what a plonker will this be ok ?

[bad boy]

Hi All,

noticed the bung had slipped and decided to give the stem area a quick inspection before a ride tomorrow, when after removing the stem I was lifting the bearing cover up the steerer and it dug in slightly at the front taking a small flake off the steerer. Its sort of chipped/scabbed difficult to describe, but its small and is below the clamping area of the stem nothing is resting on it so its a question of what do people think safe or not ??.

If not this will mean a THIRD pair of forks for this bike in the space of 4 months, I must be either incredibly stupid or just unlucky.

Its a full carbon fork, so pissed off its unreal.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Oh dear, by tomorrow morning your forks, and possibly your whole bike will be a pile of carbonised dust I'm afraid

Seriously though, I'm having difficulty trusting carbon when it's integrity has not been compromised, if it where mine I'd have to change them to have any chance of relaxing during my ride, otherwise I'd be paranoid something was going to snap everytime I felt a vibration.

Carbon fibre! It's bloody great innit?

 

[Glover Fan]

Oh dear, by tomorrow morning your forks, and possibly your whole bike will be a pile of carbonised dust I'm afraid

Seriously though, I'm having difficulty trusting carbon when it's integrity has not been compromised, if it where mine I'd have to change them to have any chance of relaxing during my ride, otherwise I'd be paranoid something was going to snap everytime I felt a vibration.

Carbon fibre! It's bloody great innit?

Jeez, you should invest in some shares with McCains, cause those are some mighty chips on your shoulders!

 

[smokeysmoo]

Jeez, you should invest in some shares with McCains, cause those are some mighty chips on your shoulders!

Put it this way, me and carbon are not on each other Christmas card lists

 

[bad boy]

Yes true although I can't believe a small chip renders the forks useless. If it was from where the stem clamps like last time I would be replacing them for sure but it's not in a high stress area but granted it's a chip none the less.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Think of it like a chip on a windscreen, it might not be a crack today, it might not be a crack tomorrow.............................but one day

 

[Red Light]

Hi All,

noticed the bung had slipped and decided to give the stem area a quick inspection before a ride tomorrow, when after removing the stem I was lifting the bearing cover up the steerer and it dug in slightly at the front taking a small flake off the steerer. Its sort of chipped/scabbed difficult to describe, but its small and is below the clamping area of the stem nothing is resting on it so its a question of what do people think safe or not ??.

If not this will mean a THIRD pair of forks for this bike in the space of 4 months, I must be either incredibly stupid or just unlucky.

Its a full carbon fork, so pissed off its unreal.

Can you post a picture? If its just a surface chip of the resin it should be fine but if you've damaged the carbon fibre weave possibly not. I suspect from what you say and the way it happened that its the former.

 

[Smokin Joe]

If you're the type who worries about the effects of a scratch or a chip on carbon fibre there is a simple answer, don't buy a frame or component made from carbon fibre.

It will get scratched, it will get crashed and it will suffer chips. Damage that is likely to lead to failure will be fairly obvious and easy to spot, the rest is just cosmetic. CF is a great material but it's not for the paranoid.

 

[smokeysmoo]

CF is a great material but it's not for the paranoid.

Amen to that

 

[bad boy]

Thanks for all the advice I particulary liked the carbon fibre not being for the paranoid quote haha very true.

It's the steerer which doesnt have a laquer just raw type finish no clear coat etc. It's only a small chip I had a mechanic look at it today before my TT and he said should be fine but I am certainly paranoid about the whole steerer area. Frame I'm ok but I don't like any marks on my steerer and with these forks it's near impossible, can tap it with my nail and it would mark but this is a slight chip on the outer layer.

Done 30 miles on today's TT looked no worse after.

 

[Herzog]

If not this will mean a THIRD pair of forks for this bike in the space of 4 months, I must be either incredibly stupid or just unlucky.

Just out of interest (no schadenfreude at all), how did you knacker the other forks?

 

[Red Light]

It's the steerer which doesnt have a laquer just raw type finish no clear coat etc. It's only a small chip I had a mechanic look at it today before my TT and he said should be fine but I am certainly paranoid about the whole steerer area. Frame I'm ok but I don't like any marks on my steerer and with these forks it's near impossible, can tap it with my nail and it would mark but this is a slight chip on the outer layer.

It doesn't need to be a lacquer on top. The carbon fibre is embedded in a resin and sits below a thin surface skin of resin. Its probably this that you've chipped if you can't see any CF on the surface or worse, frayed.

 

[asterix]

How often do the top pros replace their CF bikes? That should be a good guide.

 

[bad boy]

Just out of interest (no schadenfreude at all), how did you knacker the other forks?

Long story - posted on here with pictures of the steerer can search for the thread if you like.

Basically there was a mark with some very slight scabbing around the steerer where the bottom of the stem is clamping.

It came like that, my only conclusion was how it was packed for delivery with the bars turned and stem tightened. I used my torque wrench to below 5Nm actually so it definitely wasnt me im absolutely certain about that.

Infact I rang them when I first took delivery as they recommend on the website a rang of between 5Nm and 8Nm for the stem to carbon steerer interface

and couldn't believe this was accurate.

 

[bad boy]

How often do the top pros replace their CF bikes? That should be a good guide.

True although my concerns are with the steerer which with these forks seems to mark very easily, which when performing a visual inspection is not confidence inspiring !?.

Im also using their stem which I spent bloody ages sanding down as per advice on a previous thread.

Im not going to worry about it for now spoiling my enjoyment, Ill continue to check it regularly however.