Frame Cracked Options

[EAC1963]

Interested to know if anybody else has experienced this problem.
I have ridden the bike for about a year most days and started to experience difficulty
with moving the seatpost up and down.

I examined it over the holiday weekend and found these cracks in the frame.

 DSCF1102.JPG ( 321.26K ) Number of downloads: 145

 DSCF1100.JPG ( 355.52K ) Number of downloads: 125

 DSCF1101.JPG ( 302.93K ) Number of downloads: 80


In the UK do I have to return the bike to the original dealer or can I use any Dahon dealer ?

[Brakemeister]

oh yeepers that looks bad indeed.... I would think that any Dahon Dealer can get you help from the UK importer /Dahon.

What I would like to know is why that frame has broken .
What seatpost are you using ? how much is inserted in the frame . How tall and how heavy are you ?
Did you drive down the curb ? Would be nice to play a little detective work to make sure I can tell my customers to be on the lookout ... as I see very very few frame damages from Dahon.

Thanks Thor

[foldHer]

ooooohhhHHH!!! I'm going to chek my bike right now! Hey - what bike is that?

[Steveroot]

Hey - what bike is that?

Vitesse of some stripe?

Looks to me like cyclic fatigue (no pun), and should be a warranty issue, assuming no abuse.
Obviously the bike should not be ridden in its present state.
Steve

[Callum]

Hey - what bike is that?

Vitesse of some stripe?
...

Good eye!
Based on previous posts, it is likely EAC1963's Vitesse D5.

[EAC1963]

Hi Everybody

It is as spotted a Vitesse D5.

I'm 6ft 3 and under the weight limit of the bike.

The post is the original and was inserted below the maximum limit.

It's only been used on public roads and I don't as a rule bump down kerbs !

[Steveroot]

I'm 6ft 3 and under the weight limit of the bike.

At that height (and you must be somewhat near the weight limit), the conditions predisposing to fracture will be more likely. Of course, I'm not blaming you; just pointing out that you are more of a likely candidate for this sort of problem. Statistics. As Thor pointed out, these failures are infrequently reported. To my best recall, yours is the third I've seen reported on this forum in about 5 years (one of them was my Helios XL). Get the frame replaced, and it will probably never happen again.
Steve

[Brakemeister]

what Steve said...

What I would do is this . Get one of those extender seatposts which are 34 mm at the bottom and have a 27.2 regular seatpost on top... Now what you do is getting a LONGER top 27.2 seatpost and keep the bottom part of the 34 mm seatpost deeper in the frame ... That should give you more beef and if something breaks its the 34 mm part , or the 27.2 seatpost on top, but not the frame ...

thor

[wim]

what Steve said...

What I would do is this . Get one of those extender seatposts which are 34 mm at the bottom and have a 27.2 regular seatpost on top... Now what you do is getting a LONGER top 27.2 seatpost and keep the bottom part of the 34 mm seatpost deeper in the frame ... That should give you more beef and if something breaks its the 34 mm part , or the 27.2 seatpost on top, but not the frame ...

thor

I have the extender seatpost and the Thudbuster LT. Only using the latter as it gives you a lot more leg extension as well as comfort and safety: the elastomers reduce the shocks to your bum and to the frame. Or so I reason.

Wim

[Steveroot]

Only using the latter (Thudbuster LT) as it gives you a lot more leg extension as well as comfort and safety: the elastomers reduce the shocks to your bum and to the frame. Or so I reason.

I think you are right.
Steve

[xmart]

I've experienced the same thing on my fixed Vitesse, a crack in the very same place. In fact talking with shop people, they showed to me another frame with the same crack. So, it seems a design flaw. Some commented that the cause is, possibly, the plastic shim on the seat tube, and replacing it with an aluminium version, like pricier dahons, may solve the problem. In fact the first thing I've done with my replaced frame is put a aluminum shim that my lbs gave me for free.

First thing I've noted with the new shim is that with less presure the seat post maintains his position. Before, with the plastic shim I put more (maybe too much) presure to QR and in spite of that the post was lowered after a while. So is very likely the cause. In such case Dahon is wasting his money (assuming the frame replacement) and his prestige for only a damn plastic shim. I dont know if 2008 models have it but I think that everybody thatt has the infamous plastic junk upgrade it to an aluminum one sooner than later.

Xavi
BikeSpace

[EAC1963]

Hi Xavi

Thanks very much for the information.

I'll pass it on to the LBS. it's good to know I'm not the only one.

[xmart]

Hi Xavi

Thanks very much for the information.

I'll pass it on to the LBS. it's good to know I'm not the only one.

This is a picture of the crack. Unfocused mobile shot, you know.

 vitesse_crack.png ( 258.2K ) Number of downloads: 60


Xavi
BikeSpace

[EAC1963]

Hi All

Finally got my bike back with the new frame last Saturday.

Some changes compared with the original

1. No mounting point for a bottlecage
2. No mounting point for the rear of the chainguard.

 DSCF1215.JPG ( 426.79K ) Number of downloads: 40


As you can see the chainguard mounting is a bodge.

So having got the bike back went to fold it and found the clamp incredibly tightly done up,
got the bike open and loosened off the clamp.

Folded the bike 2 or 3 times and then the clamp adjuster shears !

 DSCF1214.JPG ( 1016.65K ) Number of downloads: 42


Spoke to the bike shop who said they hadn't swapped the frame it had been done by the Importer in
the UK. (FisherOutDoor).

So the list of problems are as follows.

1. Broken Clamp
2. Bodged ChainGuard
3. Safety device on the front post fitted the wrong way round
4. Rear Mudguard not tightened up.

Implies both the shop and Importer were at fault for not checking the bike over properly.

So now I wonder how long I'll be waiting for the broken parts to be replaced.

[Steveroot]

Some changes compared with the original

1. No mounting point for a bottlecage
2. No mounting point for the rear of the chainguard.
As you can see the chainguard mounting is a bodge.

So now I wonder how long I'll be waiting for the broken parts to be replaced.

Sorry to hear about the troubles. The changes you found in your new frame are probably just reflections of the current production version of your model. Such changes are made, for various reasons, and Dahon probably doesn't keep an inventory of "original" frames. I've experienced the same sort of thing with other products that carry an extended warranty.

That said, there are work-arounds for the bottle cage mounting (products seen HERE come to mind), and the chainguard attachment doesn't look bad to me (you should see mine- I have a Mu XL prototype. 'nuf said!).

As for the frame clamp, that's a pretty rare defect (based on reports here) because that threaded piece is under compressive loading. Your piece may have been bent slightly somewhere along the line; this would create a cyclic fatigue situation during adjustment and could be the explanation for your break. The good news is that the piece is small, should be easy and cheap to ship ("express", hopefully) from anywhere in the world, and -best of all- easy to install. You should not have a repeat of that experience.
Best of luck!
Steve