Just riding along...

[SadieKate]

I am getting very cautious about reading threads that DirtDiva starts. Ouch.

Interestingly, she used fewer words to describe this outing.

[DirtDiva]

It's all in the title. Not a holly bush for kilometres. Was out with a couple of mates for a regular weekly after-work blat around a very easy, completely non-technical loop. Felt the saddle slip and thought perhaps I hadn't done the seat post collar up tightly enough. Felt it slip again with a definite backward tilt this time and figured it must be the saddle rail clamp instead. Got off and scratched my head when I saw that both were secure. Then I saw the big crack and just gawped for a while. I guess it's a long-term fatigue thing that has resulted in catastrophic failure. Thank goodness for the lifetime frame warrantee.

[melissam]

Holy metal fatigue, Batman!

DirtDiva, I'm glad you're OK. That could have been disastrous if it had happened during some of your more death-defying stunts.

How long will it take to get a replacement frame?

[spokewench]

That's a weird failure right above the weld! Just curious, is your seatpost long enough? Sometimes when it is too short, it will cause a failure in the bike frame in that area? Just want to be sure if you get a new bike, that it does not happen again - if that was the cause

spoke

[bike4ever]

spokewench - If it's a stock seatpost, it should be plenty long. I just checked a 17.5" model - it has a 350mm post in it.

[sgtiger]

OMG! Thank goodness it's something you didn't discover going downhill or on a jump.

[DirtDiva]

It was the stock seatpost. Had a good couple of cm more than the minimum insertion line in there. No idea how long the replacement will take. Depends a bit what's in the country at the moment, etc. Sounds like I can chip in some cash as well to upgrade, should I chose. The short-travel Fuel 7 would look nice with all my bits on it.

[smilingcat]

It's all in the title. Not a holly bush for kilometres. Was out with a couple of mates for a regular weekly after-work blat around a very easy, completely non-technical loop. Felt the saddle slip and thought perhaps I hadn't done the seat post collar up tightly enough. Felt it slip again with a definite backward tilt this time and figured it must be the saddle rail clamp instead. Got off and scratched my head when I saw that both were secure. Then I saw the big crack and just gawped for a while. I guess it's a long-term fatigue thing that has resulted in catastrophic failure. Thank goodness for the lifetime frame warrantee.

You're so non-chalant about the whole affair. I would have freaked...

The bike is an aluminum frame. And they do have to temper them to get it strong; but when welded, they lose their temper and makes them weak. That is what I was reading about 6005? aluminum. It can be retempered in welded area so perhaps the frame builder didn't adequately retemper the area.

Anyway, I'm really glad you didn't get hurt. I hope you didn't ride like that back to your house or your car.

Smilingcat