Bicycle Mechanics - Cracked Frame?

I have a Free Agent bike. I was doing some tricks at my old school and I was trying to jump off of some stairs and land, but when I jumped my Frame landed on a rail and cracked.

My question is, Can I repair it or do I need to buy a new one?

It's cracked in half and was wondering if I need to get it repaired or just put some duck tape on it and go. :) Thanks!

If I were you, I would get a new frame. A cracked frame usually cant be repaired, just covered up.( Or so I heard ) I wouldnt ride on it.

very minor cracks can be fixed, but if your frame snapped in half, i wouldnt even try. More than likely you would end up with an untrue frame.

Now if you had a roadbike with a crack in a seatstay, but no breakage, that could possibly be fixed, or if you had a weld that cracked, that might be fixed...but if something has severe damage or outright breaks off, then it's about time for a new one.

It depends on where the crack is and how severe it is. A tube broken is usually a sign that the frame has reached the end of it's useful life. If you are dying to ride, then have it WELDED. Duct tape can fix anything, but it doesn't make it safe.

So, you can go to the shop class at your school... hmmm summer... or maybe an auto shop or something and have it welded, which will make it rideable, but just slightly more safe than duct tape. You shouldn't be trying gaps or even bunnyhopping up curbs until you have a new frame.

There are frames all the time on eBay and on some of the various BMX websites around. Pick a number, like $50.00 on a decent used frame, add about 10 bucks to ship it and you will surely get a few frame offers.

For example, on eBay right now there is a Standard TRLS-250 which is about a $300.00 frame new that is priced at $50.00. Good deal on a used frame, so keep your eyes open and get a good deal if you don't have a lot of cash to drop on a new frame.

Be sure you use contractor grade duct tape. The cheap stuff they sell at your local xmart won't handle the stress of freeriding. :D

You can take it to a frame builder to have it welded or brazed. It will cost you maybe $200Cdn

$200.00Cdn will buy a new frame!

I have a friend who worked for a frame builder in the USA, where 4130 frames were selling for about $1,000.00 a frame. He then started his own BMX frame company, where frames sold for about $250.00 which was still considered expensive in the bmx marketplace.

He went to the company he started with and showed them the work and their response was that they would charge about $1,500.00 for the work and technology that went into that bmx frame, which was significantly higher than the mountain bikes that they were producing.

I'm not sure where the difference in price exists, but it seems almost as if the mountain bike industry, because it is driven largely by older people, is willing to tolerate higher prices, when in fact, you may really be overpaying. In bmx, prior to Ti frames, the most expensive bmx freestyle frames ran about $350.00 and carried a lifetime, transferrable warranty. In the mountain bike world, that is still considered a pretty entry level price.

For $200.00Cdn, there are dozens of frames on eBay that would nearly be brand new, and probably a sale or two on frames at www.danscomp.com that would give you something new for that money.