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Dent in Top Bar

nick.greennick.green Posts: 9
edited July 2011 in Workshop
I am looking to buy a road bike however, there is a small dent in the top bar. The guy has supplied a picture and was wondering if it was purely cosmetic or damaging structurally. The frame is aluminium.

78508868.jpg


Thanks

Nick

Posts

  • BG2000BG2000 Posts: 517
    I personally wouldn't be worried, as I've never seen a frame break at that point, and many people are riding bikes with small dents here and there. There are other parts of frames where you wouldn't want the metal to be weakened, i.e. near the headtube, near dropouts, near bottom bracket etc.. However, I'd expect a very good price as it is damaged, and hopefully you'll get yourself a bargain.

    It's up to you though - I'm not saying buy it, but I'm not saying walk away...
  • nick.greennick.green Posts: 9
    Thanks for the reply and I'll have a look at the suggested areas! It's a 2010 Boardman Competition and he wants £300 for it - defiantly worth a look!
  • El GordoEl Gordo Posts: 394
    I'd steer clear of it to be honest. A tube in compression (which the top tube is) is severally weakened by a dent in the wall.

    You might well be OK, you could ride it for years and nothing would happen. On the other hand you might jump it off a kerb and the whole thing folds underneath you.
  • YossieYossie Posts: 2,600
    Depending on the spec of the wheels, forks, groupset etc and the condition they are in, for £300 it may be worth buying it, stripping everything off, sticking the frame on scuzbay - fully declaring the dent - and then buying a Planet X alu frame for £150 or a Ribble job (or whatever catches your fancy) and building up a new bike.

    It'll take a long weekend of ike building but you may end up with a bargain - after all, the Boardmans are highly specced vs price.
  • nick.greennick.green Posts: 9
    Thanks for the replies & help. Im sure i can drive him down a few pounds for a quick sale. My first thoughts were that if the top bar did fail i will have some high spec components which i probably couldn't buy for £300 anyway - or what i can bargin him down to!
  • nick.greennick.green Posts: 9
    Thanks for the replies & help. Im sure i can drive him down a few pounds for a quick sale. My first thoughts were that if the top bar did fail i will have some high spec components which i probably couldn't buy for £300 anyway - or what i can bargin him down to!
  • Smokin JoeSmokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    A clean dent wouldn't be a problem, but that looks looks it has a crease in it. I'd walk away, it's not as if there is a shortage of good used bikes.
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