[ex2k4]

Long story short, my bike fell in my garage and it has a huge dent in a frame. I have a trek 2100 aluminum frame and I have about an inch dent in a frame. it's on a top tube.

1. Is that going to affect the ride quality?

2. is that fixable?

 

[godot]

Aluminum and dents generally aren't a good thing, Aluminum doesn't respond well to being re-bent so fixing it probably isn't going to happen. (this why they put replaceable der hangers on Al frames)

It's hard to say for sure without a picture. Also your wording "huge dent" doesn't bode well. I'd be more worried about your frame failing suddenly than the ride quality.

Your best bet is to go to an LBS and have them check it out. Don't think of this as a potential loss, think of it as an opportunity to upgrade......

Good luck, sorry, and let us know how it works out.

 

[ex2k4]

 

[celerystalksme]

oh snap!!!!! you're S.O.L....

 

[ex2k4]

Aluminum and dents generally aren't a good thing, Aluminum doesn't respond well to being re-bent so fixing it probably isn't going to happen. (this why they put replaceable der hangers on Al frames)

It's hard to say for sure without a picture. Also your wording "huge dent" doesn't bode well. I'd be more worried about your frame failing suddenly than the ride quality.

Your best bet is to go to an LBS and have them check it out. Don't think of this as a potential loss, think of it as an opportunity to upgrade......

Good luck, sorry, and let us know how it works out.

I posted some pictures. I'm so pissed right now, don't even feel like going to the shop.

It's hard to see it as opportunity to upgrade. The bike is not even a 4 months old with less than 500 miles on it.

 

[Chef Tony]

Celerystalk is right- that frame is toast. Too bad man.....

 

[stevesbike]

sometimes an LBS will work with you to see about getting a replacement frame at/near cost especially since it's not very old and a good LBS will see this as a chance to build customer loyalty. I don't know what Trek's replacement policy is (some have decent crash replacement policies) but if it's toast the cost on a replacement shouldn't really be that much. Maybe the LBS and Trek can work something out for you.

 

[FrontRanger]

It sucks man but hopefully it was you that dropped it and not your wife or kids. Call the shop and see if they can check on a crash replacement policy for you.

 

[Creakyknees]

I'm with Stevesbike on this one. Sorry for your pain... hopefully your dealer and Trek can help you out w this.

 

[ex2k4]

Thanks for the advice guys... I thought it was going to be find to ride it and actually rode around to see any difference.

But after using search and reading more infos, seems like it doesn't worth risking anything.

way to the shop............................................ wish me luck guys.

 

[celerystalksme]

Thanks for the advice guys... I thought it was going to be find to ride it and actually rode around to see any difference.

But after using search and reading more infos, seems like it doesn't worth risking anything.

way to the shop............................................ wish me luck guys.

Good luck!!!!! :thumbsup:

i think Trek's warranty does not cover damage due to accidents on aluminum frames. but sometimes the manufacturers will bend the rules...or more often the LBS will sell you a new frame at or near cost.

i guess this is a nice selling point for carbon and steel frames. steel can be repaired. most carbon frames come with crash warranty...where if you carbon frame suffers some sort of impact, they'll take your frame and well you a new one at deep discount. someone actually repairs carbon as well...i think it's calfee? i forget. the results from users that have had their carbon frames repaired have been STELLAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and people said you couldn't repair carbon...phtt...

 

[asgelle]

i guess this is a nice selling point for carbon and steel frames.

Harry Havnoonian repairs aluminum frames.

 

[ex2k4]

Good luck!!!!! :thumbsup:

i think Trek's warranty does not cover damage due to accidents on aluminum frames. but sometimes the manufacturers will bend the rules...or more often the LBS will sell you a new frame at or near cost.

i guess this is a nice selling point for carbon and steel frames. steel can be repaired. most carbon frames come with crash warranty...where if you carbon frame suffers some sort of impact, they'll take your frame and well you a new one at deep discount. someone actually repairs carbon as well...i think it's calfee? i forget. the results from users that have had their carbon frames repaired have been STELLAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and people said you couldn't repair carbon...phtt...

although the damage seems harsh, the bike shop tells me that it shouldn't be a problem. But the head mechanic is out today and he's going to look at the bike tomorrow.

I don't think Trek would cover the damage due to accidents but I was surprised how easily it was damageable from just slight falling. Hopefully they'll help me out. I can't say antthing bad for the Trek guys since it started from me having the bike fall. But surely enough surprises me how easily bendable it was from small fall.

I surely hope it all works out.

 

[TWD]

although the damage seems harsh, the bike shop tells me that it shouldn't be a problem. But the head mechanic is out today and he's going to look at the bike tomorrow.

I don't think Trek would cover the damage due to accidents but I was surprised how easily it was damageable from just slight falling. Hopefully they'll help me out. I can't say antthing bad for the Trek guys since it started from me having the bike fall. But surely enough surprises me how easily bendable it was from small fall.

I surely hope it all works out.

WOW....I'm really suprised that they told you that was OK to ride.

It's not so much the size of the dent that would concern me but the sharp crease, which is a stress riser far more likely to crack. Granted, the dent/crease is in the middle of the tube where it is least critical.

Still, I would think a shop would err on the side of caution and tell you to replace it for fear of something happening down the road and getting sued.

If you do decide to keep riding it, you'd be well served by inspecting it regularly to make sure no crack are forming.

 

[funktekk]

I wouldn't ride that faster than a speed you would want to take a slide on the asphalt at.

It could probably serve you well as a commuter/town bike, but I wouldn't go trying any crazy descents on it!

 

[The Flash]

I'd get a new frame and then get a new bike shop! That's your life in your own hands right there....

Flash

 

[fakeplastic]

damn... i had no idea aluminum was so easy to damage. i gotta make sure my new aluminum bike doesn't fall over anytime soon... or doesn't get hit when i'm parking my car (i need to find somewhere else to store my bikes). i almost dropped my bike a few weeks ago but luckily caught it before it hit the ground. i would have killed myself if I killed my three week old ride.

 

[The Flash]

That's just an unlucky fall of the bike. Aluminum is plenty strong enough for what we need, but if there is enough force in a small enough spot....

Be thankful it was not Carbon....the whole garage would have exploded killing him and his neighbors. If it was titanium, that state would be gone....;-)

 

[ex2k4]

how much would a frame cost about? any idea? it's aluminum with carbon rear seat stay.

 

[magnolialover]

Umm...

although the damage seems harsh, the bike shop tells me that it shouldn't be a problem. But the head mechanic is out today and he's going to look at the bike tomorrow.

I don't think Trek would cover the damage due to accidents but I was surprised how easily it was damageable from just slight falling. Hopefully they'll help me out. I can't say antthing bad for the Trek guys since it started from me having the bike fall. But surely enough surprises me how easily bendable it was from small fall.

I surely hope it all works out.

Umm, considering that most shop mechanics, while good at fixing bikes, are not exactly well versed in the properties of materials, such as aluminum, and or carbon, and or steel, ti, or what not.

I wouldn't ride that bike with the dent like that in the top tube. I actually DO have a background in mechanical engineering with some pretty good experience in materials. That's just me talking though.

2 stories for you.

1. Take a regular aluminum can, of the variety that you get soda in. Make sure there are no dents in it, and that it's empty. Place it on the floor. Stand on it with one foot, placing all of your weight on that one foot. Most likely, the can is going to hold, and be solid. Now, with you still standing on said can, have someone put a small dent in the side of the can by flicking their finger at it. Guess what happens? Can crushes. Now, the frame isn't going to be that drastic, but there is a good chance, especially with that sharp crease in the can, that stress will rise at that point, and the frame could fail. Possibly snapping completely, or bending more. As others have said, this is your life you're riding on, you pretty much want to make sure everything is solid.

2. I had a friend of mine a few years ago that had a dent similar to yours in his top tube. He insisted, even after I told him not to ride it, that he was going to ride the bike. He rode it, it failed, and luckily he got away with about a ton of road rash and a few broken fingers.

So you can ride it, but don't come back here talking about how Trek sucks when the frame breaks on you, and you break your arse on the road.