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Rusty gouge in seat tube. Would you ride this?

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Rusty gouge in seat tube. Would you ride this?

Old 05-20-22, 01:02 PM
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Rusty gouge in seat tube. Would you ride this?

My buddy picked up an early 90’s Hard Rock the other day. There was a noticeable rusty chunk missing from the seat tube. I told him to clean it up and see what it looked like. Pics are below that he just sent me.

Do you think it’s safe to ride? He’s only using the bike as a beer fetcher / quick casual trips kind of bike.



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Old 05-20-22, 01:05 PM
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It's a ding, not a cracked frame.
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Old 05-20-22, 01:14 PM
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Yes!
Tim
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Old 05-20-22, 01:55 PM
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Nothing to worry about, especially for the use you described. Or any use, really.
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Old 05-20-22, 01:58 PM
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Essentially a non-issue. Manufacturers intentionally crimp tubing much more than this for various reasons.
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Old 05-20-22, 05:21 PM
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Oh is that all !!!!

If it was Carbon we could drag this thread out for a month or more.

I'd ride it.

Barry
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Old 05-20-22, 05:55 PM
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Yes, ride it but verify (to borrow from Pres Reagan). Meaning keep you eye on it every so often. Were the frame ever be painted is the time to "correct" it. Andy

BTW- I've felt that those steel frames from Specialized in the late 1980s and mid 1990s were among the nicest production made ones. Andy
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Old 05-20-22, 08:00 PM
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Originally Posted by the sci guy
My buddy picked up an early 90’s Hard Rock the other day. There was a noticeable rusty chunk missing from the seat tube. I told him to clean it up and see what it looked like. Pics are below that he just sent me.

Do you think it’s safe to ride? He’s only using the bike as a beer fetcher / quick casual trips kind of bike.
Chunk missing? You're kidding right?
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Old 05-21-22, 05:18 AM
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Yep! It's not rust I think. Just a dent.
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Old 05-21-22, 05:44 AM
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I don't know what it looked like before, but I don't think that it was worth removing that much paint to investigate. Should fetch beer just fine and then some.
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Old 05-21-22, 09:29 AM
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Originally Posted by cxwrench
Chunk missing? You're kidding right?
No?
it doesn’t feel like a dent. It literally feels like a pit. That whole area where you can see the black speckles is below the level of the rest of the frame. Almost thumb sized. I mean maybe it’s a dent but I think of dents as more pin pointed. This feels like a gouge.
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Old 05-21-22, 04:09 PM
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Even if it was a hole in the tube, it shouldn’t be a problem.
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Old 05-21-22, 07:30 PM
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In my view a dent might have a creased bottom, or not. A dent has a fairly consistent wall thickness through its form. A gauge, on the other hand, is a shape often with a sharp and narrow bottom. Material has been removed from the scrapping of the object that caused the gauge.

I think what the OP has is a dent that happened a long time ago. The paint at the bottom of the form cracked enough to allow water to contact the steel and over time that caused the rust pits.

If this interfered with the seat post fit it could be pushed out. If this frame were to be repainted it could be filled with brass and forgotten about.
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Old 05-21-22, 07:32 PM
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I would ride that.

Last edited by stevel610; 05-21-22 at 07:49 PM.
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Old 05-23-22, 07:39 AM
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I think I'd take the pedals off and use it as a hand cart for the fabled beer runs.
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Old 05-23-22, 07:54 AM
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Nope.. tell him send it to me and I will dispose of it for him.
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Old 05-23-22, 04:30 PM
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It is steel and stands more abuse than Al. Inspect it every 10,000 miles.
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Old 05-30-22, 11:29 AM
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I am not saying that the cycle below is safe by any means.. However, I do often wonder how people in other countries would respond regarding the questions about some of the dents we find on our bikes.

How many dents are on this frame and is it safe to ride?
Best, Ben
BTW, The dent in the original post would not deter me from riding it.
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Last edited by xiaoman1; 05-30-22 at 08:38 PM. Reason: looking at the dents on my bikes and wondering if it's safe to ride them:)
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