Catastrophic failure of aluminium frame.

[Johvial]

Apologies for writing in English, but I don’t speak Dutch, and this incident occurred in England. As this model is still in use in the Netherlands, I would like to warn you over there.
My Giant Explorer’s frame had a sudden catastrophic failure a few weeks ago. The aluminium frame split in two without warning across both tubes as I was dismounting, with the two wheels completely separating. It is a mere 9 years old, I bought it new, no-one else has ever ridden it, and it has not been mistreated in any way, nor involved in any accident. Being a road bike type with a built-in carrier it should be designed to carry a load. It has not had a huge amount of use, only on local roads and cycle tracks, and mainly for shopping, travel or pleasure, perhaps three times a week. It has not been ridden long distances. The tubes fractured at what is clearly a weak point, where the cables entered the tubes. This should be a warning to other owners of this model to check the frame in this area, especially the bottom tube. I was only relatively lightly injured, but it could have been far worse, even fatal, had I been in traffic or travelling at speed. I have other photos if anyone is interested in this DEATH TRAP.

[Wim]

Wow you are a lucky man (think of it that way). I am not sure this model was ever sold in the Netherlands, but other than that, internal cable routing does indeed create weak spots in a frame. What was Giant's comment?
See http://www.m-gineering.nl/techdexg.htm under the heading 'reading matter' and then 'Oops' for more examples of pretty dramatic failures of frames and components.
Elsewhere of the web you can also find some pretty grim pictures of carbon failures. Carbon is even more dependent on good design than aluminium.
Willem

[eindgebruiker]

Original:


Dutch/Belgian model from 2008 (same cable routing, different frame, they improved the lower tube, and the cables seem to enter more sideways):

[Johvial]

Wow you are a lucky man (think of it that way). I am not sure this model was ever sold in the Netherlands, but other than that, internal cable routing does indeed create weak spots in a frame. What was Giant's comment?
See http://www.m-gineering.nl/techdexg.htm under the heading 'reading matter' and then 'Oops' for more examples of pretty dramatic failures of frames and components.

I do indeed consider myself fortunate - even lucky to be alive to tell the tale. Thanks for the "oops" tip - very interesting. Can I post this incident on that web site, or how does it work?
Giant are fairly dismissive of it saying there are no other incidents, but have offered me a 10% discount on a new bike - big deal I am still pursuing the case.

This item has been extensively reviewed on the UK CTC forum "Does anyone know … ?" - the article has the same title as this one. See
http://forum.ctc.org.uk/

[Leon]

m-gineering.nl

Can I post this incident on that web site, or how does it work?

It's a private company website. You can send the picture to the man - Marten - by mail, and he might use it.

Do you have super detailed pictures of the crack?

Leon

[Johvial]

Original:
Dutch/Belgian model from 2008 (same cable routing, different frame, they improved the lower tube, and the cables seem to enter more sideways):

Thanks for that information. The Explorer model, perhaps improved a bit, is still displayed on the Belgian Giant website. See http://www.giant-bicycles.com/nl-be/bik ... /#overview

Does anyone know whether there is an equivalent forum to this one in Belgium, France or Germany, an if so what the URL is?

[Johvial]

m-gineering.nl

Can I post this incident on that web site, or how does it work?

It's a private company website. You can send the picture to the man - Marten - by mail, and he might use it.

Do you have super detailed pictures of the crack?

Leon

Thanks for that. I do have detailed photos, so will send them to him.

[Wim]

I think the pictures on Marten/m-gineering's website are all from the private collection of broken parts and frames that he keeps in his workshop for instruction and amusement/horror. They are brought out in the course on bicycle repair that he teaches for members of De Wereldfietser. It is not for nothing that he is the premier frame builder in the Netherlands.
Willem

[eindgebruiker]

Does anyone know whether there is an equivalent forum to this one in Belgium, France or Germany, an if so what the URL is?

http://www.vakantiefietser.be/forum
http://www.radforum.de/forum.php

[Mattt]

It is not for nothing that he is the premier frame builder in the Netherlands.
Willem

Make that the cat wise!!!

On a serious note: what did you expect from a reasonably cheap brand? Aluminium simply is more prone to breaking (suddenly), same goes for carbon which some even label unreliable.

Glad to hear you're OK after the incident.

[eindgebruiker]

It is not for nothing that he is the premier frame builder in the Netherlands.
Willem

Make that the cat wise!!!

I thought that also when I that read, but it appears still good English to be.
Anyway, good busy!

Also on a serious note: the problem is not aluminium, the problem is holes in the wrong place. (Although a steel frame with the same problem would probably break more slowly. This I know from experience.)

[Leon]

I'm going to check my aluminium Giant bike... meaning the one i still have. I allready sold the other one, never heard from the guy again.
Leon

[Johvial]

On a serious note: what did you expect from a reasonably cheap brand? Aluminium simply is more prone to breaking (suddenly), same goes for carbon which some even label unreliable.

Glad to hear you're OK after the incident.

Thanks for your concern.
BUT you seem to think it is OK for a dangerous bike to be sold, as long as it is cheap.
In any case it was not that cheap. In 2004 it cost UK pds 325, which in today's terms would be at least €600.

[Johvial]

Does anyone know whether there is an equivalent forum to this one in Belgium, France or Germany, an if so what the URL is?

http://www.vakantiefietser.be/forum
http://www.radforum.de/forum.php

Thanks. I will join those forums and try to post the same subject.

[Christophorus]

I'm going to check my aluminium Giant bike... meaning the one i still have.

Pay especially some attention to the holes of the internal cable routing. That hole and others are often the start of a crack, as goes for this particular example.

Ik heb hier nog een Koga frame liggen waar exact hetzelfde mee is gebeurd. De bovenbuis is gescheurd vanaf het gat van de kabel en de onderbuis scheurde vanaf de nok voor de bidonhouder.

[johnny-vs]

das wel een serieus gevaarlijke situatie als ge het mij vraagt....ik ben al huiverig tegenover een allu fiets en nu ik dit zie....hmmm

[Christophorus]

ik ben al huiverig tegenover een allu fiets en nu ik dit zie....hmmm

Ach... Ik heb evenzoveel of meer voorbeelden gezien met stalen frames. Alles kan kapot.

[Peter Molog]

ik ben al huiverig tegenover een allu fiets en nu ik dit zie....hmmm

Ach... Ik heb evenzoveel of meer voorbeelden gezien met stalen frames. Alles kan kapot.

door het rammelen had een pak sinaasappelsap in één van beider tassen een gaatje ontwikkeld en was 800ml gaan zwerven door de kleding...

M'n Continental TourRide had een scheurtje opgelopen IN die beek!

Wat leren we hiervan:

1. Nooit meer sinaasappelsap meenemen;
2. Nooit meer banden op je fiets;
3. Nooit meer door een beek of rivier waden.

Peter

[gartnl]

ik ben al huiverig tegenover een allu fiets en nu ik dit zie....hmmm

Ach... Ik heb evenzoveel of meer voorbeelden gezien met stalen frames. Alles kan kapot.

Ik herinner me nog mijn Gazelle Populair waarvan de zitbuis in een bocht besloot als twee losse stukken verder door het leven te gaan ..
Geen roest, geen trauma, gewoon net boven de trapas doormidden.

[Leon]

ik ben al huiverig tegenover een allu fiets en nu ik dit zie....hmmm

Ach... Ik heb evenzoveel of meer voorbeelden gezien met stalen frames. Alles kan kapot.

Sterker: ik heb zelf aardig wat stalen frames gebroken. Nimmer is me echter een stalen frame of vork in één keer gebroken zodat ik ten val kwam; dat is wat het aluminiumverhaal eng maakt.

Mijn Giant is overigens door de keuring. Het is een goedkopere versie waar geen gaten in zijn gemaakt voor draajes en die ook niet 'light' is gemaakt.
Leon