Cracked Headtube

[dk2ck]

My bike has a crack on the head tube and I am going to ask a question I probably know the answer to.

Can it be repaired (safely)?

http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/6493/4un8.jpg

http://imageshack.us/scaled/landing/51/6fr6.jpg

[jtakeda]

How does a bike even crack there?

Not an expert, but best guess says that people are gonna be callin dibs on that wound up fork.

[bicycletricycle]

you could get some one to weld that up, what do you have to loose? its not going to catastrophically fail if the repair doesn't hold, it will just start to crack just like now along the edge of the weld.

i think.

[Peter B]

I think that Teschner's done.

[Louis]

Time to get another frame and just transfer everything over.

If you have time, look for something here on the forum. If you're in a huge rush order something temporary from say, Nashbar, for $125 (or whatever they are these days) and ride that until you get a true replacement. (I did that years and years ago after my Trek 400 died and I waited for a custom, and I'm still riding the Framé today...)

[mossman]

How does a bike even crack there?


maybe the headset cup was pressed in just slightly off..?

[lemondvictoire]

Time to get another frame and just transfer everything over.

If you have time, look for something here on the forum. If you're in a huge rush order something temporary from say, Nashbar, for $125 (or whatever they are these days) and ride that until you get a true replacement. (I did that years and years ago after my Trek 400 died and I waited for a custom, and I'm still riding the Framé today...)

Nashbar has new frames on sale for $99 :) See: nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_511702_-1___202389

[Louis]

Nashbar has new frames on sale for $99 :) See: nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_511702_-1___202389

I thought mine was going to be just a stopgap thing, but I've been riding it for over 10 years. At that price, you can't beat the value.

[rustychisel]

Is that really a Teschner? Says so on the DT I suppose. If so it's at least 10 years old, probably closer to 15, and it isn't going to get any better by itself.

ST sticker seems to suggest 1st generation Easton SC tubing? It's done. If you like the ride of alloy get a Cannondale CAAD somethingorother.


PS: a few years ago there was a guy with a Teschner SC frame with a very similar headtube crack. He'd been riding it around NYC as a messenger bike for a decade IIRC. C'est la vie.

[slidey]

Man, the forum should start betting odds against which one you're going to (forced/otherwise) retire first - the Acura or the Nashbar frame! :p

I thought mine was going to be just a stopgap thing, but I've been riding it for over 10 years. At that price, you can't beat the value.

[Louis]

Man, the forum should start betting odds against which one you're going to (forced/otherwise) retire first - the Acura or the Nashbar frame! :p

News Flash: The Integra's on the way out.

On Monday I took it to the dealer for an oil change (kind of a pain for me to do, and given the age I like having them take a look every now and then). The rear right brake caliper is sticking a bit (now that I know that I compared the temp of the two rear wheels when I got home yesterday and the right was noticeably warmer) and they also said that the two right wheel bearings will need to be changed soon.

Today I called the saleman at the Subaru dealer and told him to start looking for a manual transmission Impreza. (around here 99% of the inventory is CVT) Assuming they can find me one, the Acura's days with me are numbered.

On Monday I told the Acura Service Consultant to tell the mechanics that I'd be selling the Integra soon. Afterward he said a few interested. They checked prices online and said around $800 they would be willing to deal. That ballpark works for me, so hopefully I can get it to a good home. Plus, I wouldn't have to worry about any mechanical issues right after the sale - if they didn't see it, I sure as heck could not have been expected to know about it.

[dk2ck]

Is that really a Teschner? Says so on the DT I suppose. If so it's at least 10 years old, probably closer to 15, and it isn't going to get any better by itself.

ST sticker seems to suggest 1st generation Easton SC tubing? It's done. If you like the ride of alloy get a Cannondale CAAD somethingorother.


PS: a few years ago there was a guy with a Teschner SC frame with a very similar headtube crack. He'd been riding it around NYC as a messenger bike for a decade IIRC. C'est la vie.
Yes, it is a Teschner from the early 2000s with Easton SC7000 tubing. I actually picked it up early last year at the San Diego Velodrome Swap Meet. I emailed Peter Teschner and found out that it was a sample frame for Dedacciai that he made with Easton SC7000 and some scandium Dedacciai tubing for Interbike. He stressed that it was made as as a sample ONLY and should not be ridden. Their goal was to see how light they could make an aluminum frame--they ended up reaching 796 grams.

After talking to Peter, he suggested if I *really* wanted to build it, I should put it through its paces very slowly and see how it felt/held up. I followed his suggestions (started with some climbing, then some sprints, and only after I was sure the bike wasn't going to implode on me I did descents) and have been riding it for a year now. While this crack isn't a complete surprise, I am sad to see the frame go... I am glad I still have my teeth, but damn, it was a nice bike.

Regardless, it is a cool frame to own and I'll be keeping it on my wall for sure.

[rustychisel]

Good story, and goddam that's light.

Cool people ride Teschner, sad to see it hanging up.

http://www.dbmagazine.com.au/cyclo/Tesch2010.1.jpg

[Fiertetimestwo]

Good story, and goddam that's light.

Cool people ride Teschner, sad to see it hanging up.

http://www.dbmagazine.com.au/cyclo/Tesch2010.1.jpg

Nice wheels!

[rustychisel]

Yeah, they look better on your Carbon Fierte, I'll concede that.

[stien]

I have a manitou frame with the same issue. Frank the welder in VT said he could replace the head tube. Don't think the crack is repairable, but a new tube fixes the issue.

[Kirk Pacenti]

I have a manitou frame with the same issue. Frank the welder in VT said he could replace the head tube. Don't think the crack is repairable, but a new tube fixes the issue.


I'll second the recommendation to have FTW do a headtube-ectomy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankthewelder/6716951291/). Find him on flicker, he does a bunch of aluminum frame repair.

[ntb1001]

thats a shame that it cracked like that...I don`t think that you`ll be able to weld a repair on that...and if you did...the headset cup would probably never install properly.....too bad. :(

[ultraman6970]

What about a headset with a longer neck?? Maybe the crack is too deep for that.

[Tony T]

I emailed Peter Teschner and found out that it was a sample frame for Dedacciai that he made with Easton SC7000 and some scandium Dedacciai tubing for Interbike. He stressed that it was made as as a sample ONLY and should not be ridden. Their goal was to see how light they could make an aluminum frame--they ended up reaching 796 grams.

The answer to your original question ("Can it be repaired (safely)?") is somewhere in this^ statement...:)

[alessandro]

Good story, and goddam that's light.

Cool people ride Teschner, sad to see it hanging up.

http://www.dbmagazine.com.au/cyclo/Tesch2010.1.jpg

Nice wheels!

Nice couch.

[dk2ck]

Peter got back to an email with:

"The only option is to contact a machine shop who could make up a stainless steel sleeve to be pushed over the outside of the top of the head tube to bring the crack back together and all should be ok. May need to drill a small hole at the end of the crack which will stop it from going any further. The Machine Shop would also be able to check the internal diameter of the head tube and the OD of the Chris King Headset to ensure that the crush fit is not too tight...only need .002"+.001" press fit."

I love the frame but I am not sure my peace of mind is worth it. Looks like I'm hanging this one up.