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Freaking Crack N Fail.....

StuInTokyo

Maximum Pace
Dec 3, 2010
1,662
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Yes, my dear old Cannondale has finally succumb to cracks..... :eek: :eek:uch:
View attachment 889

My own darn fault, I can just about guarantee that this was caused by tugging my trailer full of beer. I was afraid that this would be the result, that is one reason why I took the old Cannondale off the trailer tugging duty and bought the Charge Mixer 8.

As I do not have a TIG welder handy, and I'm WAY out of practice on the TIG anyway, Tim S has kindly suggested that as it is just a stress fracture that I drill out the ends of the cracks and fill the cracks with epoxy.

I have this epoxy.....
View attachment 890
>> Quick Mender <<

It lists Aluminum as something it bonds, so....?

I guess I'll have to remove some paint and do some digging to see the extent of the cracks, then drill out the ends of the cracks and fill the whole deal with epoxy?

Maybe this old nail is not dead yet? :D

Anyone done this or something like it?

Cheers!
 
Very Sad!

Stu,

I know that the Cannondale means a lot to you because of how long you've had it and how much you've ridden it,but I wouldn't even entertain the idea of trying to fix it.Once aluminum has reached it's stress point that's it.

Don't forget Cannondale offer(or did)a lifetime warranty.
I think that is the safer course to take.
 
Hi Stu - yes, check your warranty - those early CD that were actually made by a real 'people' company had great warranty. @Forsbrook - actually aluminum can be repaired quite easily and successfully. If not, you wouldn't have 50yo aircraft still certified and in the air. This includes alot of the heat treated components.
 
no warranty i guess after you painted it. Do what Tim suggests with drill and epoxy.
 
This probably a big no-no in one way or another, but if you consider the frame to be trashed and you also really know where your seatpost is going to be for the life of the bike, I'd just epoxy it in there (after some major cleaning of the post & seat tube), and then it'd be that kind of "fixie" forever. Post + seat tube should be quite strong, and that crack would never be an issue.

((Modern fighters are glued together in some places, too))
 
I think once aluminum has reached its sell-by date it becomes pretty brittle and no amount of epoxy will help it.
 
I figure over the winter I should have time to do this repair, if it does not work, well I will have least tried!

JDD your idea as a last shot would be worth it.

I am sure I've voided the warranty, by repainting the bike and by towing a trailer with it, also I do not have the original bill of sale, heck, it has been 23 years, and I bought it back in Canada!

If I can fix it, great, but if it is trashed, well it will be stripped of parts and hung on a wall somewhere.

Cheers!
 
Ride it

I would ride it as it is. Your seat post probably goes down a fair bit past the crack. Now you have your other bikes you probably wont even ride very often anymore. Could be a nice winter project though. I only say this because even if you do repair it, there will always be a question of safety at hand. So either way your rolling the dice. I would just keep an eye on it.
 
I would ride it as it is. Your seat post probably goes down a fair bit past the crack. Now you have your other bikes you probably wont even ride very often anymore. Could be a nice winter project though. I only say this because even if you do repair it, there will always be a question of safety at hand. So either way your rolling the dice. I would just keep an eye on it.

The problem is the noise it makes is like fingers on a blackboard to me, it really squeaks and creaks a lot, and that really bothers me.

I'll fix it, at some point for sure, I might even make it into a fixed gear project :rolleyes: :D
 
Or maybe a light clamp down the seat tube a ways, to hold that end of the post? (it could cut down on the noise/movement)
 
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