# Cervelo R3



## George M (Sep 25, 2008)

I'm thinking about buying the R3, but I've been reading that a lot of these bike have a problem with the frame cracking. 
I wont be buying it from a dealer, so if it did crack, what would I do?

I would be buying the bike off of e bay.

The bike is brand new.


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

you'd be pooched


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## George M (Sep 25, 2008)

rubbersoul said:


> you'd be pooched


That's what I thought as well, so I blew it off.Thanks for the reply.


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## moosehead (Jan 29, 2010)

I'm hearing similar conjecture, though Cervelo seems to be backing replacements.

Can anyone confirm where cracking may be occuring? Is it perhaps the thin seat stays, elsewhere, no pattern?


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## perttime (Jun 27, 2005)

Elsewhere, cracking R3s had come up in a discussion and it seems to be the BB area. Apparently, Cervelo has been doing replacements based on photos. I don't know how Cervelo warranties work out in US: do you have to go through a Dealer, is the warranty tranferable to a new owner?

It is not quite clear if the issues are structural or cosmetic. One guy in the discussion is a dealer and he seemed pretty sure this one is only paint cracking because of the way the metal insert is fixed to the carbon structure. He did not sell this frame. He also does carbon repairs and builds carbon parts himself.


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## moosehead (Jan 29, 2010)

^Thanks for the photo and background. One of my riding partner's had his R3 replaced by Cervello no questions asked for a similar, minor crack at the headtube. Cervello also mentioned they had experienced this on primarily white painted frames, and that it largely appeared to be cosmetic, surface only, not the carbon. Either way, they stepped up and he had replacement within 8 days.


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## nismosr (Jun 27, 2007)

is replacement good only for original owners ?


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## perttime (Jun 27, 2005)

Cervélo says:
"as long as the frame is owned by the original owner"
Company - Support - Warranty Details

What laws do you have about warranty? In some locations, laws specify that a second hand item is still under warranty or at least "product liability".


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## tommyrhodes (Aug 19, 2009)

Just noticed the same cracking around the bb on my 2011 r3. lbs took a photo of it, still waiting to hear back from cervelo. Mines a little worse than whats in the picture. It seems more like the frame is delaminating or something, not so much a crack as a swelling? I'll try and get a picture up and keep you guys posted on my experience.


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## tdietz87 (Apr 19, 2011)

tommyrhodes said:


> Just noticed the same cracking around the bb on my 2011 r3. lbs took a photo of it, still waiting to hear back from cervelo. Mines a little worse than whats in the picture. It seems more like the frame is delaminating or something, not so much a crack as a swelling? I'll try and get a picture up and keep you guys posted on my experience.


Please keep up posted. I'm sorry to hear of your conflict. I hope Cervelo makes it right. I haven't heard of any trend for 2011 cracking in the BB yet, on this board as well as the Cervelo forums, let's hope it doesn't start!


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## brn2vlo (Sep 28, 2006)

The BB on my 2010 RS, also white, looked very much like the picture above. I am currently in the warranty replacement process. It would be bad, except for the fact that I was cleaning it to take pictures to sell the RS and replace it with a R3. Now it appears that I will be getting a R3 as a replacement for the RS, since the RS is only being sold as a complete bike till they run out.


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## zion rasta (Aug 15, 2004)

I'd buy the frame on e-bay. If it cracks at BB send it to calfee, they will reapair it at at lower cost thatn a replacement.

I bought my R3 for $1200 on ebay in excellent condition. The crash replacement for a cervelo frame is $1800. Even if it brakes and it can not be repaired, I would get another one on e-bay. And still be less that a $3500 new frame...


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## Genshammer (Mar 24, 2011)

*We can fix it too*

Here's a recent repair we did on a Cervelo R3 - 

Cervelo R3 CSC « Carbon Fiber Bike Frame Repair

Customer has been riding the heck out of it with no issues. We've got more than 20 years experience repairing composites, learning our craft in the US Air Force, and all of our repairs are 100% structurally sound and cosmetically flawless. 

So if you're considering Calfee for repair, drop us a line too. Check out more examples of our work at the link below or at our Facebook page.

Sincerely,


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

perttime said:


> It is not quite clear if the issues are structural or cosmetic. One guy in the discussion is a dealer and he seemed pretty sure this one is only paint cracking because of the way the metal insert is fixed to the carbon structure.




interesting. I have a frame (not cervelo) that has similar white paint cracking at BB. I noticed it yesterday. When I looked at it under magnification and tried to flex bb area, there was no movement. I think that because all bb's flex under load to some extent, the white paint doesn't stretch to accomidate the flex, and its also more visible with the white paint.


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## clutch828 (Jan 4, 2012)

Does anyone know if the bottom bracket problem has persisted into the 2012 models? Is the 2012 model the same frame as the 2011? The paint looks the same.


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