Singletracks Mountain Bike News, Product Reviews, MTB Trails and Community › Protected: Forums › Mountain Bike Forum › After wreck-Damaged bike & help is needed !!!!
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April 20, 2012 at 03:22 #108633
Guys I did something stupid. When I set up my cockpit I forgot to chech the clearance of my controls to my top tube. Long story short I took a rough spill last night and put a small gouge in my top tube. Do you think I just trashed my frame or do you think it will be ok. I’m going to take it to my LBS and have them look at it- just wanted some help with this. The gouge is on the side and the line is just scraped paint with no damage to the very top of the tube.
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April 20, 2012 at 04:14 #108634
What is the frame made of? Doest look bad enough to trash the frame. 😄 Later,
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April 20, 2012 at 05:23 #108635
It’s an aluminum frame. I didn’t think it’s trash but wanted opinions. As a Quality Manager it’s all about numbers. What % of material reduction until it’s no longer structurally sound. I just don’t have those numbers and doubt anyone at Giant would give them to me due to liability issues.
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April 20, 2012 at 06:46 #108636
How exactly did your controls bash your frame?
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April 20, 2012 at 06:59 #108637
When he wrecked, his bars spun around almost 180 degrees and I would guess his brake lever caught the frame. I’ve done the same thing to one of my bikes. Ruined the lever.
The scratch isn’t an issue but that gouge kinda looks deep from the angle.
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April 20, 2012 at 07:05 #108638"GoldenGoose" wrote
When he wrecked, his bars spun around almost 180 degrees and I would guess his brake lever caught the frame. I’ve done the same thing to one of my bikes. Ruined the lever.
The scratch isn’t an issue but that gouge kinda looks deep from the angle.
Gotcha, guess the bars & levers must have been pretty low.
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April 20, 2012 at 07:21 #108639
Yeah- my brake lever hit the top tube. My set up is slammed but still has the spacers. I just inverted the riser for more aggressive Riding position and also added flat bar. The gouge is about 2 mm wide and 1mm deep. If it is deemed unsound I’ll probably have my shop heliarc weld it if possible.
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April 20, 2012 at 07:28 #108640"cubanchurchill" wrote
If it is deemed unsound I’ll probably have my shop heliarc weld it if possible.
A buddy of my cracked his old aluminum Trek frame at the seat tube. He talked to a local bike builder and a couple of shops and they wouldn’t touch it. He did get it welded by a neighbor (who knows zero about the structural integrity of bikes) and doesn’t ride it any more. If the bike pros determine yours is trashed, you might want to think twice about welding it and taking it back on the trail.
Good luck though. I hope it turns out to be superficial.
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April 20, 2012 at 08:35 #108641"fleetwood" wrote
[quote="cubanchurchill":94omilyh] If it is deemed unsound I’ll probably have my shop heliarc weld it if possible.
A buddy of my cracked his old aluminum Trek frame at the seat tube. He talked to a local bike builder and a couple of shops and they wouldn’t touch it. He did get it welded by a neighbor (who knows zero about the structural integrity of bikes) and doesn’t ride it any more. If the bike pros determine yours is trashed, you might want to think twice about welding it and taking it back on the trail.
Good luck though. I hope it turns out to be superficial.[/quote:94omilyh]
Thanks Fleetwood and I’ll be sure to ask them about weld repair before being done. It might come down to lesson learned about control placement and I wasn’t hurt other than missing some skin. If needed I’ll replace the frame. Safety first 😃
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April 20, 2012 at 09:00 #108642
I bet it’s okay. It’s in a low stress area. The sides of the frame tubes see very little stress compared to the tops and bottoms. And, it’s not really close to a weld (which is a high stress area).
Do NOT weld it, that’ll create a stress riser a new heat effected zone, both of which weaken the material. Aluminum has to be heat treated after welding or it’s super brittle and cracks easily.
Get it checked out by the local shop for sure, but I’d guess it’s okay.
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April 20, 2012 at 11:01 #108643
Aluminum? Just ride it, watch it but ride it. 😄 Later,
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April 20, 2012 at 13:27 #108644
If it turns out to be cosmetic only, you can always cover it with a Singletracks sticker.
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