Hi after a bit of advice guys, just bought this frame second hand delivered today and I was giving it a check when I found this on the weld where the seat tube meets the BB.
Would you guys be worried or am I being over cautious? Need to know so I can go back to the seller ASAP.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
looks like it maybe a crack.
Yeah I'd say so - my Marin crack looked like that (replaced by Marin so presumably was a crack).
[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4471342250_679e8b4acc.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ewanpanter/4471342250/ ]IMGP0668[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ewanpanter/ ]Ewan Panter[/url], on Flickr
Put some tipex on it, then jump it around a bit, then see if tipex is now cracked.
very hard to tell from the first two pics, more usually a crack occurs right next to the weld, as opposed to right through it
third pic looks more suspect tho
(on my phone, will look at big pics later)
Can't really tell from those pics TBH.
It would be odd for a crack to propagate through the filler material like that though - it would be more likely to be at the weld toe where the material is thinnest and in the heat affected zone of the parent material as they look like chunky welds! Really is hard to tell without seeing it up close though.
I took those on my iPhone, I'll get some better ones on the camera in a minute.
Just want to make sure before I go back to the seller as he has been great so far.
Would be surprised if that's a crack through the weld bead like that. Probably just in the paint.
I would say piant crack
Would be surprised if that's a crack through the weld bead like that. Probably just in the paint.
+1
here are some more with a better camera (slightly)
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
without scraping the paint away you'll never be 100% sure.
So either you send back to seller 'as is' or mutually agree to some paint removal to assess what's underneath?
Looks like dirt to me. I would just ride it. It is the same colour as a lot of the dirt around that area so you can assume that the bike hasn't led a very clean life.
Edit. Im slow. The better pics make it look more like a crack.
What frame?
2009 Orange ST4
definitely a crack in the paint.
Would be an odd place for the frame to crack tho.
[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/frame-doctors-diagnosis-please ]Similar[/url]
It may well be broked
looks like a crack to me.
I have only ever seen cracks go with the outside of the weld not through it so I would say its a paint crack.
That is so very similar...
I've seen a crack go through the weld, given that it's second hand; better safe than sorry would probably apply here.
So im within my rights to ask for a full refund right?
Im gutted i was so looking forward to this bike.
any advice on how to approach the buyer on this?
Doesn't look good to me.
looks like a crack
... but not the same - the other frame clearly cracked all the way along the weld toe - exactly where you would expect.That is so very similar...
However, in the new pics, it does look like there are two weld passes, with the 'crack' between along the fusion plane between two of them. My money is still on a paint crack but, as has been said, without a bit of digging you'll never know for sure.
Seller has just got back to me, he is going to give me a full refund.
Oh well i'll just have to save up and buy new.
Cheers everyone im off to mope about now.
If it's still in warranty, which it might be, can the seller (if the original owner) not get it replaced by Orange and then ship you the replacement?
He seems like a good guy, he is going to refund and if they sort it at orange give me first option on the frame.
I don't want to piss on anyones chips here but it is very common for cracks to go through filler material in aluminium alloys. Looks like a crack to me.