Author Topic: Should I be worried about these ‘chips’ inside the frame?  (Read 7104 times)

kendzu

Not sure if this is a right place to ask.
Ordered a couple of LightCarbon LCG087-D frames. The first one was impeccable. Started working on the second one and this is what I saw inside the head tube.
Don’t have a lot of experience with carbon - should I be worried at all or is this ok for cheaper frames?

Chiyou

Re: Should I be worried about these ‘chips’ inside the frame?
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2025, 01:48:19 PM »
Unfortunately, no one will be able to provide you with a conclusive assessment by examining the frame over the internet.

You can try asking LightCarbon - my guess is that they'll attempt to explain away the issue as a purely cosmetic defect and claim that the headtube area is sufficiently strong even with this blemish present. Which may be true, they know their carbon layup and molding process best. Or they may ignore your concerns, reasoning that they have your money and that you're somewhere far away. At the same time, it doesn't cost you anything to ask them, I'd start there.

Bringing the frame to a carbon expert may offer you peace of mind but now your low-cost frame isn't so low cost anymore. (Some will argue that paying for a carbon inspection should be weighed against the potential cost of dental surgery.)

FullCarbonAlchemist

Re: Should I be worried about these ‘chips’ inside the frame?
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2025, 07:23:19 PM »
Burrs, chips, messy looking spots, untrimmed sheet edges etc are pretty common in factory direct frames. It’s a cost savings for them to not bother cleaning these up since they’re almost entirely cosmetic. They have no structural impact 99% of the time.

Brands only have that stuff cleaned up because consumers get freaked out about rough edges and assume they are damage or defects, but virtually all frames have these to some degree unless they’re actively sanded down/cleaned up by the factory at the request of a brand.