Treks are tough afterall

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As if winning after a crash wasn't enough, Lance really did have a
broken frame.

http://www.bicycling.com/tourdefrance/experts/columns/0,6717,5612,00.htm
l

[Slider2699]

"Michael" > wrote in message
...
> Or it could mean that Treks break when you crash.

Only if someone falls on the chainstay, apparently. Perhaps they should ride
steel......

>

[henry]

My friend Jake had his chainstay (early Trek aluminum frame) snap on a group
ride several years ago.

We were approaching a pretty big downhill when he commented that the rear of
his bike felt a little mushy--but it didn't appear to be a flat--would we
mind taking a look?

The chainstay had just pulled away from the dropout. REALLY glad we had not
made it to the downhill yet.

Trek was cool about it--gave him a choice of a new aluminum frame or a steel
frame. He chose steel.

ie

"Slider2699" > wrote in message
om...
>
> "Michael" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Or it could mean that Treks break when you crash.
>
> Only if someone falls on the chainstay, apparently. Perhaps they should
ride
> steel......
>
> >
>
>

[psycholist]

I've read your source article and I've been on a Trek OCLV frame for the
last 70,000 miles -- but I don't buy this story about the cracked chainstay.
I've never heard Lance mention it -- nor anyone else from the USPS team. I
can't believe he wouldn't have changed bikes at that critical stage if he
was riding a broken frame. This business that he was able to apply steady,
even pressure because he wasn't forced to respond to attacks is a real load.
First, he had to surge to get back on with the group, then Mayo attacked
twice -- to which Lance had to respond. And he spent significant time out
of the saddle after he was away alone.

Does anyone have a picture of the broken frame that shows the break? Does
anyone have a quote from Lance saying he had a broken chainstay?

I will say this for Trek, they're great about honoring their warranty when
frame problems DO happen ... and they do. I'm on my fourth OCLV frame.
Frame #1 cracked at the wishbone seat stay -- apparently such a common
problem that they beefed up that area after about 1998 and, just to be safe,
came up with a decal to put there. They completely rebuilt it and sent it
back to me. Frame #2 just decided to go out of alignment. Don't know why.
Nothing could be done about it. Trek sent me a brand new USPS frame. Very
cool. It was a much-improved frame over the old one -- beefier in the seat
stay and bottom bracket. Frame #3 died when I got hit by a teenage driver
(with cell phone) and nearly died. I'm on frame #4 now. Frames 3 and 4
have been fantastic. I'd still be on frame 3 with about 50,000 miles were
it now for the encounter with a Saturn.

Bob C.
P.S. When frame #3 died in the crash, I was going downhill at about 30 mph.
The car that turned into me was probably going 20 to 25 and the crash would
have been head on except that I started to try to skid and turn out of the
way just before impact and presented my left side (broken hip, ankle,
pelvis, fractured spine and major laceration of the left leg). My left
pedal was snapped off and the crank was bent all the way into the rear
wheel. There were signs of the impact all over the left chainstay -- but it
didn't break. Compared to what that frame went through, I can't imagine
that Iban Mayo's slight body could have broken Lance's chainstay.
> wrote in message
news:1fyjy6w.1fq5dwx1773i3zN%mtnclymber@earthlink. net...
> As if winning after a crash wasn't enough, Lance really did have a
> broken frame.
>
> http://www.bicycling.com/tourdefrance/experts/columns/0,6717,5612,00.htm
> l

[Boyd Speerschneider]

"psycholist" > wrote in
:

> I've read your source article and I've been on a Trek OCLV frame for the
> last 70,000 miles -- but I don't buy this story about the cracked
> chainstay. I've never heard Lance mention it -- nor anyone else from the
> USPS team. I can't believe he wouldn't have changed bikes at that
> critical stage if he was riding a broken frame. This business that he
> was able to apply steady, even pressure because he wasn't forced to
> respond to attacks is a real load. First, he had to surge to get back on
> with the group, then Mayo attacked twice -- to which Lance had to
> respond. And he spent significant time out of the saddle after he was
> away alone.
>
> Does anyone have a picture of the broken frame that shows the break?
> Does anyone have a quote from Lance saying he had a broken chainstay?
>
> I will say this for Trek, they're great about honoring their warranty
> when frame problems DO happen ... and they do. I'm on my fourth OCLV
> frame. Frame #1 cracked at the wishbone seat stay -- apparently such a
> common problem that they beefed up that area after about 1998 and, just
> to be safe, came up with a decal to put there. They completely rebuilt
> it and sent it back to me. Frame #2 just decided to go out of
> alignment. Don't know why. Nothing could be done about it. Trek sent
> me a brand new USPS frame. Very cool. It was a much-improved frame
> over the old one -- beefier in the seat stay and bottom bracket. Frame
> #3 died when I got hit by a teenage driver (with cell phone) and nearly
> died. I'm on frame #4 now. Frames 3 and 4 have been fantastic. I'd
> still be on frame 3 with about 50,000 miles were it now for the
> encounter with a Saturn.
>
> Bob C.
> P.S. When frame #3 died in the crash, I was going downhill at about 30
> mph. The car that turned into me was probably going 20 to 25 and the
> crash would have been head on except that I started to try to skid and
> turn out of the way just before impact and presented my left side
> (broken hip, ankle, pelvis, fractured spine and major laceration of the
> left leg). My left pedal was snapped off and the crank was bent all the
> way into the rear wheel. There were signs of the impact all over the
> left chainstay -- but it didn't break. Compared to what that frame went
> through, I can't imagine that Iban Mayo's slight body could have broken
> Lance's chainstay. > wrote in message
> news:1fyjy6w.1fq5dwx1773i3zN%mtnclymber@earthlink. net...
>> As if winning after a crash wasn't enough, Lance really did have a
>> broken frame.
>>
>> http://www.bicycling.com/tourdefrance/experts/columns/0,6717,5612,00.htm
>> l

Did you read the article at all?
The Trek 5900 OCLV that Lance was riding was a one-off super light weight
prototype which weighs in at 1000 grams.
The Trek tech guy states in the article that this is acheived by adding
less layers of carbon fiber at certain areas in the bike.
Who knows, the chainstays could have been one of them.
I'm not saying it did or didn't happen.
I'm just saying that it *is* possible.
BTW, most of this information was from Trek.
Why would they want to let it be known that their frame nearly failed their
top rider at possibly *the single most critical moment* of his racing
career? Doesn't sound like good PR to me.
The only reason they would admit to this is if they *had* to.

- Boyd S.