Bicycle Mechanics - Bent fork tab

I just recieved a bike in the mail and the fork tabs(?) are bent. I'm not sure if that is the proper term -- basically the openings on the fork that accept the hub. One of them is crimped in such a way that the front wheel will not even fit in the fork.

I think I could bend it back to normal, but the tabs are aluminum. Anyone have any experience with this? Can aluminum be safely bent? I would only have to bend it about 1/4" to get it back to where it should be.

If it matters, the fork is a carbon Kona Mudshark.

Thanks a lot!

I'd send it back if you can. Bending it back could make it even worse by fatiguing, thus weakening, the aluminum even more. It is a very critical part if it fails.

Sorry that is not good news, but its what I think.

ehenz

I'm assuming the fork was shipped to you without those little plastic fork end protectors. I would definitely sent it back. Never attempt to bend back an alloy.

George

Well so much for getting bikes in the mail. As previously suggested send it back. May I suggest going to your local LBS next time. These things are normally taken care of before your hands get on it.

Usually the manufacturer inserts a spacer in the dropouts to protect the fork during shipment. However, bending the dropout back is not a good option. Aluminum does not take to cold working and will probably develop small cracks that could suddely fail while riding.

If the box shows damage, then you may have a claim against the shipping company. Otherwise, contact the seller and arrange for a replacement.

Was this sent by a business or an individual?

At least you upgrade the fork now.

Well so much for getting bikes in the mail. As previously suggested send it back. May I suggest going to your local LBS next time. These things are normally taken care of before your hands get on it.

Unfortunately if your LBS acts like you're from Mars if you don't want either a low-end mountain bike or a garish titanium fiber racing machine, is way overpriced on parts and can't believe that you'd want reasonable fit instead of something way undersized with a skyscraper seatpost, maybe mail order =is= the way to go. Oh yeah, and if you =do= buy an LBS bike, they slap it together and don't check the setup so you end up with misaligned brakes and derailleur stops out of whack.

Don't get me wrong, the people are nice enough and I wish them the best. I'll even pick up a part now and then or get some work done if the special tool for the job is too expensive for the part-time mechanic.

The bottom line is that they aren't selling what I want to buy. I don't feel a moment's guilt spending less online than I would pay in the LBS because they really don't seem to want my business.

Sorry about the rant.

Thank you to everybody for the warning(s) :) I'll scrap the fork. UPS should cover the damage anyway, so I'll probably end up getting a new one. Maybe a Profile Design BSC...

I spend my fair share of money at the LBS, but thanks for the suggestion.