Framebuilders - * Is my Colnago Master frame terminally ill? *

Hi, originally posted this in the mechanics section and was advised to post here-hope that you can recommend a solution as although it's an old, slightly scabby frame I love it very much... It was due a re-spray anyway so I don't mind that but it's the rear seat stay/dropouts that are worrying me.

Many thanks

Many thanks to the wonderful people at La Poste for the care they took when shipping my bike back from a trip to Alpe d'Huez. Is this beautiful steel frame salvagable? The left hand seatstay is dented where it has bent over, so that'll never go but if straightened would it be strong enough to be usable? There's a small me inside that is weeping silently over this...



http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/...12d3d20d_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/3934238386_4c12d3d20d_o.jpg

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Sorry, but the link produces a 404 error: photocache308.flickr.ac4 : 404.

He meant this:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/3934238386_4c12d3d20d_o.jpg

He meant this:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/3934238386_4c12d3d20d_o.jpg

:eek: did the frame get run over by a car?

wow, that's heartbreaking. It's fixable, but probably not by bending.

It can be fixed, but that one stay at least will have to be replaced. The dropouts can probably be straightened, but between that and the stay replacement you're not likely to have much chrome left on them by the end of the job. Figure a repaint into your costs if you plan to pursue repair.

I suppose one could try to bend things back into position, to see if it can even be done without further damage, and to see if there is obvious crimping/denting/etc. left behind afterward. Then I would think long and hard about whether I want to subject the "repaired" frame to hard use, or use at all.

The sad reality is that to really fix it you'll need to have both the tube and the dropout replaced. This will screw up the chrome, and repairing that might double the total cost. If you want to skip the re-chrome and just have everything painted over, then you are looking at probably 500 USD/300 GBP for a fairly basic job.

I suppose one could try to bend things back into position, to see if it can even be done without further damage, and to see if there is obvious crimping/denting/etc. left behind afterward. Then I would think long and hard about whether I want to subject the "repaired" frame to hard use, or use at all.

The sad reality is that to really fix it you'll need to have both the tube and the dropout replaced. This will screw up the chrome, and repairing that might double the total cost. If you want to skip the re-chrome and just have everything painted over, then you are looking at probably 500 USD/300 GBP for a fairly basic job.

Many thanks for the info-a great help. I've been to an ex-frame builder who is going to try re-aligning the frame first, and still waiting on insurance information so if that comes through I'd still be tempted to replace the stay and get a re-spray done at the same time. It's just such a nice frame and the group that was mounted suits it perfectly. I guess I shouldn't have risked the plane but I'm still shocked by how hard the frame must've been hit to cause such damage.

Thanks again for your help.