# Carbon frame repair: Calfee vs Spyder Composites?



## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

Looking for best option to repair a damaged seat stay on my Cervelo R3. Reached out to several carbon frame repair companies. All indicate that as far as they can tell - won't know for sure until frame is in-hand - that repair and matching to "good as new" is possible.

Does anyone have any yea's or nea's to offer about Calfee Design or Spyder Composites for carbon repair work?

Thanks!

Mid-stay damage:










Bottom of stay, hard to see in photo but it's right above the curve of the dropout...


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## edscueth (Jul 12, 2008)

I don't think you can go wrong with Calfee (not familiar with Spyder) but to throw another name out there look at RR Velo. Edgar at RR Velo did an excellent job at repairing my carbon frame. In the end your the one riding it, go with your gut feeling on who you think will do the best job (as there are many shops that repair it).


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*I've never heard*

anyone complain about a Calfee repair


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## persondude27 (May 14, 2008)

I had exactly the same thing repaired on the same place on an R3 as well. Calfee did it, and turn around was like 3 weeks. Really happy with it, and it rode great. No experience with Spyder.


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## Fireform (Dec 15, 2005)

I'd have had my broken Felt F1 toptube repaired by Calfee if Felt hadn't insisted on having it back. They do great work.


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

persondude27 said:


> I had exactly the same thing repaired on the same place on an R3 as well. Calfee did it, and turn around was like 3 weeks. Really happy with it, and it rode great.


Did you have a crack by drop-out as well?

What was the cost - repair and frame?

Did you have an LBS handle the back-and-forth?

Thanks!


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## wetpaint (Oct 12, 2008)

I've been looking up frame repair as well. I'm going to go with Spyder Composites. Their repairs look really good on their Facebook page. They also quoted a really good price for repairing my seat stay. I sent Calfee an email with pics asking about repairing my frame and never got an email back.


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

wetpaint said:


> I sent Calfee an email with pics asking about repairing my frame and never got an email back.


Yeah - that's my experience as well. Emails to two different people, no response. Business must be good.


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## PSC (Mar 10, 2004)

Velonews did an article on this last month:

Carbon repair: Options for repairing carbon bike frames

Good luck.


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## Genshammer (Mar 24, 2011)

*Cfr*

Hi RJP Diver,

Thanks for sending us an email regarding your Cervelo. In case you didn't see them on our website, we've done several repairs on Cervelo frames. 

Here are a couple examples:

Cervelo Soloist « Carbon Fiber Bike Frame Repair

Cervelo R3 CSC « Carbon Fiber Bike Frame Repair

We've also done repairs for other RBR forum members:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/general-cycling-discussion/carbon-fiber-repaired-257563.html

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,


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## DanRC (Apr 4, 2012)

I had a frame with two cracks in a seat stay repaired by Spyder Composites just a couple weeks ago. Turn-around time was under two weeks but we live close enough to drop off and pick up the frame in person. Others have reported longer repair times. It did take a few calls to keep things on track; Frank seems very busy. The repair work was first-rate, practically imperceptible, strong, and the paint work, two colors and a decal, look perfect. The price was also very reasonable.


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## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

Harry Havnoonian (outside of Philly) also did carbon repair. Not sure if he still does. 

H.H. Racing Group


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

As long as this thread has been dredged up, I thought I would mention that I had the work done by Spyder Composites. 

Very happy with the work - bike came back "indistinguishable from new" to the point that my LBS checked the serial number to see if they had actually sent the same frame back. I even had to think for a bit which side was broken, because the repair was not apparent at all.

Very happy with the cost - $160 for the repair, including paint matching. By contrast, Calfee's estimate for the repair was nearly 2x the cost PLUS $100 for paint.

Thumbs up for Spyder Composites!


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## CippoForLife (Oct 10, 2006)

I'd throw in Alchemy Bicycle Co. in Austin, TX.
Awesome guys.
Kirklee is also a damn wizz if you're not in a rush.


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## ikedana (Nov 22, 2013)

Beware of Spyder Composites. They will tell you it takes 2 weeks to fix your bike. A week after they received my bike they emailed me an invoice and said the bike had been repaired. Once paid, they stopped replying to emails and voicemail. It has been 2 months since I paid and I still don't have my bike. When I called , they were nasty, confrontational and evasive. I was called a "********" and said the reason for the delay was because "Cannondale makes shitty bikes." Bottom line: Spyder is clueless when it comes to customer service and they have no sense of urgency.


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## longslow (Jul 14, 2007)

I used Spyder Composites and they did a great job. You could not tell the difference when completed. Yes it did take time so it may not be a place for a type A personality. Spyder does excellent work but it will take time


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## Mike Tsai (Dec 3, 2013)

No offense. Just a question: Is it satisfactory for you to pay $300 for carbon repair and paint recovery?


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

Mike Tsai said:


> No offense. Just a question: Is it satisfactory for you to pay $300 for carbon repair and paint recovery?


No offense. But to avoid the Socratic method, what are your responses to the question answered "yes", and then to the question answered "no".


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## 2wheels (May 6, 2014)

ikedana said:


> Beware of Spyder Composites. They will tell you it takes 2 weeks to fix your bike. A week after they received my bike they emailed me an invoice and said the bike had been repaired. Once paid, they stopped replying to emails and voicemail. It has been 2 months since I paid and I still don't have my bike. When I called , they were nasty, confrontational and evasive. I was called a "********" and said the reason for the delay was because "Cannondale makes shitty bikes." Bottom line: Spyder is clueless when it comes to customer service and they have no sense of urgency.


I wish I saw this post before I sent them my frame...Promised 2 weeks, 6 weeks and counting now. They said its was finished 4 weeks ago. Every time I contact them for the tracking number, just excuses, good thing is profanity not involved yet.


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

2wheels said:


> I wish I saw this post before I sent them my frame...Promised 2 weeks, 6 weeks and counting now. They said its was finished 4 weeks ago. Every time I contact them for the tracking number, just excuses, good thing is profanity not involved yet.


Same old, same old. "Search" is your friend.


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## twiggy (Mar 23, 2004)

History Repeats itself.... I sent my frame to Spyder at the end of February, it was done in April and I still don't have it back.... June 17th....


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## ghettocop (Apr 19, 2014)

Everyone should use caution when dealing with Spyder. My shop used to contract with them for customer carbon repair. They grew sketchier and sketchier during the last part of 2014 and became virtually useless in 2015. We were straight lied to several times, and communication was abysmal.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

ghettocop said:


> Everyone should use caution when dealing with Spyder. My shop used to contract with them for customer carbon repair. They grew sketchier and sketchier during the last part of 2014 and became virtually useless in 2015. We were straight lied to several times, and communication was abysmal.


Calfee it is.

I will personally inspect the work they are doing on your frame if it's there on Sept 20th 2015.


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