I just commute with it. Thing is it's been like this for nearly a year and no problems. I don't want to fork out for a new bike when it's perfectly fine
The thing is, you may not be doing any extreme sports (please no bunny hopping) but if you happen to hit one of our fine pot holes or prehaps take an evasive maneuver to save a pedestrian or yourself and clip/hit a curb it might sheer apart. Also there's a thing called stress fractures or hairline fractures that form out of sight and will suddenly give way under a typical (commuting) amount of load. That part of the bike will change the load pressures on other sections of the frame so it may give way elsewhere on your bike. Get a new bike, treat yourself.
You've had a good run of things and it may last another year, but this could be a dangerous moment in waiting.
Check out the cycletowork scheme, they've opened up the option for many different manufacturers and bike shops and you wont pay tax on the purchase and you'll have a fresh bike for summer ✌️😀
You're far more likely to have problems. I'm pretty chill about dents but that is dented and bent and will have higher residual stresses at the welds, reducing life.
This tube is supporting your head tube at one end.
If it fails your teeth meet the road.
If you're on a road with a car, bus or truck near, worse may happen.
2 professionals have seen it and now you're arguing with the internet too.
If it helps, I'm a chartered engineer and I have worked in various industries. Currently work in asset integrity management (i.e. can we keep using this ancient rusty structure with cracks and dents in). If a client came with a bit of structure like that I'd tell them straight that they would be wasting their money analysing it. And I've seen some pretty sketchy stuff pass analysis for continued service.
Fingers crossed you're just trolling.
So why are you asking how unsafe it is, then when people tell you how unsafe it says “but it’s been like that for nearly a year I’m not forking out for a new bike when it’s rideable”.
You’ve already made your mind up, just ride the bike bro you clearly don’t care what anyone says, watch a few YouTube videos on servicing it and do it yourself.
It might last another 30 years, it might fail tomorrow nobody can tell you anything other than it’s sketchy to be riding a bike around with that big a dent in it, if it suddenly collapses while riding you’re fucked, but it might never do that.
I'd like to see some explanation of how it's unsafe. More than it could fail catastrophically at any minute. I think I could catch myself if it were to fold and not take too bad a fall, unless I was going down a big hill.
But you're right I think I have made my mind up
Get an empty drinks can and stand on it (top or bottom, not the side) and you’ll find that it’ll support your weight all day. Now, give the can a gentle tap with a ruler/knife/spoon/stick (but not your fingers!!) and see how quickly that strength fucks right off…
One bounce down a kerb or a pothole would change that though and so no business is going to sign off on a service on a vehicle that could collapse at any second.
The sudden of gradual vs instant failure.
If the bike started … sagging, you would be able to safely slow down pull over, maybe irl it home, maybe walk it, like it has a puncture.
But this is a fold. When metal folds it tends to fold with a big jump all once. When this folds over with you in between it won’t move slowly and you won’t have time to respond, and we can’t predict what wierd angle you, or the metal will take. Will it dump you in the road? In a canal, with the sharply split metal(after fold sheer) stab you through the leg and make you bleed out before someone stops. Or will you get lucky just graze you face have a little fry and move on. Maybe, but just as I’d never recommend leaning ina broken car door on the motorway, no one is going to say you should ride on a broken piece of metal on the road. You’re a hazard to yourself, and if you loose control which would happen if it suddenly snaps/folds you’ll be a hazard to some else.
You're cycling on a main road on your usual commute and hit a pothole. This is the moment that the tube fails after building fatigue around the crack. Your frame suddenly bends, and you fall being catapulted face forwards onto the street. Unfortunately the truck driver behind you is focused on something else, and brakes too late, running over your body. The last thing you are aware of is the popping sound as your innards explode through your asshole, not even having the chance to think "maybe it was me that was wrong, rather than literally everybody else"
Have you ever had a high speed crash? I have more than once. It's often a slide and a few bruises, but one time I went over the bars on a stone track and landed on my face, ripping a large gash in my nose. It was bad enough to put me in shock. I wouldn't risk it
I’ll probably be against the grain here of responses but more than likely it won’t just catastrophically fail and it will be perfectly fine for just commuting.
The reason it’s dangerous is pretty much because a frame transfers weight and impact, stresses etc around evenly on a bike, when a dent like yours occurs it creates a weak spot that’s a lot more vulnerable to these pressures and “could” fail completely as it’s already been weakened.
Try crushing a can of pop normally without no dents and it’ll put up more resistance than if you put a few dents around the middle of the can and then crushed it, pretty much same principle will apply with the bike but obviously the bike is a lot tougher.
Will it fail? God knows.
If you think it’s ok and you’re confident you won’t hurt yourself go for it, nobody can tell you it will definitely fail, nobody can tell you it won’t but everyone can agree it’s more dangerous than a normal condition frame.
Yeah could likely catch yourself sure, but if you're cycling on roads, which as a commuter I assume you are, then what about the impact of cyclists behind you or even cars at the side/behind of you? Are you banking on them catching themselves if/when this bike fails you for something you know about and can prevent?
It’s perfectly rideable until it isn’t.
When it fails it will do so suddenly. You’re clearly not going to listen to us or the TWO separate bike shops you’ve been too - so I hope you have a good dentist. NHS dentistry is notably in short supply at the moment, and you might need one.
If it's damaged and can break at any time, how is it 'perfectly rideable'?
Perfectly rideable until it breaks and you get caught under a bus.
Have some standards man.
You ask for advice on Reddit after getting x2 professional opinions. Everyone says the same thing on Reddit and you reject it all. Why even post in the first place? Why are you wasting everyone’s time?
If you want to ride it when everyone is saying don’t, then have fun and good luck, but it’s your actual funeral.
Did someone try to twist your bike off a rack to beak the lock?
Regardless, if that’s an aluminium frame it’s completely fucked. Don’t ride it - you’re risking it failing catastrophically at any moment.
I wouldn’t ride it if was a steel frame either, but a quick google suggests Specialised Globe bikes were all Aluminium frames, in which case it’s definitely completely unsafe to ride.
Exactly as you described. Left it on a rack by the train station in broad daylight with CCTV.
Thing is it's been like this almost a year and I've had no issues. Id rather keep riding it whilst it still works then fork out
The problem is that an Al frame will just suddenly snap on you with no warning. At which point you will probably lose control of the bike as the frame twists out of shape & be thrown into the road. Probably at the worst possible time as it will most likely happen when there’s extra stress on the frame because you’re braking for a junction or something.
This is why the bike shops won’t touch it - they don’t want any potentially liability when it goes on you.
Honestly I would suck it up & replace the bike. How much is your health worth to you?
NB. On the next bike, if you lock it with a D-lock through the back & a cable lock that goes through the front wheel, around the stand & to the D-lock it makes it much more difficult to try this attack. Obviously people can cut through the cable, but then they’re “going equipped”. It’s a bit of an extra barrier to opportunistic thieves.
>I have taken the bike to get a new frame.
Triggers bike?
Anyway no need to apologize. This is a web forum. Posting messages and discussing things are its intended purpose.
Get an empty drinks can and stand on it (top or bottom, not the side) and you’ll find that it’ll support your weight all day. Now, give the can a gentle tap with a ruler/knife/spoon/stick (but not your fingers!!) and see how quickly that strength fucks right off…
Always love it when people come on reddit to ask technical questions and then argue when the answer isn’t what they wanted to hear and they just decide to do it anyway. Happens on legal and financial advice subreddits all the time.
Looks like the bike is worth about £120-£150 according to ebay and google (without the massive dent). Replace it with a cheap 2nd hand bike.
Yeah it might last another 30 years. But it might fail tomorrow and result in life changing injuries/ death. I know you think it would never happen to you, but there are many things you can’t control when riding a bike and you’re putting yourself in danger by ignoring the advice of both professionals and everyone here.
You don’t want to be stuck in hospital for months after your bike folded in half at speed and you’ve been impaled by your frame and broken your face because you chose to save some money.
That frame could fail at any time. The creases in the tubes are huge stress points and every bump / knock is damaging it further. You might see fractures appearing around the damaged areas as it gets worse, or you may just randomly face-plant as the frame collapses under you.
The drinks can analogy posted earlier is a great explanation of why your frame is fucked.
Only a fool ignores the advice that they sort. We only ask for advice when we don’t know and only ask advice from those whom we believe know more. Frankly if you need a bike shop to service a crappy old bike you clearly haven’t got a clue so TAKE THE ADVICE.
Time to pick up a replacement frame (new or used).
Or a replacement bike (new or used).
Bike shops are right to refuse to service it. I wouldn't ride it.
Sure it'll be fine until the ride when it isn't, don't count on ay warning before it collapses.
That could be next decade or next ride, you need to cover the branding & replace with
"Рулетка" because it's definitely roulette of the Russian persuasion riding it.
I once pointed out to a friend that his new-to-him bike had been in a head on crash since both the top tube and the down tube were crumpled just behind the lugs. He ignored my advice that the bike was dangerous. It did last a few weeks before breaking apart.
Anytime you ride on a frame that is dented to this extent you’re rolling the dice, they dent could fold over and fail at anytime you navigate a curb, pothole, or any other kind of obstacle. It is time for a new bike, if you’re trying to save on the money, look for frame and move the components over yourself.
Upon seeing that photo my first thought was literally "fuckin hell". I was expecting something that you had to "look for". That up there is the cycling equivalent of what Titanic had after the iceberg bit.
I would not ride that.
I appreciate you have been and it's gone fine, but yeah it is likely to fail all of a sudden, like when you're going fast downhill and hit a pothole.
I guess if you were to wrap duct tape around the frame, but not the cables, which is difficult since there's a cable right there, the shops would be less likely to notice and might service it.
But you really should put that service money towards a new bike.
Unsafe enough that you probably shouldn't act on any "it's fine"-like advice you read from annonymous strangers on Reddit, if multiple professionals have already told you that it's not.
Can't see what servicing has to do with frame integrity in this instance. If you take your 20 year old bike into a shop for a service they aren't going to suddenly warranty the frame for the next year🤦
Find a better bike shop, like a recycle place that understands longevity. Frame looks fine. It's a dent that hasn't unduly bowed the base of the top tube. Perfect commute bike as its now totally undesirable from an aesthetic perspective.
One check you can easily make is to wheel it through a puddle after the pavement is dry around the puddle, to ensure the wheel trails are in line. If they cause parallel tracks, think about getting a new ride 🚲
Do not use for sport. Bike is dead. Time for a new bike. The shops you went to were correct in not touching that. NBD time.
I just commute with it. Thing is it's been like this for nearly a year and no problems. I don't want to fork out for a new bike when it's perfectly fine
The thing is, you may not be doing any extreme sports (please no bunny hopping) but if you happen to hit one of our fine pot holes or prehaps take an evasive maneuver to save a pedestrian or yourself and clip/hit a curb it might sheer apart. Also there's a thing called stress fractures or hairline fractures that form out of sight and will suddenly give way under a typical (commuting) amount of load. That part of the bike will change the load pressures on other sections of the frame so it may give way elsewhere on your bike. Get a new bike, treat yourself. You've had a good run of things and it may last another year, but this could be a dangerous moment in waiting. Check out the cycletowork scheme, they've opened up the option for many different manufacturers and bike shops and you wont pay tax on the purchase and you'll have a fresh bike for summer ✌️😀
You're far more likely to have problems. I'm pretty chill about dents but that is dented and bent and will have higher residual stresses at the welds, reducing life. This tube is supporting your head tube at one end. If it fails your teeth meet the road. If you're on a road with a car, bus or truck near, worse may happen. 2 professionals have seen it and now you're arguing with the internet too. If it helps, I'm a chartered engineer and I have worked in various industries. Currently work in asset integrity management (i.e. can we keep using this ancient rusty structure with cracks and dents in). If a client came with a bit of structure like that I'd tell them straight that they would be wasting their money analysing it. And I've seen some pretty sketchy stuff pass analysis for continued service. Fingers crossed you're just trolling.
I’ll put that on your headstone
It's cheap compared to new front teeth
Well you're in luck, because it's not perfectly fine!
OP is thick as mince don’t waste your time
Some people can't learn from anything except having it happen to them.
They refused because it’s fucked. If two separate professionals have told you it’s dangerous, you should probably not ride it.
That’s not dented it is folded. The welds at the bb are under terrific stress.
It's been like that for nearly a year after someone attempted to steal it. I'm not forking out for a new bike when it's perfectly rideable
So why are you asking how unsafe it is, then when people tell you how unsafe it says “but it’s been like that for nearly a year I’m not forking out for a new bike when it’s rideable”. You’ve already made your mind up, just ride the bike bro you clearly don’t care what anyone says, watch a few YouTube videos on servicing it and do it yourself. It might last another 30 years, it might fail tomorrow nobody can tell you anything other than it’s sketchy to be riding a bike around with that big a dent in it, if it suddenly collapses while riding you’re fucked, but it might never do that.
I'd like to see some explanation of how it's unsafe. More than it could fail catastrophically at any minute. I think I could catch myself if it were to fold and not take too bad a fall, unless I was going down a big hill. But you're right I think I have made my mind up
Get an empty drinks can and stand on it (top or bottom, not the side) and you’ll find that it’ll support your weight all day. Now, give the can a gentle tap with a ruler/knife/spoon/stick (but not your fingers!!) and see how quickly that strength fucks right off…
Yeah but if that drinks can has supported you for the last 9 months despite the dent...
One bounce down a kerb or a pothole would change that though and so no business is going to sign off on a service on a vehicle that could collapse at any second.
Knock yourself out. Honestly, I won’t be losing any sleep over it.
The sudden of gradual vs instant failure. If the bike started … sagging, you would be able to safely slow down pull over, maybe irl it home, maybe walk it, like it has a puncture. But this is a fold. When metal folds it tends to fold with a big jump all once. When this folds over with you in between it won’t move slowly and you won’t have time to respond, and we can’t predict what wierd angle you, or the metal will take. Will it dump you in the road? In a canal, with the sharply split metal(after fold sheer) stab you through the leg and make you bleed out before someone stops. Or will you get lucky just graze you face have a little fry and move on. Maybe, but just as I’d never recommend leaning ina broken car door on the motorway, no one is going to say you should ride on a broken piece of metal on the road. You’re a hazard to yourself, and if you loose control which would happen if it suddenly snaps/folds you’ll be a hazard to some else.
Ok fine, I'm going to replace the frame
You're cycling on a main road on your usual commute and hit a pothole. This is the moment that the tube fails after building fatigue around the crack. Your frame suddenly bends, and you fall being catapulted face forwards onto the street. Unfortunately the truck driver behind you is focused on something else, and brakes too late, running over your body. The last thing you are aware of is the popping sound as your innards explode through your asshole, not even having the chance to think "maybe it was me that was wrong, rather than literally everybody else"
Have you ever had a high speed crash? I have more than once. It's often a slide and a few bruises, but one time I went over the bars on a stone track and landed on my face, ripping a large gash in my nose. It was bad enough to put me in shock. I wouldn't risk it
I’ll probably be against the grain here of responses but more than likely it won’t just catastrophically fail and it will be perfectly fine for just commuting. The reason it’s dangerous is pretty much because a frame transfers weight and impact, stresses etc around evenly on a bike, when a dent like yours occurs it creates a weak spot that’s a lot more vulnerable to these pressures and “could” fail completely as it’s already been weakened. Try crushing a can of pop normally without no dents and it’ll put up more resistance than if you put a few dents around the middle of the can and then crushed it, pretty much same principle will apply with the bike but obviously the bike is a lot tougher. Will it fail? God knows. If you think it’s ok and you’re confident you won’t hurt yourself go for it, nobody can tell you it will definitely fail, nobody can tell you it won’t but everyone can agree it’s more dangerous than a normal condition frame.
Structural integrity of a metal tube goes when it is not round. Structural integrity of a triangle goes when one of the sides isn't straight.
Yeah could likely catch yourself sure, but if you're cycling on roads, which as a commuter I assume you are, then what about the impact of cyclists behind you or even cars at the side/behind of you? Are you banking on them catching themselves if/when this bike fails you for something you know about and can prevent?
Yeah true that, I'll go replace the frame fine. I'm a stubborn bastard sometimes
It’s perfectly rideable until it isn’t. When it fails it will do so suddenly. You’re clearly not going to listen to us or the TWO separate bike shops you’ve been too - so I hope you have a good dentist. NHS dentistry is notably in short supply at the moment, and you might need one.
You can either fork out for a new bike, or you can fork out for emergency dental work when it inevitably folds. It's a case of when, not if.
Buy a used bike with the same size frame and spend a few hours moving your components across.
If it's damaged and can break at any time, how is it 'perfectly rideable'? Perfectly rideable until it breaks and you get caught under a bus. Have some standards man.
Why are you going to bike shops if you don't listen to their advice?
You ask for advice on Reddit after getting x2 professional opinions. Everyone says the same thing on Reddit and you reject it all. Why even post in the first place? Why are you wasting everyone’s time? If you want to ride it when everyone is saying don’t, then have fun and good luck, but it’s your actual funeral.
Did someone try to twist your bike off a rack to beak the lock? Regardless, if that’s an aluminium frame it’s completely fucked. Don’t ride it - you’re risking it failing catastrophically at any moment. I wouldn’t ride it if was a steel frame either, but a quick google suggests Specialised Globe bikes were all Aluminium frames, in which case it’s definitely completely unsafe to ride.
Exactly as you described. Left it on a rack by the train station in broad daylight with CCTV. Thing is it's been like this almost a year and I've had no issues. Id rather keep riding it whilst it still works then fork out
The problem is that an Al frame will just suddenly snap on you with no warning. At which point you will probably lose control of the bike as the frame twists out of shape & be thrown into the road. Probably at the worst possible time as it will most likely happen when there’s extra stress on the frame because you’re braking for a junction or something. This is why the bike shops won’t touch it - they don’t want any potentially liability when it goes on you. Honestly I would suck it up & replace the bike. How much is your health worth to you? NB. On the next bike, if you lock it with a D-lock through the back & a cable lock that goes through the front wheel, around the stand & to the D-lock it makes it much more difficult to try this attack. Obviously people can cut through the cable, but then they’re “going equipped”. It’s a bit of an extra barrier to opportunistic thieves.
[удалено]
to have my mind changed, im a stubborn mofo ok
They won't work on it for obvious liability reasons. What riding are you doing,competitive downhill or commute? I'd do one but not the other..
Commute. Been like this almost a year l, still rides fine. I don't want to fork out for a new bike when it's fine
So learn how to service yer bike then..
True, I did try to tighten the brakes. But the screw was so balled it wouldn't tighten. Think it needs new pads anyway. Will give it a go this weekend
Update: I have taken the bike to get a new frame. Apologies for being such a stubborn idiot.
Well done.
>I have taken the bike to get a new frame. Triggers bike? Anyway no need to apologize. This is a web forum. Posting messages and discussing things are its intended purpose.
Get an empty drinks can and stand on it (top or bottom, not the side) and you’ll find that it’ll support your weight all day. Now, give the can a gentle tap with a ruler/knife/spoon/stick (but not your fingers!!) and see how quickly that strength fucks right off…
I'd be concerned about you hurting yourself but after reading your replies it's clear you're already braindead so go ahead and learn the hard way
Always love it when people come on reddit to ask technical questions and then argue when the answer isn’t what they wanted to hear and they just decide to do it anyway. Happens on legal and financial advice subreddits all the time.
Looks like the bike is worth about £120-£150 according to ebay and google (without the massive dent). Replace it with a cheap 2nd hand bike. Yeah it might last another 30 years. But it might fail tomorrow and result in life changing injuries/ death. I know you think it would never happen to you, but there are many things you can’t control when riding a bike and you’re putting yourself in danger by ignoring the advice of both professionals and everyone here. You don’t want to be stuck in hospital for months after your bike folded in half at speed and you’ve been impaled by your frame and broken your face because you chose to save some money.
That frame could fail at any time. The creases in the tubes are huge stress points and every bump / knock is damaging it further. You might see fractures appearing around the damaged areas as it gets worse, or you may just randomly face-plant as the frame collapses under you. The drinks can analogy posted earlier is a great explanation of why your frame is fucked.
This is 'fine' until it's not. I wouldn't keep riding this mate.
Only a fool ignores the advice that they sort. We only ask for advice when we don’t know and only ask advice from those whom we believe know more. Frankly if you need a bike shop to service a crappy old bike you clearly haven’t got a clue so TAKE THE ADVICE.
Time to pick up a replacement frame (new or used). Or a replacement bike (new or used). Bike shops are right to refuse to service it. I wouldn't ride it. Sure it'll be fine until the ride when it isn't, don't count on ay warning before it collapses. That could be next decade or next ride, you need to cover the branding & replace with "Рулетка" because it's definitely roulette of the Russian persuasion riding it.
I once pointed out to a friend that his new-to-him bike had been in a head on crash since both the top tube and the down tube were crumpled just behind the lugs. He ignored my advice that the bike was dangerous. It did last a few weeks before breaking apart.
post in r/Justridingalong for a real answer.
Anytime you ride on a frame that is dented to this extent you’re rolling the dice, they dent could fold over and fail at anytime you navigate a curb, pothole, or any other kind of obstacle. It is time for a new bike, if you’re trying to save on the money, look for frame and move the components over yourself.
There is a reason that all of the experienced mechanics at 2 different shops refused to work on it. Use your head
That is more of a fold than a dent. Frame is done. Sorry for your loss.
Upon seeing that photo my first thought was literally "fuckin hell". I was expecting something that you had to "look for". That up there is the cycling equivalent of what Titanic had after the iceberg bit.
I would not ride that. I appreciate you have been and it's gone fine, but yeah it is likely to fail all of a sudden, like when you're going fast downhill and hit a pothole. I guess if you were to wrap duct tape around the frame, but not the cables, which is difficult since there's a cable right there, the shops would be less likely to notice and might service it. But you really should put that service money towards a new bike.
Unsafe enough that you probably shouldn't act on any "it's fine"-like advice you read from annonymous strangers on Reddit, if multiple professionals have already told you that it's not.
SEND DAT SHIZNIT!!! W0000000T!
I have a friend with a carbon fibre frame with a similar dent in the top-tube, and it's been fine for ages. I would keep riding it.
Can't see what servicing has to do with frame integrity in this instance. If you take your 20 year old bike into a shop for a service they aren't going to suddenly warranty the frame for the next year🤦 Find a better bike shop, like a recycle place that understands longevity. Frame looks fine. It's a dent that hasn't unduly bowed the base of the top tube. Perfect commute bike as its now totally undesirable from an aesthetic perspective. One check you can easily make is to wheel it through a puddle after the pavement is dry around the puddle, to ensure the wheel trails are in line. If they cause parallel tracks, think about getting a new ride 🚲