Dent in my top tube :(

[Paul Myron Hobson]

This is sort of a bummer...

I dropped my wrench today (it was in my pocket after using it in my lab)
right after I unlocked and walked my bike over to the curb. I leaned it
against one of bollards that keep cars but allow maintenance cars to
come up to the civil engineering bldg. As I was picking up the wrench,
my bike fell down. I picked it up, and found this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/


It's a steel bike (Butted Reynolds 520 tubing). The deepest part of the
dent is 325 mm from the center of the head tube; actual top tube length
is ~550 mm. So I guess this dent is in the section with thinner walls.

So the million dollar question: Safe to ride? My gut says yes, but you
never know.

Thanks in advance,

\\paul

 

[Paul Myron Hobson]

Paul Myron Hobson wrote:

> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/

here's a more direct link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/1831748627/

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> I dropped my wrench today (it was in my pocket after using it in my lab)
> right after I unlocked and walked my bike over to the curb. I leaned it
> against one of bollards that keep cars but allow maintenance cars to come
> up to the civil engineering bldg. As I was picking up the wrench, my bike
> fell down. I picked it up, and found this:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
>
>
> It's a steel bike (Butted Reynolds 520 tubing). The deepest part of the
> dent is 325 mm from the center of the head tube; actual top tube length is
> ~550 mm. So I guess this dent is in the section with thinner walls.
>
> So the million dollar question: Safe to ride? My gut says yes, but you
> never know.

Ick. Nasty dent. But fortunately it's on the top tube, and top tube dents
rarely cause catastrophic failures. It will probably go quite some time
without trouble. Keep an eye out for any cracks. Hopefully Reynolds 520 is
simply so soft that it easily dents, without becoming brittle. Not a good
tubeset to build something really light out of, but these tube sets weren't
really light.

No way to really know from a photo; take it to a shop that's competent and
see what they think. Doesn't look worse than a lot of bikes we see come in
that people commute on and take on CalTrain.

--Mike--
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com


"Paul Myron Hobson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> This is sort of a bummer...
>
> I dropped my wrench today (it was in my pocket after using it in my lab)
> right after I unlocked and walked my bike over to the curb. I leaned it
> against one of bollards that keep cars but allow maintenance cars to come
> up to the civil engineering bldg. As I was picking up the wrench, my bike
> fell down. I picked it up, and found this:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
>
>
> It's a steel bike (Butted Reynolds 520 tubing). The deepest part of the
> dent is 325 mm from the center of the head tube; actual top tube length is
> ~550 mm. So I guess this dent is in the section with thinner walls.
>
> So the million dollar question: Safe to ride? My gut says yes, but you
> never know.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> \\paul

 

[landotter]

On Nov 2, 5:00 pm, Paul Myron Hobson <[email protected]> wrote:
> This is sort of a bummer...
>
> I dropped my wrench today (it was in my pocket after using it in my lab)
> right after I unlocked and walked my bike over to the curb. I leaned it
> against one of bollards that keep cars but allow maintenance cars to
> come up to the civil engineering bldg. As I was picking up the wrench,
> my bike fell down. I picked it up, and found this:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
>
> It's a steel bike (Butted Reynolds 520 tubing). The deepest part of the
> dent is 325 mm from the center of the head tube; actual top tube length
> is ~550 mm. So I guess this dent is in the section with thinner walls.
>
> So the million dollar question: Safe to ride? My gut says yes, but you
> never know.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> \\paul

Bondo, prime, then some automotive lacquer--you'll still see it if ya
look close, but at a glance, it'll be invisible.


What kinda wrench does that kind of damage??

 

[landotter]

On Nov 2, 6:42 pm, A Muzi <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
> >>http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
> > here's a more direct link:
> >http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/1831748627/
>
> I just rolled and filled a bigger one on a classic Gios Super last
> night. No worries, ride it with confidence.
>
> Probably.
>
> Reynolds UK doesn't think there is a tube called '520' but some Chinese
> vendors advertise such.http://www.reynoldscycles.co.uk/steel853.html

My neighbor's bike boom ten speed has a 520 sticker.

 

[A Muzi]

> Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
> here's a more direct link:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/1831748627/

I just rolled and filled a bigger one on a classic Gios Super last
night. No worries, ride it with confidence.

Probably.

Reynolds UK doesn't think there is a tube called '520' but some Chinese
vendors advertise such.
http://www.reynoldscycles.co.uk/steel853.html
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Colin Campbell]

At least you didn't get yours by entrusting it to United Air Lines, as I
did!


Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
> This is sort of a bummer...
>
> I dropped my wrench today (it was in my pocket after using it in my lab)
> right after I unlocked and walked my bike over to the curb. I leaned it
> against one of bollards that keep cars but allow maintenance cars to
> come up to the civil engineering bldg. As I was picking up the wrench,
> my bike fell down. I picked it up, and found this:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
>
>
> It's a steel bike (Butted Reynolds 520 tubing). The deepest part of the
> dent is 325 mm from the center of the head tube; actual top tube length
> is ~550 mm. So I guess this dent is in the section with thinner walls.
>
> So the million dollar question: Safe to ride? My gut says yes, but you
> never know.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> \\paul

 

[jim beam]

Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
> This is sort of a bummer...
>
> I dropped my wrench today (it was in my pocket after using it in my lab)
> right after I unlocked and walked my bike over to the curb. I leaned it
> against one of bollards that keep cars but allow maintenance cars to
> come up to the civil engineering bldg. As I was picking up the wrench,
> my bike fell down. I picked it up, and found this:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
>
>
> It's a steel bike (Butted Reynolds 520 tubing). The deepest part of the
> dent is 325 mm from the center of the head tube; actual top tube length
> is ~550 mm. So I guess this dent is in the section with thinner walls.
>
> So the million dollar question: Safe to ride? My gut says yes, but you
> never know.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> \\paul


ugly? yes. mechanical problem? no. check out that huge-ass dent in
your chain stay if you need reassurance of mechanical fortitude.

oh, and if you're tempted to bondo, be careful sanding it off
afterwards. you can rub through the lumpy bits of the metal you're
over-zealous.

 

[John Thompson]

On 2007-11-02, Paul Myron Hobson <[email protected]> wrote:

> Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
>
>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
>
> here's a more direct link:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/1831748627/

Ugly, but really only a cosmetic issue. That must have been a heck of
a wrench, though!

If it bothers you a lot, run it through Bicycle Research's frame blocks
and fill anything left after that with solder. You'll want to repaint
to prevent rusting.

If it was my commuter bike, I'd just leave it. Part of the urban
camouflage.

--

John ([email protected])

 

[Kurd]

> Reynolds UK doesn't think there is a tube called '520' but some Chinese
> vendors advertise such.
> http://www.reynoldscycles.co.uk/steel853.html

Did you mean this?
http://www.reynoldscycles.co.uk/steel525.html
" Reynolds also use the 520 decal for Reynolds chrome-moly tubing made under
license to our specification."

 

[M-gineering]

A Muzi wrote:

> Reynolds UK doesn't think there is a tube called '520' but some Chinese
> vendors advertise such.
> http://www.reynoldscycles.co.uk/steel853.html

memory lapse perhaps. MAybe they should take a look at their old
documentation where it was listed side by side with 525
--
/Marten

info(apestaartje)m-gineering(punt)nl

 

[[email protected]]

On Nov 2, 5:00 pm, Paul Myron Hobson <[email protected]> wrote:
> This is sort of a bummer...

Yup. Life is dangerous.

You've heard from the experts who see lots of bikes. My Oldsworth (ca.
1980) fell over (or was pushed) and took one in the side of the top
tube. Similar nasty looking, not a happy day-- I like that bike, for
all the hard use and other inci-dents (just paint, prior to the t-o).
Many problem-free miles as fixed since. I took it into the ULBS for
some dent-and-lip-service soon after the Fall (don't go there no mo')
and the resident mouth-in-chief ran some straightening blocks around
it, just to take a little of the sharpness out of the dent. Spoiled
the paint (that was the joke, ha ha) so I wouldn't even bother with
that. Yeah, look at what Colnago and others do with crimping tubes, as
long as it's not the coke-can type dent from running into something,
you're probably OK.

(As long as it's there and all) "Hallmark of authenticity" for a
'muter. --D-y

 

[Peter Cole]

Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
> This is sort of a bummer...
>
> I dropped my wrench today (it was in my pocket after using it in my lab)
> right after I unlocked and walked my bike over to the curb. I leaned it
> against one of bollards that keep cars but allow maintenance cars to
> come up to the civil engineering bldg. As I was picking up the wrench,
> my bike fell down. I picked it up, and found this:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
>
>
> It's a steel bike (Butted Reynolds 520 tubing). The deepest part of the
> dent is 325 mm from the center of the head tube; actual top tube length
> is ~550 mm. So I guess this dent is in the section with thinner walls.
>
> So the million dollar question: Safe to ride? My gut says yes, but you
> never know.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> \\paul

Yes, it's safe.

 

[A Muzi]

>> Reynolds UK doesn't think there is a tube called '520' but some Chinese
>> vendors advertise such.
>> http://www.reynoldscycles.co.uk/steel853.html

Kurd wrote:
> Did you mean this?
> http://www.reynoldscycles.co.uk/steel525.html
> " Reynolds also use the 520 decal for Reynolds chrome-moly tubing made under
> license to our specification."

You're a better scavenger-hunter than I.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Kurd]

> You're a better scavenger-hunter than I.

Why thank you. I just get paid to do it 9-6.

 

[A Muzi]

>> You're a better scavenger-hunter than I.

Kurd wrote:
> Why thank you. I just get paid to do it 9-6.

You're a Personal Shopper? ceo of Google?
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[still me]

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:00:43 -0400, Paul Myron Hobson
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I leaned it
>against one of bollards that keep cars but allow maintenance cars to
>come up to the civil engineering bldg.


We had a long discussion here about those bollards. I'm not surprised
that they are even more dangerous that previously argued!

 

[still me]

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:00:43 -0400, Paul Myron Hobson
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I leaned it
>against one of bollards that keep cars but allow maintenance cars to
>come up to the civil engineering bldg.


We had a long discussion here about those bollards. I'm not surprised
that they are even more dangerous that previously argued!

 

[Paul Myron Hobson]

Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
> This is sort of a bummer...
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
>
> So the million dollar question: Safe to ride? My gut says yes, but you
> never know.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> \\paul


Thanks for all the responses, y'all. I'll think I'll just leave it as a
part of the "urban camouflage" mentioned above. I guess this is what
happens when you start to ponder selling a really good bike.

\\paul

 

[Paul Myron Hobson]

Paul Myron Hobson wrote:
> This is sort of a bummer...
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_myron_h/tags/dent/
>
> So the million dollar question: Safe to ride? My gut says yes, but you
> never know.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> \\paul


Thanks for all the responses, y'all. I'll think I'll just leave it as a
part of the "urban camouflage" mentioned above. I guess this is what
happens when you start to ponder selling a really good bike.

\\paul