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Frame cracked due to winter riding? :-)

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yoonior

· G3Riders
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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hello,
Just stupid (or not?) question wich raised my friend and we argued a lot abou it:
"is it possible that frame/weld on frame cracked due to riding in lower temparatures"?

My friend does not ride in really low temparatures - just -5 Celsius.

Here's photo of crack.
Image


I know most of you probably don't ride in snowy conditions, but just wondering if cold weather can contribute to weld cracks.
 
#2 ·
normally no the temperature isnt low enough to make the aluminum brittle. But if there was some internal stresses already present in the metal, the contraction could promote a crack ontop of the normal riding stresses; but this is a case of a frame defect anyways.

Look at it this way: airplanes fly in much colder temperatures and they are mostly made from aluminum.
 
#3 ·
zedro said:
normally no the temperature isnt low enough to make the aluminum brittle. But if there was some internal stresses already present in the metal, the contraction could promote a crack ontop of the normal riding stresses; but this is a case of a frame defect anyways.

Look at it this way: airplanes fly in much colder temperatures and they are mostly made from aluminum.
Click to expand...
The cold could affect, or crack your frame. Airplanes are made of Aluminum, but they are designed to take the low tempters of the altitude. Sorry to hear what happen.
 
#4 ·
not unless by winter you mean abuse... :D It would take some pretty seriously low temps to have that kind of effect
 
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#6 ·
no

kiko77 said:
The cold could affect, or crack your frame. Airplanes are made of Aluminum, but they are designed to take the low tempters of the altitude. Sorry to hear what happen.
Click to expand...
in general, the yield and fracture strengths of aluminium (and other metals like it) are pretty insensitive to temperature.

bummer about the frame. what was it?
 
#11 ·
Don't know buy my frame sems to be more afected by the worm weather since always crack on summer... :D
 
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#12 ·
I think it would be too cold for you to ride before it would be cold enough to make the aluminum brittle. The main body of an airplane is made out of very similar grades of aluminum as bike frames, so I think zedro makes a good point. It think natural stresses or a frame defect just happened to have done your frame in during the winter. 20F/-5C is really in the normal temperature range that we would expect a common structural metal to hold up in.
 
#13 ·
zedro said:
yeah, celcius is so complicated. Water freezes at 0, water boils at 100....
Click to expand...
No no no..............32 & 212. Those are much easier to remember.

I am American therefore you must do things my way.
Even if its contrary to the way the rest of the world does things.
 
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#17 ·
As stated, aluminum is very resistant to becomming brittle...unlike steel.
I saw a domonstration once...two dowel pins were put in liquid nitrogen, one steel (low carbon), one aluminum. Both were hit by a hammer....the steel shattered, the aluminum bent
 
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