My 2003 Ellsworth Truth died today

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wavinwayne

wavinwayne

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Jan 6, 2005
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I took a long awaited mountain bike ride with my road biking group this morning. A few miles into our ride on a not-too-rocky trail, SNAP!!!, the seat tube broke. Argggggghhhh!!!!

My 2003 model is supposed to have a lifetime warranty. We shall see. Anyway, here's a picture of the carnage:

DCP_0004.jpg
 
unfortunately that can happen with a lightweight frame.
I'm sure I'll end up doing something similar to my old NRS (actually the same age as yours )
I'm on my second frame, the first one cracked on the seat tube in a similar spot which was a known fatigue crack point on the first XTC/NRS ('00) frames. Later frames used a revised rocker pivot bracket and welding.
Giant replaced mine at the time, no questions asked, just took a little while to get a frame as later frames used a slightly different rear triangle and they wouldn't replace that too......

Ellsworth are a quality frame and builder, the only thing they may question is if the bike has been repeatedly jumped (shock bottomed) it would put a lot of load at that point. (seat tube would be in tension, which is better than compression) but you would think that the seat stays would crumple/crack first. (compression)
 
That rear suspension linkage puts some pretty obscene tensile loads on the broken tube, looks like roughly 3 times the rear wheel load.

If the tube was going to fail from a tensile fatigue load someplace between the suspension rocker pivot point and the crankset, that's not much less likely a place than anywhere else.

I wouldn't rule out bad materials either, like a crack starting at a small flaw in the material then finishing off the tube with a relatively low number of cycles.

Is the tubing Chinese?
 
Originally Posted By: XS650
That rear suspension linkage puts some pretty obscene tensile loads on the broken tube, looks like roughly 3 times the rear wheel load.

If the tube was going to fail from a tensile fatigue load someplace between the suspension rocker pivot point and the crankset, that's not much less likely a place than anywhere else.

I wouldn't rule out bad materials either, like a crack starting at a small flaw in the material then finishing off the tube with a relatively low number of cycles.

Is the tubing Chinese?


*snap*

I agree, and that point is an obvious stress raiser thanks to the end of the rocker bracket and weld.
I'm fairly sure Ellsworth were using US sourced butted tube back then.
 
looks like it started right at the edge of that pivot mount/gusset. could be a can opener effect. the ellsworth dealer would probably want the rep to look at it; maybe they'll cover it, all depends on that mysterious customer/dealer/rep/company dynamic.
get a nice rigid steel single speed, no more worries! :)
 
Originally Posted By: mpvue
get a nice rigid steel single speed, no more worries! :)


Any lightweight frame can break! I broke a chainstay (right by the dropout) on my True Temper AVR-tubed KHS Montana Comp a few years ago. Had it welded up and it's been good since.

As a child some kid I BMX'd with broke the down tube on his titanium Titan frame. He rode the newly fully-suspended bike home. I also saw a guy riding right in front of me fold an Easton Elite Rocky Mountain frame in half in a relatively minor collision with a large rock on the side of the trail.
 
If Ellsworth takes care of me, I'm a customer for life. If they screw me, screw them.
 
I see 2 potential up-sides to this broken frame:

1) I get a brand new, slightly revised design 2008 or 2009 Truth frame at no charge.

2) Since I'm primarily a roadie these days, I have no down time without a bike.

Here's hoping that Tony Ellsworth is the decent guy that I think he is.
 
Thats a nice bike, I've only seen (in person) a few Ellsworth bikes before. Do you do any extreme riding like downhill or jumps on that bike?
 
Originally Posted By: lpcmidst128
Thats a nice bike, I've only seen (in person) a few Ellsworth bikes before. Do you do any extreme riding like downhill or jumps on that bike?


No. Cross-Country trails only. Nothing extreme. I have witnessed another Ellsworth Truth of the same vintage break in the exact same spot. I saw it happen. Ellsworth warrantied that bike. I'm hoping they will do the same for me. I think it was just a stress fracture that nobody could have anticipated. Well, with thousands of hours and millions of dollars of analysis, it COULD have been anticipated, but this is a small bicycle company, that has to turn a profit...
 
Originally Posted By: uconn1150
How much travel does the "Truth" have?


4 inches
 
I've stripped the Truth down to it's bare elements. After a trip to the bike shop to have the bottom bracket and the headset cups removed, I will (hopefully) begin the warranty return process.

I'll keep you all updated on how Ellsworth treats me.
 
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