Lkk

I recently came across an offer for a second-hand folding bike starting at $400 on eBay. The seller mentioned "The frame was repaired and the weld didn’t come out as clean but it’s solid." Wondering if it's really solid, how could I check? Thanks in advance!!!

bargainguy 

Hard pass. A welded & repaired folder frame - especially an amateur repair - is not worth risking damage to precious body parts if that repair fails while you're riding it.

I'm amazed the seller put this up for sale at all. Tremendous liability if something goes south, as it well could long after the sale.

tds101 

PASS! It's a definite safety risk.

ch99_lee

It is advisable not to take the risk. You won’t know when will the welding giveway and fail.

tcs

To be fair to the seller, they are not selling this as a rider:

"Sold as is for parts or restore."

CrimsonEclipse

Repaired steel frame?
maybe
Repaired aluminum frame, repaired by a top notch welder with NO flaws?
possibly
Repaired aluminum folding frame with dodgy weld of unknown skill
Negative. That your 3 strikes.

Fentuz

$400 might be little expensive considering a good one would be ~$500/600 depending for condition.

If you could get get if for a lot less money, it might be worth having it as a donor to upgrade a second entry model bike or even fit everything on the FHON frame.

Edit, Note that some of the TT steerer posts were under recall due to cracking failure (2008/2009 I believe) so worth checking.

veganbikes

That is a hard pass, don't buy someone else's bodged repair, maybe it is OK but probably not and the risk is not worth it. I wouldn't ride it if the guy paid me.

Duragrouch

I agree with all saying pass. Additional info: If repair was due to a crash, pass. If frame was cracked due to fatigue (normal wear and tear), that is a high-stress area and welding will affect the surrounding metal due to heat, making it weaker. I had a Dahon Speed frame (I think same 4130 chrome moly steel) that cracked, I debated about a fix that would have involved adding gussets to reduce the stress there, but it still would have been dodgy, as probably would distort the seat tube enough to prevent the seatpost from sliding. I just found another used Dahon. (I kept the old frame and fork to use as wheel truing jigs, mounted in a Workmate-style table.) Just curious, where is the crack/repair; On the forward side of the seat tube just above the monobeam?

bicycle_bouleva

maybe