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Bent Mixtie Frame, can it be bent back?

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Bent Mixtie Frame, can it be bent back?

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Old 01-05-23, 02:50 PM
  #26  
dedhed
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Good news is the vertical bend is supposed to be there.

Lay it flat, stand on the twin tubes, and see what happens. String test


https://www.willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-...662#fullscreen
​​​​​​Bicycles in Vienna, Part IV: Mixte Galore
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Old 01-05-23, 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by dedhed
Good news is the vertical bend is supposed to be there.

Lay it flat, stand on the twin tubes, and see what happens. String test


https://www.willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-...662#fullscreen
​​​​​​Bicycles in Vienna, Part IV: Mixte Galore
Yea, i was aware of that - Thanks will try!
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Old 01-05-23, 05:21 PM
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That's the kind of thing Andrew Muzi fixes while you hold his beerwait.
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Old 01-06-23, 02:34 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
That's the kind of thing Andrew Muzi fixes while you hold his beerwait.
I dont suppose he lives near me?
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Old 01-06-23, 06:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Positron400
I dont suppose he lives near me?
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Old 01-06-23, 07:03 AM
  #31  
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heck ya, give it a go! It'll be SO gratifying if you get that back on the road. I've straightened some throw-away rims and pre-war bicycle frames using a large vise, home made wood jigs, long 2x3s and trees in my yard. A tree with a v in it is mighty useful. I hope you succeed.

edit: oh ya, and once I used my car to straighten a frame. I drove over the frame carefully.

Last edited by RB1-luvr; 01-06-23 at 07:32 AM.
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Old 01-06-23, 08:58 AM
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That's going to be a pain to get the head tube aligned with the rest of the bike. I would be sorely tempted to cut out that bridge at the bend point. I'm not sure how someone that doesn't have an alignment table would straighten that head tube. Although I suppose a couple of steel rods of the appropriate size would do it.
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Old 01-06-23, 09:13 AM
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Originally Posted by RB1-luvr
heck ya, give it a go! It'll be SO gratifying if you get that back on the road. I've straightened some throw-away rims and pre-war bicycle frames using a large vise, home made wood jigs, long 2x3s and trees in my yard. A tree with a v in it is mighty useful. I hope you succeed.

edit: oh ya, and once I used my car to straighten a frame. I drove over the frame carefully.
Thanks - just the encouragement i need . Here are some pics from a first attempt. I feel i can get it there

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Old 01-06-23, 09:44 AM
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Check YouTube videos. Plenty of info on how to straighten tubes, align frames, etc. Spend some time checking a few out and you just may be able to make it decent.
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Old 01-06-23, 04:43 PM
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Originally Posted by RB1-luvr
Ive straightened some throw-away rims and pre-war bicycle frames using a large vise, home made wood jigs, long 2x3s and trees in my yard..
In the absence of suitable trees, I've used a lamp post to anchor something bent that needed straightening. Wooden wedges will probably be useful for this one to get the kinks out of the top tubes and spread them to the correct spacing - cut two wedges, place them tip to tail so the outer faces are parallel, then hammer them together. Construction lumber and ratchet straps can move frame tubes., or just support the frame on the ground on pieces of wood and stand/jump on the bit that needs adjusting.
Originally Posted by RB1-luvr
oh ya, and once I used my car to straighten a frame. I drove over the frame carefully.
I've used a car to pull a frame into shape, but never driven over one. This frame does look like it might have been driven into at the back of a garage.
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Old 01-07-23, 02:54 AM
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Originally Posted by grumpus
In the absence of suitable trees, I've used a lamp post to anchor something bent that needed straightening. Wooden wedges will probably be useful for this one to get the kinks out of the top tubes and spread them to the correct spacing - cut two wedges, place them tip to tail so the outer faces are parallel, then hammer them together. Construction lumber and ratchet straps can move frame tubes., or just support the frame on the ground on pieces of wood and stand/jump on the bit that needs adjusting.

I've used a car to pull a frame into shape, but never driven over one. This frame does look like it might have been driven into at the back of a garage.
Excellent ideas - thanks! Greatly appreciated. Wouldn't have thought of using wedges, but that seems like the perfect tools for the job. Imma try and get a long roundish piece of lumber to insert into the top tube to get more leverage for bending. Fingers crossed our "home depot" has some scrap I can get for cheap.
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Old 01-07-23, 12:29 PM
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I have a bunch of clamps, a wood bench. I made wood frame blocks. I do some 3-point press with the blocks the clamps and bench.

The head tube alignment is not that difficult either.


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Old 01-07-23, 12:37 PM
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Fork lengthening, one side was short. Here I'm using a furniture clamp doing a 3-point press. One at the tip, bend and crown.

Once the length was right I had to push or pull to much offset. I secure the steertube and crown for that.
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Old 01-07-23, 12:45 PM
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But I starteted with seattube alignment. Here I used a barbell with twist locks

Here is how far out the downtube was.

Here is the downtube alignment happening.

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Old 01-07-23, 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr. 66
I have a bunch of clamps, a wood bench. I made wood frame blocks. I do some 3-point press with the blocks the clamps and bench.

The head tube alignment is not that difficult either.
That is quite the lever you got there.. I got a 140 mm tube from home depot today, seems fairly short in comparison now
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Old 01-07-23, 01:06 PM
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Brake bridge side to sideTaking the bow out of a seatstay
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Old 01-07-23, 05:26 PM
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Mr. 66
I so much want to offer more than 1 like for your post.

Good work!
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Old 01-08-23, 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by car5car
get another frame
Well that's not very sporting, lol, that's not a bad idea either.
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Old 01-08-23, 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr. 66
Well that's not very sporting, lol, that's not a bad idea either.
Nah, not giving up yet - despite the fact that trying to bend it back myself hasnt been very successful. Headtube is still not aligned with the seattube (which is all I was really hoping for). Will try'n ask a few LBSs for assistance if they can at least align that for a small fee. If that fail (or is too expensive) I will likely put it aside for now.
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Old 01-08-23, 08:43 PM
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Originally Posted by car5car
If this guy successfully adjusts frame, it will still be banged up, no resale value.
Gaining experience and knowledge with currently $0 invested
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Old 01-09-23, 12:29 AM
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Originally Posted by car5car
I paid 3k for 13 Harley Road King with crooked frame. It turned out ONLY seat subrame was bent. I removed it, spent about 30 min. hitting it with hammer, installed it back with some washers/spacers, that was it!!!! I made OK profit. When I buy dead car or motorcycle, I need to estimate buying/selling price and parts cost. I don't like working for free.
If this guy successfully adjusts frame, it will still be banged up, no resale value.
This was never about reselling the frame. I am only doing this for the learning experience.

Originally Posted by dedhed
Gaining experience and knowledge with currently $0 invested
Exactly!
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Old 01-09-23, 10:47 AM
  #47  
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Alright - quick update. Went to my LBS this afternoon, and we were able to fix the twisted headtube and realign the downtube. They had some frame-straightening jig from Park tool which was just new in the shop, and they were itching to try it out. Guess my frame was perfect timing. The whole affair basically cost me nothing but a couple of beers/a tip. Everyone was real enthusiastic and eager to have a go at my frame . Will share pics later - And also will take ideas as to how to build it up. I was thinking dropbars, with some type of friction and a 1x8 / 1x9 drivetrain. Should be fun!

EDIT: As promised, some pics from the realigned frame:







Last edited by Positron400; 01-09-23 at 10:59 AM.
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Old 01-09-23, 04:25 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by Positron400
I was thinking dropbars, with some type of friction and a 1x8 / 1x9 drivetrain. Should be fun!
It would bug the hell out of me to keep seeing those wonky top tubes while I was riding.
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Old 01-09-23, 04:34 PM
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Originally Posted by grumpus
It would bug the hell out of me to keep seeing those wonky top tubes while I was riding.
I'll try and bend them straight - That should be easily achieveable. The bigger headache was the twisted headtube/bent downtube
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Old 01-09-23, 10:14 PM
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A few judicious licks with a deadblow hammer will likely get the twin lateral tubes back in line but twisting that headtube straight will take a little more effort. Run a close-fitting pipe through the BB shell and anchor it to immobilize the frame and get another close-fitting pipe to run through the head tube. That's the one you'll lean on to realign the head tube.
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