Would you ride this?

[Steve in SLO]

I recently picked this Allez steel frame up from an EU seller. He stated there were no dings, dents in the frame. Upon unwrapping I saw this on the DS chainstay. It's not really worth returning so...
My Q is: Is would you feel safe riding this? It is about 1+cm long and has a max depth of about 3-4mm and a crease along the back edge near the framebuilders chainring dimple.

[tuscanyswe]

I wouldent but that dont mean much tho. Poor seller obv, let him eat the cost.
Gl

[Cicli]

No, but I dont like dings.

[donevwil]

Not an issue, that's why bikes have two. One spare for just such occasions.

Anyway, are you certain it didn't happen during shipping?

[froze]

Without seeing it in real life...it looks bad, how long could it hold up while riding is anyone's guess, could hold up for years, or it could fail tomorrow, personally I would not ride it.

[dustyrider]

Sounds like it wasn't damaged in shipping. Did you mount a wheel yet? It would be interesting to know if there are any alignment issues.

[Steve in SLO]

I don't think it happened in shipping since the paint has some flaking and the steel is slightly oxidized beneath. Oh, and it's straight.

[bicycletricycle]

I would not ride it, not because I think it is unsafe, but because I have plenty of bikes and so I can afford to be selective in what I choose to add to the stable.

I think it would be pretty safe to ride, give it a check every once and a while, probably wouldn't cause a catastrophic failure.

[madsciencenow]

Seller needs to eat this, imho. I'd have to see it to make the call but don't think I would like having this in the back of my mind while riding. I guess it could work for me on the trainer.


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[vqdriver]

considering the seller lied about the condition, that would bug me more than anything else. if it's steel, who knows how long it'll actually go.

i'd just dispute the payment and have the seller pay to have that thing shipped across the the world (twice)

[charliedid]

No

[jischr]

Looks like chain bolt backed out while crunching up a hill. Mine backed out on the flat and the impact wasn't that deep. That was seven years ago. I rode it another three years. My son still rides it periodically.

[Tandem Rider]

considering the seller lied about the condition, that would bug me more than anything else. if it's steel, who knows how long it'll actually go.

i'd just dispute the payment and have the seller pay to have that thing shipped across the the world (twice)

This is what I would do.

If that fails I would ride the snot out of it. Speaking from several experiences, chain stay failures are NOT catastrophic, the bike just feels loose and rattly. When that happens, you just ride easy to home. Then you get to brag about how strong you are;)

[Peter B]

Safe to ride, keep an eye on it.

Clearly evident.

Either negligent oversight or blatant misrepresentation by seller.

Dispute/pursue based on cost of frame and value of your time.

[Louis]

I agree with Peter - I'd ride it, but would keep a close eye on it. I'm guessing that it will eventually initiate a crack at the dent, which will then grow until the stay is useless.

The only question in my mind is whether or not it's worth it to invest the time to build it up. Since you don't really know how long it will take to fail it's tough to decide if you should bother to use it. For instance, if the frame was, say, $50 (which I doubt) then don't bother to use it. Turn it into wind chimes, or something like that. If the frame was $500 + shipping, then I'd return it. If it's somewhere in between, that's where the decision gets tough.

Good Luck

[zetroc]

Return it anyway and make the seller pay for the shipping.

[Louis]

I would guess that the seller will claim that it must have been damaged in transit.

[dave thompson]

I would guess that the seller will claim that it must have been damaged in transit.

If so, he could still be responsible; improper packaging.

[Steve in SLO]

Thanks for the input, all.
I just received a message from him and he owned up that he had not seen it and that he would make it right. We'll see where we go from here.

[dpascal]

No way!

[dpascal]

...Due to aesthetic reasons only :-)