General Cycling Discussion - frame chopped by factory?

i got a frame the other day from a garage sale and the guy said he took it straight from the specialized dumpster where they dispose of frames. the frame's toptube was cut and the guy welded it back together. the paint was all stripped and it's just bare aluminum. i was wondering if the frame is ok for riding or are there other reasons why a factory/company would chop a frame to discourage people from stealing it out from the dumpster? thanks

also, am i safe riding it bare or should i cover it up to prevent oxidation? dont want a rusted bike after a few months/years

My thought is that they chopped it and tossed it for a reason.
Could be something minor like threading was off,
or it could be something major like the welding machines
all took the day off. . .
Personally, I wouldn't ride it, but hey when it comes to
frame integrity I'm a wuss :lol:
You might have it checked out at LBS, and then if
ok it's paint it.

Marty

Aluminum generally needs to be heat treated after it is welded or else the material will be weak. I wouldn't ride it unless you are making a bar hopping cruiser out of it.

Has the frame ever been riden? I'd be less worried about mechanical defects if it were a few years old and had some miles on it.

There's a bunch of reasons why a company may dispose of the frame, and not all of them are bad, so as Marty said take it to the LBS (preferably somebody with experience with frame repairs if possible) and have them take a look at it.

As to the painting, aluminum is fairly sturdy and won't rust away the same way steel does. But it will oxidize and corode, but that takes a real long time, from my sailing days the boats have Al masts that are exposed to the elements for years (10-20-30+ years) with little problems (well the problems come from the people that put stuff on them, like stainless screws into Al). So it would certainly look better, but not a high priority. If you're real ambitious you could polish it up then clear coat it.

Andrew

thanks for the replies guys. actually the frame does look like it's got plenty of miles on it (early-mid 90's model) and there used to be red paint on it so im guessing it was painted from factory, if that helps. i may or may not take it to the lbs because i was planning on going ahead and building on it (only need brakes, i got other parts laying around).

The break in the frame is probably where the guy who stole it sawed through it to get the lock off.

"Dumpster outside the factory." Yeah, right.

Everything about this situation smells.

RichC

Originally posted by Rich Clark
The break in the frame is probably where the guy who stole it sawed through it to get the lock off.

"Dumpster outside the factory." Yeah, right.

Everything about this situation smells.

RichC

Good point...I didn't think of that :D

And then I realized...why in the world would a bike manufacturer waste perfectly good aluminum?

We recycle pop cans...why wouldn't they recylce the unneeded frame for the metal?

Thats exactly what i was thinking Rich... I would stay away from this one.

=[

what should i do then:confused:

put it back in the dumpster and forget about it

Originally posted by catfish
put it back in the dumpster and forget about it

:( :mad: there really is nothing else i can do about it huh?

Nope.

If you already have the bike in your hands, I would check with the local police, to see if it was reported stolen. If it comes back clear, go ahead and build it up, but don’t ride it to hard or too far away from home.

BTW, I would think that most bike manufactures would inspect the bike before painting, just another hole in the previous owners story.

TFunk, just drop it back where you found it, it may be possible that you could take it in for repairs, and the shop runs the serial #? doesnt that sound parinoid?
Well what if....? Then you would get pinched for a hot frame, if buddy fed you a line on where he got it.

the bike probably was stolen(if it was stolen) almost a decade ago, and the paint is completely stripped (duh another obvious sign it was stolen)...

now i feel stupid. :confused:

i am such a newbie for not catching onto these clues *sigh*:mad:

i got it at a garage sale kinda near my house but not really. i do not know the exact location although i could take a look this weekend. i doubt i'd get my $50 back though. maybe i should look at the serial #(where can i find it??) when i take a look at the frame this weekend (the frame is at home, i am at college).

i didnt think $50 was even that good a deal for the thing, thats why i didnt suspect anything (like oh it's too good to be true). its not uncommon for people to sell bare frames with some extra "goodies" for $50-$75 especially older model bikes. i think i will try to run the # and find the owner and make him buy it from me for $50? is that fair???

the serial # should be on the bottom bracket...

if its not there on the seat tube?

if the serial # is gone, then something is really fishy...

Originally posted by Scooby Snax
the serial # should be on the bottom bracket...

if its not there on the seat tube?

if the serial # is gone, then something is really fishy...

so the serial # is etched on correct? under the bottom bracket? i'll have to wait til the weekend until i can get a chance to look. *hope there is a serial # there*... but if there isnt, what the **** can i do??? i really hate to throw away $50 just like that, and yet if it was stolen i don't want to hold onto it. :mad: :mad: :mad:

I am more concerned with what you said about the top tube being cut and "the guy" welding it back together. thats why i said to put it back in a dumpster and forget about it this bike doesnt sound tobe sound :)

I think you're screwed. Chalk one up to experience. But the theft and its repercussions are probably long past. If the serial number is still there on the underside of the BB shell, you might try tracing it through the local police, but it's probably not going to lead anywhere.

Don't get too bent out of shape. I've made a lot of mistakes that cost a lot more than $50. Don't get me started about that '69 Ford Falcon...

However, I would definitely get the opinion of an expert -- a framebuilder, say -- before trusting the rideability of the thing. Catastrophic frame failure in the middle of a sprint through a busy intersection would not be pretty.

RichC

would it be okay if i chuck the frame but keep the sugino cranks, profile boa stem, zoom 170 handlebar, and rockshox mag21 fork? is that $50 worh of parts? so that i dont feel ripped off for the frame?:)

anyway im gonna try not to think about it until the weekend, but here are two optimistic viewpoints:

if they can chop the frame, then that means they probably could've chopped the lock (at least certain types of locks) correct?

also even if they made a clean cut through the frame, is the frame really that flexible so that it can shift and make a gap big enough in order for a thick bulky lock to slide through? perhaps i will take pictures this weekend while i am at it?

what do you guys think of what i just said? am i just ****ting myself and convincing myself not to feel that bad, or do i have some valid points? again, serial # is probably the best answer. but thanks guys for all the insight and advice.

and regarding taking the bike to a shop for repairs... i do all of that myself or i get friends to help, so not to advocate shady frames, but i dont even take my legit store-bought bike to shops

yes i am doing a good job of making myself feel better. hoping for some good news on the weekend:beer:

Don't get too upset with yourself tFUnK. Like Rich said, we all make mistakes, and it's only 50 bucks.

These kind of people are scum-bag bottom feeders and are headed downward. You, on the other hand, seem like a nice person, in college, looking at a bright future. You win. They lose. :thumbup:

Originally posted by tFUnK
...is the frame really that flexible so that it can shift and make a gap big enough in order for a thick bulky lock to slide through? perhaps i will take pictures this weekend while i am at it?

Good question, that passed through my mind a few times, i dont have an answer. I would love to see a few pictures.

Originally posted by Louis
Don't get too upset with yourself tFUnK. Like Rich said, we all make mistakes, and it's only 50 bucks.

These kind of people are scum-bag bottom feeders and are headed downward. You, on the other hand, seem like a nice person, in college, looking at a bright future. You win. They lose. :thumbup:

if im a good person, does that mean i get to keep the frame?:p i really love the frame and i was so excited and now it's just a heartbreak more than anything else :( and i feel stupid.

i know $50 isnt a lot but then its more than i have to spare. i've also done a lot of stupid things (fixing up my honda civic AHHH) that wasted a lot of money :D

Originally posted by Joe Gardner


Good question, that passed through my mind a few times, i dont have an answer. I would love to see a few pictures.

i cant wait... i was actually thinking about catching the next train home LOL

[off topic] Congrats on the 100th post! [/offtopic]

Originally posted by Joe Gardner
[off topic] Congrats on the 100th post! [/offtopic]

lol thanks joe!

i must've posted 20 times alone on this thread :p

Nah, just 14... 20 is atleast a day away... ;)

Cut the frame to steal the bike? Doubtful unless it was pimped out with high end parts - which I'm guessing wasn't the case. The factory probably chopped the frame so no one would get a free frame and/or no one would ride a frame that had a defect in it.

There are legitimate reasons for chopping a frame
http://forums13.consumerreview.com/crforum?50@135.j7Nkaqqhk2X^20@.ef685b0/10

I'd still be leary of the frame being weak because of welding the aluminum with a lack of heat treating.

i took a couple pics the last last weekend and just this weekend i have already started working on it.

i still wonder what's wrong with the frame to have it get chopped in the first place?

i too am kind of worried about the weld on the toptube and am currently trying to find someone who can TIG weld, anyone know any resources or any idea of cost?

well here are the pics i promised

another shot

wish someone could host these...

anyway here is the fork and a shot of the welds...

couldn't be a rockhopper with the weld and the cable-holders... stumpjumper? (but those didnt come in Al until a bit later)... could be a SkunkWorks from back in the day huh?

can someone help me please?

Dude, you need to get rid of the frame. I would not persue this anymore. That frame is not good, the structural rigidity of the frame was gone once it was cut and welded.

You need to give it up.

Coffee shop/Barhopping bike. Otherwise you're asking for trouble.

okay... well thanks for all the comments and insight.

im just gonna build it up and ride it, and i'll let you know when it does break or fail on me. actually i was thinking of not welding, but fabbing up some carbon weaves to reenforce that area, which in theory will strengthen the frame quite a bit. we'll see how everything turns out, and if its still junk then i'll just pick up a new frame and still have all the parts for a complete build.

:beer:

I really want to know if the police have a bicycle serial # data base? I truly think that bicycle theft is probably pretty low on the priority list for the police. But let me know what you find out. Personally I would paint it and ride it. Everyone that has been pulled over by the police and had the serial # ran thru the computer raise your hand. Paranoia will destroy ya. But if you do find out that it is stolen and you turn it in, a lot of times policy is if it isnt claimed in a certain period of time it is yours. What to do, what to do? Oh well just a few things to ponder. good luck.

;) King Ajo

I have registered all of my bikes with the local police :)

i've actually had my other lbs run the serial # with specialized 1) to determine whether this bike was registered and 2) to determine exactly what model it is. i suppose i could check with the local police and run the serial again, by now i already see it as being my junk project. we'll see what's up, i'm going back home this weekend.

You are foolish to ride that frame. It's been severely compromised by an un-heat-treated weld in a place where the tubing is thin to start with. Quit while you're ahead. $50 won't go very far to repair chipped teeth (or worse) if/when the frame fails.

And FWIW, "stolen" is the first thing I thought of when I heard the top tube had been cut. Yes, the cut could be pried open far enough to get a U-lock through.

I forgot to mention it, but that fork is under recall as well. Stanchions fall out of the crown. :(

hehe, well it's always to say "i told you so!" so just gimme a few weeks:D

really though, i think this weekend i will get the bike either registered or the serial ran, then we'll go from there.

thanks for the concern:beer:

you know, you might as well grit down and spend money on a new frame, almost every post to this thread has implied that the frame is unsafe. Personally I would not try to save a little money by putting myself at risk, just get a new frame. it's not worth it.