Bent frame - dump or fix?
08-31-16 | 03:43 PM
#1
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Bent frame - dump or fix?
Hi
I took my vintage Reynolds to my LBS to have a NOS rear derallieur fitted - they did this but told me the frame is bent (rear stays) - they suggested binning it as it is structurally unsound. It's not particularly valuable / rare etc but would be a shame to chuck it - would you ride it? Any thoughts?
I took my vintage Reynolds to my LBS to have a NOS rear derallieur fitted - they did this but told me the frame is bent (rear stays) - they suggested binning it as it is structurally unsound. It's not particularly valuable / rare etc but would be a shame to chuck it - would you ride it? Any thoughts?
08-31-16 | 03:47 PM
#2
Bianchi Goddess
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How does it ride? I literally stood and sort of jumped on a frame to get it straight enough to get back to work on day, crashed really bad heading home. It gave years if service afterwards but not as a primary bike.
If it isnt too bad you should be able to carefully straighten it, that's why they make all those frame tools and guages.
If it isnt too bad you should be able to carefully straighten it, that's why they make all those frame tools and guages.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
08-31-16 | 03:59 PM
#4
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Hard to say without pictures. Also, are you sure it's a Reynolds bike, or a frame made with Reynolds tubing? If the latter, more likely worth trying to save if the bend isn't too bad.
08-31-16 | 04:21 PM
#5
Old fart
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Absent any cracks or failed joints, bent rear stays seldom justify dumping a steel frame. If they're out of alignment, you should be able to cold-set them back into alignment without problems.
I suspect they'd prefer to sell you a new frame.
I suspect they'd prefer to sell you a new frame.
08-31-16 | 04:28 PM
#6
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Fix it. I bet the old timers who were shop rats back when can tell stories about the nice bikes they had to straighten the moment they came out of the box! Bike shops today tend to be so litigation-sensitive that replacing stuff becomes a reflexive cya thing.
08-31-16 | 04:37 PM
#7
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...^^^this, but pictures would help.
08-31-16 | 04:48 PM
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I'll bet if you do replace it one of those shop guys grabs it out of the dumpster for himself.
08-31-16 | 04:59 PM
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08-31-16 | 06:32 PM
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Unless the tubes are buckled, and the bend exceeds maybe 5 - 10 degrees and the brazing joints are not cracked or broken at the rear stays, I would think it has a good chance of still being cold set back into alignment. Especially if the frame tubes are not heat treated. I suspect that the misalignment is not that bad if it was riding OK before you got it to the shop, and should be fixable. It's possible that they just don't want to tackle the fix, because they have not cold set a frame before.....or just lazy to do so on an old, not so expensive bike.
Take it to a shop with good, competent mechanics and that deals with C&V bikes regularly to get a second opinion.
Take it to a shop with good, competent mechanics and that deals with C&V bikes regularly to get a second opinion.
08-31-16 | 07:39 PM
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+1 On doing a cold re-alignment on the frame if it has no major issues having worked at a bike coop on a lot of nicer older steel frames, I have cold set the alignment and or rear spacing on 100 so frames without major issues. It is a lot easier if you have some frame tools and alignment gage, but I have done it with a 2x4 and a string fine.
08-31-16 | 10:24 PM
#14
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We're just 4 blind men feeling up an elephant here till you upload some pics!
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09-01-16 | 03:43 AM
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I have repaired lots of bent stays, not to mention spreading them on purpose to better fit wider rear hubs. Easy to do but can't say for sure about the OP's as he, or she, has supplied no pictures.
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09-01-16 | 04:46 AM
#17
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09-01-16 | 04:49 AM
#18
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Unless the tubes are buckled, and the bend exceeds maybe 5 - 10 degrees and the brazing joints are not cracked or broken at the rear stays, I would think it has a good chance of still being cold set back into alignment. Especially if the frame tubes are not heat treated. I suspect that the misalignment is not that bad if it was riding OK before you got it to the shop, and should be fixable. It's possible that they just don't want to tackle the fix, because they have not cold set a frame before.....or just lazy to do so on an old, not so expensive bike.
Take it to a shop with good, competent mechanics and that deals with C&V bikes regularly to get a second opinion.
Take it to a shop with good, competent mechanics and that deals with C&V bikes regularly to get a second opinion.
09-01-16 | 04:51 AM
#19
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The last point is a fair assumption but they don't actually sell bikes so the only thing in it for them is if I bought a replacement frame and they moved all the components over...
09-01-16 | 05:30 AM
#20
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Chas.
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Last edited by verktyg; 09-01-16 at 05:33 AM.
09-01-16 | 06:31 AM
#21
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We're just 4 blind men feeling up an elephant
Not sure I want to see the pictures any more!
But seriously, if the OP took the bike to a shop to have a derailleur mounted, how bent could the stays be?
She says "align the thing and ride it already!"
09-01-16 | 06:31 AM
#22
feros ferio
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I have had one chainstay fail while riding (my other UO-8, between the chainring and tire clearance dimples). It did not threaten my safety in any way.
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Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
