I think my frame is toast

[OperaLover]

but want some opinions. Here are the facts.

1) Crashed bike into garage while on roof rack.

2) Surly cross-check.

3) Bke seemd fine except HS was loose. (Well except my saddle was torn off the rails. I hated the saddle anyway.)

4) Upper HS race is cracked and I could not get it to tighten down.

5) Headtube is deformed and upper race rocks back and forth.

Coke can shim? New frame? What a drag!

I am about to order a new surly.

OperaLover

[rwsaunders]

My greatest fear, as I have seen....heard I should say, this happen twice this Summer....both times in public garages. When I leave my garage at home, I always place an object which requires me to get out of the car, before I can drive into the garage.

[WadePatton]

Time for new frame. Mourn the old one--then strip the good bits and then

celebrate bringing in the NEW!!! :banana:

[pdmtong]

I used to have a roof rack. I always left a 6' ladder set up in my garage as a reminder not to drive in. I use a thule T2 now. Time for a new surly for you.

[David Kirk]

It's a steel bike right?

I'll bet unless the head tube is cracked that it can be fixed. I've done this repair more than once.......... you aren't the first to have their bike meet their garage.

Can you get a good photo of the upper head tube?


dave

[OperaLover]

It's a steel bike right?

I'll bet unless the head tube is cracked that it can be fixed. I've done this repair more than once.......... you aren't the first to have their bike meet their garage.

Can you get a good photo of the upper head tube?


dave

Dave,

It is steel and it is not cracked. Essentially the head tube is no loger round on top. It is ovalized with a bulge in the HT right over the junction of the HT with the TT. you can feel the indentation with your finger. I will tak a pic. Cay you repair a TIG'd frame?

New frame is a little over 400 bucks. Might not be worth your time.

I will send a pic if I can.

Thank you.

Otherwise RIP

An thanks for all the tips to avoid having this happen again. I am always saying to myself "bike on top" even if it isn't. I need to drive my car more (only put 3000 miles on it last year). That was the first time with bike on the car in over a year! (90% of the time I do have to get out of the car because there is a child's trike, bike, push car, scooter, bat, etc.) Timing was just bad!

My wife said "you just want a new bike!" BUt she did see the damage. Next call is to get the gutter on the garage fixed. Ouch! Expensive!

[cpg]

Dave is right. If it's not cracked this is an easy fix. Find a builder near you that has some experience and they can take care of this. Surly's are way overbuilt and not delicate frames. Plus they don't use heat treated tubes at least not heat treated head tubes. That's in your favor. Have the builder check out the fork too. It might be bent a little and again that can be taken care of.

Curt

[Blue Jays]

Very unfortunate news! :(
Tom Kellogg of Spectrum Cycles and his roof rack (http://www.spectrum-cycles.com/67.htm) opinion. Scroll to bottom.
Good luck with the repair/replacement decision.

[Ti Designs]

How's the garage???

[Kevan]

buying a diver's flag and scrawling BIKE!!! on it and stapling it to the bottom inside of the garage door would be a good idea. As the door comes up the flag drops clear into sight and maybe...just maybe...stops you before the CRUNCH!!!

[David Kirk]

Dave,

It is steel and it is not cracked. Essentially the head tube is no loger round on top. It is ovalized with a bulge in the HT right over the junction of the HT with the TT. you can feel the indentation with your finger. I will tak a pic. Cay you repair a TIG'd frame?

New frame is a little over 400 bucks. Might not be worth your time.

I will send a pic if I can.

Thank you.

Otherwise RIP

An thanks for all the tips to avoid having this happen again. I am always saying to myself "bike on top" even if it isn't. I need to drive my car more (only put 3000 miles on it last year). That was the first time with bike on the car in over a year! (90% of the time I do have to get out of the car because there is a child's trike, bike, push car, scooter, bat, etc.) Timing was just bad!

My wife said "you just want a new bike!" BUt she did see the damage. Next call is to get the gutter on the garage fixed. Ouch! Expensive!

Post or send me a photo.

As crude as it sounds usually one can blacksmith it back to round. Slide a piece of heavy pipe into the head tube and beat on the outside to bring it back into shape. It can be done in most cases without causing a real long term issue...... the top of the head tube normally sees very little stress (unlike the bottom).

The paint will be effed up but it will otherwise be OK if it works.

dave

[OperaLover]

I will take a picture for you. I also ordered a new Surly. The rains are coming and I will need the rain bike very soon. (Although today in Seattle it is beautiful! Supposed to hit 79 degrees!) Don't have time to mess around with getting it fixed/trying to fix it. Need to keep commuting to stay sane.

If I can fix it then it is off to Craigslist. OR, I just sell it as is to some enterprising young person with more time than money who wants to take a "whack" at fixing it.

Garage should be okay once that section of gutter that I crunched is replaced.

Could have been worse (ie. Pinarello, Colnago or 3Rensho on the car instead of the Surly!

Thanks again everyone.

[markie]

often times you can just put in a beefy headset to compensate for the out of round.

This is one of the best, but pricey:

http://www.chrisking.com/headsets/hds_steelset.html

It is so long that a bit of ovalisation does not really matter.

There is also the FSA pig deep cup talked about here:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=434225

[OperaLover]

often times you can just put in a beefy headset to compensate for the out of round.

This is one of the best, but pricey:

http://www.chrisking.com/headsets/hds_steelset.html

It is so long that a bit of ovalisation does not really matter.

There is also the FSA pig deep cup talked about here:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=434225

I pulled the trigger on a Soma Double Cross this morning. Cross bikes in my size 52-54 are selling out fast!

Anyone own a double cross?

May be I can fix the ol' Surly and sell it. Or, Just sell it with this suggested fix.

Thanks everyone! I love this forum.

[Dekonick]

You could also shim /beat it round (as suggested) and then use it on a trainer. It would make a nice trainer bike with the relaxed geometry...and you wouldn't have to worry about failure that way.

Just a thought.

:)

[sokyroadie]

[QUOTE=OperaLover]Anyone own a double cross? /QUOTE]

Yep,

Bought a like new (50mi) 2007 frame on Ebay for a steal, it is a great frame for the money.

Jeff