I 'm usually over in the Touring forum, but I thought you folks may have more experience with my problem.

This is my Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike with a dent in the top tube. I leaned it against my work stand and it tipped over and the top tube hit a sharp flange on the leg support. My carelessness!

The LHT is built with double butted 4130 chrome moly. The dent is about 7 1/2" from the head tube junction. The dent is about 20mm tall, 15mm across, and 3mm deep. I started a fully loaded tour with it 3 weeks ago, but cut it short at only 175 miles when my wife and I came down with COVID. The dent did not seem to affect the bike, the top tube is still straight, and there did not seem to be any flexing around the dent.

my questions are:

• Is it safe to ride?
• Can it be repaired cosmetically?
• Does it need structural repair?
• Do I need a new frame?

Thanks for any help

Well I would ride it for sure, but I'm famously cavalier about that. If you are especially risk-averse, or if just thinking about it will ruin your enjoyment of the ride, then replace it.
I would not attempt to repair it, because that will be cosmetic only. It will not make it less likely to break there.

Factors in your favor:
LHTs are robust frames, not superlight, and that is such a visible spot that it'll be easy to see any crack, should one start. Fatigue cracks in steel frames almost always grow slowly and give lots of warning.

Just don't try to hide the spot with tape or painter's putty or what-have-you, we need to be able to see a crack, should one start. In my opinion, it is very unlikely to crack, ever.

It's a Surly - I'm surprised it didn't demolish your bikestand when it fell over, LOL.

Just ride it. Thats just a small-medium dent in my experience.

The stress the tubing "feels" is more along the top and the bottom surfaces of the top tube. The sides, not so much. You'll be fine for many years. If people ask or make silly comments that it is gonna break or fail suddenly, just tell them that you live for thrills and danger.

Agree with just riding with the big need of periodic inspection for crack starts. Steel is wonderful in that unless seriously overheated/cooled quickly its cracks tend to become more tears that slow down. Giving one time to see then while a majority of the tube's diameter to still be intact.

I would fix this bike if it were me only because I can, a top tube replacement being what i anticipate. If on the road, and it started to crack, and had "facilities" I'd sandwich the dent portion and still replace the tube when home. All this dependent on my liking the bike and wanting to continue to ride it for years to come. If not scrap it after replacing it after it cracks.

Here's a shot of a friends old 531 frame that broke on the down tube about the bottle cage clamps, yes not the braze ons... The rider tightly wrapped some beer can "splints" with hose clamps around it and continued the cross country bike ride. I ended up repairing it as it was sentimental to the rider, a friend. Otherwise it would have been tossed. Andy.

Am I the only one who read his whole post?! The dude is looking for 'expert guidance' to buy a new bike!!

I'm here for you brother, you definitely need a new bike.

I appreciate all of the comments. I'm still smiling from the last post. I'll keep riding the LHT, and keep a lookout out for cracks.

This is the first time I ventured into your forum, and it was an interesting and educational trip.

Thanks,
Doug

Doug- Welcome to the "garage". We have some characters but are pretty well meaning overall. Enjoy the bike for as long as you can. Andy.