Recumbent bicycles · Public discussion

Bent 'bent

Just Zis Guy · 2003-07-21T18:51:32+00:00

Well now, don't they say that pride cometh before a fall? About 30 miles into a 40-mile ride on Friday evening the frame of my Stinger failed due to metal fatigue. It snapped just in front of the headset, a fault which has been reported on the similarly designed Baron frame. There is a mod, Optima now fit a strengthening web in this area. My bentmonger, Darth Ian at Futurecycles, got on the phone to Optima straight away and arranged for a new frame and rear forks in blue to be shipped ASAP (it was that or wait 8 weeks for a non-stock colour frame tube to match the current rear forks). The frame is the new design with strengthening web. The blow was slightly softened by a fine chap named Peter who lives mere yards from where the failure happened, and who is the proud owner of a Pashley PDQ. He gave me beer and we chatted until the sag waggon arrived. The paint behind the headset was cracked - it may be that it was cracked in front long enough before failure to notice it, had I looked. Mileage at failure about 2,900 or thereabouts, which is about 8 1/2 months of riding. Guy === ** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com [currently offline awaiting ADSL transfer to new ISP]

Started by Just Zis Guy · 21 July 2003 · Last activity 23 July 2003 · 10 posts · 945 views

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Original section: Recumbent bicycles
Published: 21 July 2003
Last activity: 23 July 2003
Original author: Just Zis Guy
Posts: 10
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 945
Views / 30 days: 0

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Original post
Just Zis Guy
Archived post

21 July 2003, 18:51 UTC #1

Well now, don't they say that pride cometh before a fall? About 30 miles into a 40-mile ride on
Friday evening the frame of my Stinger failed due to metal fatigue. It snapped just in front of the
headset, a fault which has been reported on the similarly designed Baron frame. There is a mod,
Optima now fit a strengthening web in this area.
My bentmonger, Darth Ian at Futurecycles, got on the phone to Optima straight away and arranged
for a new frame and rear forks in blue to be shipped ASAP (it was that or wait 8 weeks for a
non-stock colour frame tube to match the current rear forks). The frame is the new design with
strengthening web.
The blow was slightly softened by a fine chap named Peter who lives mere yards from where the
failure happened, and who is the proud owner of a Pashley PDQ. He gave me beer and we chatted until
the sag waggon arrived.
The paint behind the headset was cracked - it may be that it was cracked in front long enough before
failure to notice it, had I looked.
Mileage at failure about 2,900 or thereabouts, which is about 8 1/2 months of riding.
Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.com [currently
offline awaiting ADSL transfer to new ISP]

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Doug Huffman
Archived post

21 July 2003, 20:09 UTC #2

My sincere sympathies. At about thirty thousand miles on a irreplaceable frame, please know that I
hear every creak and rue its every scratch.
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Well now, don't they say that pride cometh before a fall? About 30 miles into a 40-mile ride on
Friday evening the frame of my Stinger failed due to metal fatigue. It snapped just in front of
the headset, a fault which has been reported on the similarly designed Baron frame. There is a
mod, Optima now fit a strengthening web in this area.
[currently offline awaiting ADSL transfer to new ISP]

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Mikael Seierup
Archived post

21 July 2003, 20:09 UTC #3

"Just zis Guy, you know?" skrev
Quoted message said:
Mileage at failure about 2,900 or thereabouts, which is about 8 1/2 months of riding.
Ugh. That sucks. You're in one piece hopefully?
Mikael

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Just Zis Guy
Archived post

21 July 2003, 21:00 UTC #4

Mikael Seierup said:
Ugh. That sucks. You're in one piece hopefully?
Oh yes, the pedals went gracefully downwards and I stopped. No problem there. Thanks for asking :-)
Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.com [currently
offline awaiting ADSL transfer to new ISP]

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Warren Berger
Archived post

22 July 2003, 00:31 UTC #5

Guy,
Quoted message said:
It snapped just in front of the headset, a fault which has been reported on the similarly designed
Baron frame.
Quoted message said:
There is a mod, Optima now fit a strengthening web in this area.
Quoted message said:
Peter...owner of a Pashley PDQ.
Interesting coincidence. I would have thought builders would have learned by now. The PDQ was
originally built in the US. The maker was driven into bankruptcy by an owner who was badly injured
when the boom broke off his bike...just ahead of the headtube.
Warren

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Tom Sherman
Archived post

22 July 2003, 01:31 UTC #6

Just zis Guy said:

Well now, don't they say that pride cometh before a fall? About 30 miles into a 40-mile ride on
Friday evening the frame of my Stinger failed due to metal fatigue. It snapped just in front of
the headset, a fault which has been reported on the similarly designed Baron frame. There is a
mod, Optima now fit a strengthening web in this area....
I personally know two Baron owners whose frames failed in this area. Both received new frames
under warranty.
Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

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Cbb
Archived post

22 July 2003, 13:01 UTC #7

I just recieved a new Baron frame myself this spring when I noticed cracks in the weld around the
headtube. If you have an older Optima Baron (and apparently Stinger) I wold definately suggest
inspecting the area around the headtube for cracks or strees lines in the paint. The new frames
appear to be much stiffer and stronger and I greatly doubt the same problems will occur. Craig
Tom Sherman <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
Just zis Guy said:

Well now, don't they say that pride cometh before a fall? About 30 miles into a 40-mile ride on
Friday evening the frame of my Stinger failed due to metal fatigue. It snapped just in front of
the headset, a fault which has been reported on the similarly designed Baron frame. There is a
mod, Optima now fit a strengthening web in this area....
I personally know two Baron owners whose frames failed in this area. Both received new frames
under warranty.
Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

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Just Zis Guy
Archived post

22 July 2003, 19:21 UTC #8

(cbb) said:
If you have an older Optima Baron (and apparently Stinger) I wold definately suggest inspecting the
area around the headtube for cracks or strees lines in the paint.
Seconded. This is an every day bike and normally I just jump on and ride - looking at it after the
event there were telltale cracks in the paint behind the headset as well which a reasonably close
inspection would have found. Check your headset weld every ride if you have an older frame would
seem to be the only sound approach. Most inconvenient. It should really be a recall - I wonder if
anyone out there with an unbroken frame has tried for a replacement on those grounds?
Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.com [currently
offline awaiting ADSL transfer to new ISP]

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Eddie H
Archived post

23 July 2003, 06:01 UTC #9

Should owners of other Optima models be wary? I've got a Lynx. Don't see cracks - yet. Lynx,
Dolphin, Orca - any of these experiencing frame fatigue? Or is it limited to the extreme stresses on
lowracers?

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Just Zis Guy
Archived post

23 July 2003, 23:56 UTC #10

(Eddie H) said:
Should owners of other Optima models be wary? I've got a Lynx. Don't see cracks - yet. Lynx,
Dolphin, Orca - any of these experiencing frame fatigue? Or is it limited to the extreme stresses
on lowracers?
I guess not, Optima are monitoring the situation very carefully. They currently think mine may have
been a faulty tube (questionable) or maybe a manufacturing defect. They are going to give it to the
metallurgists to play with....
Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.com [currently
offline awaiting ADSL transfer to new ISP]

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