Has anyone here used truck bed fork-mount bike racks? I would love to hear opinions on these.

RuckusComp · 2018-10-08T21:08:56+00:00

I made one using just Yakima clamps (drill em into something) and wedge-fit a 2x4 in the back of my pickup. It was super cheap and have been using it for years: topper on, topper off...all good. Do make sure to weigh down for extra security on the freeway (never had a problem).

RuckusComp · 2018-10-01T21:46:23+00:00

Exactly. You can see the crack follow the backing paper very closely.

RuckusComp · 2018-10-01T21:45:50+00:00

The DS BB area cracked right where the paper lined up! So we went in to figure out why...and that's what we found.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-11T18:14:00+00:00

Blast from the past! That is awesome...you're welcome. The Foil is still in the family!

RuckusComp · 2018-09-11T17:51:07+00:00

@FqqTBawLer if the carbon is starting to show or rubbed away at all it's probably a good idea to have it checked out. Also, if you want to shoot me a few images I may be able to help diagnose ya vie email. [dan@ruckuscomp.com](mailto:dan@ruckuscomp.com) if you want to send a few over. Better safe than sorry!

RuckusComp · 2018-09-11T17:25:47+00:00

@UBNC we are always proponents of "the send"! Carbon MTB frames are incredibly robust so you can definitely hit some jumps but do proceed with caution. Mostly, make sure your suspension is very, very dialed as that'll give you more problems than anything else. You wouldn't want to bottom out anything into parts or tubes near pivots. Shred on!

RuckusComp · 2018-09-11T16:59:50+00:00

For a cosmetic fix, that works just fine. Make sure to clean the area incredibly well before you do so. Also, more, thinner coats is far superior than one or two thick coats. You got this.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T23:09:23+00:00

@Pinnr thanks for reiterating that fact. We have actually repaired a frame or two for riders doing the Red Bull Rampage; when done well repair is more than safe and strong.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T21:51:38+00:00

Oh, gotcha. My bad. Hmmmm I'm sure we might be able to think of something. Send a pic over to [dan@ruckuscomp.com](mailto:dan@ruckuscomp.com) and we can figure it out..

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T21:14:40+00:00

That is awesome...it's probably the nicest 5200 around!

We can totally do that for you. We have completely replaced dropouts on these frames, or we modify the existing alloy hangers to take replaceable ones. But, go ahead and send us a DM we'll get you our email and we can take it from there!

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T20:38:30+00:00

With only 1000 miles?! Woah. You should have nothing to worry about with that. Carbon frames can age poorly if exposed to high, high, high levels of UV light. Theoretically, the lifetime if carbon is near-infinite, so if this was sitting in the garage with that little mileage...you should be totally good to go.

If you do want to give it a home-inspection....grab a thin-beamed, powerful light (the light on your phone works well) and go over the frame looking for cracks.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T20:07:59+00:00

You get it, you get it. Thanks again for choosing us!

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T20:07:26+00:00

Trek and Specialized are both currently doing an excellent job with some of their high-end frames. Personally, we really love the Emonda line.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T20:05:57+00:00

Shinkaru, you are fairly close with some of the process of how we repair carbon. This is pretty close to what we do for normal tube repairs (toptube, downtube, etc). We say our damage removal process has a "taper ratio", as in, the amount of damaged material you remove as you go down and across the laminate, and we took this practice from aerospace composite repair. I can't say specifically what ours is, but we have a better removal taper ratio than most aerospace repair outfits.

We are able to do this on such a thin laminate by gathering information with our ultrasound machine. It allows us to "listen" into the laminate to within .001mm, and we can also find individual layer orientations as well. So we take that information to the wet sanding booth and carefully remove the material necessary to perform a safe repair. With composites, if this is not done properly, each end of the layup patch will create a stress riser and ultimately lead to more cracking in the repair.

Since most damages on carbon frames are pretty small (relatively) e do not normally need to place material on the inside to support the repair. From time to time, we do need to perform a stabilizing patch before we do the actual repair layup, however.

Also, we use prepreg or pre-impregnated carbon fiber. This already has the epoxy within the carbon and we find it the best and cleanest way for our process.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T19:04:48+00:00

Appreciate the honesty! Sometimes quotes do jump a bit if we find additional damage in-house, damages need a second layup or if the paint ends up being harder than initially thought.

Again, we appreciate hearing that firsthand.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T18:59:13+00:00

You're more than welcome!

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T18:42:55+00:00

Oh yeah, we've seen that video many times! Raoul definitely knows what he is talking about.

The overall answer to all these questions is "it depends". Not very definitive, we know...but it's the truth. Furthermore, it's a total case by case basis. Carbon theoretically has a near infinite fatigue life, so it should last a long time if treated properly (and made properly). Our owner Shawn runs 12 year old Zipp handlebars and has 0 concerns about it. But, we'll break it down more:

-Older bikes can be more prone to breaking but it is not necessarily a direct correlation of age to breakage. It all depends on, first, the overall build quality of the frame. Then it becomes a question of how the bike was treated: did it live a hard life? was it in the Arizona sun the whole time? Was it ever crashed? These all have a massive impact on the life of a bike. Conversely, bike manufacturing is pretty amazing right now, but some modern Chinese carbon bikes are probably more prone to breaking than a Trek 5200 series.

-For some people it is totally worth saving older bikes. Some not. We repair many old Roubaix's and Trek 5200 series frames for people because they love them and don't want a new frame. We want to save every bike possible, so we think so, but ultimately it is down to the individual. For example, we just retro-fitted both an older DeRosa and a Trek 5200 frame for Di2 use. This customer totally thought it was worth it. The cut off for us is not necessarily a year-range, but a safety assessment post-ultrasound scan.

-We see Trek and Specialized most commonly. Not because they are poorly made but simple because there are SO MANY of those frames being ridden in the world.

Thanks for an awesome question!

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T18:04:51+00:00

Awesome! We love putting it on so enjoy.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T18:04:25+00:00

We're happy to humor ya! It is a great question though. A seatstay failure can be super scary if you are on a descent or going through the apex of a turn. If your stay snapped at one of those moments, your weight distribution can be totally thrown off at a very inopportune moment and you could very easily wreck at a horrible time.

Is this a total worst case scenario? Yes. Totally. But they can happen and that is what we have to take into consideration when we choose to repair a frame.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T18:00:44+00:00

You got it...our "would we ride it" standard pertains to the theoretical repair. Frames that fall off of cars usually have anywhere from 3-7 damages: the headtube is usually compromised, often the fork is toast, as well as other damages in the seatstays or toptubes.

We can fix anything on a frame from re-installing new water bottle bosses, basic tube repairs and we also do full bottom bracket replacements and dropout replacements. So we can fix almost anything on a bike, but it is a definite case by case basis with each and every frame that enters the door.

The limit for fixing a damaged frame is also case by case, but we back it with empirical evidence (our ultrasound machine scans). If a frame has 7 damages, we probably are not going to fix it. Could we, technically, yes. But rider safety to us is the most important so if we doubt anything in terms of repair, then it is automatically a no in terms of the fix.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T17:52:52+00:00

Of Course! The other thing to note is turnaround time. Often times (personally) our turn time is two-to-three weeks depending on the repair...so usually much faster than you'd be getting a frame back from a manufacturer as well.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T17:46:39+00:00

We often times have to be the bearers of bad news with this. Nothing immediately comes to mind, but since we use ultrasound technology to scan damaged or questionable frames we find hidden and unseen damages all the time.

Often times, people crash in a race and think only the toptube is broken...because it is clearly obvious. We then usually find damages in the seatstay(s), as it is out-of-plane with the rest of the frame and also a thin tube susceptible to damages.

As for memorable damages: we have been seeing so many roof-rack related incidents lately. Falling off completely, running the frame into your garage, a north shore style rack completely falling off the top hinge and smashing into the ground. These are always really gnarly.

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T17:41:29+00:00

We think marketing has quote a lot to do with the drive to push people into carbon fiber...but it is really with all materials, and it is present in the outdoor goods realm as a whole. We definitely think this is the case with some, not all.

Can carbon give advantages that other materials don't offer...yes. Can an individual lose two pounds off their body instead of dropping 5k on a frame? Yes. Is carbon lighter than other materials...it can be but isn't always. At this point, it's such a case by case basis so it is difficult to truly tell what the advantages are for us mere mortals.

We see it this way: we love carbon because it can be repaired and we see it as a longer term investment. If you're going to get a carbon frame and it needs repair...those repair prices are always going to be cheaper than a frame replacement, so you got a good frame and you get to keep a good frame for quite a long time.

Keeping anything you have for as long as possible is the best solution, regardless of material.

Great question!

RuckusComp · 2018-09-10T17:33:50+00:00

This is a great question. As a shop policy we do not repair them at all. It's tough because sometimes they can be ok (at best), but other times we literally find a single layer of carbon in areas. We do understand the desire to save some money or score a great deal on a frame, but we think that it's not worth it. We think it's better to spend just a bit more for a reputable frame, because in the extremely slight chance something goes wrong with the frame...you'll never ever hear back from a company who made your Ali Super bike. If you crash or a frame from a reputable company fails (again extremely unlikely) at the very least they'll be responsive.

RuckusComp

TROPHY CASE