Originally Posted by Rob_E

I am not seeing where they say that all bikes will be damaged. They do say that all of their bikes can be damaged, and they go on to mention some ways to install a kickstand while minimizing the chance to damage your frame.

They also do not say that any damage to the chainstays is beyond repair. The do say that it is possible to damage your chainstays beyond repair. I imagine that if you put your mind to it, there is very little you cannot damage beyond repair. They do mention the pitfalls of welding this section of the bike, but then when you're trying to bring a frame back from the dead, you really have nothing to lose. But even if what Surly meant (but did not, as far as I can tell, say), "There is no type of chainstay damage that can be repaired by welding." That still wouldn't contradict the idea that sometimes a welder can repair a steel frame, because, at least on my Trucker, there are many, many parts of the frame that are not chainstays. Maybe the newer Truckers have switched to a "chainstay-only" design.

Also, saying that sometimes a welder can restore a bike to useability is far from saying that any bike can be restored by any welder. That's just silly. Saying that "Sometimes a welder can repair a steel bike." does not contradict "Sometimes the chainstays can be crushed beyond compare."

Often if you cut yourself, you can clean the wound and your body will heal. This in no way guarantees you'll survive decapitation.