As I mentioned in OT, I had a pretty bad crash on my crosscheck yesterday, and now I’m trying to figure out the bike damage. I’m still not sure about my knee.
Of course, the only things I damaged are the two most expensive parts: the frame and the levers (and probably the bars as well).
So, first, can I replace this little plastic part that goes on the front/top of the lever? The levers still seem functional, so I don’t want to spend $200+ on new ones. I already found some replacement hoods, but I don’t even know how to search for this thing.
Next, I know this is hard to judge from pictures, but does anyone have any opinions on these dents I put in the top tube? It seems like the tube itself is still straight, but these still make me nervous. The first one is from the bars, I don’t even know how the second one happened.
That’s exactly what I need. Thanks.
Maybe I’ll just try to take this to my LBS and get an opinion on the frame once I can walk again. I managed to ride it one-legged part of the way home, but I’m not sure it will hold up to any serious riding.
[quote=Elderberry]The plastic part is most definitely replaceable. They’re sorta pricey for a little chunk of celluloid, but we’ve got 'em at our shop.
The frame would make me a little nervous, too, but I’d be more confident in cromo that looked like that than just about any other material.[/quote]
Yeah, if it was aluminum or carbon it would be scrap for sure. This might become a beater frame. Damn.
A guy on BF, I think Dr. Deltron, had some method for getting a dent like that out of a steel frame using two blocks of wood with half the radius of the tube cut in each one. It might be worth a search.
I wouldn’t worry about the cap. It is easy to replace, but beat up STIs look kind of right on a cross frame.
[quote=barba]A guy on BF, I think Dr. Deltron, had some method for getting a dent like that out of a steel frame using two blocks of wood with half the radius of the tube cut in each one. It might be worth a search.
I wouldn’t worry about the cap. It is easy to replace, but beat up STIs look kind of right on a cross frame.
I think he paints frames for a living, and knows what he is talking about.[/quote]
Thanks. That’s interesting. I’m not too worried about the cosmetics, but I am concerned with the integrity of the tube. I know 4130 can be deformed quite a bit, but would pulling the dent out actually help at all? Could that actually make the steel weaker than if I just left it the way it is?
It’s hard to say, but pulling the dent out might improve the strength of the tube. The steel has been yielded and is that much closer to fatigue failure, but top tubes don’t really fail in the middle. I’d think that you could ride it as is, assuming it’s straight, or use the block of wood method if you’re feeling ambitious.
Even if it does fail eventually, it’s not like it’s going to fail in a sudden and dramatic way. The part is visible at all times and you’d definitely notice if the whole tube started to cave.
That is a pretty bad dent. I would have a local frame builder check it out. You should, at least, strip the paint off the area to see if there is any cracking.
Since your bike seems to be ok, get you knee checked out! I’d hate to see you worsen the injury by pushing it too hard too soon, which would result in even more time out of the saddle. If you can hardly walk I’d suggest taking it easy for at least a week and go from there.
Yeah, I am on spring break this week and I am off of work until Sunday because I was planning on being in Chicago. Right now I’m treating the knee with ace bandages and ice, plus the usual vicodin+beer combo. I’m not too worried about the knee because this same thing happens almost every time I crash. I am genetically predisposed to weak knees, and this is not out of the ordinary. I’ll see how it feels tomorrow.
If you have time (which you will b/c you won’t be riding), now is a perfect time to overhaul your bike. When you have it stripped down, check the frame alignment. You can take it to a shop that has a frame alignment table, or you can check it with a piece of string. Tie the string securely to one dropout. Run it around the front of the head tube and tie it tightly to the other dropout. Now, measure from the string to the seat tube on either side. If it is off by a few mm, it might be a good idea to take it to a shop and have it re-aligned. If it’s less than a few mm, but not perfect, don’t worry about it. It’s not going to be a race bike anymore anyway.
Like they said before, the dents won’t compromise the integrity of the frame (like they would with Al or really nice, thin steel). And, if the alignment is out, it can be bent back. I love good, low end steel.
Yeah, I was actually reading Barnetts about this yesterday. So long as it’s in the middle of the tube and there are no crimps, there’s no reason to worry about it.
[quote=TimArchy]If you have time (which you will b/c you won’t be riding), now is a perfect time to overhaul your bike. When you have it stripped down, check the frame alignment. You can take it to a shop that has a frame alignment table, or you can check it with a piece of string. Tie the string securely to one dropout. Run it around the front of the head tube and tie it tightly to the other dropout. Now, measure from the string to the seat tube on either side. If it is off by a few mm, it might be a good idea to take it to a shop and have it re-aligned. If it’s less than a few mm, but not perfect, don’t worry about it. It’s not going to be a race bike anymore anyway.
Like they said before, the dents won’t compromise the integrity of the frame (like they would with Al or really nice, thin steel). And, if the alignment is out, it can be bent back. I love good, low end steel.
Hope you heal up soon.[/quote]
Yeah, that’s a good idea. I have a bunch of bike maintenance to catch up on. Unfortunately, I’m still too sore to really do anything heavy/forceful.
Is there any way to check fork alignment? I feel like I might have stressed the fork because my front wheel was out of true and my stem was twisted about 30 degrees. I guess that probably wouldn’t do much to a steel fork, but I’m just going to take it apart and check it out.
I’m going to get a professional opinion on the frame and consider my options. I hate to treat things like this as disposable, but I also have a fear of riding compromised equipment. I’m already enough of a danger to myself.
