Yes of course the frame has had it. When I discovered the crack on the way home, I rode further and went up bridge and tunnel walking 'like a gran'ma.
The place and shape and orientation of the crack all together point to force exerted at the wheel mount, there having the max possible leverage on the basis of the tube.
I would then say, a dropout being forced 5 mm inside, 7 years long, and suffering shocks due to the road bumps all over the place nowadays, started and grew the crack.
Last weekend i stripped all the components and today I brought the frame to the dealer I bought it from. I'll get a replacement frame, but I want the hubs to be changed to 135 mm, that will make it not repeat, and, possibly solve the bikes inbalance when not loaded on its rear rack, and, the rear tyre wearing out of centre with a rather serious 2-3 mm difference. I think the rear wheel isn't alined with the front, because forcing dropouts to eachother can end anywhere not just the middle.
The big question is why they chosed 130 mm hub for their frame thats built to 135 mm. Did they want to move the wheel purposely aside, in order to get the chainline straighter?
Because, at 1 point the dealer sent a mail that the bike could be delivered, but that the chainline was not precise, and that they had found a solution. Later on, mail bike ready
The life of the first chain was less than a month, and the stainless steel chainring little more.
Less than a year later, a wide heavy chain like the Gusset Tank, running for half a year, ran like a rollercoaster. Dealer said no clue, on a forum on the web the 1st answer was wrong chainline. Learnt how to measure it and indeed 5 mm.
Now tell me, if a bikes delivery is postponed because the chainline is not precise enough, and they deliver it later on, and the chainline is 5 mm wrong, then the initial wrong must have been 1 cm or so, no?
So chosing a halve cm smaller hub, in order to mess the wheel to the desired side, well, that might have been that.. ehm.. solution.
Upon saying that I wanted the hubs replaced to the correct 135 mm, I was offered spacers to put between dropout and hub. I answered that i dont want such mess / loose things. Didn't receive much answer, and apparently his time for me was up. I will get a new frame, same brand/model, that is confirmed, the rest, remains open question. It's thus possible that the correct 135 mm hub will alter the chainline, and there we go again...
