Hi friends
I locked my bike to a street sign and came back to this.
I didn't notice it until I got home and the ride did feel a bit off.
The bike is old, but good and has been a godsend since 2020. I've put quite a bit of money into up keep and maintenance so I'd like to know whether this could/should be repaired, or whether the frame can/should be replaced – esp if for safety reasons.
It's a Raleigh 555 if that matters.
Cheers
by rkstaylor
32 Comments
Time for a new bike
Your options are to buy a fixie, or a Dutch bike, or a mountain bike, or a road bike, or a single speed, or a fat bike, or an ebike, or a touring bike, or an xboke, among others.
Sell it for parts.
If you are handy, buy a frame and move the parts on it.
That bike is toast.
That’s bust sadly, you can’t trust it’s structural strength anymore.
Sorry for you 🙁
Theres pretty much 2 options here
1. buy a new bike altogether
2. buy a frame and swap the parts over.
that frame is unfortunately toast. sorry!
That looks like a steel frame how was it bent that. Bad being tied up to a Street pole
Damn thieves.
New bike
Replace frame, swap parts.
If your frame is lugged (should be) instead of welded, a frame builder can replace the tube for you; it’s not too bad of a repair. The challenge is finding a traditional frame builder.
I don’t have any good idea how much it will cost.
Unless this frame has serious sentimental/historical value to you, for what a repair would cost, you could have at least a new frame, or bike altogether.
Sadly, you’re the new owner of something called frame art cause that’s all that frame is good for now. Craigslist, Ebay, or FB Market place for a new similar frame and swap all of the good parts over. That’s your best possible outcome. And, really, your only choice. Terribly sorry some asshole did this and is now costing you money for no reason.
It’s your + one day
Thanks for the feedback! General consensus is recycle so I think that’s what I’ll do. New bike time.
I think you must know this, but you don’t need a new bike. You need a new frame.
If you’ve put money and maintenance into this, it probably means the parts are worth moving over to a new frame. Look for a donor bike. Finding another high-quality steel frame might be challenging but they’re out there.
Find a replacement frame for <$50 and swap everything over
Thieves suck (even when they fail), sorry for your loss. If you can find a frame builder nearby, they can replace the toptube but it’s probably not worth the cost. New frame time! Given the age of the components (you have downtube shifters), probably better off just getting a new bike entirely.
It’s dead Jim.
That’s a bummer, looks like it was a decent vintage touring bike. You might be able to find a frame to transfer parts to
Ok, so there’s a couple steps to this, but I think there’s a way to slightly extend the life of your bike.
Step 1. Ride your bike back to where the thief tried to steal it.
Step 2. Look around. Find a store with cameras that look towards your bike.
Step 3. Ask nicely and review the footage.
Step 4. Identify the thief.
Step 5. Wait for him to return. (This may take some time.)
Step 6. Beat the thief over the damn head with your bike until the frame snaps completely.
Step 7. Take what’s in his pockets. Reverse thieving is a morally grey area.
Step 8. Buy yourself a new bike.
Options? New frame.
How on earth did you manage that?? I’m asking as a man who had such an off on an MTB that the frame actually snapped and I had to buy a new bike.
Warning: trees tend to just jump out wanting a hug. They do not ask permission
R I P bike.
Bend it back and have someone weld a doubler for strength to the top tube. It will be ugly but might keep you going till you can get a new bike.
Options??? Plural? There is only one: buy a new bike……
Funeral
It’s dead. Inquiring minds want to know, how did you not notice this immediately?
Got to go, anything you can do for it will cost too much or be too much of a hastle
RIP bike
Have you tried putting it in rice?