Sjef writes:
>
> The older (X-low) versions had some problems with the frame at the
> site of the headset and they have been taken care of.
>

The head tube area has been beefed up in later Barons, but when my (older)
frame developed cracks this spring, it had no fewer than 5 of them, all along
welds, and the head tube was only one of them. All 4 stays had cracks on the
underside. My son, who is a materials engineer, took one look at it and
concluded they were all in the heat affected zone and were the result of
IMPROPER CONSTRUCTION (his words.) Aluminum loses a significant portion of its
strength when it's welded and it should be heat treated to restore the
strength. My son had some other choice words about a frame maker who would
abuse its customer base by cost-cutting in this manner.

I suggest that everyone with a Baron that's more than, say, 2 years old,
inspect the welds on the underside of the bike - the stays as well as the head
tube. It would be interesting to see if any others have cracks along the edges
of the welds.