I noticed some cracks in my 08 R3 at the head tube and bottom bracket. First the head tube. These occur where the metal cup for the headset race is bonded to the frame. The paint is cracked for about 30mm radially about the headset. The crack looks like it could be caused by the flexing of the bonding between the headset cup and the frame.I hope its just the paint but would be interested in feedback. I have photos available. The cracks at the bb look like "stress cracks" which are about 10mm long (about 7 of them) and they spiral out from the bb just where the paint covers the bb metal shell. These are very fine and are only visible because the frame is white. Again I have pictures available. I would appreciate any input. Chris Troy

cstroy2:

I noticed some cracks in my 08 R3 at the head tube and bottom bracket. First the head tube. These occur where the metal cup for the headset race is bonded to the frame. The paint is cracked for about 30mm radially about the headset. The crack looks like it could be caused by the flexing of the bonding between the headset cup and the frame.I hope its just the paint but would be interested in feedback. I have photos available. The cracks at the bb look like "stress cracks" which are about 10mm long (about 7 of them) and they spiral out from the bb just where the paint covers the bb metal shell. These are very fine and are only visible because the frame is white. Again I have pictures available. I would appreciate any input. Chris Troy

Just for future reference whenever anyone posts about frame defects for damages please automatically post pics! thats a no brainer. Secondly why ask us go straight to Cervelo Customer Service or your local bike shop dealer. I would not ride that frame till you get it checked out by local bike shop.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33299267@N04/3103703780/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33299267@N04/3102874389/in/photostream/

I think you may be losing the plot Redcorn

cstroy2:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33299267@N04/3103703780/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33299267@N04/3102874389/in/photostream/

 Completely agree with what Redcorn says, it is simply not worth the risk riding it. Contact Cervélo customer service and get there opinion.

Thanks for all the input.  Your comments are very much appreciated. At least its winter and the bike is fully stripped down to the frame. I hope to get a resolution before the racing season starts in March. I have forwarded hpotos etc to Cervelo.

 As a Cervelo dealer, I would suggest you contact the shop you bought it from so they can proceed with Cervelo Customer Service. In all my years in dealing with Cervelo, they have been excellent in considering such questions, and if there is any doubt, they will take care of the problem. Remember, these are the same people who warrantied all those True Temper made Wolf SL forks on their own nickel, because True Temper wouldn't step up.

   Some of what you are seeing could just be paint cracking due to the different flex characteristics of the 2 materials, but it's best to leave that decision to Cervelo. They are very quick to assess issues(especially with good photos you have) and act accordingly. 

Best wishes, 

Rick Olsen 

Sammamish Valley Cycles

Hi Jens,

Is that crack on the driveside ( with chainrings ) of the BB or the non-driveside. Could it be caused by a dropped chain?

Having said that I know that Look had problems with the white paint cracking on their 585 and 595 bikes. The underlying carbon wasn't damaged but it looked bad as the paint had cracked.

 I'd like to see some more pics of jens' example, but on first sight, that looks like the BB shell is on its way out of the frame.

 Chris's look worse at the headtube than the BB, pretty obviously. The BB ones look like they could have been caused by a dropped chain - there's something about the regularity of them and the fact that they don't appear to be all around the BB area (just on the top) that makes me think that. The headtube crack looks nasty though. At best it's a very poor finish, and at worst it looks structural.

Allen, weren't the 58/595 problems mostly around the top of the seat tube? I thought those were cracks in the CF.

Greg,

It was indeed the seat tube where the Look bikes had the problem although I think there might have been another issue as well with simply the paint cracking.

Looking at the photo posted my Jens again, something has just occured to me. On my R3 SL the exterior of the BB cups as they sit in the frame are bare metal, i.e. silver in colour. However I have noticed that on the new white R3, based on the photos online, that the silver part of the BB cups seems to be covered with white paint. Could the cracking in Jens' photo simply be the paint peeling off the metal of the cups. It would certainly explain things.

But having said all that, this doesn't explain the cracks in the other photos and anything suspect should most certainly be checked!

The last r3 framset in white that I have on the floor has the silver cups exposed, and I think all that I had this year were the same way.  I think that on jens frame it is a matter of paint on the shell peeling off.

I had my R3 replaced from my distributor right away in August. That was a 2008 a. I got a received a new one. 2008 b. Hope that one is ok.  :o