# Cracks near bottom bracket (carbon)



## UlrikM (Mar 14, 2011)

Hey guys,

I bought my bike, a Bianchi 928 C2C, in July 2009. I've never crashed and it is in perfect condition, or so I thought. Recently I discovered 2 cracks, one on each site of the frame, in the bottom of my frame near the crankset/bottom bracket. The cracks are thin but 4-5 centimeters long and are located on exactly the same spot on each side of the frame. As described I've never been involved in any crash and the cracks have appeared out of nowhere. Due to a knee injury, I've not used the bike as much as I liked to and I've never ridden the bike hard enough to justify these cracks.

I've taken some photos that I hope will explain the damage. A discussion on feltet.dk, a danish road bike community, revealed that the cracks most likely come from the bottom bracket breaking loose. I've contacted my bike store and wait for their response, but what is your experience with Bianchi's warranty/support? 

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/snaremedia.com/venstre1.JPG
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/snaremedia.com/venstre2.JPG
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/snaremedia.com/venstre3.JPG
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/snaremedia.com/venstre4.JPG

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/snaremedia.com/hojre1.JPG
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/snaremedia.com/hojre2.JPG
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/snaremedia.com/hojre3.JPG

Best regards,
Ulrik Moe


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## j.king (Mar 23, 2005)

Looks like paint cracks to me.

I don't have any experience with Bianchi's warranty so I can't really say what they'd do. I can only guess that they'll repaint it if it is indeed just a paint crack.


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## UlrikM (Mar 14, 2011)

j.king said:


> Looks like paint cracks to me.
> 
> I don't have any experience with Bianchi's warranty so I can't really say what they'd do. I can only guess that they'll repaint it if it is indeed just a paint crack.


Hey J.king, thanks for your reply. I do believe you are right, but the thing worrying me is what caused the cracks. The cracks appear on exactly the same spot on each side of the frame, which in my head means that something is wrong inside the frame.


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## rx-79g (Sep 14, 2010)

It wouldn't be the first carbon frame to have the alloy BB shell work loose. Have it checked.


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## UlrikM (Mar 14, 2011)

rx-79g said:


> It wouldn't be the first carbon frame to have the alloy BB shell work loose. Have it checked.


Hey rx-79g thanks for your reply. I have a 3 hour drive to the bike store where I bought the bike, which in Sweden (I live in Denmark), so I just wanted to make sure it was worth it  

The gasoline is expensive these days, 2.25$/liter or 9$/gallon (yeah I live in a communist country with insane taxation). I also have to pay 55$ just to cross the bridge to Sweden, so it's gotta be worth the drive/the money (125$+).

Best regards,
Ulrik Moe


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## bike867 (Feb 2, 2011)

Bianchi replaced a Campione frame of mine that was showing paint cracks at the head tube/downtube lug. They even replaced it with a Reparto Corse frame, a pretty big upgrade, at no extra cost. This was a steel frame, back in '97 or so.

So, my experience with Bianchi has been positive, 14 years ago.

It does look like the insert has come loose and is moving side to side, causing the paint cracks. I suspect Bianchi will replace it, if you're the original owner.


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## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

I think this is purely cosmetic. At least the way I interpret those photos, at the point where you see the cracks, there is no carbon anymore, just a skin-thick layer of epoxy to make for a nice transition. This kind of thing has no structural implications of any kind. What makes it look bad is the bright white color of the frame. If this was a black frame, you would never even notice.


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## UlrikM (Mar 14, 2011)

A valid point, but isn't it a little odd that the cracks are on both sides of the frame on exactly the same spot?


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## cyclesport45 (Dec 10, 2007)

bike867 said:


> It does look like the insert has come loose and is moving side to side, causing the paint cracks. I suspect Bianchi will replace it, if you're the original owner.


Is there a fix for such a thing? Just curious....


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## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

UlrikM said:


> A valid point, but isn't it a little odd that the cracks are on both sides of the frame on exactly the same spot?


No, not really: You have a very nearly symmetric cross section in that area, so I am not suprised to see a symmetric set of cracks. Note that I am not saying that you shouldn't talk to Bianchi support about that, but I wouldn't worry about it, except for the cosmetics. If the aesthetics bother you (and I could see that being the case), then that might be a factor. But, you know, there is a price to pay for choosing white as a color...


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## testpilot (Aug 20, 2010)

Shrinkage! Probably due to a difference in expansion rates of paint vs aluminum BB shell.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

testpilot said:


> Shrinkage! Probably due to a difference in expansion rates of paint vs aluminum BB shell.


According to George, the shrinkage was from the cold pool :blush2:


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

testpilot said:


> Shrinkage! Probably due to a difference in expansion rates of paint vs aluminum BB shell.


I think this is the most likely, if you don't notice any movement in the bottom bracket.


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## rx-79g (Sep 14, 2010)

UlrikM said:


> Hey rx-79g thanks for your reply. I have a 3 hour drive to the bike store where I bought the bike, which in Sweden (I live in Denmark), so I just wanted to make sure it was worth it
> 
> The gasoline is expensive these days, 2.25$/liter or 9$/gallon (yeah I live in a communist country with insane taxation). I also have to pay 55$ just to cross the bridge to Sweden, so it's gotta be worth the drive/the money (125$+).
> 
> ...


Around here, any Bianchi dealer would be obligated to look into a warranty issue. Are there no Bianchi dealers nearby?


BTW, Denmark rocks.


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## UlrikM (Mar 14, 2011)

testpilot said:


> Shrinkage! Probably due to a difference in expansion rates of paint vs aluminum BB shell.


Thanks mate, but what do you recommend me doing?


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

I would e-mail Bianchi customer service with links to those pictures and see what they say. The pictures are good enough for them to give you an educated opinion.


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

I would bet it is cosmetic and doesn't affect the structural integrity of the frame. I would also bet that if you presented it to a Bianchi dealer that they would process it as a warranty and replace the frame. 

I have seen many Cervelo's over on their forum with this exact problem.


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## Pirx (Aug 9, 2009)

natedg200202 said:


> I would bet it is cosmetic and doesn't affect the structural integrity of the frame. I would also bet that if you presented it to a Bianchi dealer that they would process it as a warranty and replace the frame.


That is probably true, but you may well see the exact same cracks on the new frame in short order...


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## gamara (May 20, 2002)

I seem to recall another member with similar problem that posted here. I think his was a cannondale & it was a warranty issue that the manufacturer resolved. So I think your answer as well is to contact the manufacturer either by way of lbs or directly.


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## UlrikM (Mar 14, 2011)

Thanks for your replies. I have contacted both Bianchi and the bike store where I bought the lovely bike. Bianchi responded immediately, within an hour I was contacted by the Bianchi Denmark, and they seem to agree with some of you that it's likely the alloy bb breaking loose. Bianchi asked me to contact my LBS, which I had already done, but I have yet to receive an answer from erlan.se (guess one can expect it to take a few days at best). I will keep you updated


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## tober1 (Feb 6, 2009)

This is why I only buy black bikes. I never notice these things


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## bike867 (Feb 2, 2011)

Correct. Bianchi will want to work with an LBS that is an authorized dealer. I stripped my Bianchi myself, then let the shop send it to Bianchi. It took about 4 weeks from day of shipment until a new frame arrived at the same LBS. Sounds like that is still their modus operandi. Your future apparently shows a new frame coming soon! Hopefully you have another bike to ride until you receive it.


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