oneclick 

saw this pic in an ad:

Bianchigirll 

That frame was in an accident a long time ago.

Schweinhund

Every one I see like that makes me think garage door vs bike on a rack.

John E

... or frontal collision. (Been there ... done that -- classic "I didn't see him" left cross.) Had it straightened, rode it a few more years until the downtube failed very much as depicted in this thread, right behind the butting on the downtube in my case. Mine didn't rupture all the way, but a crack started to expand as I was climbing a hill. I rode home gently and retired the frame.

RCMoeur

Yeah, those Suntour ratchet downtube shfters are so hard to push in the non-ratcheting direction that I can see this happening.

gearbasher

Yeah, I front-ended a Moto. Same damage. Rode it another 8,000 miles and noticed the downtube cracking. Being young and dumb, I kept riding it until the crack got half way around the tube. Then it was tossed.

Bianchigirll 

Curb or sewer grate

Kabuki12

Judging by the top tube wrinkle, I would say front ended .

Schweinhund

Oof, I hit a sewer grate once. didn't bend the frame but the fork was forked. Schwinn high sierra. tucked my head and landed on my back... Thanks for reminding me

T-Mar

This looks like an overheated tube combined with a front end impactor it's been ridden a lot since the impact.

nomadmax 

On the money. Bulged under side of top tube, with rust on it, yet still remained in service. Let's see CF do that

repechage

Was the advert proclaiming how dangerous steel frames are?

jdawginsc 

Makes it easier to remove the awesome shifters!

RCMoeur

I rear-ended a city bus once at about 20 mph (looked down at the wrong time). But I was riding a Schwinn Varsity, so I was fortunate the bus wasn't damaged so badly that it was undriveable. Didn't even bend the Murican-made steel rims or the Chicago-forged steel frame.

79pmooney

That is precisely what I love about less than high end steel. Yes, it fails. Usually from abuse. But so often it does so in a rather gentle manner unless you are completely oblivious. I've ridden at least 5 partially or completely broken steel frames home. My one aluminum experience was poor. No cracks yet in my two (steel forked) ti bikes. No CF yet save some bar plugs.

kunsunoke 

79pmooney

Yeah, that DT didn't have a chance after that Power Ratchet was clamped and forced applied. ('Bout to go for a ride on my old 531 bike with those same shifters. Making me nervous.)

xiaoman1 

I agree, It appears that there was a lot of flexing long before it decided to let go......as they say, "Steel is Real".
Best, Ben

Trakhak

Didn't you have a couple of steel forks that broke, or am I misremembering?

Bad Lag

I winced when I scrolled down and saw the crack.

Looks like someone had a pliers on the tubing, too.

Hondo6

Well, that one ain't gonna buff out.

Might even be a bit more than bailin' wire and duck tape can handle.

1989Pre

Yes, but you made one of the bus riders spill their macchiato.

1989Pre

Also, unlike some high-end tubes, milder steel can be brazed or welded without weakening it.

79pmooney

Yeah. I was being generic when I said "frames". One of those breaks was a fork blade that cracked in two mid blade (a little above the bolt securing the LowRider rack). And the original fork on my avatar bike where we broke the metallurgy "rules" and I nearly paid. (We - myself with my crown choice, the builder and I - deciding to nickle plate the fork, the builder - who found some sweet SL blades instead of the 531 I was thinking; I agreed to it and the plater - who knew full well high strength steel MUST be heat treated after nickle plate, didn't and said nothing. He had the oven and we would have happily coughed up the $60 if he'd opened his mouth.)

79pmooney

Isn't that a spoiler to separate air flow? (Underneath where we cannot see in that photo is an air scoop to keep that DT cool at high speeds. Without that scoop, the duct tape will just become a sticky mess after the DT heats up.)