Frame failure experiences

[georges1]

Zero frame failures on my side. I ride mostly high end steel and aluminium road bikes and mountain bikes and I don't baby them however I am careful with them. The tubings I have on my road bikes are either Reynolds 753,708 Classic, Columbus Genius, Columbus Max, Dedacciai Dr Zero, Dedacciai Dr Zero Uno Megatube, Columbus Altec, Columbus Altec 2 Megatube, Dedacciai 7003 ABT, Dedacciai SC 6110A, Dedacciai 7005 Energy, Koga Miyata FM1tripe butted steel, Tange Prestige Road Racing High Tech Special Design, Principia 7020 Aluminium and Trek Alumnium Alpha SL and Giant Custom made chromoly, for the mountain bikes tubings are Dedacciai DR Zero, Reynolds 631, Reynolds 853, True Temper OXP Platinum, Trek Alpha Alumnium SLR, Trek ZR9000, Giant Alcoa CU92 (6013T6) and Merida Albon.I had always a very persistant tendancy to inspect very carefully my frames after each ride and check for cracks. The least resistant aluminum frames were made from easton tubing. A great series of aluminium tubing that is not widely talked about is the Extralight 7020 aluminium as for steel it is Excell which was a truely exceptional brand of tubing.

 

[highlandsflyer]

Or, "I've gots all the tubes!"

 

[bikeworkshop]

that doesn't seem the best welding finish on a Cannondale, is this one of the frames made in Taiwan ???

Earlier cannondale welds were smoothed down to get a better finish.
This one has had a little attention, but not much - to save Labour.
Taiwanese iirc, so the money they saved in manufacture went beyond lower wage cost

 

[georges1]

Earlier cannondale welds were smoothed down to get a better finish.
This one has had a little attention, but not much - to save Labour.
Taiwanese iirc, so the money they saved in manufacture went beyond lower wage cost

I am not even sure that they still use the Alcoa tubing that was made before and the quality and finish of the welds since the Cannondale CAAD7 went to down. the CAAD8 optimo has ugly welds compared to a CAAD4. People who were in Bradford had ton of experience when welding aluminium, taiwanese welders that depends. Giant was the other bike manufacturer using Alcoa 6013T6 (CU92) aluminium and with their CFR road bikes , they did make some very nice quality welds with a very good finish.I have a 1994 Giant Bronco that thing is extremely well made and robust. Unlike Univega Boralyn and Specialized M2 and M4 who were prone to crack, the CU92 was a very tough aluminium aircraft grade tubing. A friend still has a ATX 990 full supended Giant that he beats the crap of it often while riding in the bike park.