The mystery of the damaged down tubes

[Jules]

 

I've seen this happen on bikes where the bottle is nowhere near the down tube. When you have a flimsy cage' date=' especially carbon cages, they can move up and down and still rub the frame. This can happen quite easily if you ride on a bumpy road.[/quote']This happened quite a bit down on the down tube from where the bottle cage is.I dont think it is my bottles, it has never done that and I have been riding with the same bottles for ages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As obscure as it may sound, did anyone else have the same problem after the Fast One?

 

 

 

Epoh, I stand corrected, but I think the okes are talking about the bottle slipping out of the cage on the seat tube.

[Mudsimus]

 

As obscure as it may sound' date=' did anyone else have the same problem after the Fast One?

Epoh, I stand corrected, but I think the okes are talking about the bottle slipping out of the cage on the seat tube. [/quote']

 

Its definately the bottle. From the pictures you can see the damage were caused by a rubbing action. It wernt a once off incident.

 

And...it were raining during the fast one. All the grit and water on the bottle acted like sand paper. Thats probably why you only noticed it after that race.

Mud Dee2010-01-26 02:43:01

[Thug]

Don't your bottle cages have a lip at the bottom to prevent the bottles from slipping down ?

[NotSoBigBen]

I have the same on my bike after fast one, mine defintely was from my bottle. Have had the same cages forever and never had that sort of damage before

[Jules]

My cages have a lip, but it is possible for the bottle to slip past it. And it has happened to me before with the bottle on the seat tube. I use Bontrager cages on my Scott CR1, which is the bike in the photo.

 

 

 

Cateye makes a plastic cage where it is impossible for the bottle to slip down. I have them on my Colnago.

 

 

 

I think this is an important lesson for anyone who rides a carbon frame. Replace your cages before you end up like me and epoh!

 

 

 

 

[Jules]

I have the same on my bike after fast one' date=' mine defintely was from my bottle. Have had the same cages forever and never had that sort of damage before

[/quote']

 

 

 

BB, welcome to our unhappy club Can you post pics please? One of the damage and one of your cages?

[epoh]

 

 

ahhh right! I had this vivid day dream of the actual bottle cage slipping up and down.. 

 

I reckon Mud Dee is right, it has to be the bottle cage.. it has happened in the past that the bottles have slipped through the bottle cage attached to the seat tube but never caused damage. Perhaps it happened and in the thick of all the action I did not notice it.

 

epoh2010-01-26 03:07:00

[NotSoBigBen]

Sure Jules, will post them this evening!

[Jules]

BB, is your bike carbon? Are you gonna carry on riding it or try get it repaired?

[Barend de Arend]

I've had the exact same thing with Spezzy carbon cages. The lip at the bottom isn't very large (or not large enough), and the bottle falls straight through. The bottle doesn't actually crack the frame; it slides through and slowly rubs the paint off.

 

 

 

I currently use Cinelli carbon cages. The lip at the bottom covers the entire bottle diameter, and wraps back up. Can't happen anymore.

 

 

 

As a bonus the Cinellis don't lose water bottles on the rumble strip past the chicken farms on the way to Cradle. The only carbon cages I know that work. But they aren't the cheapest, or the lightest.

 

 

 

Spezzy plastic ones work too. Some alu ones work -- but some alu ones snap with a full bottle and a bumby road.    Newer Spezzy carbon cages have a longer lip.

 

 

 

You can test it: mount a bottle cage, and ram the bottle on the seat tube down hard. The seat tube cage goes first, because the weight is almost straight down.

 

 

 

Don't be a weight weenie on the cages. You'll lose a bottle or a frame.

 

 

 

Oh, and have the frame checked. The frame's not necessarily a write-off -- it might just be paint, or it might not be structural yet. The damage looks like the bottle just rubbed a bit: not cracked.

[Jules]

Thanks Barend. Seems fairly conclusive that it's the bottles.

 

 

 

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure my damage - and epoh's - is more than just the paint. It looks like at least two layers of carbon have been rubbed away

[Joe Low]

I have the same on my bike after fast one' date=' mine defintely was from my bottle. Have had the same cages forever and never had that sort of damage before [/quote']

 

Ya think its possible that throwing up grit with the muddy water on the Fast One may be a cause if its not happened before? If a bit got stuck under a (slightly) moving bottle cage would that act as an abrasive?

 

 

[epoh]

 

Thanks Barend. Seems fairly conclusive that it's the bottles.

 

 

 

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure my damage - and epoh's - is more than just the paint. It looks like at least two layers of carbon have been rubbed away

 

 

[Jules]

I have the same on my bike after fast one' date=' mine defintely was from my bottle. Have had the same cages forever and never had that sort of damage before [/quote']

 

 

 

?

 

Ya think its possible that throwing up grit with the muddy water on the Fast One?may be a cause if its not happened before? If a bit got stuck under a (slightly) moving bottle cage would that act as an abrasive?

 

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I'm convinced Mud Dee is right: the water and sand etc definitely played a role. It is just too much of a coincidence otherwise.

 

 

 

My guess is there are several more carbon frames that got this kind of damage last weekend

[Danger Dassie]

Might not be as bad as you think Jules, let the importer take a squiz. Would be more worried if it were a deep scratch.

 

For future use, 3M 'blade tape' is perfect for areas where there may be impact or rubbing. Can buy the stuff in rolls as well, not quite sure on what the pricing is but I reckon it's way cheaper than what so called 'cycle specific' sellers are.

 

I still have a bit, welcome to snag a few pieces for your steed.

 

[Jules]

Thanks DD

 

 

 

PS: don't use the "S-word" around epoh, it's like a red flag to a bull