did i get *SCREWED* ebay??



veganheart

New Member
Jan 30, 2004
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I bought a Morgul Bismark frame made with Easton Ultralite AL. The frame weighs only 2.14 pounds. The frame arrived with what I percieved as a dent on the drive side behind the bb. Upon closer inspection I noticed a 2 mm bend/crack/whatever on the very bottom of the stay as a result of the "dent"
The seller claims that these dents are put there on purpose. Read below.

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Hi James,

The frame I bought from you arrived today. Thanks for the quick shipment. Unfortunately, there is a problem. There is quite a significant dent/impression on the bottom rear triangle (seatstay?) on the side where the derailleurs would go; right behind the bottom bracket. I dont know what to do about this situation. The auction was for a new frame and I wasnt told of any damage. This damage may have occurred during shipping, but I cant say because I dont know what the frame looked like *exactly* before it was shipped. I can't remember if the shipment was insured or not or what the terms of the insurance are.
I am by no means a bike expert so I dont know if this dent is merely cosmetic, or if it has weakened the frame strength. The dent is about 1 3/4 to 2 inches in size so its not insignificant.

What are your thoughts?

HIS REPLY

Torin-
I think I can clear this up. What you are seeing is supposed to be there- it is on every frame out there I believe. When they are building the frame, they put a crease in the right side (the drive side) to allow more room for the chainrings (on the crank). I could send you pictures of all the Morgul frames that I have- they all have it, and it is not a dent at all. If you think about where your crank mounts, and where the chainrings are, that will help you to see why it is there.
I just looked at the auction page, and you can see this crease in 4 of the pictures. It is truly normal,and not dented or weakened.

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What do you think? Sounds plausible but I am not sure. This frame is so light I am wondering about how strong it is. Should I be worried about it breaking on me?

Thanks for your assistance
 
it depends of course on whether or not the frame was designed that way, which is a possibility even though it sounds a lil suspect.
 
Originally posted by veganheart
I The frame arrived with what I percieved as a dent on the drive side behind the bb. Upon closer inspection I noticed a 2 mm bend/crack/whatever on the very bottom of the stay as a result of the "dent"

Thanks for your assistance

Hard to say for sure. Generally, the width of the bottom bracket takes care of any clearance issues with the chain stays. However, many small framemakers make changes to standard construction practices for whatever reason. Does it look finished? You describe a dent and a crack. A dent is a depression in the surface. If it was made after the frame was painted, the paint should have at least very small hairline cracks in the surface. A crack in the frame is separation of the metal (and the paint). A short crack may appear to be straight but longer ones usually are not perfectly straight.

Unfortunately, when you buy on ebay you are dealing with a wide range of vendors in terms of quality of product, service, honesty, etc. Caveat emptor!

If you feel uncomfortable with your purchase, ask for a refund. An honest dealer would refund your money less your shipping costs. They would not want the negative feedback. Generally, a dishonest one wouldn't care about that. If you paid by credit card, you can challenge the deal thru your credit card co. who will withhold payment.

Good luck

Update: I looked at the ebay auction for these frames. Both the closeup of the black frame and the red frame appear to have a depression on the right chainstay about where the chainrings would come closest to the chainstay.

For $240 with a carbon fork it's unbelieveable deal.
 
I've seen this "dent" on many frames - try to be sure it's not as designed before you give up a good deal. Definitely look to see if there's any paint damage on that dent area - would be telling!
 
Originally posted by cycleboy
Hard to say for sure. Generally, the width of the bottom bracket takes care of any clearance issues with the chain stays. H
OMG.....My caad4 4 Cdale is also dented! It's like this,with many aluminum frames with fat chainstays it has to be for chainring clearance.Even the insides of the stays can be 'dented' for tire clearance.
 
That "indentation on the right chain stay is common on many bikes--other bikes use oval tubes and don't go with the indentation for the chainrings. The indentation usually has a sharp line at its apex, which would not be a crack. If the "dent" is completely symmetrical, the likelihood is that it is meant to be there. If you have any doubts, why not verify with the manufacturer?
 
The dent is normal to make clearance for the chainrings and chain.. if you knotice the "Dent" is vertical and not horizonal..(horizonal would make for a weak left chainstay... In fact i dont know af any aluminum racing frame that doesnt have some type of tube distortion at the bottom bracket insertion point. if troubled "ill give you $10 for it!" :rolleyes:
 
My steel Olmo has exactly the same thing....see how close the chainring is to the chainstay at this point?
 
I'll have to get my money back for that Ferrari I bought.

It has dents on both sides! It looks like someone tried to cover them up in the factory by painting over them!

TD