cracked or hairy delaminated then you are approaching a frame failure. Is carbon mountain bike rim repair possible practical. The decision to repair or replace a carbon fiber component is the same as with any metal or composite component analyze the damage and estimate the time it will take for repair vs. Do not try to repair carbon fiber handlebars, seatposts, forks, saddles, etc. Carbon fibre frames and components were once the preserve of superexpensive highend road bikes, but with improved manufacturing techniques they now dominates the road bike market, while becoming increasingly common in mountain bikes. Our technicians are the only certified level, two technicians, by the american standard for non distructive testing association in north america. Fixing a cracked carbon fiber frame pinkbike forum.