Smashing a Carbon Aero Bike with a Hammer
Since 2016, I’ve been riding a Giant Propel. I love it!
Initially, I bought a Giant Propel with 105 groupset and some pretty poor aluminium wheels. It was a replacement for the Cannondale Synapse that was written off in 2015 when I was hit by a car.
The plan with the Propel was to focus on frame-first and to upgrade the groupset and finishing kit over time. I did exactly tha; over the course of 3 years, finally, in 2019, It was all but upgraded: a set of 65mm SLR0 carbon rims, Deda SuperZero Aeor Carbon Bars, Full Ultegra Di2, Carbon-railed Fizik Argo Vento Saddle and a new, longer Pro Vibe Stem to accomodate the Di2. A stages power meter gave me the data and that was it…upgrade complete!
Like with all things cycling, I took (note the past tense here) great care of that bike, regularly washing it 2-3 times per week. In winter months and especially on wet rides, the drivetrain was thoroughly degreased after each and every ride. So, much to my upset, when I had the wheels out and the bike up on the work stand, I spotted what appeared to be a small, hairline crack in the back of the Seat Tube.
On the Propel, the seat tube curves around the rear wheel. The hairline crack I found was tiny and at first I didn’t think it was a crack. Perhaps a small peice of debris had simply gauged the frame as it was dragged between the frame and the tyre? Being unsure, I took the bike down to Dave and Jaundre at 7Hundred for their opinion.
The prognosis was…It was indeed a crack. Disaster!
Long story short, if you want to see me cutting and smashing the bike, watch this video. If you want to know more about the warranty replacement, keep reading.
Now, the crack was small. I still believe I could have ridden on for a while before it became truly structural, but Dave was adamant we do something about it. But I wasn’t in a position to fork out £2k for a new frame!
Have no fear. Dave jumped onto the phone, puts in a call to Giant UK, explains the issue and sends through a photograph. There is a bit of a back and forth discussion, I hear it mentioned that there isn’t that frame in my size in stock and then a moment of silence. Then, I hear it “Oh, no, we DO have one. I’ll send through a photograph. We’ll get it shipped tonight”
Well…if that’s not good service I don’t know what is!
I leave the bike with Dave and the guys and head home. A few days later I’m told the new frame had arrived and they’ve already built it up for me! I head into the shop after work and there, just inside the door is a familiar looking bike, albeit it in a fresh new colourway with a perfect gloss finish…the new frame. Same as the old frame, but far smarter and shinier!
I ask Dave what happens to the old frame, out of curiosity. “It’s a warranty write off, so it’ll need to be smashed and disposed of and we’ll provide evidence to Giant…Hey, do you want to do the honours?!” he asked.
Gulp!
We head down to the workshop and my carbon frame is there in the vice. Stripped bare of all components, looking rather sad. Dave hands be a carbon saw and says “Go for it!’. I pass Dave my phone and ask him to record it…then I reluctantly and somewhat sadly (and surprisingly easily!!) cut a line into the downtube…
I didn’t need to cut all the way through, just enough to deter anyone from recovering the frame and trying to use it. Dave suggests we need to do a little more damage to the frame to be sure. I take back my phone, he picks up a hammer, I stand back…he swings away at the same spot I cut with the saw and caves in the downtube.
A bitter sweet day indeed! A sad farewell to a frame on which I had become so much fitter and faster, but had ultimately used and abused in every single type of weather you can think of. It was nice to know that upstairs in the shop was the same bike, but just a little newer, ready for me to continue my training.
