Originally Posted by
Ottomotion
Huge bummer.
Is it steel?
If so, coming from a car background, I wonder if a stud welder gun could improve that ding. It didn't take much to put that ding in it, so it wouldn't take much to take it out...
Maybe stop by an independent shop and see if they can take a few pulls on it? Maybe worth throwing $100 at if the bike is a keeper? It will need some finish filler and paint, but it already does....
Originally Posted by
mountaindave
It is steel. That's an interesting option, I've got a few friends that weld. I'll ask. I would love to keep the frame - my wife has loved it and they're not making this model anymore
I wouldn't use a Fitz-A-Dent to pull that ding. I've thought about trying that myself, but the spot welding process heats the metal more than I would be comfortable with for these special lightweight tubing formulas. You would also need to use considerable finesse to pull that contour out, without making things worse.
The aluminum straightening blocks are pretty cheap, and worth a shot for this in my opinion.
They can be found by scrolling down on the frame building parts page
here.