Dent on down-tube, is that bad?

Timmah!

Hello wise folk,

I noticed a dent on the down tube of my bike a few weeks ago. I have no idea how it got there and don't recall any impacts that may have caused it. I know I need to take it to a shop to get it checked out but I would appreciate your feedback. Should I be concerned?

cheers
Tim

SubLuminal

do you use a U lock? Looks like someone picked your bike up when it was chained, and tried twisting the bike to try and bust the lock off it to nick your bike. Most common way of opening a ulock (I'm told?)

Don't know about the damage, but if its been there a while and you've only just noticed it, its prolly ok - but i'm sure there are others wiser than I who'll be able to advise you with a more technical eye..

But you might want to consider some extra security for your bike, if someone's had a go at it, perhaps they'll try again..

Timmah!

No U-lock, the bike is only ever in my place or in a bike shed at the office that's pretty secure. I say pretty secure in that there are frequently better bikes than mine left there unlocked.

I presume that's an alu frame? I have a trek 1000 with a dent a fair bit bigger than that from an impact with a car, but my dad still rides it and he's much bigger than me, and it hasn't fallen apart yet. But yeah, without seeing it in person it's hard to judge, so bike shop to be safe.

Timmah!

Took it into a shop on my way home tonight and the feeling was that if there was no impact then it's probably a stress fracture and therefore unsafe.:(
Might get a 2nd opinion tomorrow.
Balls.

copacetic

the mark across the lettering at the dent site makes in look like it took a bang?

72hundred

Timmah! wrote: »

Took it into a shop on my way home tonight and the feeling was that if there was no impact then it's probably a stress fracture and therefore unsafe.:(
Might get a 2nd opinion tomorrow.
Balls.

They might well be right. But its in their slight advantage to say that too!

Timmah!

Yeah it does look that way but I don't know how that could have happened. There's been no crashes, a couple of clumsy falls but nothing that would have done that.
But I like it, you're saying there's a chance?

Timmah!

72hundred wrote: »

They might well be right. But its in their slight advantage to say that too!

I did consider that but at no point did it become a sales pitch, he suggested getting in touch with the manufacturer.

Frames can crack from repetitive stresses (happened to one of mine), but I've never heard of one denting from that. That frame looks like it definitley took a knock. Because it spends a lot of time out of your sight you could well have never known it happened, perhaps someone else putting a bike in the shed gave it a knock, maybe someone dropped something on it etc etc, but no way is that just from the normal stress of riding it.

Timmah!

Hope so James, cheers.
I'll get another shop to look at it tomorrow.

mockler007

just like you i have that on me kona dawg, fcuk knows how it got there, it is alot smaller than yours, must be a birth mark haha;)
bike still in one piece, but then again so was the titanic until it snapped in half, just don't let a fat dude who eats way to much cake ride it

DeepBlue

Timmah! wrote: »

There's been no crashes, a couple of clumsy falls but nothing that would have done that.

It doesn't take much really.
An aluminium framed bike of mine was knocked over by a gust of wind and landed on an unfortunately positioned stone block.
Result = similar dent as you have.

DeepBlue

DeepBlue wrote: »

It doesn't take much really.
An aluminium framed bike of mine was knocked over by a gust of wind and landed on an unfortunately positioned stone block.
Result = similar dent as you have.

Hear, hear! Modern alu bikes often have very large diameter, thin walled tubes in the interest of saving weight, and are easily dented. My alu framed commuter has loadsa dents and has never had a serious crash. One such dent was inflicted by a little scummer trying to pull it off the lamp post it was locked to outside McDonald's on Patrick Street as I was sitting by the window inside. The lock left an impression on the seat tube, and I don't think the scummer was all that strong.

Wez

Yeh, I found something similar on a T1 that I got off Ebay which wasn't in the description or pictures. Not quite as deep, so I hope it should be fine.

That's where steel frames just win, can take some abuse in comparison to all the newer frames made from different materials. Mechanics and such would also have many more years of experience with them to make judgements on dents like these also.

Timmah!

Thanks all, that's encouraging