Carbon frame repair.

Two of my carbon frames have minor damage. One has a 'crease' from an overtightened dérailleur clamp on the seat tube, exhibiting a tiny 3mm long fissure. The other has an area of lacquer worn off the surface of the carbon seat tube just above the dérailleur clamp, but no damage to the carbon weave at all.

I am happy to coat the bare carbon weave and call that a job done.

On the other frame, I am considering using some epoxy mixed with black to match up and impregnate the fissure.

Can anyone tell me roughly how forces strain the seat tube around a normal dérailleur clamp area?

The bare carbon is on a DBR Vertex, the fissure is on an On One 456. So we are straddling both pre and post 97 ponies with this question!

You may want to contact these guys who repair carbon stuff
HQ Fibre Products
Vale Farm Workshop Blofield Rd,
Lingwood,
Norwich,
Norfolk,
NR13 4AJ
Tel: 01603 713972

I had a crack in my carbon frame by the seat clamp, plus another one on the seat tube down low-but I took mine to Craig Calfee here in Santa Cruz. He makes and repairs carbon and Bamboo bikes, and they did a perfect job on mine. They sanded down the crack areas and filled them-just make sure if you do it yourself that the epoxy you use is compatible with your frame. I saw some amazing before and after shots at Calfee's-with carbon bikes they can take an absolutely trashed frame and make it as good as new-something that would be hard to do with a metal frame without heat treating it, and even then the repaired metal bike is not going to be like new.

Inspiring stuff! I will do these my bad self though, they aren't worthy of expense!

FairfaxPat":1dxvszvc said:

I had a crack in my carbon frame by the seat clamp, plus another one on the seat tube down low-but I took mine to Craig Calfee here in Santa Cruz. He makes and repairs carbon and Bamboo bikes, and they did a perfect job on mine. They sanded down the crack areas and filled them-just make sure if you do it yourself that the epoxy you use is compatible with your frame. I saw some amazing before and after shots at Calfee's-with carbon bikes they can take an absolutely trashed frame and make it as good as new-something that would be hard to do with a metal frame without heat treating it, and even then the repaired metal bike is not going to be like new.

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WOW! If you are going to take a carbon bike for repair, THAT is the place to take it.

Craig practically invented tubed carbon frames and made all the frames (at very short notice) for Greg Lamonds TdF team in the early 90's.

Craig practically invented tubed carbon frames and made all the frames (at very short notice) for Greg Lamonds TdF team in the early 90's.

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Pre-dating 1960's Raleigh and 1980's Peugeot then?

*Somewhere on RB there is a link to a Raliegh with carbon fibre tubing built around the late sixties hanging in a museum.

But I cant find it and theres an excellent restoration of a Peugeot somewhere too - both carbon fibre tubes glued to external lugs

legrandefromage":2170p8u7 said:

Craig practically invented tubed carbon frames and made all the frames (at very short notice) for Greg Lamonds TdF team in the early 90's.

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Pre-dating 1960's Raleigh and 1980's Peugeot then?

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No, that's why I was careful not to say invented.

There were carbon framed bikes in the TdF before Lamond had his frames made, but Calfee took the process to a much higher level, which was why Lamond said (at the time) that it was the best bike he had ever ridden.

Ah.

Many spanks.

Here's the Lemond '91 TDF bike and one of Craig's first frames from '87...

NeilM":3qzobn7r said:

legrandefromage":3qzobn7r said:

Craig practically invented tubed carbon frames and made all the frames (at very short notice) for Greg Lamonds TdF team in the early 90's.

Click to expand...

Pre-dating 1960's Raleigh and 1980's Peugeot then?

Click to expand...

No, that's why I was careful not to say invented.

There were carbon framed bikes in the TdF before Lamond had his frames made, but Calfee took the process to a much higher level, which was why Lamond said (at the time) that it was the best bike he had ever ridden.

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wtf is greg lamond neil ?you seem to have the same level of knowledge as the history man.and just remember greg is the only American to win the tour