My dad wants a frame with a dented down tube. Is it a dangerous dent?
07-02-23, 06:21 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
My dad wants a frame with a dented down tube. Is it a dangerous dent?
This is crossposted due to a recommendation from the folks on the sub.
My dad wants this old steel frame, but it has a dent in the down tube by the bottom bracket. It is $500 but in good shape I imagine the frame would be worth more like $800.
I asked for more pictures of the dent and they are hard to make out, as these often are. The seller says it doesn't seem creased, or at least not badly, but it's hard to tell because of the paint chip. It looks a bit creased to me though. He said he can run his finger along the inside of the tube and it just feels like a little dent, fwiw. My dad is probably about 250 pounds and 65 years old. He doesn't plan to ride this bike hard, but would you be concerned putting him on this even for leisurely rides? He doesn't care cosmetically but if it were a safety concern I'd probably rather chip in to help him get one without the damage.
[Edited to add photos]
My dad wants this old steel frame, but it has a dent in the down tube by the bottom bracket. It is $500 but in good shape I imagine the frame would be worth more like $800.
I asked for more pictures of the dent and they are hard to make out, as these often are. The seller says it doesn't seem creased, or at least not badly, but it's hard to tell because of the paint chip. It looks a bit creased to me though. He said he can run his finger along the inside of the tube and it just feels like a little dent, fwiw. My dad is probably about 250 pounds and 65 years old. He doesn't plan to ride this bike hard, but would you be concerned putting him on this even for leisurely rides? He doesn't care cosmetically but if it were a safety concern I'd probably rather chip in to help him get one without the damage.
[Edited to add photos]
07-02-23, 06:24 PM
#2
Randomhead
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Because of that dent, that's a $100 frame in my estimation. I don't know if it's going to fail because of it, but there is a distinct possibility
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07-02-23, 08:46 PM
#4
framebuilder
The problem with that dent is that it has a crease. The chances that it will eventually break are really high. Steel doesn't crack catastrophically. It will begin at the edge of the crease and grow until it has gone all the way around the tube. So your dad - if he buys and rides it - will not likely kill himself because the time it takes for the crease to develop into a crack all the way around will take long enough to warn him before it totally fails. But he would have wasted his money unless he just wants it as a wall hanger. Of course if he loves the frame he can get the tube replaced and the frame repainted but that can be expensive. Just for context, I've seen frames break with less of a dent than the one in the picture that started this thread.
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07-02-23, 09:04 PM
#5
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The problem with that dent is that it has a crease. The chances that it will eventually break are really high. Steel doesn't crack catastrophically. It will begin at the edge of the crease and grow until it has gone all the way around the tube. So your dad - if he buys and rides it - will not likely kill himself because the time it takes for the crease to develop into a crack all the way around will take long enough to warn him before it totally fails. But he would have wasted his money unless he just wants it as a wall hanger. Of course if he loves the frame he can get the tube replaced and the frame repainted but that can be expensive. Just for context, I've seen frames break with less of a dent than the one in the picture that started this thread.
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07-06-23, 06:10 PM
#6
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Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
07-06-23, 06:22 PM
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
J_Climacus what is your dad looking for? a suggestion is to go to the Classic and Vinatage section and check out sale, you coupld put up a want to buy or just ask for ideas. you might be surprised at the response
And that's a good idea on the c&v! I've just been watching eBay but his budget it more limited than what you tend to see there.
