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Hello,

I'm hoping someone can advise me. I came across a bike that was apparently crashed. I'm eager to learn more about bikes and hopefully repair this for light riding or stationary use...but is this bike even worth it?

About the bike: It's a Murray Phoenix. The name plate reads "Brentwood, TN 1987. Made in Korea." The frame reads: "Team Murray High-Tech Racer." I think the bike is steel--it's heavy and shows slight rust in some attached areas. Aside from the badly bent fork (and misc. problems), it looks like the top tube near the head tube might be somewhat bent too?

P.S. I've noticed the dropouts are thin/stamped which I've read usually flags a cheap bike (compared to thicker better forged dropouts)?

Thanks for looking; I appreciate your advice.

In theory nothing is irreparable, but there comes a point when the cost and effort of repair and replacement exceed the value and usefulness of the item. In my humble opinion, sadly that's the case with this frame & forks. Even on a really high quality frame, I'd make the same evaluation with this level of damage. However, the rest of the bike looks in good condition for low-end components. If the price was REALLY CHEAP, Free or "Here's some cash to take it away!", I'd snap it up, find another old frame & forks my size in need of a repaint and transfer everything over. The result - an almost free, ridable bike that you don't have to worry about chaining to a lamp post outside shops!

So in short, the answer to your question is - No, it's not fixable - but it might have some value, dependent on your situation. Or you could strip it down and shift some of the parts on ebay - one man's trash is the exact part someone else is desperately seeking!

Honestly, Murray has never made anything high tech. I wouldn't lift a wrench to it, seriously.

depends on what you can source for free, or next to it, and how picky you are.
If you switch the fork out it'll probably be somewhat rideable, but badly crashed bikes like that often have a twist as well as a bend to the frame that can mess considerably with the handling characteristics.
I've ridden one or two, and I've seen several more apparently in regular use, so it's not an entirely hopeless thought. I wouldn't spend any serious money or effort on it, but a limited effort should get it working well enough for light use. Rollers (or as you suggested) stationary trainer would be ideal, as that kind of use would make the event of a catastrophic failure much less catastrophic.

"Stationary," meaning you're wondering whether it's safe to use with a stationary trainer attached to the rear axle for indoor training? That's a good idea; should work fine.

To all of you: thank you for your kind advice. I'm new to bikes and you've helped me put things in perspective.

It looks like the amount of repair and the low-end value of the Murray really outweigh fixing the bike. If anything, I may use it as a (freebie) learning experience since I'd like to learn more about bikes. But once I get enough bike knowledge and funds together...(!)

Thanks again.