Dent in frame

"Neil Guthrie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I just dented (inward dent) my Aluminum M4 frame. The dent is about the size of a quarter and is
> located about halfway along the top tube.
>
> Obviously the frame resale value just plummeted but I'm more concerned
about
> safety and frame integrity. Any comments?
>
> I know that if the frame were to break, it would not come under warranty. Can someome explain to
> me how a frame replacement program works? Do you
get
> a deal on one?
>
> Also...I'm 6'3 about 200 pounds...is steel a better choice for me? I
mainly
> do x-country. Weight, to a certain point, is not something I worry about too much.
>

Friend of mine also got a dent about that size along the middle of the top tube on his Giant XTC.
That frame is already quite lightweight and my friend is quite heavily built but the frames been
through a couple of xc races since and no problems yet. Silliest thing was, his bike was parked
stationary with another Giant XTC and both accidentally fell. My friend's top tube landed against
the handlebar edge of the other XTC.

bloocow

"Neil Guthrie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I just dented (inward dent) my Aluminum M4 frame. The dent is about the size of a quarter and is
> located about halfway along the top tube.
>
> Obviously the frame resale value just plummeted but I'm more concerned
about
> safety and frame integrity. Any comments?

A dent of that size won't affect frame strength or longevity significantly. I had a Klein Attitude
Pro frame (2.9 lbs) with a huge, deep dent in the left chainstay (halfway through the stay). It
looked awful; but Klein said it was no problem, and wouldn't affect frame strength. (A Klein rep
checked it out.)

You should have a Specialized dealer look it over if you're worried. They can tell you if the frame
is a candidate for warranty replacement. Specialized doesn't want you to suffer injuries from frame
failure. They'll do the right thing. They have a great reputation for customer service.

> I know that if the frame were to break, it would not come under warranty. Can someome explain to
> me how a frame replacement program works? Do you
get
> a deal on one?

I disagree. If the frame is under warranty, and you haven't abused it, Specialized will likely
replace it. Why wouldn't they? The warranty doesn't say "if you dent it, the deal is off."
Dents happen to thinwall frame tubing. It's commonplace, especially in the exact spot where
your frame dented.

> Also...I'm 6'3 about 200 pounds...is steel a better choice for me? I
mainly
> do x-country. Weight, to a certain point, is not something I worry about too much.

Your frame is fine, and well suited to XC riding. I miss my Specialized M2, which I sold last year.
It accelerated like a cheetah with its tail on fire. I imagine the M4's are at least as good.

Barry

> Your frame is fine, and well suited to XC riding. I miss my Specialized
M2,
> which I sold last year. It accelerated like a cheetah with its tail on fire. I imagine the M4's
> are at least as good.
>
> Barry

LOL -- it's unfortunate that the market is in Freeride Mode right now. The bicycle companies have to
overbuild their frames just for those few people that want to go extreme, just so they won't break.
The new Stumpjumper FSR (with M4 tubing) weigh about 28 pounds. =(

I'm sure your M2 was more in the range of 24-25 pounds.

-John Morgan

"B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Neil Guthrie" <[email protected]> wrote
...
>> I just dented (inward dent) my Aluminum M4 frame. The dent is about the size of a quarter and is
>> located about halfway along the top tube.
>>
>> Obviously the frame resale value just plummeted but I'm more concerned
>about
>> safety and frame integrity. Any comments?
>
>A dent of that size won't affect frame strength or longevity significantly. I had a Klein Attitude
>Pro frame (2.9 lbs) with a huge, deep dent in the left chainstay (halfway through the stay). It
>looked awful; but Klein said it was no problem, and wouldn't affect frame strength. (A Klein rep
>checked it out.)

If you're gonna dent a tube, the left chainstay is a pretty good choice. It's pretty much in
compression all the time, and even that doesn't vary as much as the right chainstay (since you're
always trying to smoosh it with your mighty manly pedaling action).

However, I would be careful about riding any frame with a very large dent in the top tube. It's
impossible to say without seeing it (and probably impossible even if I did...) how much the
integrity of the frame has been affected. You do NOT want that tube to become two tubes in the
middle of a desparate descent. At the VERY least, perform a careful visual and "thunk" check every
time you ride the bike (and perhaps when you stop on the trail after a difficult section).

>> I know that if the frame were to break, it would not come under warranty. Can someome explain to
>> me how a frame replacement program works? Do you get a deal on one?

>I disagree. If the frame is under warranty, and you haven't abused it, Specialized will likely
>replace it. Why wouldn't they? The warranty doesn't say "if you dent it, the deal is off."
>Dents happen to thinwall frame tubing. It's commonplace, especially in the exact spot where
>your frame dented.

I would agree if we were talking about a superficial dent, but a "quarter size dent" sounds like it
affects a good bit of the total top tube circumference. It may well form a stress riser that will
"concentrate" stress at that point, leading to a failure an undented frame wouldn't have
experienced. At that point, it's entirely up to the manufacturer how liberal they want to be with
the warranty policy
- but by most standards, that frame would NOT be under warranty (much as a 40,000 mile warranty tire
wouldn't be if it wore out at 20,000 miles because a huge chunk of tread had been ripped off by
driving it over some sort of debris).

Mark "call me paranoid" Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

B. Sanders wrote:

> I disagree. If the frame is under warranty, and you haven't abused it, Specialized will likely
> replace it. Why wouldn't they? The warranty doesn't say "if you dent it, the deal is off."
> Dents happen to thinwall frame tubing. It's commonplace, especially in the exact spot where
> your frame dented.

This isn't a 'warranty' issue. Warranties cover defects in frame materials and construction,
whereas this constitutes wear and tear, or abuse (whichever way you want to look at it). To
get a replacement, you're ultimately relying on the goodwill of the frame manufacturer and you
may be lucky.

There is far too much emphasis on 'warranty' to cover everything that goes wrong with a frame. If
you reversed your car in to a pillar, would you expect to recive a new car or have it repaired for
free? Take some individual responsibility for your actions.

"Barry Bargain" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<dvUSa.112143$ye4.83664@sccrnsc01>...
> I disagree. If the frame is under warranty, and you haven't abused it, Specialized will likely
> replace it. Why wouldn't they? The warranty doesn't say "if you dent it, the deal is off."
> Dents happen to thinwall frame tubing. It's commonplace, especially in the exact spot where
> your frame dented.

Thanks for once again proving that you are a clueless idiot. Do you even know what a warranty is?

JD

[email protected] (Stephen Baker) wrote:

>Mark Hickey writes:
>
>>If you're gonna dent a tube, the left chainstay is a pretty good choice. It's pretty much in
>>compression all the time,
>
>Genuine question from a guy who spends a lot of his time analysing the stresses in masts and
>rigging....
>
>Wouldn't the rider's weight on the seat, coupled with the diverging angles of the seat tube and
>seat stay make the left hand chainstay somewhat in tension? Or is there enough rigidity in the axle
>setup to transfer some of the "mash" over to the LHS?

You're right - I was just thinking of the dynamic forces from pedaling, not the static forces of
rider weight. It's kind of like how a spoke that's in tension "compresses" when it's at the bottom
of the wheel...

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame