Have I broken my bike

[Twenty Inch]

Well, as odyssey and I say, everyone has their own level of risk acceptability.

I once rebuilt a rear hub on my hack. I put the locking nut on wrongly - the domed side was next to the dropout. As a result, there wasn't enough friction holding the rear wheel in position. It shifted on the right side as I was racing a bus for a gap. The wheel jammed against the frame and dropped me on the road in front of the bus. The only reason I'm alive is that this was on Aldgate roundabout, and the bus was turning - his arc meant that he missed me.

This showed me that components fail when there's extra pressure on them, in other words, just when you don't want them to. That's why I wouldn't risk riding this bike any longer.

 

[Dave5N]

No, it shows that if you do your own maintenance, you should do it properly.

 

[Odyssey]

does a magnet stick to it?

I will try that actually because since it's a hand-down I can't be absolutely certain that it's a fully aluminium frame.

And I'm not knocking anyones ways. I'd certainly be happier on somethng that hadn't been bent to buggery, but sometimes it's difficult to avoid.

 

[Odyssey]

I may have been wrong about the aluminiumness of my frame

 

[hubgearfreak]

then you were right to straighten it with an adjustable hammer