Having a rough week (C60 crack)

[nichob11]

No worries on hijacking the thread nichob11.

I don't understand how hitting any small debris could cause this failure. Since you say you were unsure what caused the puncture, the debris you hit must not have been very significant in terms of size. Unless something was physically ejected and momentarily jammed between the the cassette and the stay then I don't see how it could have caused this fracture. If it was from impact, again you've probably hit bigger potholes or cracks than whatever debris caused you mystery puncture. Were the scratches just in front of the crack there already (from your chain?) or did they happen at the same time. The scratches might indicate something momentarily lodging in there and putting outward pressure on the stay??

I hope Colnago takes care of you.

Thanks mate. To prevent speculation the scratches along the stay were from a flight back in October travelling interstate for a sportive.

you're right, i think the debris had very little to do or if anything had a 1% part in the final failure. I'm still wondering if the puncture was actually a consequence or the frame failing and the tire connecting with the frame when it cracked or from the debris itself.

Either way the debris was not significant enough to be the sole contributor to this failure, i have hit way bigger holes, road cracks and rougher surfaces over the past 4 years to know that this along couldn't result in this type of crack.

I'm really still scratching my head about it. I've never crack a frame in the past whether it be road, mob or CX and i've raced downhill at national level here in Australia. I consider myself a fairly smooth rider and road conscious when it comes to looking for smoother lines for my comfort and the longevity of my gear.

Hope that clarifies my case even further. Either way i've been super happy with my C60 until now, so i can't really complain.

I hope Colnago does some homework on this case and we can come to some arrangement...

[tonytourist]

I had to send a white C60 back to Colnago for what I was told would be a complete repaint due to their garbage paint cracking. The frame was gone for 6 months and when I got it back I saw they only touched up the one blatantly obvious area, however, they neglected to repaint other areas that were experiencing the same cracks. It was convenient that the frame was gone so long and in the meantime the C64 came out. This combined with the numerous paint flaws still visible really killed the resale of the frame but I just wanted to get rid of it. I am kicking myself for not getting the F10 instead of the C60. I'm sure some Colnago lovers will chime in and tell me that my experience isn't typical but I could never recommend that someone buy one based on my experience. I hope that Colnago gives you a C64 in place of their poorly assembled frame that you received, however, I doubt that will be the case. Also, I found out that a large bike shop in the US has a local paint shop they use to touch up Colnago's sloppy work before they make it to their customers!

[Calnago]

I can totally appreciate your frustration. Stuff happens for sure. Some people just get the short straw sometimes, for no apparent reason. And once someone has a bad taste in their mouth, it’s hard to get rid of it, and that’s fair.
My EPQ, with its special one off paint... I waited for 10 months for that thing. Then when it finally arrived it was nothing like we had discussed. The paint quality was good but it had “EPQ” all over it and was just nothing like we had discussed. I didn’t have to take it, and so I didn’t but I was totally bummed because I had been looking forward to it for so long. Then, with no prompting from me, Alex Colnago got wind of what had happened and I was contacted and asked if I still wanted it if they redid it as I had requested initially. I said sure, as long as it’s exactly as I requested. I wasn’t holding out much hope but a week before Christmas, it showed up and it was a very fine Christmas. Love that bike. It was a long night time coming however.
My Special EPQ

[Johnnysmooth]

Meh, we used to be dealers (back in the C40 days and before) and the importer wouldn't even accept frames or bikes that were wrong out of the box back. Not without legal threats and quoting various bits of contract law. As they knew they'd have even more problems getting anything back from Italy other than a shrug.

Then the boss switched to Bianchi for our high end road brand.

Amazingly, they were worse.

Knew a couple of shops here in Boston that sold (or still sell) Colnagos. Their experiences were the same - Colnago did the worst prep work of pretty much any major frame builder - RD hingers out lof alignment, paint in the BB that needed to be chipped out - a real hassle for them, but demand was high and margins reasonable so they put up with it.

[wilwil]

My new C60 had a hair line crack in the head tube. Took 3 months to have it repaired and when it arrived back it had paint runs and I could feel the crack on the inside of the tube. I demanded a replacement but had to accept a different paint scheme or wait another 4 months. There were all kind of excuses like it was the Giro so they were too busy. The replacement frame isn't perfect either.

[wheelsONfire]

You get what you pay for obviously doesn't apply?

I was told, by a UK dealer, that they always check all incoming Colnago frames before building or selling (and shipping) frames to customers.
I asked why and the guy told me, due to paint imperfections. This was when C59 was the deal.

[robertbb]

The guys at my local shop used to say that you got the standard Italian warranty, Lifetime or until you got out the door, whichever came first. ;o)

[mattr]

Colnago did the worst prep work of pretty much any major frame builder - RD hingers out lof alignment, paint in the BB that needed to be chipped out - a real hassle for them, but demand was high and margins reasonable so they put up with it.

I think the final straw for my boss was the frame that was aligned so badly (bottom bracket/seattube) that the bike was almost a different size on each side........ that took about two months to sort out. Just between us and the importer.

[1415chris]

I was just about to pull the trigger on Colnago.....

[mattr]

i would hope things have changed a bit since then. It was a Master (maybe a Piu, can't remember) and it was also 93/94/95 ish..........

[Mockenrue]

I was just about to pull the trigger on Colnago.....

Don't let a few negative comments stop you. I've owned several Colnagos over the years - new and used - and every one of them has been bang on. No build, paint or alignment problems. Superb quality in my experience. Just about every other brand of frame I've owned or used has had some sort of niggle that needed remedying, and if you dig deep enough on the internet you'll find an unhappy owner of pretty much anything.

[Zakalwe]

Both my Master 30th and C60 were perfect when I collected the frames, both dealerships said nothing but good things about the frame sets they receive. I'm sure duds do come through the system and I'd be very upset if I got a lemon. Not as upset I was with the Friday afternoon Audi I had to live with for a few years, but still upset.

[Zakalwe]

.

[MiddMan]

As a ‘wannabe’ Colnago aficionado I have read probably every thread concerning Colnagos without actually yet owning one (someday though!), and as much as this is a terrible incident, I expect it’s the exception rather than the rule. In short, it doesn’t put me off of Colnago, it I totally feel your pain!

I wonder how many of these incidents happen from large potholes? As a tall and therefore heavier rider, holes are my worst fear. Last summer I was cruising down a fairly steep hill. Lots of traffic in my left so could not swerve left. I saw the giant pothole and managed to bunny hop or at least unweight my frame significantly. The frame was ok, but a flat of the rear tire ensued.

It brings up another question though: what is the point of diminishing return as far as ‘light frames’ go? I for one would prefer some substance to the frame rather than a paper thin (and light as paper) frame. At what point will manufacturers, and consumers, realise that the absolute lightest frame is not necessarily the best?

[Mr.Gib]

It brings up another question though: what is the point of diminishing return as far as ‘light frames’ go? I for one would prefer some substance to the frame rather than a paper thin (and light as paper) frame. At what point will manufacturers, and consumers, realise that the absolute lightest frame is not necessarily the best?

Superlight thin walled carbon frames don't seem to be a problem as far as durability or safety is concerned. (Only titanium and aluminum have problems in this regard). As to ride feel, monocoque design should allow the builder to produce any ride characteristics they desire.

Colnago, in order to keep pace in the war of weight, has had to resort to very thin walled tubes and is now as vulnerable as any light frame. It's the only way the brand can produce a somewhat competitive weight frame using such a heavy design (lugged). And still their framesets are close to a pound heavier than industry leaders. Hopefully they are still somewhat more robust.