Snap and there it is. Carbon fiber broke on my Levo. 🙃

pcase1999

New Member
Aug 30, 2024
12
10
10990
IMG_7982.jpeg
IMG_7983.jpeg
 

pcase1999

New Member
Aug 30, 2024
12
10
10990
Endless rock gardens. Surprised it happen to be honest. The bike has taken some hard hits before.
 

reno464

New Member
Oct 22, 2024
5
0
AZ
Oh ya I am good. Bummed as it was good ride. Hopefully it will be warranted and replaced.
Happy to hear your good to go. After seeing a rash of Levo chain stay breaks on the AL and the CF frames I am surprised that Specialized is not addressing the issue. It makes me question my own Levo's durability
 

pcase1999

New Member
Aug 30, 2024
12
10
10990
Happy to hear you’re good to go. After seeing a rash of Levo chain stay breaks on the AL and the CF frames I am surprised that Specialized is not addressing the issue. It makes me question my own Levo's durability
Thank you.
🙏 True. But I love the bike a blast to ride.
 

stumpydumpy

Member
Dec 15, 2020
24
15
Europe
Oh bummer
Not that it will help you any further, but a few years ago I had exactly the same on exactly the same location with my Stumpjumper. Something wrong in the framebuilddepartment? In my case it was swapped out under waranty. Let's hope you'll get the same service provided.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,526
5,004
Weymouth
assuming you have not changed the shock or leverage ratio the most likely reason for the breakage is either a previous impact or a seized pivot or yoke bearing. May be as well to check in order to avoid a repeat of the problem.
Sadly one of the problems with carbon is that apparent innocuous direct impact leaving not visible signs of damage can in fact cause delamination deeper in the composite leading to ultimate complete failure at a future date. The rear triangle is particularly vulnerable to rock impacts. Maybe try for an ally replacement which would make no difference to weight or handling.
 

stumpydumpy

Member
Dec 15, 2020
24
15
Europe
you could be right, but consider the amount of force it takes on the rear triangle. Imagine the direction of the downforce and that all comes negative perpendiculare somewhere in the middle of that diaganal tube of the rear troiangle.
Depends on the usage, but most cases it is foreseeable the (over)load of continious forces will lead to material-fatigueness.
It's not topclass maths; just common sense.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,526
5,004
Weymouth
those forces a re proportional to the resistance provided by the linkage and shock setting, so short of bottoming out the shock or the pivot bearings seizing ( especially if on one side only) they are not that great.
 

Dax

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 25, 2018
1,707
2,080
FoD
Depends on the usage, but most cases it is foreseeable the (over)load of continious forces will lead to material-fatigueness.
It's not topclass maths; just common sense.

Usually cracking like this on carbon is impact damage. Aluminium frames is more often continuous/repeated forces
 

pcase1999

New Member
Aug 30, 2024
12
10
10990
Oh bummer
Not that it will help you any further, but a few years ago I had exactly the same on exactly the same location with my Stumpjumper. Something wrong in the framebuilddepartment? In my case it was swapped out under waranty. Let's hope you'll get the same service provided.
A little push back from the company but they are going to warranty it. Black color.
 

pcase1999

New Member
Aug 30, 2024
12
10
10990
assuming you have not changed the shock or leverage ratio the most likely reason for the breakage is either a previous impact or a seized pivot or yoke bearing. May be as well to check in order to avoid a repeat of the problem.
Sadly one of the problems with carbon is that apparent innocuous direct impact leaving not visible signs of damage can in fact cause delamination deeper in the composite leading to ultimate complete failure at a future date. The rear triangle is particularly vulnerable to rock impacts. Maybe try for an ally replacement which would make no difference to weight or handling.
Thanks for the feedback.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,526
5,004
Weymouth
I have used both carbon composite and ally components mostly for windsurfing. High quality carbon composite using a high modulus carbon and expertly fabricated is incredibly durable provided it is protected from impact , UV and compression forces (e.g clamping). Every layup is however typically only designed to be strong against the specific force applied in any application.
Ally is different in that it's strength and durability is governed by the type of ally used, tube design , and tube wall thickness. Ally can deform and rebound with impact or dent (minor) without significant consequence. Most failures occur at a poorly executed Weld due to "undercutting" . Advances in hydroforming techniques now produce tubes with a variety of shapes and wall thickness in the same tube and with far fewer opportunities for manufacture quality variation than using carbon composites.
In my opinion the only real benefits of using carbon composite is when extreme flex with rapid reflex , or massive resistance to flex combined with very light weight , is required. Hence high quality windsurf booms, masts and boards are carbon composite........and all are reassuringly expensive. Conversely I see no benefit in using carbon composite for bike frames for mtb.
 

Mabman

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Feb 28, 2018
1,122
1,851
Oregon USA
What was their push back out of interest?

Specialized are usually pretty good with warranties
Just an assumption and with no skin in the game but I would suggest that it might have been in relation to the "skuff" mark above the break that looks like it was caused by a pretty hard hit?

Screenshot 2024-11-03 at 8.49.01 AM.png


First thing I noticed anyway...glad that the OP is getting a replacement.

A friend that is a Levo lover maintains a couple in Italy for his time spent there and on their latest trip the motor went out on his and he was able to get it replaced, out of warranty, at the shop he purchased it from originally for $600 and a very quick 4hr turnaround even. So dealing with the Big S has its benefits.
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,526
5,004
Weymouth
My son was able to get a new motor fitted by an lbs in a day....within warranty.....the speed has less to do with the Spesh warranty than the fact that some Spesh dealers have new motors in stock on the shelf......not something that other brand dealers typically stock
 

irie

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
May 2, 2022
2,516
2,530
Chichester, W.Sussex, UK
My son was able to get a new motor fitted by an lbs in a day....within warranty.....the speed has less to do with the Spesh warranty than the fact that some Spesh dealers have new motors in stock on the shelf......not something that other brand dealers typically stock
Why do "some Spesh dealers have new motors in stock on the shelf" which is "not something other brand dealers typically stock"?

Just asking.
popcorn.gif
 

Gareth

New Member
Apr 20, 2024
83
87
Ayrshire

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