Kinesis Titanium Owners - Take Note!

[AlanW]

I purchased the frame in June 2018, and it was an absolute joy to ride.
However, it developed a creaking last week, and l assumed it was just the bottom bracket creaking. In truth l forgot all about it till this morning and l went out for ride on it, creaking still there but only when out of the saddle?
Convinced it was the bottom bracket l carried on choosing to ignore the odd creaking.
Got home after 67 miles, and thought right, let's get this done, greasing the bottom bracket shells will cure it?
Removed the chainset and there staring me in the face was the problem......!
Of course, it's out of warranty to!!

The bike has covered just 11,302.6 miles, it has never been crashed or dropped.

[AlanW]

Mudguard removed and a closer inspection reveals the full extent of the crack. Pretty much 3/4 of the circumference of the drive side chain stay.

[AlanW]

The first response received from Kinesis is to say sorry to see the crack in my titanium frame and very quick to point out that unfortunately the frame is now out of warranty. But if I can send a copy of the receipt (which I can) then they can offer a non-warranty assistance of 25% discount from the cost of a equivalent replacement frame. To be fair no exact figures have been quoted, but they list the equivalent frame on their website as being £2400.

However, I can actually purchase the same frame (and its in stock) from an online retailer cheaper by £80.51 than I can by taking the 25% discount from Kinesis, assuming they are working on the figure of £2400 quoted on the web page?

[PH]

Another crack of doom, it's sadly not uncommon.
What was the warranty? Under five years seems very mean, it's usually at least ten, with some offering longer, though the meaning of lifetime is subject to interpretation. It is a manufacturing fault, someone more knowledgeable than I will maybe offer a full explanation, but if it was manufactured well it shouldn't happen. Might be worth investigating your rights, they may go further than the warranty, stuff has to last a reasonable time.
I don't know if you've looked yet, but there may be options for repair, the only one I have knowledge of is Vernon Baker, I know someone riding round on a ti frame he repaired some years ago, it isn't pretty, but it's held up well. I was going to get him to repair mine, till I discovered it wasn't the only crack...

[boblo]

Another 'bike for life' shot down in flames... Not an uncommon occurrence sadly...

[De Sisti]

"You only need two tools: WD40 and duct tape. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape"

Duct tape wouldn't help your frame , or the second frame I bought from far-east company XACD.

I too, felt some creaking that I thought was coming from the bottom bracket area. Alas it wasn't.
The source of the noise was cracked seat tube. Check out the crack on the Flikr video.

I decided not to bother with a repair, as the frame didn't cost me much at the time (as the £ v $ rate was heavily tilted in my favour. The company traded in $).

[AlanW]

Another crack of doom, it's sadly not uncommon.
What was the warranty? Under five years seems very mean, it's usually at least ten, with some offering longer, though the meaning of lifetime is subject to interpretation. It is a manufacturing fault, someone more knowledgeable than I will maybe offer a full explanation, but if it was manufactured well it shouldn't happen. Might be worth investigating your rights, they may go further than the warranty, stuff has to last a reasonable time.
I don't know if you've looked yet, but there may be options for repair, the only one I have knowledge of is Vernon Baker, I know someone riding round on a ti frame he repaired some years ago, it isn't pretty, but it's held up well. I was going to get him to repair mine, till I discovered it wasn't the only crack...

I have already spoken to Dave at Vernon Baker, yes he seems to think he can repair it and by his own admission the repair wont be pretty and there will be guarantee as to how long it would last.

[AlanW]

What was the warranty? Under five years seems very mean, it's usually at least ten, with some offering longer, though the meaning of lifetime is subject to interpretation. It is a manufacturing fault, someone more knowledgeable than I will maybe offer a full explanation, but if it was manufactured well it shouldn't happen. Might be worth investigating your rights, they may go further than the warranty, stuff has to last a reasonable time.

Pre 2019 it was only a three warranty, post 2019 that was extended to five years, which is still the lowest warranty period for any of the titanium frames out there.

I already had a Kinesis aluminum T3 frame, and it fits me like a glove, it's my every day and it does everything that I want a bike to do. Being an over fussy person about my fit on a bike, the titanium version was the exact same geometry of the aluminium model so despite the poor warranty period, I opted for the fit rather than the potential for things to go tits up with the frame

[Jupestar]

Sorry for the Bike Alan... I know that fit like a glove feeling, my frames are long out of production and rarely come up secondhand in XL anymore.

I already had a Kinesis aluminum T3 frame, and it fits me like a glove, it's my every day and it does everything that I want a bike to do

I'm interested if given the choice again now, you would go TI or just stick with alloy? Given they were the same geo, Was the TI a more comfortable or faster ride overall? I'm looking at a couple of frames that come in Steel/Ti or Steel/Alloy/Ti.

[Cowsham]

Is this a common feature of titanium frames ? Just that thawn transvestite obsessed chap with the enigma had bother with the titanium frame which cracked around the bottom bracket as I recall.

[roubaixtuesday]

Is this a common feature of titanium frames ?

It does appear to be.

eg viewtopic.php?p=1267788#p1267788

[pwa]

I've got a couple of Ti frames that haven't cracked, but some people have worse luck with them. The welds have to be done in a certain way to avoid failure. Oxygen has to be kept away from a weld until it has cooled.

[AlanW]

I'm interested if given the choice again now, you would go TI or just stick with alloy? Given they were the same geo, Was the TI a more comfortable or faster ride overall? I'm looking at a couple of frames that come in Steel/Ti or Steel/Alloy/Ti.

My problem is, lm spoilt. I have a custom made Reynolds 853 Rourke frame that is simply the best ride of all my bikes, no question at all.

The titanium frame was purchased because the above bike blew over in the wind and damaged the top tube. I decided at the time l wasn't going to get it repaired so the Ti was a replacement.

The aluminum Kenisis frame represented superb value for money as an everyday hack bike, and lm more than pleased with it. But the titanium frame is just that bit more complaint and is certainly a faster ride.

Fast forward five years, and last November l returned the frame to Brian Rourke to have the top tube repaired and a full overhaul and respray.

What l do like about Ti is its very easy to clean, will suffer no stone chips or sustain any cafe damage.

It terms of the ride it's a very good second place to a good quality steel frame.

I also have two carbon bikes, a Ridley Noah Disc Aero and an old Scott CR1 Pro, both great bikes in thier own right but serve different purposes to the steel and the Ti frames.

[Cowsham]

My problem is, lm spoilt. I have a custom made Reynolds 853 Rourke frame that is simply the best ride of all my bikes, no question at all.

The titanium frame was purchased because the above bike blew over in the wind and damaged the top tube. I decided at the time l wasn't going to get it repaired so the Ti was a replacement.

The aluminum Kenisis frame represented superb value for money as an everyday hack bike, and lm more than pleased with it. But the titanium frame is just that bit more complaint and is certainly a faster ride.

Blew over in the wind ? Was it loaded up or are the top tubes in 853 that thin ?

I thought titanium was a lot stiffer than steel hence the higher chance of it cracking ?

[Jupestar]

Thanks Alan, very good to know. At least you have some good alternatives while the Ti is off the road!