Cracked frame & tubing cracks - any suggestions?

Fingers crossed that this works- that frame rides really nicely, be good for it to have a further lease of life.

I just got a right shock. Got a new repair stand today and headset was a bit loose so decided to do a quick overhaul. Got the fork out of the frame and there was a huge crack on the steerer - pics below. Gutted as this is (was?) a lovely track fork (see here for built up pics), although glad I decided to take a look. I'm guessing this is long term fatigue (fork and frame built in '79) or overtightening of the stem bolt?

Anyone know if it's possible to repair this? New steerer tube maybe?

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Looks like you're ready for a gold service from Evans

nice one t. can anyone else help?

probably easier to get new forks.

Do a search on here for frame builders or workshops and they could possibly replace the steerer or fix it with welding but may not be worth the cost

jpb if you end up binning the forks can I grab them off you please?

I've not peeled any paint off to inspect but it doesn't look good to me. What's the hivemind think of this one?

I'll be the first of the hive mind to point out maybe you were too fat for the frame.

That looks like more than paint to me. Fortunately for me, my weekend's diagnosis wasn't muddied by paint...

@hippy which frame is that - maybe worth popping the manufacturer a note and asking their opinion..?

I'll be the first of the hive mind to point out maybe you were too fast for the frame.

ftfy

It's been crashed so it's probably residual damage. They might still do a cheaper crash replacement frame but it might be a nice chance to get a midfoot specific frame that doesn't have massive toe overlap.

which frame is it?

And that is why one should never put'riser' 'fixie' handlebars on classic steel frames.

Seeing as we're talking cracks today, here's mine.

7020 aluminium frame rear driveside chainstay/dropout connection. Is this saveable?

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Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Fuck.

My beloved Raleigh Team Banana (Renolds 531c) has a crack that has almost made its way around the entire seat-tube, at the level of the bottom bottle-cage hole. Another couple of speedbumps and I reckon it would have sheared clean through.

The frame has always had a dent in this spot and over time the dent must have begotten the crack.

Can this be fixed? Will the fix necessarily involve completely removing the seat-tube and replacing with a new one?

So upset.

new tube i would say, 531 is hard as hell to weld, 531c would be harder, so i would rule out welding and go for the new choob.

Any opinions on the fixability of this crack:

should I try to weld it or braze it?
and/or put a "sleeve" around it (with a cut-off from a seatpost) and/or inside it - kind of like an extension of the lug?
[edit: frame is 631 steel]

http://www.fiberfix.com/

YOLO go for it haha

Not really the right place to ask but didn't want to start a new thread and this seems like the home of general frame building/repair advice.

I want to add bosses to my Surly Hack/Steamroller fork to mount a rack to.

I have a pair of these

But apart from being a bit heavy/chunky, the curvature in the middle is also wrong for my fork, they are designed for fatter tubes. I could file them into a better shape but they'd still be a bit big and agricultural if you will.

I'm thinking about drilling a hole in the fork leg the diamter of the top, round portion of an m5 nyloc nut and brazing one in there.

Not sure that the round portion of the nut will provide enough support though?

Not going to be loading the rack massively but still...I'd like to avoid visiting the dentist if possible.

Anyone got any better ideas?

Ceeway sell some of those hour glass things that may fit better and bottle cage bosses that'd extend inside the fork leg a bit more but no prices on the site + £10 minimum order + £8.50 postage is bare jokes!

I've been helping my girlfriend's friend acquire a bike to potter about London on and pointed her in the direction of a Kona AfricaBike on eBay which looked appropriate. She bought it and I gave it a check over, a little bit ragged and maybe a tad overpriced but salvageable.

ANYWAY, after replacing the BB, truing the back wheel and whilst replacing the front pads I noticed a very suspect crack in the paint where the the fork meets the crown. I scraped away the paint and gave the area a clean but I can't see anything that I can say for certain is a crack. There's a tiny line that could well be but one minute I think I can see it and the next I can't.

Basically I'm 50/50 as to whether they're cracked, I don't have enough evidence to get a return from the seller on eBay but I can't say for certain whether the bike is safe to ride.

My current thinking is to give the bike to the person and tell them to keep an eye on it in the hope that it will become more obvious before anything catastrophically fails...

WHAT DO? - The forks are aluminium

"This thread is useless without photos!"

It could be just be the joint...

... but with aluminium and someone else's teeth I'd err on the side of caution: aluminium tends to fails suddenly and catastrophically...

Yeah I can take a pic but it will just be of a bit of slightly scratched aluminium. In the right light at the right angle you might catch a glimpse of something that looks kind of a bit like it might be a crack but I don't think a camera could capture it.

That said I will try and take a pic.

Yeah that's the thing, I assumed it would be steel because it's meant to be robust for life in rural Africa but it being aluminium makes me want to be more cautious...

If you can't photograph it, then an internet-diagnosis is going to be even more useless than usual.

If you're concerned, then seek professional advice or replace the fork: "keep an eye on it and cross your fingers" doesn't cut it.

I can appreciate that you're in an awkward position, having recommended the bike, but "new forks" is a lot less awkward than "new teeth".

Any thoughts on this suspicious looking crack in the paint?

It's on the top tube, just below where it connects to the head tube.

Should I leave it but keep an eye on it or should I get the paint out the way and see if it's as deep as the metal?