on the front of the fork on this old road bike, there are two rusty spots about the size of a nickel, right under the crowns... could this indicate that the bike has been in a front end collision, bending the fork, and causing the paint there to crack + subsequently rust? i can't really think of any other explanation. there is also a lot of toe overlap, which would seem to back this idea up, but it is also a 52cm frame with 27" wheels and knobby tires. if it is bent, it isn't really visible, so would it even matter(besides the toe overlap)?

UPDATE: ok...so you can actually see it if you stand back a little. both fork blades are bent slightly(and equally) backwards. also, the toptube and downtube are bent equally slightly. looks like someone smashed into something. the bike tracks fine, although there is considerable toe overlap.

is this not safe to be riding?

here is a picture:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wiggyooo/283105923/

If it were me, I would not ride it. I no longer find it fun to get hurt so I take no chances

^^^I agree--that fork is way bent. The fork is definitely not safe, although if you replace the fork, the bike may be fine. If the other bends are as minimal as they appear in the photo, the frame will probably be fine, but that fork really should go. The rust is an ominous sign that the structural integrity of the fork is compromised, and it's really not safe.

It seems clear from the picture that the fork is bent backwards. The bike should track fine, there's a lot of trail but not crazy-much, and those old forks are usually really durable even if they've been in a crash. But I, too, would recommend that you err on the safe side and not ride the thing.

the stem is stuck...i'm sure because the steerer tube is bent, and probably right at the wedge(is that what you call it?). i have this iron rod that's like 1.5cm thick....is it worth sticking it in through the bottom of the fork and hammering on the wedge? i dont want to risk damaging the frame, but if my only safe option is to replace the fork, i don't know what else to do.

If you hit the wedge from the bottom, you will only make it tighter. Try loosening the stem bolt all the way, then whacking it down with a mallet. That should pop the wedge loose from the bottom of the stem. If the wedge drops out the bottom of the fork, then you can use the iron rod (if necessary) to knock the stem out of the steerer. If the wedge can't drop through the bottom, you may have to cut the stem and replace it as well as the fork.

I've straightened a frame/fork bent that way. It works best with plain carbon steel tubing, which it the kind more likely to get bent in the first place. See https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ight=bent+fork

the steerer tube isn't tapered, is it? it just seems backwards to me to whack it down instead of up...if i could just pull the stem(with wedge attached) out, i would pull it up. plus, the wedge will probably never make it out the bottom, since the part of the tube that is bent has to be below it.

i may be totally wrong....this is just what seems logical to me

You want to hit the STEM BOLT down to push the wedge away from the rest of the stem. Once the stem is loose, pull it out and remove the wedge. If the bolt is all the way out and the wedge is loose but the stem is still stuck due to a bent steerer, you may be able to use your rod to pop the whole thing out, but it may just push the wedge back into place.

Tim--if memory serves, didn't you have a rather nasty crash on a thrift-store bike whose fork collapsed due to prior damage?

that worked...thank you