This old Foffa 7 speed Urban has been with me for 11 years, and brought many happy memories. I was riding it as recently as 6 months ago, stowed it away for the winter, and brought to my local bike shop to have it serviced this morning…
They more or less went "mate you should throw that away and get a new one", mostly over the bend in the frame from the time a thief tried to use the frame to wrench the U-lock open. My initial reaction was "are they just trying to get me to spend unnecessarily?" but since then, I've been turning it around in my mind…
I live in central London, and would only really be using this to ride around in my 15 min commute. I also kinda like how bunged up it looks in terms of it serving as a useful theft repellent. And money is tight, and who doesn't feel it's about to get tighter…?
But still, if it's a safety thing, or if I'm just not seeing what's obvious to everyone else, I'm able to overlook nostalgia and spendthrift and replace it. What do you think, internet?
by tendersombrero
31 Comments
No expert but that damage + rust would worry me.
Yes, you deserve something newer.
Dude. Can you not get a less beat frame used for cheap? That thing is fucked.
This is a safety thing my friend. I would expect that tubing to buckle eventually. I wouldn’t risk it myself. Time to move on to another fun runner to bomb on and let this one retire to the rafters. ❤️
Edit to add:
Most of those components still look usable. Now’s a chance to find a similar size frame for cheap and swap a lot of it over. New cables are cheap, and you can have your bearings inspected and replaced as needed.
Steel frame, bend and rust are just flesh wounds. If you just ride a short commute and are happy with it Is keep it. Does it run OK otherwise?
Lmao
Get a new but cheap fixie!?
I kinda like it too, and would continue to use this as my beater commute bike.
It feels like it can handle a few more casual rides.
Theft repellent is right, no thief would want to steal this lmao
Unironically this is great as “leave outside” commute bike, nobody’s stealing this.
Don’t use it for extended leisure trips, descents, or races, you’ll die when the force exerted on the top tube folds the bike in half.
I have no idea why you, or anyone, would want to ride that bike.
Mate….. I am sorry but…. Are you the Dude of the cycling world?
Ok I actually had a second look at this and:
Clean the rust, change the bolts. Prettt cheap fix. This is non negotiable: GET A NEW CHAIN!!!!! Grease jt well. Clean the rust of the rim breaks. As far as the frame goes. Take a hammer and gently hammer the places around. If you hear a flat thump sound. This is an issue. See if there’s any hole. If not then it should still be ok. wheels look solid. Cockpit looks solid. Honestly, if you clean it up and change the key parts. You can easily get another few years out of it unless the upper bar of the frame splits but if this is a steel bike it’s unlikely of you get rid of the rust.
Gotta love steel frames, you should be able to get the bent part replaced and welded and painted pretty cheap.
Unless you have any other serious issues with the wheels or parts that is
I don’t love it, but you should know that the top tube is the least stressed tube on the bike. Downtubes are loaded in tension, seat tubes in compression, top tubes are just under a little tension and resist a bit of lateral flex. They’re the tube made the thinnest by framebuilders out to get low weight, and are regularly omitted in favor of a beefier downtube in some casual bikes. I wouldn’t be massively concerned so long as it’s not cracking.
what I understand basically is that the frame is weak now (I don’t know how much really) due to the rust and bends, so it could snap in those points at any time.
I sold my first bike and got it back because the gal couldn’t pay it. and then had to sell it again so I probably know how you feel, I probably was like you and even worse, but not anymore, there’s lots of fun bikes out there
https://preview.redd.it/5y8f62f0ofsg1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c82580d20c3f2843fd1fb082fd709458586c467
Yes.
For just riding slowly around town, perhaps not? If you’re gonna do anything over 5mph, yah, time for a new one.
My dude, it’s time. The frame is visibly flaking from across the room and we haven’t even looked inside the tubes. At some point you’re going to stand on a pedal and it’s just gonna keep going.
Frames are cheap! You can shop for a while, find a suitable frame on ebay or your local marketplace, and for about the price of a set of tires, you move everything over. Inspect as you go.
On the new bike, maybe fog it with clearcoat every few years if you’re going to leave it outside.
I think you could go either way. If you decide to keep riding it, I would think about putting some money away for a new bike because even if it’s not right now, I think you’re closer to end of this bike’s life than its beginning.
Yes, guess the bike is looking for a new owner after being treated like shit for quite some time.
Keep it. Plus points for the internal hub.
As someone that’s spent a fortune on dental work, I can assure you a new bike is cheaper than your future dental bill if you keep riding this heap.
I’ve not seen so straight lines so cross that led since I’ve last used Instagram.
Top tube damage to this extent = dangerous.
I deffo wouldn’t be doing any crit races on that
Is this a shitpost?
She’s dead, Jim.
That bend in the top tube is potentially dangerous if you hit a pothole at just the right speed (or it’s a big enough pothole) and the forces put on the frame stress that point too much and cause it to crack which would add even more stress to that area because less material would be carrying the weight and forces and the rust could be eating through all the way in spots without you knowing if you haven’t borescoped it.
Unless it’s still worth a lot in this condition (to sell it and get a different bike with the money made from the sale) I’d just strip it get a used frame in good condition that matches the original geometry transfer everything to that and take the original frame to the scrapyard for recycling.
I mean, yeah is it totally fucked and am I expecting the frame to snap at any minute, yeah. Might you impale yourself on the broken toptube, yeah. May you as well ride it until that happens, yeah
It’ll buff out