Cannondale Problems

It appears from looking at the photo that the "crack" is serrated in one direction...the direction in which you pedal, which could only be caused by a twisting force after something happened to the bottom bracket like the bonding failing, and NOT from a crash.

Easy test to show the rep what your talking about, take a brand new bottle of salad dressing with the outer plastic seal still intact and unbroken, then twist the cap forceably to try to remove the cap and watch what happens to that seal. It will look just like your BB crack except in more detail due to being plastic, due to the plastic stretching more, but it will start to deform with those same kind of serrated edges going in the direction of the twist.

If they give you a bunch of [censored] the you may need to take them to small claims with a professional that can tell the judge that those serrated edges can only be caused by a failure of the bond and not from a crash.

The crack and the crash are different issues. Unless there is evidence to link them together no-one can claim that one caused the other. I would rather focus on the fact that the crack shouldn't be there in the first place.

I for one would be doubtfull that this very thin crack, alone, could cause the chain to skip. The BB would need to translate left or right by more than a few mm for that to happen, and since the crack doesn't go all the way around the shell, this would not have happened. I'm not saying it didn't happen I just doubt this would be the sole or the major cause.

By the same token, it is also hard to believe that the crash could have caused the crack, since, it seems, you went down on the right side and the damage is on the left. You would also need a really heavy whack to the shaft to cause this to occur and if you didn't damage the cranks then you probably have a pretty good case for saying they are not linked in this way either.

So what casued the crack?

I'm more than a little skeptical of the idea that a simple torque is to blame. The whole purpose of the BB is to place bearings there to PREVENT the transfer of torque from the shaft to the BB shell (if they didn't then you wouldn't be able to turn the cranks). If torque alone were responsible we would expect to see a crack/tear all the way around the BB shell, and we don't. The crack actually extends from 6:30 or 7 o'clock up to about 10 o'clock.
It is subtle but important to note that the biggest stresses in the frame are due to the downward force on the pedals, and hence a radial force on the shaft (which IS transferred by the bearings). The direction of this radial force rotates with the pedals and is strongest when on the forward-and-downstroke (where the legs are strongest). The material will alternate between tensile and compressive loading (due to alternating downstrokes on the left and right cranks) in the region around the forward edge of the BB shell, leading to the slow devlopment of the crack. That the crack position matches the force direction for the downward and forward rotating parts of the pedal stroke is a good indication that the bond was not up to the sustained and alternating forces of pedalling.

This is a legitimate concern and one I would certainly chase vigorously.

Wow that sucks, sorry to hear/see that.

Without any damage to the pedals, cranks or chainrings, or road marks near the crack, I can't see how a crash would cause this.

Guess it's a good thing the rep still wants to see the bike, cause if they try and close this case up by blaming you, then you have to pursue legal action which sucks as well.

I hope you'll get it resolved and in a reasonable time.

gman0482 said:

Wow that sucks, sorry to hear/see that.

Without any damage to the pedals, cranks or chainrings, or road marks near the crack, I can't see how a crash would cause this.

Guess it's a good thing the rep still wants to see the bike, cause if they try and close this case up by blaming you, then you have to pursue legal action which sucks as well.

I hope you'll get it resolved and in a reasonable time.

Threaten them with a lawsuit and they will make good on a replacement. It'll cost them more to fight it in court.

OP, sorry this happened to your bike, and I hope everything works out for the best...

Adding to what's already been said, the BB shell doesn't look to be displaced, and if it is, it's certainly not be enough to cause an even resulting in something that felt like a "chain popped off."
If your chain came off, judging by what's in the picture, I'd say something else would have to have caused it.

The damage shown in the picture is not clear, neither in its extent nor in its cause. It'd be instructive to see the drive side of the BB shell, too. It is possible for the BB shell to have turned inside the frame, but judging from the cracking, it looks like it would have to have turned counter clockwise (from the perspective of the picture), opposite the direction the cranks would turn when pedaling.

To be honest, if I were a Cannondale tech or support staffer, I'd be suspicious about what happened. That said, Cannondale is pretty well known for having great customer service. I've a friend who bought a second hand Cannondale that broke (if I dismember correctly it was a dropout), and Cannondale gave him a sweet discount on a new frame.

If you can, you should post pics of the drive side of the BB.

GT Fanatic said:

Threaten them with a lawsuit and they will make good on a replacement. It'll cost them more to fight it in court.

OP, sorry this happened to your bike, and I hope everything works out for the best...

I hope it doesn't come to that point (not my style), but in this case and the amount I spent; I may have to take that route. It's not like we're talking about a $150 Wal-Mart bike. To much overtime spent at work to olny have for two months.

rdcarter111 said:

I hope it doesn't come to that point (not my style), but in this case and the amount I spent; I may have to take that route. It's not like we're talking about a $150 Wal-Mart bike. To much overtime spent at work to olny have for two months.

I certainly hope not, too, but this is a very expensive bicycle you've purchased. I wouldn't just walk away from the situation. Companies need to be held accountable for their actions.

Nobody ever wants to have to sue someone (well, some people do...) or a company, and I certainly wouldn't want to do it because I think it's a weak thing to do, but in some instances, there certainly aren't any other options. There's no way I would eat that kind of money, and there's no reason anyone should have to.

I wish you the best in this situation. Companies never like to take fault for anything. At the very least, it may require a professional opinion, and it's unfair that the expense for that would also come out of your pocket. [censored] situation; all the way around.

gman0482 said:

I hope you'll get it resolved and in a reasonable time.

Wednesday will be three weeks, with no real answer except from a third party (my LBS). I called Cannondale again this morning a left a message w/ their Customer Srv. Mgr. who didn't return my call today. I'll try again first thing in the morning. I'm kind of shocked w/ their customer service...I've sent them emails in the past regarding general questions w/ sometimes a same day reply.

alienator said:

To be honest, if I were a Cannondale tech or support staffer, I'd be suspicious about what happened. That said, Cannondale is pretty well known for having great customer service. I've a friend who bought a second hand Cannondale that broke (if I dismember correctly it was a dropout), and Cannondale gave him a sweet discount on a new frame.

If you can, you should post pics of the drive side of the BB.

Sorry I didn't get photos of the crank side...Since I've had so much time waiting for an answer I've had time to look into this...appears it's not uncommon for the BB to become debonded.
Can't believe I'm having this much of a problem w/ Cannondale. I realize they wouldn't replace my right shifter since it is a result of the crash but as for the crack...no damage anywhere else.

rdcarter111 said:

Sorry I didn't get photos of the crank side...Since I've had so much time waiting for an answer I've had time to look into this...appears it's not uncommon for the BB to become debonded.
Can't believe I'm having this much of a problem w/ Cannondale. I realize they wouldn't replace my right shifter since it is a result of the crash but as for the crack...no damage anywhere else.

That's because they're not in any hurry to eat $4500 or whatever the bicycle cost. It's a shame that these companies aren't willing to honor their guarantees unless the consumer jumps through hoops. Not cool.

Left second message w/ Cannondale Customer Service Manager this morning...once again no return call.

rdcarter111 said:

Left second message w/ Cannondale Customer Service Manager this morning...once again no return call.

Ask your LBS to get hold of the rep or have the rep call you. Another option would be to call the customer service number and speak to a regular person, not the service manager. Perhaps they can find out if there's been any decisions made.

Again, Cannondale is known for top flight customer service, so your experience is not the norm. No, I neither own a Cannondale nor work there.

Lot's of questions come to mind, likely based on my inexperience with CF frames. Do you know if the crack was there before your incident? Is it possible the crack was in the frame when you took delivery? Could it have been caused by the LBS or someone else overtorquing the bearing cups?

Has the frame actually suffered a warranty failure, or is the crack just a defect in the finish? If the crack is an indication of debonding, would assume the BB would creak when out of the saddle under heavy loads. If the frame doesn't make any noise, one course of action might be just to have the LBS check the BB, retorque, then ride it and see what happens down the road. You've reported the issue during the warranty period, so you should be covered if the BB shell actually debonds later.

alienator said:

Ask your LBS to get hold of the rep or have the rep call you. Another option would be to call the customer service number and speak to a regular person, not the service manager. Perhaps they can find out if there's been any decisions made.

Again, Cannondale is known for top flight customer service, so your experience is not the norm. No, I neither own a Cannondale nor work there.

Just called LBS about an hour ago, spoke w/ individual who sold me the bike not the guy who is handling my claim (he's off today). He said he wasn't a 100% sure but he believes hearing something this morning about my frame was approved for a replacement and to call back tomorrow to find out for sure. I'll keep my fingers crossed...I hope he wouldn’t say that if it weren't true (liability he takes on for the company by saying such). I'll post an update tomorrow once I find out for sure.
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[FONT=Arial]Just got a call from LBS owner, New frame is on it’s way. No questions asked. He said I should be back riding no later than next weekend. I asked him if it was the same frame (SuperSix 2 in Yellow and Black). He said he wasn’t sure but it would be a comparable model and that he will find out for me either today or first thing in the morning. Does anyone know what they might replace it with. [/FONT]

rdcarter111 said:

[FONT=Arial]Just got a call from LBS owner, New frame is on it’s way. No questions asked. He said I should be back riding no later than next weekend. I asked him if it was the same frame (SuperSix 2 in Yellow and Black). He said he wasn’t sure but it would be a comparable model and that he will find out for me either today or first thing in the morning. Does anyone know what they might replace it with. [/FONT]

Good stuff. If you weren't asked for a color preference, you'll likely get the same color frame.

rdcarter111 said:

Just called LBS about an hour ago, spoke w/ individual who sold me the bike not the guy who is handling my claim (he's off today). He said he wasn't a 100% sure but he believes hearing something this morning about my frame was approved for a replacement and to call back tomorrow to find out for sure. I'll keep my fingers crossed...I hope he wouldn’t say that if it weren't true (liability he takes on for the company by saying such). I'll post an update tomorrow once I find out for sure.

Good news. Vague, but good nonetheless. No worries, I can't see Cannondale screwing you on this.

rdcarter111 said:

Just called LBS about an hour ago, spoke w/ individual who sold me the bike not the guy who is handling my claim (he's off today). He said he wasn't a 100% sure but he believes hearing something this morning about my frame was approved for a replacement and to call back tomorrow to find out for sure. I'll keep my fingers crossed...I hope he wouldn’t say that if it weren't true (liability he takes on for the company by saying such). I'll post an update tomorrow once I find out for sure.
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Good luck, bud. No excuse for a $4500 bike to wind up with a cracked frame from using the bike for what it was made for. I can understand the issue if you were off free-riding on it, but that's not the case.

Sucks that you're being made to jump through hoops.

rdcarter111 said:

Just called LBS about an hour ago, spoke w/ individual who sold me the bike not the guy who is handling my claim (he's off today). He said he wasn't a 100% sure but he believes hearing something this morning about my frame was approved for a replacement and to call back tomorrow to find out for sure. I'll keep my fingers crossed...I hope he wouldn’t say that if it weren't true (liability he takes on for the company by saying such). I'll post an update tomorrow once I find out for sure.
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I think you got a new frame. The crack looked pretty obvious to me, who doesn't know anything, that this was not caused by a crash. I had a friend too, who broke 2 Cannondale's all in the bottom bracket where the down tube entered, and Cannondale replaced both frames...but that was about 10 years ago and a company can change a lot in 10 years.