henrik19

So the problem is this. I got a old motobecane road frame for a fixed gear conversion and i started to rip everything off. I was so enthusiastic about my new project that when I hacksawed cable guides and frame lock off, i went too deep in the tubing and made few holes.. Thank god it didn't go through the tubing. My friend repaired those holes by welding, and at least it looks proper now. So my question is, is it safe to ride this frame ? I assume this thing affects the stiffness of the frame but it is not that important to me now. Thank you very much for your help. Henrik

NoReg

I don't know where these holes are, but there are a lot of holes in bikes as is, so one thing to look for is whether there are any holes in line with the place you have created some new ones, indicating that the tubing is OK in that area. Also applies to places where other similar weight frames have holes. Like tourers have holes underneath the tube. If it isn't super fragile tubing it is probably OK. Also, what kind of failure are you expecting. Nice solid ductile tubing, and not the kind of place where the frame will collapse on you, and you can expect some warning.

unterhausen

the French used to use spot welding for their braze-ons. These often leave holes when removed. There is not enough information in the OP to say if it's safe. If ridden, I would monitor for cracks on a fairly regular basis.

henrik19

Yeah, thank you for answering. So the damage was done on the chainstay and seatstay. And yes, the tubing is quite heavy, in this case it's a good thing! I think i'm going to ride it anyway and check for cracking on a regular basis.