Bent Fork + Dent = Unsafe?
 

I did something i never do and reached out to a seller with some unsolicited advice. Not sure why I did that. Bike appears to me to have a bent fork and a slightly bent top tube, the typical signs of a head on collision. There is a pretty serious downtube dent too. Mentioned to the seller about the fork and that combined with the dent, it may be unsafe to ride. He discloses the dent as a "ding" in his ad description. He responded to my comment that he doesn't think the fork is bent, that it's just the photo angle. What do y'all think? Also, remind me not to give unsolicited advice.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8aabba2626.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...84659aafd1.jpg

No good would come of replying to the person who posted the ad, but you're right. The fork is obviously bent, the head tube angle looks suspiciously steep, and there's not much clearance between the front tire and the down tube for a loaded-touring Trek. Top tube and down tube are likely wrinkled behind the head tube lugs.

And the sharp creases in those dents look like stress raisers that will crack the down tube, probably sooner rather than later.

Thanks, man. I can see a slight bend in the top tube too. No doubt the wrinkle is there.

Yeah, won't be responding. Wanted to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.

I agree with your math: bent fork + dent = unsafe.

Heck, that weird dent in the downtube by the bottle cage would be enough to get a hard pass from me, even though it looks to be just about my size.

Yes, bent. Should be possible to straighten the fork, tho.

The fork is definitely bent and in a bad place (my opinion). The top tube also looks bent to me but I say that with caution. The picture is inadequate to make a for sure call on the top tube. That said, were I buying the bike, it would be for the component group only. Perhaps the wheels would add value but I am guessing that the front wheel has suffered trauma also. As for the ding - some ding!

That fork also might be one of the ones that asplode at the crown. I think the "death forks" (*) were made by Ishiwata.

(*) yes "death forks" is hyperbole, only a few broke as far as I know. I can dig up some pics of ones that broke, if anyone hasn't seen them, but they've been on this forum a number of times already.

Yeah, this is where I'm at too. It's more than a ding, for sure.

I advised the seller to part it out. There's value in the group. Honestly, I think for his asking price ($250), the dent alone is going to put people off and it won't ever sell as a whole bike.

Good call. Does look like one of the Ishiwata forks.

The seller is a dishonest *******! This is not a "ding" or anything minor. This bike suffered a frame/fork-ending event and he's trying to pawn this off on some unsuspecting buyer. Plus, add the fact that it's a large frame, so it will be ridden by a larger rider. More subject to catastrophic failure. Total *******.

I've worked with steel frame builders and the big manufacturers. (Had a dude claim similar on a Specialized mountain bike. He went on, and on, and on about how "It should be a warranty!" We let the rep come in, hold a straight edge to the underside of the top tube to reveal how it was bowed. Only large frontal impact forces do this to a frame/fork. Warranty denied. Dude's fraternity brothers came in the next week and said, "Oh yeah, he ran into a parked car on it riding home drunk from a party!) I can appreciate steel's ability to be cold-worked safely. This, however, does NOT apply to a bike of this age with this damage and unseen other flaws. I'd put good money on the down tube being crimped at the head tube lug. Any potential buyer should run away and fast!

Seller should disclose EVERYTHING about this damaged bike and let the buyer decide. Ultimately, given the used market right now, this bike is almost worthless. Good for parts and hanging the bare frame & fork on the wall. That's it.

Thanks for the sanity confirmation, everybody. Here's a link to the seller's ad, by the way.

www.facebook.com/share/1EmKfTa4GP/

I cant tell from this pic if fork is bent or not. Likewise the top tube. Obviously there is a dent in down tube.

Hey, it's a hundred dollar bike thanks to the imperfections.
I don't know what pictures folks are looking at, but there's no way to see a bent frame from here.
Forks need to be reset.
Frame ding and DING aren't the worst I've seen, But rolling and filling would ruin the original paint.
Looks like it got tangled up with somebody else's pedals.

No whining, it is what it is, it's amazing that it's still here, and it's not worth all that much either as a bike or as parts.

I did that once too. Contacted a seller to tell them that the frame is bent, which led to an argument about safety. Some people are either ignorant or just don't care, so it's usually pointless to engage with them. Yeah, the forks are definitely bent. There is a way to get them straight again but I wouldn't ride a bike where dis was done. I'm not allowed to post links yet but if you go on YouTube and search for "Straightening a bent bike fork with little brute straightener tool" from RJ The Bike Guy, you can see how its done.

I try not to get too bent out of shape about stuff like this, so to speak.. Yes, the fork is obviously bent. There's a serious dent, and describing it as a "ding" is obviously an attempt on the seller's part to minimize it. But both problems are there in the pictures for all to see see. Caveat emptor, right? Maybe it's worth $250 to someone, and I have no way or knowing whether or not that person (if he or she exists) is a fool.

I'd rather badger the seller into not selling it. Why allow some scam artist to put an unknowing person in harm's way? I PM'ed him about the obvious damage and that the bike shouldn't be ridden. Sell for parts only. You think a professional frame builder or mechanical engineer would give their stamp of approval on the bike's safety? HIGHLY DOUBT IT.

Not worth wasting time with the seller. Caveat emptor.

This faux pas alone should dissuade discerning buyers!

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6258373299.jpg

Personally I think you're exaggerating the danger. To a disturbing degree, given that none of can know from the photo. And yes I used to be a professional framebuilder, about 25 years full-time. A few credits short of an ME degree, though I don't claim to be an engineer. I dropped out when I had learned enough to be a bike frame builder, never had any intentions of taking a job that needed a degree.

I've seen plenty worse, that were ridden for ages without any unexpected dental work required.

If you are asking would I call it "safe", then we'd have to define what that means. A brand new bike straight from the bike shop can kill you for sure.

Nah, I'm not exaggerating anything. That bike is already over 40 years old and shows signs of significant damage. It would take an experienced person close inspection to determine it's good. Plus, if that fork crown does indeed have a propensity to fail, then this bike is simply unsafe. And even if it isn't, the seller obviously doesn't know or care, and a potential buyer will be just as in the dark. Sell it honestly and disclose the OBVIOUS front-end damage. This type of damage is a well-known frame/fork destroying event. The ad should clearly state this. It doesn't, so it's defective and the seller is derelict.

Deluded FB sellers don't want to hear it.

In another Marketplace ad there's a person in an unnamed New England state that has a "Peugeot PX-10" for sale. It isn't a PX-10, though, it's clearly a UO-8 - as evidenced by the Aztec lugs and the lower-rent build spec. I sent a quick message informing the seller of that fact and was told that 1) my opinion was interesting and that 2) I should send proof that the bike was not a PX-10. I did. The bike is still listed as a PX-10.

Yep , I gave up correcting sellers . It leads nowhere but elevated tension . I was just trying to educate sellers as to what they had and got some pretty nasty replies. Done! Walk on…

Is the frame/fork set road worthy and safe to ride, even after the mentioned repairs needed? In my mind, the damage to the fork would/will always be in my mind. Just knowing of the potential for catastrophic failure would absolutely deter me from riding and/or ever selling damage to another person. But that is just me. That said...

If it were not for the fork damage, that ding - DING - would be the best thief deterrent money could provide ((short of a darn good lock, locked to a big dog). That is the sort of bike I used to commute to and from work for many years. Looks like poo poo but rides just fine.

That doesn't seem likely to work. A fundamental social rule I've noticed is that people don't like to be told they're doing something wrong, especially by strangers.