I'm a champion bike mechanic...

[am50em]

Yes any material can fail but I want to test out the Bossi warranty.

Titanium frame: 50 year replacement warranty ensuring parts are free and void of manufacturing defects. T

Will have to live to well over 100

[am50em]

While I have over 60,000km on my Lynskey without a problem, a friend with the same frame had the chain stay crack at the weld to the bottom bracket after not many kms at all

Sounds like manufacturing flaw rather than material failure,

[biker jk]

While I have over 60,000km on my Lynskey without a problem, a friend with the same frame had the chain stay crack at the weld to the bottom bracket after not many kms at all

Sounds like manufacturing flaw rather than material failure,

Correct in that case but you can find plenty of examples where the titanium tubing has cracked.

[blizzard]

You have terrible luck with frames, Mr Purple. Hopefully Trek warranty it with no push back.

[am50em]

Correct in that case but you can find plenty of examples where the titanium tubing has cracked.

Typically around the weld from what I have read. Which would also tend imply manufacturing fault. Welding titanium is difficult.

My carbon frame lasted less than a year before it developed a crack in the top tube near the seat tube. The alloy frame lasted about 3-4 years before a crack in seat tube above bottom bracket. The replacement frames are still ok. My steel frame Shogun mtb was over 20 years without failure but very heavy.

[Mr Purple]

You have terrible luck with frames, Mr Purple. Hopefully Trek warranty it with no push back.

I genuinely think this is just luck. The Bowman broke because of a design fault, the Trek I don't know why yet, but I suspect something was not made the way it should be.

The Avanti surviving that long was actually a miracle. It did well over 10000km on a trainer and probably 30,000+ on the road at the point where it broke in half. That's just aluminium fatigue.

Anyway, we'll see what Trek come up with for the frameset. Can't see any reason it won't be a warranty if it needs replacement, it hasn't been crashed and that's not an area that should hit the ground if it had anyway.

[foo on patrol]

Ah, I read his message wrong. He thinks the bb shell is broken - so a cracked (alloy) frameset. Back to Trek it is.

Given if that’s the case this will be my third written off alloy frameset within 18 months I think the universe is telling me to upgrade to carbon.

I know the owner of a bike shop in Mt Gravatt and he won't work on or have anything to do with Trek frames/bikes in general and has a total ban on them due to the inferior build and componet quality.

Foo

[g-boaf]

Ah, I read his message wrong. He thinks the bb shell is broken - so a cracked (alloy) frameset. Back to Trek it is.

Given if that’s the case this will be my third written off alloy frameset within 18 months I think the universe is telling me to upgrade to carbon.

I know the owner of a bike shop in Mt Gravatt and he won't work on or have anything to do with Trek frames/bikes in general and has a total ban on them due to the inferior build and componet quality.

Foo

I have a Trek here which has been completely fine, no problems with it. It's an older one from 2012 - most of the work I do myself on that bike.

[warthog1]

Ah, I read his message wrong. He thinks the bb shell is broken - so a cracked (alloy) frameset. Back to Trek it is.

Given if that’s the case this will be my third written off alloy frameset within 18 months I think the universe is telling me to upgrade to carbon.

That sux
Carbon has been most reliable for me. 2 cracked steel and 2 cracked aluminium. Cheaper frames admittedly. 1 crack CF frame replaced under warranty but now wrecked after the derailleur went into the spokes uphill and it tore the CF hanger off.
I have a cheap aluminium frame on the wahoo kickr though and it has been fine. That killed one of the other alumium frames but it did have plasticine seat stays (allegedly CF)
Haven't had ti.

[Mr Purple]

I've always been a fan of aluminium because it's cheap, light enough and strong enough.

But to have three frames fail for three different reasons in such short succession I think I'll stick to carbon in future. They do ride so much nicer as well.

Be interesting to see if it ends up being a warranty job, I will be significantly annoyed if it's unfixable and it doesn't. Looks like the SL Checkpoint frameset isn't that much lighter but does come with built in downtube storage which would be useful - the number of times I've lost tools somewhere on a gravel ride is quite high.

[jasonc]

Be interesting to see if it ends up being a warranty job, I will be significantly annoyed if it's unfixable and it doesn't. Looks like the SL Checkpoint frameset isn't that much lighter but does come with built in downtube storage which would be useful - the number of times I've lost tools somewhere on a gravel ride is quite high.

I have the SL. now that I have the Di2 battery in the downtube I've stopped using the in built storage

[Mr Purple]

Be interesting to see if it ends up being a warranty job, I will be significantly annoyed if it's unfixable and it doesn't. Looks like the SL Checkpoint frameset isn't that much lighter but does come with built in downtube storage which would be useful - the number of times I've lost tools somewhere on a gravel ride is quite high.

I have the SL. now that I have the Di2 battery in the downtube I've stopped using the in built storage

I was wondering why your commutes were marked as 'gravel rides', good call for a commuter, so comfy!

We'll see how this plays out. I originally bought the alloy thinking I was going to be taking it easy and doing some bikepacking, but like everything my gravel rides generally end up being 'full send'. Would love to pivot to di2 and something like a Specialized Crux but suspect it'll remain GR600 mechanical on another frameset.

[jasonc]

Be interesting to see if it ends up being a warranty job, I will be significantly annoyed if it's unfixable and it doesn't. Looks like the SL Checkpoint frameset isn't that much lighter but does come with built in downtube storage which would be useful - the number of times I've lost tools somewhere on a gravel ride is quite high.

I have the SL. now that I have the Di2 battery in the downtube I've stopped using the in built storage

I was wondering why your commutes were marked as 'gravel rides', good call for a commuter, so comfy!

We'll see how this plays out. I originally bought the alloy thinking I was going to be taking it easy and doing some bikepacking, but like everything my gravel rides generally end up being 'full send'. Would love to pivot to di2 and something like a Specialized Crux but suspect it'll remain GR600 mechanical on another frameset.

the di2 upgrade went well. i had a cable disconnect on me on tuesday but i got it back in. it's funny how the smaller shifters feel vs the GRX shifters

[blizzard]

Maybe a one for Duck.

I just lowered the handlebars on my Giant Trance X Advanced, I picked up in January. I noticed that the steerer was greased under the stem, is that normal on alloy stems/steerer interfaces / how it ships from Giant? Seeing I have had no issues so far, I lowered the stem and didn't bother cleaning off the grease.

[Duck!]

I never saw a bike come from the factory greased like that, so I'm guessing it was done by the person who assembled it in the shop.

[blizzard]

I never saw a bike come from the factory greased like that, so I'm guessing it was done by the person who assembled it in the shop.

Thanks, should alloy on alloy be greased? From a quick Google it seems to be ok but not required. I've only ever worked on carbon steerers so never greased them.

[Duck!]

I never really saw any pressing need to grease alloy stems & steerers, however if the spacer stack under the stem is carbon, then grease of some sort must be used, otherwise a reaction will occur between the two materials, causing corrosion which will then make getting the spacers off very difficult when servicing the headset, as the oxide layer slightly enlarges the steerer diameter!

[Mr Purple]

And for those following my Checkpoint ALR creak saga the frame is officially a write-off as expected. Apparently the left handed bottom bracket cup was crossthreaded from factory - an assembly issue. Surprised it lasted that long.

Trying to wangle an SL/SLR upgrade somewhere along in the process, we'll see how that goes!

[jasonc]

And for those following my Checkpoint ALR creak saga the frame is officially a write-off as expected. Apparently the left handed bottom bracket cup was crossthreaded from factory - an assembly issue. Surprised it lasted that long.

Trying to wangle an SL/SLR upgrade somewhere along in the process, we'll see how that goes!

keep us updated.

[Mr Purple]

The last thing the shop asked me was whether I'd replaced the bottom bracket myself - apparently it looked very inexpertly done. Nope, it hadn't been touched since factory. He mentioned it looks like it had just been jammed in there.

I assume it just spent the last 5000km being slowly chewed out until it reached the point where it creaked.

Apparently what it gets replaced with will depend on what Trek has in stock. Can everyone please go buy some ALR and SL Checkpoint framesets so I get an SLR? Thanks!

[blizzard]

And I thought the return to threaded bottom brackets was supposed to banish BB creaks forever...

[Mr Purple]

And I thought the return to threaded bottom brackets was supposed to banish BB creams forever...

I think the key is that you're not supposed to install a threaded bottom bracket with a mallet.

Like everything it's operator dependent and luck of the draw. I think my best move for this one was buying a bike from Trek, as opposed to the boutique British manufacturer that built my last road bike frame and swiftly went bankrupt.

[blizzard]

And I thought the return to threaded bottom brackets was supposed to banish BB creams forever...

I think the key is that you're not supposed to install a threaded bottom bracket with a mallet.

Like everything it's operator dependent and luck of the draw. I think my best move for this one was buying a bike from Trek, as opposed to the boutique British manufacturer that built my last road bike frame and swiftly went bankrupt.

It's actually probably a better outcome than cracked frame as it's a people issue not a design and manufacture issue. You would be pretty unlucky to have it happen twice (although presumably the warranty frame will have its BB installed by the store).

I am always amazed that people on WW spend thousands on Asian direct frames with no support. It's one thing to get a cheap frame without in country warranty but some of them cost similar to Giants.

[OnTrackZeD]

The last thing the shop asked me was whether I'd replaced the bottom bracket myself - apparently it looked very inexpertly done. Nope, it hadn't been touched since factory. He mentioned it looks like it had just been jammed in there.

So the factory press fitted a threaded BB.

[Duck!]

And I thought the return to threaded bottom brackets was supposed to banish BB creams forever...

But only if they're assembled correctly. Even without cross-threading, they can make a heap of noise if not tightened enough.