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forum
Crack in steel frame
Hi all,
I'm looking at a bike that I was thinking of purchasing but have found what looks like a crack in the steel frame at the top of the head tube. Can this be repaired or is it a no go?
I would be grateful for any comments.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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7 comments
Steel is real! Wait...
At least it stayed in one piece unlike carbon would if it failed
It's also probably much older than any Carbon still on the road...
Thank you for all your comments, I had been thinking about getting it and having a new head tube fitted but now think it could be good money after bad. As the last poster pointed out if this has happened to head the rest of the frame could be on its way out as well!
I don't think the headset being fitted incorrectly necessarily directly caused it to crack it as it's welded and not lugged
Some steels are known to crack, 753 Reynolds was a bugger for it so Columbus possibly had the same problem if they manufactured a similar alloy tube set
It's a DNR as if the head tube has gone the rest of it's well past it's fatigue life as well.
What a shame - a lovely bike wrecked by someone not pressing the headset in correctly.
Please do not use this bike howdenbiker - it is to dangerous and you could all to easily end up injured or dead if it spontaneously collapses in use, which could be just a pothole away.
That's gubbed, someone has made a mess of pressing in the headset cups, walk away.
I've seen similar, but smaller cracks that never progress, but this is too far gone
Personally I wouldn't go anywhere near it. A crack in a weld can easily be repaired but a fracture in a headtube, I wouldn't touch it.
You might find a frame builder who'll cut the tube out and replace in entirely, it'll be a costly exercise mind you. If you decide to go down this route a re spray would be needed too.