Is this bike going to explode?

[notsew]

Yet another should I ride it thread. Although in this case, its more like, should I sell it?

I was showing a potential buyer my poprad and he found this crack that I've never noticed. Its the headtube/toptube junction and looks like it could be a crack, but maybe just paint? Its along the weld and comes up into the headtube. I pulled the fork and neither me nor the buyer could find the corresponding damage on the inside, which it seems like there would be (at least on the headtube part).

I'm not even sure why I'm asking, as I'm sure the answer will be, "it could be." But, all the same, does this look terminal?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wK0-ltv_wd9YPqJ89rU9hgsBXlHTWwKe0q-0xDlx1xl5oga5eEB1minY_mYOeX68JX77bJQLrD8v9Sl78ZKPc DIr_LIEAo8MU4GICBcb2h1OXRgR2Rtk_RdHa1aMdl5f6D4mOz0 UroZ53fsm7zdAj_yifplsL5oafwlAWOXbhbWu0gZmZXz1RVzSd PKyV2tFiMeYPJ-qXOZ_p-DQd5EN7caeJS0QGKJwXwfm8_HEo8wZCLyYmmo26wDFy7pJI5I0 veuemVczgMfeMwUoZSRYd5ZQqU6pds4CaAVb8KNalT0gxflfNl O39WaOe2vuicDZLTL0X_5vAOrIRo9Dz0AosqgNm89Afm4lHjgb R3EsXCbBWUKY4s-88jWhgGcKYXCsoT5j9gto8AuYMWi_3cO1E0_ZkamdjY-rjwo2Ru7s1h9nYFl91MM9cPBun2ceMWIoiQrhWrQI9RMDNs5Eb 2Cmw7mJlhaJdzqM5OmrKnrPXnU-NI-UNdw_EQuXBZuwvX3yFuP0dWk1sF1OlSa1VhF1qXMOGnaV-A-hYA2_r-TGCZwnJ491u1mI1pdDRiRSWHkNxQwQtHgM63Ce2-C6BTNKPTy-t_i89YGtKN3Acq_VYKXKf8THLwKZ=w348-h611-no

[Louis]

Yet another should I ride it thread. Although in this case, its more like, should I sell it?

I would say neither.

The only way to be sure is to sand down to the metal, but I think that frame's toast.

[ultraman6970]

+1, well could be a paint crack.

About exploding, well probably not but if its a crack it will continue growing and at some point will start creaking badly.

[bike]

Yet another should I ride it thread. Although in this case, its more like, should I sell it?

I was showing a potential buyer my poprad and he found this crack that I've never noticed. Its the headtube/toptube junction and looks like it could be a crack, but maybe just paint? Its along the weld and comes up into the headtube. I pulled the fork and neither me nor the buyer could find the corresponding damage on the inside, which it seems like there would be (at least on the headtube part).

I'm not even sure why I'm asking, as I'm sure the answer will be, "it could be." But, all the same, does this look terminal?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wK0-ltv_wd9YPqJ89rU9hgsBXlHTWwKe0q-0xDlx1xl5oga5eEB1minY_mYOeX68JX77bJQLrD8v9Sl78ZKPc DIr_LIEAo8MU4GICBcb2h1OXRgR2Rtk_RdHa1aMdl5f6D4mOz0 UroZ53fsm7zdAj_yifplsL5oafwlAWOXbhbWu0gZmZXz1RVzSd PKyV2tFiMeYPJ-qXOZ_p-DQd5EN7caeJS0QGKJwXwfm8_HEo8wZCLyYmmo26wDFy7pJI5I0 veuemVczgMfeMwUoZSRYd5ZQqU6pds4CaAVb8KNalT0gxflfNl O39WaOe2vuicDZLTL0X_5vAOrIRo9Dz0AosqgNm89Afm4lHjgb R3EsXCbBWUKY4s-88jWhgGcKYXCsoT5j9gto8AuYMWi_3cO1E0_ZkamdjY-rjwo2Ru7s1h9nYFl91MM9cPBun2ceMWIoiQrhWrQI9RMDNs5Eb 2Cmw7mJlhaJdzqM5OmrKnrPXnU-NI-UNdw_EQuXBZuwvX3yFuP0dWk1sF1OlSa1VhF1qXMOGnaV-A-hYA2_r-TGCZwnJ491u1mI1pdDRiRSWHkNxQwQtHgM63Ce2-C6BTNKPTy-t_i89YGtKN3Acq_VYKXKf8THLwKZ=w348-h611-no

i would for sure put some paint stripper on there and clean up the metal really well and check it out to see how it looks, in the raw.

[FlashUNC]

Across a weld like that? Man. Looks done to me.

[notsew]

Just to complete the record on this, the crack was only paint deep.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CP_Cbua1yuE3zZJgaNZApXxKGd9-KS9hBPfmu99P1cw7u-TOUWouGB2Ye2axisLCAONSbKhMx8K7IWMtvb61pmkqGQnecVaH 8qvvzD7Oyz6YCFM_1j9ojkffcQKq6RXotnqVKcGI9ZUna5SqTJ 1K_C9cqieCNBuZLWSW4Aq2qxdCqYxiCZ-VUh-qii7J47_p8p5VnbDA1CLaCttTX5yXAFvTy7RiS_oO6l5qI1BzH Pypu7oPkcLJmeC3nn_3t-aQb3O4PuG-P7t_HxudlWyQclueal2NxvATG3JvhjmV0lABIurEvwRNAIEGFD ta3ditsyO-u0C6a6daB0PnuFJ5kd_PZItfUSGTAUzyZmd8wC9pi0SsbS9_w0 2P5-_ecENKJjgSxbWDotwFg00H7obV2NOxHv14A2T0xZJdb3teiT11 5AxZCEFyu7SoAMfMd31wVh46ZwkgFz1rE8KG0NimedKy-UsWYxQiIOzYkhXELWN3Q5Prfoq3jxPKpe9WC4khKkC0L_TEX3M swk8Xs0BBFudA8VXvaeaMAjKnQj67_CXXwYNcjQF-ErJZbPm6p0Fn8kkMXenccfaxaxbzX-9q2iBXiRaqEQrapIlVKdFBLX5faK5QuF6ZWtTEPaXgB1LVwTgb rypLt63T1yijjzWWTWJHjrOEXYhAjxeTkSVB9hI36Q=w353-h619-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/07lNNSVam8q9MiGcttGgFGmwzhKvDbptK8lPg9pwS9UjFisFY4 QgRw0iMs5do0IvA9b0A7SZfpP6pXSBmUZsVYs6XM-hsCtZE8I8Et9u3_z9NMh_YRe4CjJFm1UIFaOOQn-f8F8-l9fv2P6q8xabZViN9rhiu8J6x-QkBHDefVzBqOJiuustskOTCr3V00Jbk1JCn2aCaAptA8x6LDx3 i0qiAZ0jIKN7kTR2Oth50X7DrhPBf15ZytU5SQIX2NsMzf1anw Kao6YaVn3Dhea6giFKDeWRasoMElLDdMrMqsS8d_6NgMEBQNT7 xwGWhDAgQJiEzy-eX5fm2wDTNPZ44aAJYPBWxlytJZ9kwXUcy1tj5z2U5XboJVJAF gIFUn6wlElG52W88F-U3-s0QHxCt-WcaDGhzdg5R6eR4sCrgtBlyJlD9xY6kDqLUatkT5I7TOm4W5RN 6haemxPnG8lFKEuNuf1BFx4D59u1xkVLlbrQth3BcPo6KzR22s _HUXozlpYR2lYd6VXbpgu7mHoVXmPD_3kc2PdPMvGfskTePGcm 0PrQyPitF8YGqwgFdLBk4l1BZaLcWXfjtIXO1kgs88HG5bp3Z6 Hay-NrQs_4XI_gL4Fb3vNPYL400QNp0URv-0sX4fSHG9u1XwUO8IjcAKClVovHxqMOGHT_TjL7do7smw=w349-h619-no