bending forks
 

So I had a brilliant idea last night looking at my bike leaning against my wall. I had no bar spin clearance, which was a problem. But now after some creative bike repair I do! I basically took of my forks, laid them down, put a board on top, and jumped on em. That straitened them just enough to give me clearance. I know that it is not the best idea, but hey i would have broken my forks eventually anyway. My question is how weak is the steel now? What are the chances i will be landing a wheelie and just go straight down to the pavement?

And please skip the speech about bar spinning being not that big of a deal. To some it is and to some it isn't.

It never ceases to amaze me just how right Darwin was.

Bar spinning is not that big of a deal. Bike builders would actually probably be able to give you a better idea of how strong the steel will be after being bent, just leave out the fact that it was done to do teh bar spinz...

Shoot first ask questions last eh?

Well it wasn't my only pair of forks. And you can buy them too.

Bending a fork like that would scare me. I'm scared to ride my bike right now just because my fork is slightly bent back at the crown from hitting a car.

wow...seems like a bad idea to me

it's steel, it's fine. i'd be more concerned with any damage to the steerer, though i don't know exactly how you went about all this. but yeah, your forks are fine.

Yeah, that was definitely a "brilliant" idea. Why don't you straighten it some more for that sick straightblade look?

I was thinking the welds would break before the forks would bend, but they didn't (yet).

I would rate this threat "Socially Redeeming and Two Thumbs Up!" -sense my sarcasm here please

"Yeah, that was definitely a "brilliant" idea."

these are the things that happen when its been raining for days and you get bored.

i would say if you are questioning the strenght of them now then they are probably weaker...why not pick up a book of sudoku or something if you are bored

http://www.uspto.gov/

haha nice. maybe...

If I had used a car then i would definitely worry. I am surprised that guys didn't bend more, or just break actually.

Lo0l.

throw a rev x on your suicide fork though.

this has to be a troll

Bending the fork to a desired rake by hand is how a lot of bicycle builders do it. The fork tubes come from the factory straight.


You do however, have to do it correctly, which you probably didn't.

yeah but what you are missing and what makes bending the straight tubes possible is the addition of heat. you have to heat up the tubes to bend them and then temper them.

what you are missing is that the heat realigns the metal to keep its strength. when you cold bend it you are breaking bonds and compressing others, thus weakening it.

please people before you do stupid **** look into what you are doing. open up a book and read about metal working and structural strength of tubes.

XVX
jon

eh, its steel. people have ridden more dangerous bikes than that.

you guys posting otherwise act like a bicycle is a delicate piece of china which should never be touched except under the sanctifying caress of a torch and an a knighted professional of metalworking of the ninth degree.

fact is, people ride bikes that are rusted, cracked, scratched, bent, burned, frozen and worse, but don't expect it to last forever and you might find a large pothole causes your effort to be undone or render the forks useless. plus, they are likely not perfectly aligned which might cause further problems for your handling and wheel.

There are much easier ways to straighten forks out (though expensive).
http://www.parktool.com/products/det...9&item=FFS%2D2
It is cold setting, but it can be done once probably without too much worry. But the fork can probably take it, even if its not probably perfectly aligned.

you're so ballsy wagering your front teeth and face on something you know nothing about.
creationism could learn from this darwin thread.