Frame repairs - worth while welding?
matty3sixty
Posts: 7
Back in the summer I managed to snap my aluminium frame near the cassette on the tube to crank. This obviously gave me the chance to buy a nice new shiney carbon bike which I jumped at back in August.
My old BH however is still sitting in the garage looking sorry for itself, and I'm thinking it'd make a great winter bike keeping my Addict nice and clean awaiting spring.
So the question is....... If I weld it / get it welded, will it hold? Or is it the case that once a frame goes, that's it throw it away and maybe scour eBay for an old frame to rebuild a winter bike?
Anybody had any experience of this?
Thanks in advance,
Matt
My old BH however is still sitting in the garage looking sorry for itself, and I'm thinking it'd make a great winter bike keeping my Addict nice and clean awaiting spring.
So the question is....... If I weld it / get it welded, will it hold? Or is it the case that once a frame goes, that's it throw it away and maybe scour eBay for an old frame to rebuild a winter bike?
Anybody had any experience of this?
Thanks in advance,
Matt
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Comments
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Any metal bike frame is readily weldable by a skilled welder. However, after welding any aluminium alloy frame it will need to be carefully heat-treated which will lead to distortion and need re-aligning, and you'll also need to repaint the frame. Personally, I'd spend the money on a new winter hack frame - the new Kinesis Racelight T2 does look very tempting.0
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Thanks, for that, hadn't thought the heat treatment and painting through!!0
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Wow, i certainly hope we haven't reached a point where if our frames break, we throw them. Its already bad enough with appliances and electronics.
You can definitely have the frame rewelded, and i dont think alignment will be a problem as the bottom braket and seatstays are holding it in as reference points.0 -
not cost effective on aluminium, perfectly sensible for ti and steel though. Even carbon can be repaired!
Buy a steel bike for the winter!0 -
ride_whenever wrote:Buy a steel bike for the winter!
Nah, get a Ti bike for the Winter.0 -
well yes, but i can't afford a ti frame for my best bike, let alone a winter hack.
Currently my three best bikes are steel and my winter hack is aluminium.0 -
ride_whenever wrote:well yes, but i can't afford a ti frame for my best bike, let alone a winter hack.
Don't you get funding?0 -
ride_whenever wrote:well yes, but i can't afford a ti frame for my best bike, let alone a winter hack.
Currently my three best bikes are steel and my winter hack is aluminium.
Seems odd to recommend buying a steel bike for winter, when your only bike that isn't steel is the one you use for winterCarlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos0 -
reddragon: Yes, but not enough for Ti at the rate i buy bike parts.
Slow: I ride steel most of the time, what I refer to as my "winter" bike is the rat bike i've just built up for taking coaching. I have to leave it on a trailer overnight in a fairly rough area (of oxford :roll: )
Only have it for that 'cos it's cheap and i built it up from my spares box. I suppose it's more of a rat bike.
ps. my jump bike perversely is aso aluminium!0 -
aoeu wrote:You can definitely have the frame rewelded, and i dont think alignment will be a problem as the bottom braket and seatstays are holding it in as reference points.
Depends on the grade of alloy, but not really recommended - welding changes the metallic composition locally to the weld which will likely to result in accelerated failure - this is why most frames need to be heat-treated post-welding - when you can buy new alloy frames for £100 - the cost of the welding and repaint makes it uneconomicalMake mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0