Anyone crashed their carbon's???

[GrimJack]

Ok, ok, I guess I have to chip in here, as I am the only person to EVER break one of those frames.

I put that frame through hell, without a doubt.  Thing is, I'd check it out after every ride where I crashed with a fine toothed comb, and never did a problem arise.  And I crashed plenty, believe it... and the frame took everything I could dish out, and more.  Mind you, at the time I was riding essentially XC - I'm STILL afraid of drops, but even so, high speed crashes on sharp rocks do as much or more damage than 15 foot hucks, I figure.

It wasn't until I started riding better, with no crashes at all, when the frame wrinkled on the downtube.

Now I can't say what the cause was, but I'm guessing that it was a manufacturing flaw, as K2 replaced it without complaint.  Either that or it was a goodwill gesture, but whatever the case, it speaks well of K2.  Either these frames are so tough that they can stand up to my riding even when flawed, or K2 is so customer oriented that they are willing to replace a frame that was used beyond it's design.

Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Bottom line:  There are many of these frames still in use around the world, and I am the only person I know who has managed to injure one.  That's a tough bike.

PS: I've also broken an Ellsworth Joker, which is a supposedly bombproof frame.  Someone ever comes out with a GrimJack-proof frame, I'm all over it like stink on a baby!  [smiley=laughing.gif]

[Di.R.T.]

Now I can't say what the cause was, but I'm guessing that it was a manufacturing flaw, as K2 replaced it without complaint.    [smiley=laughing.gif]

What did they replace it with?  I didn't think they have any carbs left.

[GrimJack]

They had at least one left then, 'cause that's what they gave me!  

[Old Proflexer]

the only other damaged carbon frame i saw was for sale last year - the pics are on my old computer.

the guy said he was stuffing the bike in the trunk of his car and wasn't quite all the way in.  his friend grabbed the trunk lid and pulled it down.  it caused a wrinkled section in the top tube near the head.  he sent me some closeup pics that i forwarded to k2 tech and they said the bike should still be quite rideable.  

passed on it tho' -

the worst thing i can think of that happens to the main triangles, and similar to the dropouts, is that the seat tube clamp internals can work loose over time and need to be rebonded. oh, and the clouding of the finish due to carbon/plastic separation - that's minor tho and a good layer of mud and dirt covers that easily.  
(different manufacturers for the swingarms and main frames)

OP

[Di.R.T.]

They had at least one left then, 'cause that's what they gave me!  

When was this?  And have you ridden the new one as hard or harder than before?
thanks for sharing.

[khuon]

share yr stories - i was just wondering how durable these sucker's are  

I once took a bad line and stupidly followed it right off the edge of a near cliff.  I travelled with the bike for a bit but a tree was nice enough to stop me from rolling all the way down.  Unfortunately, the bike continued on its own for another hundred feet before it got tangled in some other tree.  After a few minutes taking stock of myself to make sure I still had all my body parts, I made my way towards my bike and checked it out.  Aside from brake levers, saddle and barends turned all sorts of wrong ways, the bike was fine.  I did end up retruing the wheels though.  My last big crash however was also a stupid one (bike came out fine)...

http://journals.neebu.net/khuon/archives/000012.html

[jimbo]

"I landed pretty much face first. My bike actually flipped over my head and landed in front of me. My helmet visor went flying one way... my Rudys snapped (@#!#^$*!!)."


Did you get your Rudy's replaced?  Rudy has a pretty good replacement policy.  One of buddies accidently stepped on his and he had his replaced at a reason replacement cost.

[GrimJack]

When was this?  And have you ridden the new one as hard or harder than before?
thanks for sharing.

This was some time ago by now, and I never rode the replacement.  I sold it to Mike over the pond for his wife's ride.

I would have ridden it, problem was it took a few months to get.  Had to send it across the border into the USA to the mail order place where I bought it, then they had to ship it to K2, back to the mail order place, then back to me.  Biggest problems were customs both ways of course, it waited several weeks either direction according to the online tracking system.

Add to that the fact that I had a few extra thousand bucks burning a hole in my pocket from a bonus at work, and the fact that I found an Ellsworth Joker frame for cheap... and I liked the similarities between the EVO / Oz series and the Joker... so I bought a Joker the day after I discovered the wrinkles in my Oz, and never went back.

I rode the Joker for quite some time, until I snapped it up at Whistler, likely from screwing up a table top jump.  Ellsworth replaced the frame free under warranty - their lifetime warranty truly is hassle free!  But had the same problems with customs... the first time I shipped it, it was actually refused entry into the US!!! So, I sent it across the border with a riding buddy who shipped it USPS, then waited like 6 more weeks while it came back through Customs.  Of course, by then I'd bought a Santa Cruz Bullit, which I am riding now.

I still have a spare Joker frame in case I break my Bullit, too.  'Course, now I'll never break another frame, but it's nice to have the insurance!  [smiley=nod.gif]

[khuon]

"I landed pretty much face first. My bike actually flipped over my head and landed in front of me. My helmet visor went flying one way... my Rudys snapped (@#!#^$*!!)."


Did you get your Rudy's replaced?  Rudy has a pretty good replacement policy.  One of buddies accidently stepped on his and he had his replaced at a reason replacement cost.

Yep.  I exercised their replacement policy.  Since the frame wasn't broken under warranty (my fault as opposed to manufacturer defect) but the lenses were covered under their "normal use no-fault guarantee", they ended up charging me about half the price of the frame which was around US$50 to get the whole thing replaced.  Still a bit of cash but I have no complaints.

[Mr.Ed]

the oz is the bike I broke me sternum on...aaarrrghhh!!!   [smiley=turtle.gif]two years of it abusing me and so far nothing outside of  small scratches on the downtube and swingarm.