A scary experience

"Hjalmar Duklæt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've had som squeacking noice coming from the front of my bike for quite
some time but have not been able to figure out where it came from or what
caused it. Not until yesterday when I suddently discovered that the stem

was

Quoted message said:

almost broken. It's got a crack almost around the entire stem along the
weld. The stem is a 1" CODA quill stem with an ovalized shape and a matte
black finish. Has anybody else experinced anything like this?
Hjalmar

No. But, I'm glad that it didn't fail on you while you were riding. Now
you get to think about all the "What if" scenarios. Scary indeed.
--
Marty

i had a similar experience...but with a seat post. there was a crack coming
down the post from where the bracket that holds the saddle got inserted into
the post. it expanded quite fast too! it was an old seat post but man! it
would've sucked to have to ride standing up on the pedals all the way home!
i'm glad u found it!

"Hjalmar Duklæt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've had som squeacking noice coming from the front of my bike for quite
some time but have not been able to figure out where it came from or what
caused it. Not until yesterday when I suddently discovered that the stem

was

Quoted message said:

almost broken. It's got a crack almost around the entire stem along the
weld. The stem is a 1" CODA quill stem with an ovalized shape and a matte
black finish. Has anybody else experinced anything like this?
Hjalmar

"Hjalmar Duklæt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I've had som squeacking noice coming from
the front of my bike for quite
some time but have not been able to figure out
where it came from or what
caused it. Not until yesterday when I suddently
discovered that the stem was
almost broken. It's got a crack almost around the
entire stem along the
weld. The stem is a 1" CODA quill stem with an
ovalized shape and a matte
black finish. Has anybody else experinced anything
like this?

Not with a stem but with handlebars and also with a frame. In the case
of the bars I heard a creating for a few days and pulled the bars from
the stem in order to lug them, and then noticed a crack.

In the case of the frame I heard a clunking for several weeks before I
found the problem.

JT

"Hjalmar Duklæt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've had som squeacking noice coming from the front of my bike for quite
some time but have not been able to figure out where it came from or what
caused it. Not until yesterday when I suddently discovered that the stem was
almost broken. It's got a crack almost around the entire stem along the
weld. The stem is a 1" CODA quill stem with an ovalized shape and a matte
black finish. Has anybody else experinced anything like this?

Yeah, I had a Nitto quill stem fail that way last year. AT least with quill
stems the expander bolt holds things together (for a while anyway). Moral of
the story is that it pays to track down suspicious noises promptly (I didn't
notice any noise from mine, BTW).

"Hjalmar Duklæt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've had som squeacking noice coming from the front of my bike for quite
some time but have not been able to figure out where it came from or what
caused it. Not until yesterday when I suddently discovered that the stem

was

Quoted message said:

almost broken. It's got a crack almost around the entire stem along the
weld. The stem is a 1" CODA quill stem with an ovalized shape and a matte
black finish. Has anybody else experinced anything like this?
Hjalmar

I had a Deda quill stem where I apparently over-torqued the bolts on the bar
clamp. They decided to stip out ... simultaneously ... just as I was
jumping on the pedals to catch a gap between cars crossing a busy highway.
I ended up in a ditch on the other side with a set of handlebars in my
hands, connected to a bike by cables only. I was lucky not to end up a
bloody spot on the pavement. I acknowledge that I over-torqued the bolts,
but those Deda stems were made from some awfully soft material.

Bob C.

Quoted message said:

...Cracks...Not with a stem but with handlebars...

I occasionally read the little pieces of paper that come packed with various bike parts. It seems that more than one of the aluminum handlebars I've bought in the last few years has come with a warning that they should be replaced ever 2 years or so. It has to do with fatigue limits, or lack thereof with aluminum. Yeah, like we're really all going to start doing that, right?

John

RE/

Quoted message said:

Moral of
the story is that it pays to track down suspicious noises promptly

Amen! I rode for about an hour with this funny sound coming from my cranks.
Sort of a 'whoosh-whoosh'......thought it was one of my shoes rubbing....stopped
a couple times, didn't see anything.

Then I stopped at a friends house for some free coffee and BS-ing. As I stood
up to stroke out of the driveway, the right crank arm just fell away...broken in
half...

Subsequent inspection of the break showed corrosion around the edges - so if I'd
had my act together I could have spotted it some days before the failure.
--
PeteCresswell

"Hjalmar Duklæt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've had som squeacking noice coming from the front of my bike for quite
some time but have not been able to figure out where it came from or what
caused it. Not until yesterday when I suddently discovered that the stem

was

Quoted message said:

almost broken. It's got a crack almost around the entire stem along the
weld. The stem is a 1" CODA quill stem with an ovalized shape and a matte
black finish. Has anybody else experinced anything like this?
Hjalmar

This is the stem I'm talking about. It looks very solid indeed so it was
never in my mind that it could break.The crack started at the bottom of the
stem right in front of the welding to the bolt and moved up 3/4 of the way
to the top before it was discovered.
Hjalmar

"Hjalmar Duklæt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Hjalmar Duklæt" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've had som squeacking noice coming from the front of my bike for quite
some time but have not been able to figure out where it came from or

what

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

caused it. Not until yesterday when I suddently discovered that the stem

was

Quoted message said:

almost broken. It's got a crack almost around the entire stem along the
weld. The stem is a 1" CODA quill stem with an ovalized shape and a

matte

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

black finish. Has anybody else experinced anything like this?
Hjalmar

This is the stem I'm talking about. It looks very solid indeed so it was
never in my mind that it could break.The crack started at the bottom of

the

Quoted message said:

stem right in front of the welding to the bolt and moved up 3/4 of the way
to the top before it was discovered.
Hjalmar

Sorry forgot to include the URL. Here it is:
http://www.roadbikereview.com/Stems/CODA/PRD_110977_2515crx.aspx

"> I had a Deda quill stem where I apparently over-torqued the bolts
on the bar

Quoted message said:

clamp. They decided to stip out ... simultaneously ... just as I was
jumping on the pedals to catch a gap between cars crossing a busy highway.
I ended up in a ditch on the other side with a set of handlebars in my
hands, connected to a bike by cables only. I was lucky not to end up a
bloody spot on the pavement. I acknowledge that I over-torqued the bolts...

So much for my own whining/ranting in the MTB NG about Thompson's
instructions specifing torques for their stems and implying possible
dire consequences if not followed.

You've made me into a True Believer vis-a-vis following torque specs.

Hjalmar Duklæt said:

I've had som squeacking noice coming from the front of my bike for quite
some time but have not been able to figure out where it came from or what
caused it. Not until yesterday when I suddently discovered that the stem was
almost broken. It's got a crack almost around the entire stem along the
weld. The stem is a 1" CODA quill stem with an ovalized shape and a matte
black finish. Has anybody else experinced anything like this?
Hjalmar

That stem (or one that looks just like it) was recalled, though for a
thread stripping problem like the Dedas mentioned in this thread, not
for cracking like you saw). See
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/tech/pdfs/99_stemquill.pdf

Thanks for this thread... I just rememebered that I kept tightening my
chainring bolts to try to eliminate a creaking... couple days later I
found a crack in the frame.

Michael

"Michael Press" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hjalmar Duklæt said:

I've had som squeacking noice coming from the front of my bike for quite
some time but have not been able to figure out where it came from or what
caused it. Not until yesterday when I suddently discovered that the stem

was

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

almost broken. It's got a crack almost around the entire stem along the
weld. The stem is a 1" CODA quill stem with an ovalized shape and a matte
black finish. Has anybody else experinced anything like this?
Hjalmar

That stem (or one that looks just like it) was recalled, though for a
thread stripping problem like the Dedas mentioned in this thread, not
for cracking like you saw). See
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/tech/pdfs/99_stemquill.pdf

Thanks for this thread... I just rememebered that I kept tightening my
chainring bolts to try to eliminate a creaking... couple days later I
found a crack in the frame.

Michael

Yeah, I will also be a lot more careful an do a much more thorough
inspection next time I get a strange noise coming from my bike.
Hjalmar