Help! Small frames and bent dropouts!
 

Hi everyone. I have two questions to ask of you - the first is I ride a 52cm road frame and have been offered a 50cm track frame; the top tubes are about the same length. Will it be too small for me or is it okay because of the raised bottom bracket? The second is that one of the rear dropouts is has been bent inwards, you can just about get the wheel in but not all the way forwards. Its a steel frame so would this be a big/expensive problem? Thanks for your help.

If the top tubes are the same, you should be fine. As for the dropouts, you might want to post with a pic in the framebuilders forum. They should be able yo give you some idea of ease and cost of repair.

I had a bike with bent drop-outs once. I took some channel-locks and bent it back.

I ride between anywhere between a 48-53cm frame without discomfort. The top tubes don't even have to be the same, just get a longer stem to compensate.

As for the drop outs, it depends on how bent it is, but it's probably repairable. Have a respectable shop look it over before you do anything yourself.

Indeed, if it is steel you should proably be able to cold set it back, and as for frame sizes, depending on set up most people can comfortably ride a range of frames. Right now I ride a 54, but I could probably comfortably ride a 56 or maybe even 58 and down to maybe a 52 depending on the fit of the frame.