+1 to the NWA pic. actually made me smile over this whole thing...

and yes, there was a slip in there, so i'm at least covered in that respect.

The problem is if you ride the bike will you ever fully trust the frame from killing you? Regardless of what your lbs says - and it would be surprising if they would give an unqualified 'don't worry be happy', but if they did - could you?

before i got my new bike, i had a ****ty gaspipe tubing conversion that i beat the **** out of.

in my first night of new whip ownership i threw the new triple-butted frame into a signpost to lock-up, and made a hefty dent in the TT. i was super pissed and worried about structural integrity, but i'll tell you what, i havent cared at all since i covered it with a reload frame pad. out of sight, out of mind.

buuuut, theres a big difference between steel and alum.

With steel I would say you've got no worries whasoever. But with aluminum, things are not so friendly. I do think that your frame is safe to ride however, because the downtube is under tension with no torque or rotation to speak of like a head tube or seat tube would have to bear. If you can't get TSA to make it right, you should be able to ride the frame without worrying too much about it. If you do take this route, definitely buff the paint off of that area to see if there is any fracturing or if it is a clean dent.

You could also get someone to weld a scab over the dent to ease your mind. Aluminum welds great with the right technique, and an oval patch about twice the diameter of the dent and bent to form smoothly around the tube would pretty much eliminate any worry about structural problems. Hell; if you found a good machinist, you could have them mill out the dented area and weld in a circular patch of sheet stock then grind the welds smooth and repaint. The only hint of a dent will be your frightening memories of it.

Dude,

If they dented your frame then you should talk to them about it. Explain to them what you know of what happened and what you would like them to do for you (this is important). Don't speculate. Just give them the facts like, "the bike was fine when I gave it to a woman at the ABC Airline check in. When I got to my destination and unpacked it, I immediately saw the dent." Don't put any assumtions in there because they may call you out on it.

They have insurance to cover events like this. Just write a nice, well thought out, pleasant letter with as many details as possible (flight number, dates, when you saw the bike before and after the dent, etc...). Include detailed photos and copies of your ticket. The sooner the better.

Explain to them that it's more than just a blemish, it is part of the structural integrity of the bicycle. Especially since it is aluminum. Also mention that it cannot be repaired. Maybe say that you would like either another identical frame or cash for you to buy one yourself. Let them know from where to get a new frame for you or how much cash it would take them giving you to replace it.

Remember, they handle stuff like this all day, every day. Just be nice and level headed about it and things should work out.

Good luck.

Also, this sort of goes without saying but...

Don't try to repair, buff, pull, or do whatever to the dent. And don't ride the bike if you can help it. Remember, it's evidence.

When you get home, if you want a receipt from a framebuilder for the damage, let me know.

+1. No matter what the LBS (or we) say you will not be happy ridding that frame. Get it replaced, be happy and move on.

thanks for the offer jacobs... at this point i think i might just replace it. but i do have something else for a machinst/frame builder to do when i get the replacement, so i'll be in contact with you about that. (=

a little update in general: i had a person i trust take a look at it and their conclusion is that it was safe to race today, but should be replaced sooner rather than later. so i raced it, but won't be riding it when i get back to boston because i don't trust it. i'm filing a claim with TSA tomorrow.

but don't worry, i added a "structural stability enhancer" before the race...