[Closed] Should I ride this? Cracked dropout...

I'm fairly relaxed about frame damage compared to some on here, who think they're likely to die in a explodey fireball if their frame gets a little dink, but no way I'd ride that. 🤕

No, you should not ride that.

I'm fairly relaxed about dings etc but that is very close to failure, and it would most likely be catastrophic. Like wheel falling out and you stacking very very hard.  So no 😬

If it happened last September you've been lucky.

The opposite side is quite substantial so I guess it is probably ok to ride around a car park with no lumps, bumps or jumps.

I would definitely not ride it as a few bad cases, twists, knocks would probably finish it off. As the heaviest impacts and stress in that area are generally associated with speed or landing, you are in for a big crash if it goes.

Not worth risking it any longer imo.

Assuming those photos are of the bike upside down.

I can't see how those two little slivers (one of which is now gone of course) of aluminium can be providing any real structural strength to the dropout other than stopping the axle falling out.

If it was an old-style open dropout without the mounting part for the hanger we'd all be happily riding it.

So the question is, could the hanger that sits in there pull out? The whole spine/plate thing that it mounts on would have to pull out for that to happen, which seems unlikely to me, all it really needs to do is hold half the wheel up when you're off the ground.

So, yes, on balance I'd ride it.

Although I would feel happier getting a commitment from the supplier to get it replaced, then glue the hanger into the dropout until the replacement arrives.

Now this is the sort of answer I was looking for.
Yes pics are of bike upside down.
The axle screws into the mech hanger. Once tight it’s not going to move. Glueing it in is an idea. I’ll be getting a new chainstay as soon as they have stock. Actually considered buying a spare last summer. Bought a mech hanger which is clearly tougher than the frame..
I am a wheels on the ground rider... but planning a trip to laggan in the summer. Not really hardtail terrain!
4-1 not riding it... hmmm

The 4 against are all in wheelchairs not having taken similar advice. The 1 for hasn't got his yet. You could look for a BOGOF deal together... 😁

Errr......no.

Glue it? With what kind of glue?

Its still a no from me.

When that fails, it WILL be spectacular.

Araldite?

Anyway I’m only slightly serious. An occasional riding pal snapped his deviate highlander a couple of weeks ago landing something I would ride round every time and is lucky to have escaped with 6 weeks in a neck brace and no surgery so I’m aware of the risks. £2700 carbon frame snapped the head tube off...

It's your face so if you're happy to risk smashing it in then crack on.

Hmm...I'd be concerned about that one and likely not ride it. But with that crack doesn't it now effectively have similar strength and material left intact to the open dropouts we all used a few years ago without issue?

Surely if it fails, being the rear it'll just get a bit wonky.

Probably a bit like when I had a QR fail on a rocky descent, when a flying rock took the lever with it

I had a chainstay fail on a Grapil and it just felt a bit odd.
Some years ago a mate had a URT frame fail at the pivot. He didn't die, the bike was literally snapped in half.

If it was the front end I'd worry, rear? Not so much

My old Santa Cruz VP Free had a QR through axle, i.e. a 12x150mm rear bolt through axle but with an open dropout. I would imagine most of the strength is on the top so I wouldn't worry personally.

I'd ride it but I wouldn't send it.

In theory with the axle clamped against the hub there is still quite a lot of metal there to take the load of normal riding - but probably risky if you plan to hammer the crap out of it. If I couldn't get the part and the options were don't ride at all or ride it like that, then I would be stripping all the paint off and riding it - but checking it after every single ride without fail.

As per branes, can anyone explain why this is terribly dangerous but an open dropout isn't? Original Marzocchi QR20 forks had essentially the same thing with an open 20mm dropout that was far thinner than that frame. If that doesn't have enough meat to remain safe now then it never was to begin with.

My first reaction was that the mech hanger was meant to bolt into position just above the axle, however I can now see that it's a seat stay mounted pivot and the hanger is supported by the axle.

The original knock was hard enough to overcome the torque of the axle and pull the hanger bolt through the frame and tear the aluminium, so sooner or later your rear mech is going to rotate again. Your mech will have chain tension to contend with and if it rotates and your mech winds up in your spokes then the result could be spectacular. Araldite (or similar) isn't really an option as there's not much in the way of surface area for it to bond to, plus it looks as though your frame has cracked all the way through to the axle.

I'm pretty relaxed about stuff like this, but I wouldn't ride it either TBH.

Ah, OK I didn't clock the fact the photo's were upside down. So there's little chance of the axle splitting its way through the drop out and jamming the back tyre in the frame or wrapping the chain around the cassette.

I'd probably risk it on a gentle pootle, but still wouldn't be hammering it.

I’d ride it but I wouldn’t send it.

If it was my only bike, I'd ride it. Obviously check it after every ride for peace of mind. This is why you need multiple bikes.

All those worrying about gluing should stop riding their carbon fibre frames now.

I'm another one in the "ride it" camp. Might not take it to a weekend enduro race in the Alps, though, but I wouldn't stress about riding it in the same way you've been riding for the last 8 months. I'd be checking that bit more regularly though.

Those little bridges that are snapped through next to nothing to start with, they're only doing ever so slightly less now.

You can see how much meat there is in the remaining part of the "dropout" compared to the hanger bolt piece. And it looks like there's been no more damage/movement than there was from the original spoke/mech incident.

Take a photo from the top? i.e. with the bike still upside down, looking straight down onto the edge of the broken bridges.

I had a chainstay fail on a Grapil and it just felt a bit odd.
Some years ago a mate had a URT frame fail at the pivot. He didn’t die, the bike was literally snapped in half.

If it was the front end I’d worry, rear? Not so much

Same. I snapped my old steel Kona Hahanna at the chainstay right next to the dropout when I was sprinting up a hill (powahhh 😈 ), and it just felt like my tyre had gone flat.

New bike time!

It will be fine.. unless its not.
Maybe dont ride alone.

One gold tooth cost me £1000 over several horrible dental experiences.

I'd be getting a second hand frame for £1000 and not undergoing any dental work if if could possibly avoid it.

If you are waiting on chain stays coming into stock, I'd go for a frame you could swap your bits over onto or a bike you could sell when the chain stays turn up.

New bikes seem like a fun place to put my money.
New dental work always seems like something to completely avoid at all costs

So I’ve been into go outdoors and the bike tech had a look and agreed with the general principle that it shouldn’t have happened, discussed it’s out of warranty, but seems to me not fit for purpose as mech hanger should give way before frame damage.
Any how he squirrelled off to the back room to see what he could find and my heart skipped a beat when he came back clutching a piece of frame.
However it was a seatstay...
But he’s going to make some enquiries. I’m a bit more hopeful but not holding my breath.
Anyway as @nedrapier requested here is a pic from below.
From below

From above the flaked off paint was the giveaway that something was wrong.

Flaky

New bike time!

Probably new frame time when this is sorted. If sonder evol 29 was out when I bought this I’d have maybe got one. Frame only for them it’s December. Aether 9 frame only might be an option.... but not until this has a new chainstay.

I’m inclined to think it will be ok as long as I avoid shifting into the spokes.
Compared to the horizontal dropouts with fresh air behind the axle on the drive side of my hardtail and my previous fs with open qr dropouts this is a much stronger design even now, as long as the mech hanger doesn’t try to twist clockwise in the dropout again.

Id ride it....very slowly along a straight flat road and thats about it.

Crap design.
In these Covid shortages I'd probably mill a recess into the face of the dropout and make a custom mech hanger/axle retainer that fastened on with a chainring bolt to reduce the loadings on that remaining section. But I realise this option isnt a DIY job.

Otherwise gentle bimble only

TBH I'd want to see it with the mech hanger, presumably the damaged piece is only seeing part of the load... And also to see what the fail state would be (with bolt-throughs, losing a single dropout could still leave the wheel pretty well retained on the other side making it less catastrophic).

Generally it does feel like people are over-reacting, with the info we have so far, though.

Ok @northwind
Outside
Inside

Edit. Super glue added as well😀

Ta- I'd happily ride that tbf. I think I'd be wanting to get it welded and tidy it up, just to protect the frame from getting worse, but worst case scenario just doesn't seem that bad- it cracks all the way through and then maybe that weakens the frame enough to lever open but the axle's still retained by the dropout and keeping it all in tension.

It's not my ass, obviously.

I would ride that too,but I can see the rear mech coming off without too much pressure destroying the mech, chain and wheel. It could be even more costly if that goes too.

Nice to see a nice clean well looked after machine...

+1 for rubbish design - the mech hanger itself should be weaker than the retaining recess for the hanger bolt. I feel for the OP with this one, I'd be mad.

I bought a spare mech hanger. I’ll clearly never need it and I should’ve bought a spare chainstay as that’s the sacrificial part. Hard to fit one in the bum bag for fitting on the trail though. It is a poor design. Guy in the shop agreed it should be warranty repair even though it’s outside the period.

Maybe I’ll hacksaw a slot in the mech hanger to make sure that goes first in future...

nice clean well looked after machine…

Cleaning=/=looking after!😀

I'd ride it

cyclistm
Full Member

I would ride that too,but I can see the rear mech coming off without too much pressure destroying the mech, chain and wheel.

It's held on by the wheel axle, the little bolt there is just holding it in place while the wheel's out, not a problem.

Thats nothing - some fool on a local riders FB I'm on posted a pic of their Marin a few weeks ago with a crack so big you could see daylight through the frame, asking if it was rideable still.

I'd ride it, but then I cracked the chainstay on my old SX Trail and rode the shit out of it for years until I bothered to get a new rear triangle so I could sell it on.

Interested so see pics of the broken Deviate if you have any. I do like a bit of carbon gore 😀

Like everything - depends on your situation
If you have another bike ride that
If you can afford a new bike do that
If none of the above then personally I would ride it rather than miss the whole summer.
Chances are it will probably be fine. there is a possibility that the rear mech will fail and cost you a bit of money. there is an much smaller chance that the rear wheel comes off but even then that's not a definite fatality - you might not even come off the bike. Depends where and when it happens. You would have to be quite unlucky to get badly hurt because of that small crack. Do you crash a lot anyway? If so then who cares 🙂

So- something of an update and a good result. Took bike in to my local go outdoors, photos sent to warranty dept etc. They have agreed it’s a warranty job but as there are no chainstays in existence I’ve been offered a full refund. I’m happy with that.
I’ve continued to ride the bike and had a few crashes in the dust in win hill on Saturday and appear to have survived so the plan is I will take the bike up to scotland in a fortnight for it’s last outing then return it to the store.

Thinking about a replacement though- spares being hard to source- has anyone had any success getting a shop to allow the buying back of components from a warranty returned bike? I was wondering if I should make them an offer and then just get a new frame…
£500 for forks wheels brakes drivetrain and finishing kit to save them having to dispose of it all?🤔

That's a good warranty result

I'd be hesitant to ride it anymore because if you mangle it they may baulk at taking it back and the warranty claim could be voided

I wouldn't ride it especially because it's aluminium and so will fail with less warning.

Good news.

I am not sure a shop will entertain that unless they already deal in secondhand stuff. Worth an ask.

Yeah I’m a bit hesitant at damaging it further but I’ve got the offer in black and white (well email) and I want to ride laggan!
Could take the hardtail I suppose but I’ve heard it’s quite rough up there!

Is that not a warranty job? Especially if others have done it? might not help now though.

Yeah I’m a bit hesitant at damaging it further but I’ve got the offer in black and white (well email) and I want to ride laggan!

Laggan with a cracked dropout?

Be sure to film it. 😉

Good result but I wouldn't ride it at Laggan. Ride your HT or hire a bike 😉

there is an much smaller chance that the rear wheel comes off but even then that’s not a definite fatality

That's the spirit!

I'd ride that, there's a lot of aluminium there holding the wheel in. But probably not now you've agreed to return it.

Returning the frame only is a good idea - their system won't be set up for it but it would be worth escalating the query as £££ will help the stores figures.