HELP! Carbon Owners

[shovelon]

Hey There,

 Would you carbon owners please check your frames for this characteristic? Underneath the downtube about 25mm back or so from the headtube at the seam there is a bulge about 10mm diameter on my bike. This bulge looks like a molding relief.

 The reason I am asking is I am not sure if this is common with all the 4500, 5500, OZ frames. I am keeping an eye on mine because there are some small wavy surface cracks orbiting this bulge.

 Thanks for anyone that can help.

Terry

[Simon]

Hi terry,yep my 4500 has one,my son's Oz has one but its alot less pronounced,his appears to be trimmed abit more at the seam,sounds like something left over from the molding process,I'm sure its nothing to worry about,when Dominic split open his frame to repair it because he thought the frame had split around the b/b and s/arm pivot he found it was only some surface delamination,it would of been fine to leave it.
Simon.

[Frankd3000]

Terry, do you have a pic? I work in the mold industry and MIGHT be able to recognize if it's just shut-off/flash effect, or a problem.

Key word: might.

I already suspect that with it being round, it might be the flash associated with the (injection) nozzle. You can see this same feature on nearly every piece of plastic, in some way or another. Anyways, blabbing.... pic?

[Wankel]

Just wanted to add my $.02,  I've had 3 OZs (different sizes) and all had that "deflect" (notice that I didn't say defect) in them. When I asked K2 about it a while back, they stated that it is just a "product of the processing when the finish was finalized....". They said it is not a struct. defect and that the frame would be just fine.
 So, I don't know.  Scared the H&LL out of me when I first noticed it on my other OZ.  But, they say live with it.

Again, just my $.02

Wankel

[shovelon]

  I will work on the picture. The bump has always been there but now if I look closer I see these cracks in the plastic.

 Otherwise I am pounding the life out of it. Which is why I got scared. It has been creaking alot, which I narrowed down to cable flexing at the ferrules. Then I spotted those cracks.

Terry

[Wankel]

shovelon,
 I wouldn't worry too much about it. Yes, I agree - it bugs me. And, both miy current OZ's (one with very few miles on it, and the other with LOTS of pounding off-road miles on it) have the slight raise with circular cracking near the surface of the finish. I don't like it - but I've grown out of it being a reason to not ride the frame. Granted, I pulled apart the older frame and set it aside for about 6 months - and rode my 957 and 656. Then decided "the heck with it", called K2, they said go for it! ...so I did. They've both been fine and don't seem to be any worse for ware. I'm just saying - if you want to worry about it - then do, I totaly understand!  But, unless you plan on hanging it on the wall [ been there ] I'd say use your best judgement .

Wankel

 I will work on the picture. The bump has always been there but now if I look closer I see these cracks in the plastic.

 Otherwise I am pounding the life out of it. Which is why I got scared. It has been creaking alot, which I narrowed down to cable flexing at the ferrules. Then I spotted those cracks.

Terry

[Carbon_Angus]

I have one of those wee bumps, too.  Never noticed it b4.

Those "cracks" ...they must be right on the surface, not in the carbon weave itself?..Simon mentioned that, too...right

One of our Mods   "Grim Jack" had his frame warrantied, it's the only one I have heard of that needed replacement.

[smiley=beer.gif]

[shovelon]

Thanks guys,

 There does not seem to be any cracks into the weave. So I will keep on aridin.

Phew! Terry