What caused my Front Derailleur Failure?

I recently had to replace the frame of my racing bike a 2006 Raleigh Prestige for $775. The front Derailleur broke off one day during a workout with no crash. The derailleur just popped off while riding! There were probably 2 causes -- I used an off brand removable chain link from Lickton's -- I told them I wanted the Wipperman link but they said they only had these. The other probable cause was maybe the stress from chain rub in certin gear combos caused it to break. But it broke off after only 220.6 miles!

Have any of you had a frt derailleur break off because of chain rub or a bad link? Is chain rub a common cause for failure among CF bikes?

The pic shows my failure. Found out later that I could use a Shimano clamp on it. The frame would sell for less than $200 on ebay so I decided to just keep it as a spare.

 

220 miles? Sounds like it's still in its first year of service. Wouldn't this be covered under warranty?

 

That looks more like frame failure to me - the FD looks like it is still intact, and i any case, chain rub shouldn't stress the area of the braze on mount.

I doubt that using an off brand link, or chain rub, would cause a failure such as that.

n

 

The dealer said no warranty and too late I already paid for and got a replacement frame.

 

You posted this a while back didn't you?

I think it is just a dodgy bond. It can't just 'pop off' while you were JRA. There had to be another force. Definitely not the chain link.

 

And I feeeeeeeel like I've been here before......


~CSN&Y~

 

thats crap, they should warrenty that... thats a manufacturing defect. i would try to go above the shop and get ahold of raleigh (SP?) then maybe they can atleast confirm if they would have warrenteed it. then return to the shop and complain.

 

No warranty? That's bullshit! Sounds like the lbs is too lazy to look after you. They sold the bike now they don't give a damn about their customer.
Contact Raleigh, I'm sure they will have adifferent opinion.
After the frame is replaced you can sell whatever frame you don't want.

 

what makes you so sure it's a manufacturing defect?

looking at the image (and i might be entirely wrong, i'd need to have a good look at the bike, and understand the circumstances of the failure):

a) the braze on seems to be held in place by epoxy and 3 rivets
b) i can completely understand a dodgy rivet, it happens. look at the picture how they have been deformed and look to have all been sheared
c) I notice that the picture has no chain in it. Where'd the chain go?

If I had to take a guess, I say a non-standard connector link (possibly on a chain that specifically says not to use them, like a Shimano, or Campy, even though they generally work just fine, the bottom line is the service manuals for the parts say "Don't use connection links") that has disengaged, resulting chain has looped into the fd and jammed while under a pedal stroke and torn the fd off.

If this is the case, is it a manufacturing defect? I'd say no. User error and shouldn't be covered under any type of warranty.

--brett

 

its the company's call. it is hard to say without seeing it hands on.

 

it's like deja vu all over again.

yogi berra

 

Sorry about the deja vu I posted a little bit about this in my "If you get a CF Bike get a Warranty" thread but this topic was never the main issue in the thread. I needed to know if other people had chain rub and broke off their derailleur this way. Especially on a CF Bike.

I moved for a temp job in Bowling Green, KY so no Raleigh Dealer to show this to. Only a pic by email to the Raleigh Dealer I bought it online from. So maybe when I go back to Chicago I'll show the broken frame to another Raleigh Dealer and try to get another frame from them. But why bother but yes it's a little more $ in my pocket and I should have gotten a free frame in the first place.

When it broke off I was just pedaling at 17 mph I think so that's not much power to rip off a derailleur. Maybe I was accelerating a little but not much.

My bike was a sweet deal though. 2006 Raleigh Prestige with Stronglight Pulsion cranks and 05 Ritchey Protocol (1350 or 1450 gram) wheels fixed hub and Token Strontium BB for around $2050.

I think it weighed 16.6 lbs without the power meter bag and water bottles. It's a 50 cm.

 

I'm not sure if you have changed your setup but, wouldn't it have been better to have gotten a bike that fit? That setup is very strange. If it works for you good on you though.