Danger of dented toptube on beefy roadbike?

I did the lifetime stupid thing this summer and drove my bikes into a
low motel overhang. The old 87 alum Cdale came off unscratched. The old
83 Team Miyata tank had a dent in the top of its toptube. ---Hmmm, maybe
it got it from striking something as it pivoted around the rear
roofbar--it dented the car a bit, too back there.

It was late at night after days of driving. I'm not a real detail person
but I've done 30-hr nonstop drives before with bikes on the roof and in
20 years of doing this have NEVER rammed my roofrack. What a drag.

Anyway, it's my one and only roadbike, my sweet ol' baby. Now it has a
fair dent in the middle of the toptube! I suppose the dent area is a
one-inch oval about .5-inch deep.

Anyone know if it's going to break or flex there in a weird way?

I've been riding it since, down some big passes, too, and no problem,
but maybe it will fatigue quickly there or something.

This was the original Team Miyata with a straight gauge seat tube and
who knows what else. It's been as strong as a moose. I've had lots of
other bikes prove too flexy and shimmy on downhills. This one has always
been rock solid. A bit too solid back in the day as it used to beat me
up and be a sore ride if ridden a couple hours a day daily.

Any views on the safety impact of this dent?

--

Jeff Potter
****
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I had a dent on a Raleigh International top tube top forever; not a
beefy bike either: double-butted 531 tubing.
--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

I did the lifetime stupid thing ...

Hmm, I must be a cat then...

On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 10:47:56 -0400, Jeff Potter
may have said:

Any views on the safety impact of this dent?

Without seeing it, this is conjecture, and is solely my opinion,
but...

If the tube is not straight along its lower surface, then the tube is
bent, not just dented, and the frame's geometry has been changed.
This still may not equate to an immediately dangerous condition, but
it probably merits repair or retirement. If the tube is *only*
dented, and not bent, then in my opinion it's not likely to result in
a sudden faliure. You would, however, be wise to inspect the main
frame joints and the area of the dent closely more often in the
future, just in case.

--
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