OnOne Pickenflick (Ti Frame)- Post Crash Frame alignment (Headtube)

in Workshop
So, back in late Sept i was involved in a collision with a car (their fault). Luckily, both i and the bike managed to come out of it reletively unharmed. Although, upon further inspection, i started to notice the bike had sustained quite a lot of frame alignment issues.
I first noticed my crank ring was rubbing on the chainstay, then after altering that i noticed the crank arm was clipping the chain at its high point. So, the rear triangle was cold set back by about 10mm+ Once i found that just shear brute force was needed, i found it quite doable to return the bikes rear to the correct postion. And i know with Titanium it generally advised not to cold set the frame but it seems to have worked just fine.
I was quite pleased an mounted the bike on to the turbo to give it a run but soon found the handlebars felt uncomfortable and the wheel seemed to be tilted to one side. I have a look and the headtube is almost definitely twisted.
I've tried various methods but with the Headtube, top and down tube all being large, the area is very stiff and hard to budge. I know there is a risk of cracking Titanium but as it is, it seems a shame to class it as a write off.
I have tried the following :-
Can any one suggest an easier way i can try cold setting the headtube?




I first noticed my crank ring was rubbing on the chainstay, then after altering that i noticed the crank arm was clipping the chain at its high point. So, the rear triangle was cold set back by about 10mm+ Once i found that just shear brute force was needed, i found it quite doable to return the bikes rear to the correct postion. And i know with Titanium it generally advised not to cold set the frame but it seems to have worked just fine.
I was quite pleased an mounted the bike on to the turbo to give it a run but soon found the handlebars felt uncomfortable and the wheel seemed to be tilted to one side. I have a look and the headtube is almost definitely twisted.
I've tried various methods but with the Headtube, top and down tube all being large, the area is very stiff and hard to budge. I know there is a risk of cracking Titanium but as it is, it seems a shame to class it as a write off.
I have tried the following :-
- Raising it off the ground on wooden blocks, standing on it and with a pull up bar through the headtube, trying to reset it.
- Clamping the seat tube in a vise with some wood and twisting with a bar through the headtube
- Claming the headtube in a vise and using the seat tube to twist it.
Can any one suggest an easier way i can try cold setting the headtube?




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Or has that ship sailed?
If it were me, I'm not sure I would be wanting to risk all of this re-alignment, for what might end up being a not 100% straight, and potentially compromised frame.
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How much will piece of granite - big enough - cost you?
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what ypu're proposing will be an utter, utter, utter censored .
simpler
easier
will be done properly
Ben - piece of granite worktop could be had for about £20 on fleabay
Matt - at this point i am considering trying someone to do this but I am dubious if anyone would touch it. And it may be expensive.
Plus... I'm so close to getting it ridable.
Thanks for the advice all!
playing with it might be fun
The head tube was tough and refused to budge... In the process I did deform the down tube a little. Small dent where the tube was not fully supported. Oh, well.
I will piece it together and see how bad things are but would still ride to to and from work if it's ok.
Thanks,
Dan
Seriously though, it's just downright dangerous to ride now. Don't risk it.
And how many of those other parts were in the crash? Forks? Bars?
It is un-sellable and not economically fixable.
Perfect bike for a stationary trainer.
The picture makes the dent look worse than it actually is. The bike is feeling great at the moment with no weird creaks or anything.
If anything does happen I will update the thread as a warning to others but the bike still feels plenty strong and to throw it away seems over cautious to me.
https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/12972893/dent-in-ti-frame/p1
Not sure what it would take for you to see sense, but some people just can't or won't be told...
If you understood what is meant by the term 'catastrophic failure', then you'd understand that it will obviously look and feel great with no weird creaks - right up until the time that it fails without warning.
But that things a friggin' dangerous, ridiculous, ill fitting knackered shed.
I can't believe you thought it fitted you before it got totally fckdeu.
In.
The.
Bin.
There are only two triangles on your bike. So absolutely all of it is bent.
Alright, I do appreciate the advice / opinions and will be checking it before and after every ride.
And anyway, bent or not, its far too small for you.
In.
The.
Bin.
Why?
I think he should keep it as a trainer bike, personally. But binning it is a viable option.
Catastrophic failure aĺways results in the worst crashes imaginable.