Stress fractures on my IF

[95LCMachine]

WE had a great weekend camping, wheeling and riding.

I have had an odd creak for the last six months. Couldn't track it down then noticed these....




I have had this frame for 15 years, and done things to it that it shouldn't have survived...but it did.

Talked to IF today and it will be 500 bones to make it live again.

Looks like my 4x4 labs bumper is gonna be put off another couple months...

This post is simply an ode to the best bike I have ever owned.

IF's are worth every penny!

Cheers!

 

[Jetboy]

Strange cracking. I can't remember ever seeing a tube crack longitudinally like that from any force other than expansion or a seam failure. I looked around on the internet and could find thousands of pictures of bike frame cracks, but none running longitudinally. Possibly it was a poorly manufactured piece of tube and has a weak point?

 

[95LCMachine]

You are on the money Jetboy,

I worked in the bike industry for 10+ years, and have never seen longitudinal cracks on the down tube. I have seen them on the seat tube before so I was surprised when they showed up where they did.

There is a frame builder here in Benicia, CA thats going to look it over tonight and give me his professional opinion.

Like I said in my first post this bike has been more than durable and i truly believe that if it was still withhin waranty (5 years on materials) IF would have been happy to hook it up.

I tore down the broken frame last night and started building a freeride hard tail frame that has been sitting for a while. Its gonna be a mut of a build but it should be a fun ride.

I will be sure to update this thread if the local frame builder has anything interesting to say.