Bent Frame

[Deleted member 20519]

So I took my bike into Halfords to have the wheels trued and have the brakes adjusted. Two days later (yesterday), I went down to collect it. I got there and the bike's sitting in the corner and nothing's been done to it. So anyway, the Halfords guy tells me that the "frame is bent so there's nothing we can do". Not sure what this means, I've never heard of a frame bending.

Anyway, accepting my fate, the Halfords guy adjusts the brakes for nothing and adjusts my saddle. What does this mean? Can it be repaired, do I need a new bike?

On a lighter note, my Charge Spoon got delivered but I missed it so I'm going to pick it up later today

 

[black'n'yellow]

it probably means the Halfords guy is an idiot. Did he explain where the frame might be bent? And what frame/bike is it?

 

[Deleted member 20519]

it probably means the Halfords guy is an idiot. Did he explain where the frame might be bent? And what frame/bike is it?

All he said was this, and I quote, "There isn't much we can do with your bike. The frames bent so the wheels can't be trued and the brakes won't be perfect." and then the other guy finishes by saying "Yeah, we don't have the kind of equipment to fix your frame."

 

[black'n'yellow]

Did you not reply "show me the damage"..?? What bike is it?

 

[Deleted member 20519]

Did you not reply "show me the damage"..?? What bike is it?

No I did not. The guy was being fairly nice and it didn't cost me anything. I'm planning to book it into EvansCycles in Glasgow for a service.

Not sure what kind of bike it is. It's just a plain black frame.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Q - what kind of bike is it?
A - a black one

I think people will struggle to help you on this one, fella.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

Q - what kind of bike is it?
A - a black one

I think people will struggle to help you on this one, fella.

I suppose I could be more specific.

It's a black mountain bike with rigid forks. It has 26x1.90 tyres, shimano gears with quickshifters and center pull brakes.

That's all I know.

 

[Herzog]

I suppose I could be more specific.

It's a black mountain bike with rigid forks. It has 26x1.90 tyres, shimano gears with quickshifters and center pull brakes.

That's all I know.

Any brand name? Logos on frame? Pictures would help.

 

[Davidc]

I'd be more confident of Evans' verdict. They may have a jig available on which they can check frame alignment.

I've seen a bent frame, but an obvious one after a crash. How you'd check for a very small amount of distortion I'm not sure, neither am I sure what effect it woulld have on the ride. If I was noticing riding problems and the frame was competently diagnosed as 'bent' I'd either buy a new equivalent frame and transfer the accessories, or if it looked a better bet just buy a new or good secondhand bike.

All the best with it, the important thing is to have a bike that's safe and rides well at the end of the investigations.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

How to become a Halfords Cycle mechanic:

1/ Apply for a job in the car section

2/ Demonstrate you are too stupid to sell complicated hi-tech stuff like air fresheners and mats

3/ Get transferred to the Cycle department

 

[IanT]

I was in my local branch a couple of months back and the trained chimps.....sorry....mechanics.......behind the counter were trying to remove a cassette from a rear wheel. To help get purchase, one of them laid it flat on the floor and stood on the spokes, whilst the other attacked the locknut with a socket and breaker bar.

After a few minutes and with the wheel now looking about as flat as a prawn cracker, one asked, "did he want that wheel?", to which the other replied, "oh, yeah!".

Bet they told him they couldn't change his cassette because the wheel was buckled.

Cretins!

 

[Deleted member 20519]

Any brand name? Logos on frame? Pictures would help.

Nope, sorry. It had some stickers but I took them off a while ago

 

[black'n'yellow]

do you even know whereabouts the bent bit is..?

 

[Deleted member 20519]

do you even know whereabouts the bent bit is..?

Another nope. They just said that the frame was bent.

 

[Herzog]

Another nope. They just said that the frame was bent.

Take it to a proper bike shop (i.e., not Halfords) tomorrow so we can stop all the guesswork. Good luck.