# Foam filled SLC-SL???



## jcolley (Jul 11, 2007)

Hi all,

I have thoroughly enjoyed my SLC-SL, but the size was a little off and my custom frame arrived, so it was time to part with it.

When I removed the gruppo, I had difficulty getting the cables out of the frame through the bottom bracket due a lot of foam in there.

I had sort of forgotten about it, not really thinking what it would take to reinstall cables.

I have since sold the frame on ebay and the buyer is puzzled and a little upset to say the least! I purchased the entire bike built up from Competitive Cyclist, so I'm fairly certain given the quantity they deal in that it wouldn't have been a "second" frame.

Has anyone else experienced this or is it something that was done during the build?

Jim


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## Getoutandride (Sep 1, 2008)

my slc didnt have anything in the frame at all, very unusual to have foam in it


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## jcolley (Jul 11, 2007)

That's what I'm afraid of...

It appears to be the expanding sort of foam, like Great Stuff sold at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. The only logical reason I can come up with for it being in there is to minimize the noise of cables rattling internally. I've never heard them, but not sure if others have on this frame.

Now I'm really getting paranoid that something strange is afoot. I can only imagine what the guy who bought it is thinking. Wait, actually I have a pretty good idea...

I can't blame him...


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## Getoutandride (Sep 1, 2008)

as a mechanic i can tell you frame cable rattle wouldnt pose a problem as far as i can think of, seeing as the cables enter in the centre of the tube and pull out in the centre of the BB with the pull from the derailers they dont really allow any slack to slap around

the only thing i could think of as a semi-reasonable excuse for it would be as a cable guide throughout the frame, although i must say it is a rather stupid method seeing as the cables in the soloist frames are not exactly hard to thread. 

manufacturing wise i believe the tubes are made using a process of latex bags/sleeves filled with air or fluid to expand the walls of carbon out while it sets up, foam is just....weird


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## Getoutandride (Sep 1, 2008)

it might be best to shoot cervelo an email asking them, but i highly doubt it normal, let us know what it turns out to be


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## Getoutandride (Sep 1, 2008)

any updates?


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## cyclust (Sep 8, 2004)

I've often wondered if injecting that type of foam into a frame would be a good thing. It weighs next to nothing, and my thinking was it could possibly stiffen a frame, along with dampening vibrations, with very minimal weight added. I've also thought about trying it on a set of handlebars. They sell those Bontrager buzz things to eliminate vibration, the foam injection thing would probably work far better. I've got some old unused bars that I was goiing to weigh before and after, and see how much weight it added to inject them. If it was minimal, then I would try it on my good aluminum bars to see if I could tell any difference in ride quality. Any thoughts?


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## Getoutandride (Sep 1, 2008)

i cant see it helping, the bonty buzz killers work based on a length of steel surrounded by rubber that can allow the metal to move-soak up vibration- the foam would just purely fill the bike, if it was really solid foam it might reduce flex in the carbon.

vibration wise in the frame i cant see it helping, should it make the frame more solid then in theory it should make it pass transfer vibration far worse. the frame is the skin attached to the wheelset/fork and thats the pickup points for the vibration so its already directed to the skin


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## jcolley (Jul 11, 2007)

Well, no updates yet. Neither Cervelo nor CC know anything about it. I am refunding the buyer and he's shipping the frame back to me. I will look at it and see if I can figure anything out.

The foam really made it hard to get the cables out, but it didn't dawn on my how hard it would be to re-route them for the buyer. I should have thought something was odd though.

As far as damping vibration, the only way to do that is to raise the mass of the frame causing the resonant frequency to go down (not really desired unless you want a 50lb frame) or provide something that causes the vibrations to be absorbed such as a flexing member (not k()d3) or internal damping.

Designing large (think 20ft tall) metalworking machinery, the trend of late has been to use hollow cast steel foundations to save money. The downside is, they don't hold their tolerances like the old solid iron machines of the 40s-60s. One trick to get around that has been to fill the voids with sand or shot. This absorbs some vibration (think of a dead-blow hammer), but still adds weight.

You could cap one end of your bars and fill it with lead shot.  Let me know how that works out.


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## mleptuck (Jul 29, 2002)

*Well,*

*IF* the foam is of the 'Great-Stuff' ilk, acetone will dissolve the foam fairly rapidly. I don't believe acetone will harm the finish of the frame (DO NOT take that as gospel), but I'd be quick to wash the affected areas with clean H2O as quickly as possible...


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## Getoutandride (Sep 1, 2008)

well personally i wouldnt be looking at any home remedies for the removal of the foam, id be demanding an answer from cervelo


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Any updates? I'd think the answer would be with CC. I believe they buy frames and build them there. I can't imagine they'd have been able to get the cables through the foam if it came that way from the factory. I'm wondering if a wrench there didn't build it, take a test ride, hear the cable rattle, then shot in some foam to 'fix it.' It wouldn't work, of course. Cable rattle on the Soloist is when they rattle (more of a buzz) against the head tube on their way into the frame. The big down tube just amplifies it- maybe foam would stop it from amplifying the sound.


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