Bent steerer tube

Arthfael
Arthfael Posts: 30
edited September 2016 in MTB workshop & tech
Short story, is it safe to try straighten it somehow? (i doubt it but... I wont be able to afford a fork for a while now)
and do steerers bend that easily???
**pics bellow

How that happened???
Long detailed story bellow if you are not borred.

I dont even know where to begin... So, I recently got a trail bike (Commencal El camino), brand new, and that thing came with a Suntour XCR 120mm travel. After a fast decent in a steep trail at some mtb event there was a small drop (way too small, even an XC bike could make that) my fork bottomed (yeah coil was too soft for me but suntour never gave me an answer where I can get a stiffer one, they just told me to wait for an answer, and almost a month has been through) ending up in a front manual with my whole weight behind the saddle and in the end I launched my self hard over the bar and landed without the bike in some bushes and rocks (helmet saved most of my face)
Note that the bike didnt hit anything that could cause the steerer to bent, it stopped way back before the rocks and bushes, even the frame etc had no scratches. Im 100% sure it bent when it bottomed.

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Comments

  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,695
    I wouldn't be riding that.
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    whyamihere wrote:
    I wouldn't be riding that.

    I aint man, missed the whole 3day event, that happened on the 2nd trail first day. Money down the drain :/
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I can't see the pics cos I'm at work, but from your description I'd say you need a new fork, and you need to look very carefully at the frame especially around the head-tube...
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    Warranty?
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

    Strava
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,695
    It might be worth trying a warranty claim. Unfortunately they're likely to suggest that the impact was a lot worse than you're saying and you'll be stuck. Worth talking to the shop you got it from at least.
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    Yeah, good luck with warranty, I also believe they will claim it was a bigger impact,, also right now im in Greece, and the shop I got it from is in france(probikeshop), and there will be a while before I go back to france.
    Btw headsets, wheel, hub they are just fine... thats amazing. I have even done bigger drops, and jumps with shitty bikes with 80mm rst forks and I ve never seen that before
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Looks a bit dead. There is a company that replaces steerer tubes, costs about £50 I think. You have to Google them.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

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    Parktools
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    cooldad wrote:
    Looks a bit dead. There is a company that replaces steerer tubes, costs about £50 I think. You have to Google them.

    I ll check that out!
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    and just for the truth of it, there u go, some pics of the frame and headsets

    6482d1f06360418ab3b5199ee8f4ad4e.png

    60c043257bfd4efcbf2b31cb1a5009b7.png
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Can't find the company that does it in the UK - I'm sure there was a link in a fairly recent thread here.

    This guy does it in Oz

    http://gripsport.com.au/service/fork-st ... -extension

    Not that that's much help.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    Well I will try to find something like what those guys do, around here if its possible, but still after that I have no trust on that fork, If i manage to fix it, I will lock it and use it only for some road rides, until I manage to get a proper one
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Get on eBay you can pick up some quite decent forks for around £60-70 with some patience.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    The Rookie wrote:
    Get on eBay you can pick up some quite decent forks for around £60-70 with some patience.
    Already keeping an eye out there, but 140mm forks tend to be expensive.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Why 140mm - your broken ones are 120mm?
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    cooldad wrote:
    Why 140mm - your broken ones are 120mm?

    Frame can handle 120 to 140mm. I prefer a bit more travel, the plan was to upgrade later on, but that happened.
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

    Strava
  • Shame!
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    yeah I also keep finding cheap forks for 26 wheels :P 650b on the other hand, wayyyyy too much moneyzzz.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Fox forks have enough clearance on a 26" to manage the extra 1/2" of a 650B tyre, Some RS do but not all, Manitou not a chance.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    Well I dont want to reopen a new thread so I ll just post that here, managed to sell one of my electric guitars so I can get a new fork, so there is the dilemma, my frames head tube is 44mm , If I m not mistaken, with the proper headsets I can run a tapered steerer right?
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    You're not mistaken, you can.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    Aha!!! Thanks man, well now I ll just have to find a good fork some headsets and probably a hub too (most forks I saw have 15mm axle, and my hub is 10mm)
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Probably cheaper to get a new wheel and hub and spokes and get them built....
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    The Rookie wrote:
    Probably cheaper to get a new wheel and hub and spokes and get them built....

    Depends, cause budget is a bit tight. Forks for 27.5 are a bit expensive after all (Im starting missing my 26 bike). 450 euros is a bit tight to get lower headsets (tapered for 44mm headtube are expensive), 120-140 fork and build also a wheel.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    A rim and spokes and build will cost you about the same as an off the shelf wheel and you won't have the old one to sell on.....
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Arthfael
    Arthfael Posts: 30
    The Rookie wrote:
    A rim and spokes and build will cost you about the same as an off the shelf wheel and you won't have the old one to sell on.....

    Oh thats not an issue, a close friend of mine is a motorbike mechanic, he had also build the set on my old Downhill bike.
  • Small Update on the bent steerer, I gave it a try to remove it, was way too easy actually, few small hits with the back end of my splinting axe and there you have it (pics). The rest of the fork is just fine, so I decided to try save it, keep it as backup or something, now next step is to try find a new steerer or maybe create one from some heavy steel tube.

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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Making a tube is easy. Good luck getting it to stay in.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • cooldad wrote:
    Making a tube is easy. Good luck getting it to stay in.

    Well got a few ideas about that, but there are also workshops that could press it in never to be removed again haha