Originally Posted by cyccommute

Good luck on finding a skilled welder who won't burn a hole through steel when they try to "repair" it. It is a fallacy that the tubes used for bicycle frames are easily repaired by anyone. I know this from direct experience. The machinest at work is highly skilled and welds everything from delicate scientific equipment to pressure vessels. He is also a cyclist. He was astounded at the thinness of the tubing wall on a steel mountain bike frame (1984 vintage). He said it would be incredibly easy to burn right through it.