After just 200 miles my Scott CR1 Pro developed what looks to be a crack near the brake hole. Yes I'm looking into getting a warranty replacement but just out of curiosity, how dangerous is this. Can you ride a carbon fork with a tiny crack. Keep in mind these photos are taken in super-macro mode with the flash so it looks more dramatic than it actually is.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3147/2285869661_b84fce6aa3.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2399/2285880795_19bf1c9f9a.jpg?v=0

Call me a reactionist but I wouldn't ride that or let a loved one ride it.

I have NOTHING against carbon forks in general. But when you have a cracked fork it's a different deal.

There are a few things on a bike that can and will hurt or kill you.......forks, stems, and handlebars. I never take chances with these.

Dave

I wouldn't ride on it. As you ride, the crack will just keep growing.

pretty much what I thought... strange though as I've never heard anything about CR1 forks cracking, especially after just 3 rides.

pretty much what I thought... strange though as I've never heard anything about CR1 forks cracking, especially after just 3 rides.

Were the brake calipers torqued too much? I am no mechanic, but it looks to be in the right place for such a concern.

Were the brake calipers torqued too much? I am no mechanic, but it looks to be in the right place for such a concern.

I was wondering the same thing.

it looks like a scratch to me, not a crack.

Play with the brake bolt and see if it moves.

it looks like a scratch to me, not a crack.

Play with the brake bolt and see if it moves.

I agree. Take it to a bike shop and ask for their input. If your uneasy about it, take it on some short easy spins for a while and see if it changes.

I agree. Take it to a bike shop and ask for their input. If your uneasy about it, take it on some short easy spins for a while and see if it changes.

What?? this is the funniest thing I have ever heard.... lol

"Yeah, just ride it out, dude. See how it handles if you just use it, if it doesn't brake then its not broken. You will get a 5 second notice before it cracks anyway."

How much I love internet advice!! Dude, take the thing to a shop. Don't ride it unless you don't mind if you have to get one of these pins...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/71/193627904_2c1dbc68bb.jpg

Darwinism.

If the fork is OK you'll be fine. If it's not it will snap in two very quickly (Scott's are made with unidirectional fibers that give little to no warning) and put your face on the pavement. If you've never had this happen to you let me assure you it should be low on your list of things to experience.

You can obviously do anything you want. It's your fork and your well being. But you asked so I'm telling you that I personally feel it's foolish to ride that thing.

All the best,

Dave

It could just be a paint crack, but as others have said, it's not worth it. If the bike only has 200 miles, then I'm sure it will get covered by scott. It makes me shudder to think of the rammifications of a fork failing in a high speed decent in a hairpin curve. Maybe you could sell it to Johnny Knoxville. He'd probably ride it, but not me.

Take it back to the dealer. NOW!

BUT, you don't want to fool around with your fork possibly being compromised.

Being hyper-cautious will only save you from possible serious injury at the cost of a few rides on the bike for a short bit of time. (A broken face/head/jaw/shoulder/etc could cost you a LOT of future rides on the bike. Or worse case scenario, you'd never ride or do anything else ever again.)

Get it checked out ASAP.

One more vote for NOT riding on that.

if it's under warranty then you have nothing to lose to take it in. if it fails you can sue for pain and suffering.

Yikes!!!

I, too, think it only looks like a scratch. Nothing, though, can be decided from internet pics or postings. What's the history of the fork? If it took a big whack, then you might have reason to be concerned. If the "crack" just suddenly appeared and all you've been doing is JRA, then a "crack" seems unlikely.

Go to your LBS and let 'em look at it. Cracks don't just happen.

Don't ride that thing . . . send it back for a replacement. I recently sent my fork back, because after 3 years, I noticed some "scratches" on the inside of the fork leg (near the top of the crown). They weren't deep at all. Just enough to catch your fingernail. I thought they might be from getting mud or grit on the edges of the tire -- I thought the grit on the tire might scrape against the inside of the fork, causing the marks. I decided that I'd rather be safe than sorry and sent it off for warranty inspection. 3 weeks later the fork manufacturers confirmed that they were stress fractures and sent me a new fork.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened to me if I'd just said "It looks like a scratch . . . I'm sure it's fine".

That is NOT a scratch. It's a crack. What's more, I wouldn't ride that for love nor money.

That is NOT a scratch. It's a crack. What's more, I wouldn't ride that for love nor money.

Oh, pray tell, how do you know what it is from an internet picture, eh? You're able to do in depth analysis from your computer screen. You know, there's prolly big money in havin' a skill like that.

Not to put too fine a point on it but if you look at those pictures you will see that the end of that "scratch" changes direction. Scratches do not look like that and growing cracks in laid up materials look exactly like that.

But let us suppose that either you or I am wrong. If you're wrong perhaps the man will have a fork collapse which can lead to a fatal injury. If I'm wrong it will cost him a bit more money than he might have gotten away with.

Exactly what is more important to you?

Not to put too fine a point on it but if you look at those pictures you will see that the end of that "scratch" changes direction. Scratches do not look like that and growing cracks in laid up materials look exactly like that.

But let us suppose that either you or I am wrong. If you're wrong perhaps the man will have a fork collapse which can lead to a fatal injury. If I'm wrong it will cost him a bit more money than he might have gotten away with.

Exactly what is more important to you?

Well put.

Dave

Not to put too fine a point on it but if you look at those pictures you will see that the end of that "scratch" changes direction. Scratches do not look like that and growing cracks in laid up materials look exactly like that.

But let us suppose that either you or I am wrong. If you're wrong perhaps the man will have a fork collapse which can lead to a fatal injury. If I'm wrong it will cost him a bit more money than he might have gotten away with.

Exactly what is more important to you?

Read my posts. Carefully, please. I told him he should take his fork to be looked at, some place where a real live person can actually put hands on it or have it sent away to be checked.

There is zero that you or any one else can tell about that "defect." FWIW, I wasn't aware that scratches had a particular geometry. I've seen all sorts of scratches, with some even looking like the defect in the picture. Imagine that!:eek:

He should have the fork examined. Full stop.

It'll be wonderous day indeed when the enlightened ones can make accurate diagnoses of defects in carbon fiber from low-res pics on an internet forum. Wow. I can't wait for that day.

Not to put too fine a point on it but if you look at those pictures you will see that the end of that "scratch" changes direction. Scratches do not look like that and growing cracks in laid up materials look exactly like that.

Because all the scratches in the world are perfectly straight lines. I'm sorry, I forgot about that law of nature.

It looks like a scratch.

No, wait,

It looks like a crack...

Get thee to your local bicycle repair establishment forthwith....

As an aside, I doubt your local shop can determine weather or not it is a scratch, crack, defect, or whatever.

It should be sent back to the manucaturer for a complete analysis.

Unless you can vouch for what "scratched" the fork, DON'T RIDE THAT THING!!!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and here and risk pissing off some very smart and experienced folks that work at bikes shops around the country.

While there are some rare shops that could look at something like the fork in question and make a determination as to whether it's sound or not most shops will have absolutely no clue. They are not trained in any way whatsoever in things like this. The really good ones have guys with loads of years of experience that MIGHT be able to check this out. The vast majority will not be able to do more than you do..........stare at it and wonder.

If it were me I'd contact the manufacturer directly and ask for advice. They will no doubt ask for it back and i've got $100 that says they just replace it regardless of what condition it's in. It's doubtful that the US offices of the company will have a method of testing the fork but they will have warrantee stock on the shelf. It costs so very little to make one of those things that it's cheaper for them to give you a new one than it is to just replace it.

I'm out.

Dave

Did you already put a Magnifying glass and strong light to it? Sure don't look good and is the worst thing a Carbon Fiber owner wants to see. I would take it to a top Pro shop and not the one you bought it from for there opinion.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and here and risk pissing off some very smart and experienced folks that work at bikes shops around the country.

While there are some rare shops that could look at something like the fork in question and make a determination as to whether it's sound or not most shops will have absolutely no clue. They are not trained in any way whatsoever in things like this. The really good ones have guys with loads of years of experience that MIGHT be able to check this out. The vast majority will not be able to do more than you do..........stare at it and wonder.

If it were me I'd contact the manufacturer directly and ask for advice. They will no doubt ask for it back and i've got $100 that says they just replace it regardless of what condition it's in. It's doubtful that the US offices of the company will have a method of testing the fork but they will have warrantee stock on the shelf. It costs so very little to make one of those things that it's cheaper for them to give you a new one than it is to just replace it.

I'm out.

Dave

Right again. I said LBS because for a lot of people that point of contact is easiest.

Iffen it were me, I'd pull the fork, remove the brake caliper, and try polishing the finish lightly to see if it's a scratch in the paint. If it doesn't buff out, I'd call it a crack. But I'd hate to loose riding time for a scratch.

Take my advice with a grain of salt, I ride through balls of fire from a flamethrower on my tricycle.

http://thinkcooper.com/Galleries/BM2005_Gallery/images/011d_machine.jpg

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