Spent a whole afternoon chasing a creak on a vintage Trek 520

It was one of those classic 'everything is tight' noises that only happened under load. I checked the bottom bracket, the headset, the cranks, you name it. Turned out to be a tiny, almost invisible crack in the left chainstay weld, took about four hours to find. Anyone else had a frame crack hide as a simple creak?

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2 Comments

the_viola6mo ago

Oh man, that's the worst kind of hunt. Those hidden frame cracks are sneaky because they only open up when you put real force through the bike. I had a similar thing with an old steel frame where the noise came from the seat tube but the actual crack was near the bottom bracket shell. It makes you question your sanity after checking every bolt three times. What did you end up doing with the frame, is it something a good welder can fix?

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laura_white996mo ago

Yeah, and even if you get it welded, the heat can mess with the frame's temper. Might be stronger right at the crack but create a weak spot right next to it.

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