Frame failure ('93 Dawes SuperGalaxy)

[Alan]

I had an interesting experience on the way home last night. The head/down tube lug on my tourer
broke. For the benefit of those who wonder what this feels like:

The handling got a wee bit 'soapy', a bit like a soft front tyre but the roadshock in the bars was
normal. funny...

About 1/8 mile later a slightly recessed stop **** cover in the road on a corner produces
significant shimmy, like an overloaded frontrack but smaller, faster and barely damped. Seemed odd,
contemplated this as I rode on.

1/8 - 1/4 mile on a manhole cover produces big shimmy, more like a heavy front end with soft tyre
but not damping at all, making the the bike hard to ride.

Stopped. Tyre fine, headset fine, rear carrier secure, nothing obviosly wrong (it was dark). Felt
unmistakeable frame flex as I got on and then spotted that the down and head tubes had gone their
separate ways.

Could have been a bit tricky if it had happened hammering down something rough and steep, but there
you are. That's what it feels like on normal roads.

Presumably this sort of thing is very rare or Dawes wouldn't offer lifetime guarantees on their
frames. I think it's time to have a wee word with them.

Alan.

[Bill]

"Alan" <akv_95@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:b2ef7406.0303120145.4155e0e1@posting.google.com...
> I had an interesting experience on the way home last night. The head/down tube lug on my
> tourer broke.

Scary one.

Please come back when ready and let us know Dawes's response.

Bill Dawes Giro400

[Msa]

Alan <akv_95@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:b2ef7406.0303120145.4155e0e1@posting.google.com...
> I had an interesting experience on the way home last night. The head/down tube lug on my tourer
> broke. For the benefit of those who wonder what this feels like:
>
> The handling got a wee bit 'soapy', a bit like a soft front tyre but the roadshock in the bars was
> normal. funny...
>
> About 1/8 mile later a slightly recessed stop **** cover in the road on a corner produces
> significant shimmy, like an overloaded frontrack but smaller, faster and barely damped. Seemed
> odd, contemplated this as I rode on.
>
> 1/8 - 1/4 mile on a manhole cover produces big shimmy, more like a heavy front end with soft tyre
> but not damping at all, making the the bike hard to ride.
>
> Stopped. Tyre fine, headset fine, rear carrier secure, nothing obviosly wrong (it was dark). Felt
> unmistakeable frame flex as I got on and then spotted that the down and head tubes had gone their
> separate ways.
>
> Could have been a bit tricky if it had happened hammering down something rough and steep, but
> there you are. That's what it feels like on normal roads.
>
> Presumably this sort of thing is very rare or Dawes wouldn't offer lifetime guarantees on their
> frames. I think it's time to have a wee word with them.
>
>
> Alan.

Now if this was an aluminium/carbon/titanium frame all the replies would be saying..told you so!

Good luck with your warranty claim.

--
Mark (Guessing and hoping that it's steel after making the statement!)
______________________________________

"Just ask yourself: What would Scooby Doo?"

[Bill]

"Bill" <invalid@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:b4nsd0$1vrqs9$2@ID-139518.news.dfncis.de...
>
> "Alan" <akv_95@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:b2ef7406.0303120145.4155e0e1@posting.google.com...
> > I had an interesting experience on the way home last night. The head/down tube lug on my tourer
> > broke.
>
>
> Scary one.
>
> Please come back when ready and let us know Dawes's response.
>
> Bill Dawes Giro400
>
> This should have been under the posters original message. Serves me right
for using a laptop whilst watching telly.

Bill

[Andrew Sweetman]

Alan <akv_95@hotmail.com> wrote ...
> I had an interesting experience on the way home last night. The head/down tube lug on my tourer
> broke. For the benefit of those who wonder what this feels like: Presumably this sort of thing is
> very rare or Dawes wouldn't offer lifetime guarantees on their frames. I think it's time to have a
> wee word with them.
>

Try inspecting the tube mitreing under the lug. The Galaxy frame that I saw fail like this a few
years back had a half-inch gap between the top of the down-tube and the head tube, clearly visible
after the lug had broken, but completely hidden beforehand. On that occasion, Dawes came up with a
new frame straight away. The failure was similarly friendly to Alan's, and it was possible to ride
15m back home (slowly!) after splinting with a U-lock and cable ties/toes straps.

Andrew

[Sam Huby]

Until recently Galaxy frames had a lifetime guarantee. Recently a bloke brought one into the shop -
about 9 years old I think, and it had been resprayed - which had rusted through on the bar between
the chain stays. We sent it back to Dawes and they've sent a new frame.

Worth a try.

Sam

On Wed, 12 Mar 2003 19:49:11 -0000, "Bill" <invalid@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
>"Bill" <invalid@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:b4nsd0$1vrqs9$2@ID-139518.news.dfncis.de...
>>
>> "Alan" <akv_95@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:b2ef7406.0303120145.4155e0e1@posting.google.com...
>> > I had an interesting experience on the way home last night. The head/down tube lug on my tourer
>> > broke.
>>
>>
>> Scary one.
>>
>> Please come back when ready and let us know Dawes's response.
>>
>> Bill Dawes Giro400
>>
>> This should have been under the posters original message. Serves me right
>for using a laptop whilst watching telly.
>
>Bill
>