Originally Posted by
DropBarFan
I guess we've all heard the story about Eugene Christophe having to fix his broken fork during the 1913 Tour de France. I've never been to Eastern Europe but I recall driving thru Mexico & was amazed how many houses had home workshops...lots of people that do cast-iron work for instance. So I guess the chances of getting a steel frame fixed on the road is undoubtedly better than alu or other materials.
No. Today's bicycle tubing is
very thin and construction methods have changed a lot since 1913. You're not going to repair it with a stick welder, which is all you're likely to find in the middle of nowhere. Repair with a MIG welder
might be possible, but you'd have to stumble upon someone who had quite a bit of experience welding thin material.
TIG welding is generally the way to go for repairs. Given the cost of the equipment (my used entry-level AC/DC TIG welder cost US$1500) and the skill/training required to use it properly, my guess is that back-alley workshops are unlikely to have the necessary equipment.