Will you repair this?

[shaper]

Value of work done has no relation to the claim amount in the medical industry - there is basically no upper limit - lifetime loss of income for Bill Gates would be a difficult pill to swallow for any insurer..

 

If a building drops it's roof on someone and you as designer of the structure are found guilty of negligence, then you are open to massive claims - you may want to relook at your coverage and make sure your legal fees are covered as well as never working in the industry again's expenses.

Thanks, they are covered and have been with this particular insurance company for the last 15 years.  Agreed the value of project costs and company turnover is only taken into consideration by the insurance company as one of the factors to determine your risk profile.  Hence would be a similar factor with regard to bike repairing and their risk profile.

[BigDL]

I can't answer 2, but I can have a go at 1.

 

Bikes use more, thinner laminates as they increase in quality. When I am repairing, the process of removing the cracked and delaminated carbon allows me a pretty good view of how the manufacturer designed the laminate. Then, within the limitations of the material available to me, I emulate as far as possible the original layup.

 

I do this to minimise the creation of stress raisers that will crack the frame layer and to keep the frame strength and stiffness the same.

 

For this reason I keep stock of a variety of carbon facrics in various areal masses and weaves. I keep plain, twill, satin, ud and biaxial fabrics in stock. I keep some of them in high strength carbon, some in standard modulus, high modulus and some UHM fibre too. I also keep various epoxy systems that are utilised appropriately.

 

Your specific question on Bianchi CV - a single and outermost laminate of a 163gsm carbon/aramid balanced plain weave over the structural ud HM fibre is what I usually do, and as far as I am concerned this is what Bianchi do too.

I haven't a clue what you're talking about mostly, but I am always impressed to read or listen to the words of a passionate expert in their field. 

[Shebeen]

@ Carbon Ninja

 

As I said above, I appreciate your input. I have never needed a serious repair job on a carbon bike (I only have one between the steel, titanium and aluminium ones) I would not have bothered to repair anything more than a very minor crack if I ever needed to, but reading your posts have changed my mind. I still hope I never need your expertise (just like I hope never to need the orthopedic surgeon again) but it is good to know it is there. Just for in case I damage the beloved red racer.

 

This is what i wanted to say.

 

If a bike can be repaired, then it's better than throwing it out for everyone (except maybe the manufacturers who got a second sale on replacement frame). 

 

It seems like bike insurance status quo has changed, good to see the gap in repair space has attracted some clearly skilled operators.

[Hairy]

Bad jokes aside ... can one fix a cracked alum frame with a carbon "wrap" at all?

 

Or is this too much of an open question and the actual frame would have to be inspected first?

[V12man]

Bad jokes aside ... can one fix a cracked alum frame with a carbon "wrap" at all?

 

Or is this too much of an open question and the actual frame would have to be inspected first?

Are you going to weld the crack first or not?

[Hairy]

Are you going to weld the crack first or not?

If the project is worthwhile I am open to doing whatever, except putting a Spaz sticker on the frame to "make it go faster"

[V12man]

Uh, shaper... You cannot extrapolate your PI cost to someone in a different industry. It's a vastly different situation for each occupation and in the medical field can run to hundreds of thousands of rands each year, as an example.

 

5k p/a is a very low cost for PI cover. That said, it's always a good option to have in place.

You are missing a zero for some of the specialities.... thank god I am not an obstetrician....

[Hairy]

You are missing a zero for some of the specialities.... thank god I am not an obstetrician....

 obstetrician...is that like a hipster electrician from Observatory?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

You are missing a zero for some of the specialities.... thank god I am not an obstetrician....

Yeah, it's borderline theft Ito premiums they charge

Edited November 27, 2019 by Captain Fastbastard Mayhem

[V12man]

If the project is worthwhile I am open to doing whatever, except putting a Spaz sticker on the frame to "make it go faster"

Weld first and then carbon reinforce it over the top - will look good anyway - and will hide any subsequent cracking....

 

You can certainly bond carbon and aluminium together - my old Alan has carbon tubes glued into alu lugs - and that dates from the '80's

 

Just stay the f... out of my ER.

[V12man]

 obstetrician...is that like a hipster electrician from Observatory?

That is the man that looks at your wife in a way she won't let you do........

[Hairy]

Weld first and then carbon reinforce it over the top - will look good anyway - and will hide any subsequent cracking....

 

You can certainly bond carbon and aluminium together - my old Alan has carbon tubes glued into alu lugs - and that dates from the '80's

 

Just stay the f... out of my ER.

Excellent, the frame just became an ornament above my dartboard in the garage

[Christie]

Carbon guys ... do you x-ray or scan your repairs when complete, or do some other form of testing to ensure the bond and repair is 100%?

This is a very good question. What are the acceptance criteria of a repair between the various parties: repairer-insurer-client?

[V12man]

Excellent, the frame just became an ornament above my dartboard in the garage

On a serious note - you can probably weld it safely as a repair if you find a decent welder - and inspect it regularly after repair - so I would not cover it with carbon - although that used to be done in the mid 90's by one of the smaller manufacturers who I can't remember - probably no longer in business because it was a DH bike from memory,

[Carbon Ninja]

a question to the 2 bike repairers,

In the case of the bike this topic refers to, would it not be feasible to get a replacement part (sorry I've gone blank on the term [head tube ??], the part where the steerer fits into) and bond that in rather than trying to fix the break ?

I have fabricated replacement head tubes before and bonded these onto the top and down tubes ????????

[Carbon Ninja]

This is what i wanted to say.

 

If a bike can be repaired, then it's better than throwing it out for everyone (except maybe the manufacturers who got a second sale on replacement frame).

 

It seems like bike insurance status quo has changed, good to see the gap in repair space has attracted some clearly skilled operators.

And, (I think this is really important), we keep an environmentally dirty bike on the road instead of landfill. Carbon fibre is very dirty to produce. It's mostly made from pitch, dirty, oily tar, at huge energy costs. The epoxy resin is full of carcinogens and nasty chemicals... Processing the carbon takes a 700kPa pressurised 120 degree oven!

 

It's much greener to keep it on the road and not waste all of that effort than to scrap it and make another bike from scratch.