Hey all- first time poster here.

Bad accident today has bent my frame slightly, see the pic. Is it toast? Could it be safe to ride? I havent bought a new wheel to try it out on yet (as you might guess the old wheel is out of commission now!) but thought maybe I could get some advice on whether I'm gonna need a new frame now....

thanks.

That doesn't look like a little dent, that looks like a massive bend.

Toast.

You have a gift for understatement. That is totally, totally done.

i take it this is because it will soon crack from stress and because the alignment will be wrong and not steer properly?

It's already totally broken - how much more totally broken does it have to be for you to not want to ride it?

Holy Crap! This makes my brain itch! What did you run into?! Are you OK?!

There are tools that will straighten that kind of bend. Basically a two long pipes. One goes through the top tube; the other is a spreader that braces against the bottom bracket.

Not enough of an expert to comment on the absolute wisdom of your bend, but the tubes have collapsed and I am skeptical about both the possibility and wisdom of a repair.

Yes, all of those, and you'll be lucky if the front wheel clears the pedals, let alone your feet. It's gone, be grateful you are doing well enough to post the picture and type.

Once the tubes are collapsed like that there is no sense in straightening. Unwise to do, and no shop that would have that tool would agree to use it on that frame. Throw away the bike and look for something else.

The frame is scrap. Not reasonably repairable. Get a new bike. Period.

put some butter on it, then serve with scrambled eggs and hash browns, i suggest a parsley garnish.

I'll add fuel to the toaster. Give it a decent funeral and replace it RIGHT NOW.

haha, thanks everyone, i think i get the message

for those interested, i was going down hill (in a bike lane) and crossed an intersection and a car tried to drive across me (turning left across the street) and i had the choice of slamming into its bonnet or veering into oncoming traffic. i chose the former. i'm just bruised luckily, might have cracked a rib at the worst.

Glad to hear you escaped with less damage than the bike.

I'm usually the guy that says stuff is OK to ride, but this is well beyond that.

Not only is it toast, it's badly burnt toast, far beyond anything you'd butter and eat.

In any case there's no reason to even consider whether it's safe. I'll bet that if/when you stick a wheel into the fork, it'll jam against the down tube.

Not only is the frame way beyond done, but I bet the fork is done. Stick a fork in that bike, it is way beyond saving other than maybe some parts from the rear of the bike.

Just out of curiosity do you have pics of the wheel and the fork? But yeah, once metal collapses like that with folds, its beyond repair short of replacing the tubing.

Unless you enjoy messing around with unremarkable old stuff, it'd prolly be a good move to donate it to a co-op for parting out.

Just curious, what would it take for you to say it was bent badly?

haha alright alright, i've never bent a frame before and until seeing these reactions I don't think I'd quite realised how ****ed up it was.

I'll post a pic of the fork/wheel bobotech, but yeah I am absolutely going to salvage the parts and either use them to build a new one or just donate them to bike pirates co op for somebody else to use.

I wouldn't be surprised if the fork turned out to be unscathed. Often when a frame buckles like that it absorbs all the impact energy. Kinda like the crumple zone they build into cars these days.

This is sort of like posting a picture of a pretzel and saying your bread stick is slightly twisted.

To quote Mr. Python:

US: No no! 'E's pining!C: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker!
'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't run 'im into that sedan 'e'd be pushing up the daisies!
'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig!
'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!!
THIS IS AN EX-FRAME!!
(pause)
You: Well, I'd better replace it, then.

Yes, it could in principle be straightened, but that is a pretty serious bend, and straightening the tube would result in significant work hardening of the affected area and thus stress risers that could eventually lead to tube failure. The good news is that steel tubing, even when seriously abused, is unlikely to fail catastrophically, but rather gradually over a period of time.

That said, I sooner replace it than try to fix it, even as a temporary solution. There are lots of bikes out there...

It is badly burned toast, and you dropped it on a dirty floor, butter side down.

I always hate stores like this, glad your better off than the bike. Any chance the car stopped and you got their info? If they cut you off their insurance company will replace the frame or at least cut you a check for its value.

Further discussion of this point may need to be moved to Advocacy and Safety, but if you were in a bike lane on the roadway (as opposed to a bike path) and traveling with traffic you may have recourse against the driver, depending of course on laws in your area.