[Closed] Carbon fork crack - warranty?

Who is 'they' lbs, distributor, bike co, manufacturer?

The shop who have the distribution deal. Sorry - struggling with this sites image function...

When I had an issue with a carbon frame the distributor wanted it back for inspection. Basically they cut it up to see if the issue was a void etc in the layup. Saying 'not us' from a pic is a bit of a stretch imo, it's not liek even postage on a fork is an issue and you won't be riding it like that (I assume?).

You coudl talk to one of the carbon repair places though, get a second, informed, opinion from a physical inspection.

Hopefully this works?

Can't see photo but it's not just down to manufacturing - composites can fail prematurely due to poor design resulting in stress concentrations and accelerated fatigue failure. Most bike shops know diddly-squat about composites.

What size of rotor do you have on it and is it rated for that size (spotted the adapter).

The rotor etc. are all as purchased - I haven't changed anything since it was bought.

Going to run the forks into the branch where I purchased it from to see if I have any better luck face-to-face, but I'm pretty peeved off by the initial email response. Thought they'd ask me to post them but the response is feeling more like a fob-off.

I wouldn't just leave it at that. Would be going in to see the manager, replying to any and all e-mails and generally making a small nusense of myself until they either caved in or I resorted to small claims process.

Sorry for perhaps the stupid question, but is that bit of the fork actually carbon? The dropout looks like an aluminium insert from your image.

I think you can get both types; full carbon, or carbon legs with alloy inserts.

It would be worth checking what type you have.

Hi Stumpy - there’s definitely an aluminium insert in there, and what I’m now wondering is how far that goes up the leg. I had assumed it was moulded carbon all around the insert, but perhaps it’s only paint over the metal which has cracked.

What bike is the fork off? Maybe someone with the same fork can check their's out.

Ok you twisted my arm. Boardman Road Pro Carbon (2017). I was intending to give them time to change their response before I named, but what the heck.

GrunkaLunka

Member
Hi Stumpy – there’s definitely an aluminium insert in there, and what I’m now wondering is how far that goes up the leg.

The post mounts for the caliper look like alloy to me; I reckon the whole lower section is an insert (as in, everything below the upper post mount is alloy).

Presumably if you unscrew the caliper you can see if the thread on the post mounts is alloy?
I'd also be tempted to gently tap the fork leg with an allen key (6mm or so) and listen for a change in tone that would indicate an alloy/carbon join?

Thanks Stumpy, going to give that a go tonight and see.

Update:

I forwarded my correspondence with Cycle Republic to Boardman Bikes and asked if they could assist. Their immediate response was to ask for my address and post me some new forks.

Lessons learnt - Cycle Republic are pretty unhelpful, but kudos to Boardman’s customer service who are excellent!

Have you noted yet that Cycle Republic is a posh Halfords, and that Halfords also own Boardman? So Halfords are actually the good and bad guys here!

Mind. Blown!

Cycle Republic have been a bit pap in the store from past experience. I then contacted central customer services and they actually bent over backwards to help with an issue I had with a bikehut light.

Good that you got the right outcome in the end as Boardman bikes are actually pretty good and great value (had a road bike and a mountain bike from them).