Cycling UK Forum

Hi,
Just wondered if the damaged downtube on my Rockhopper Comp is repairable or is now scrap?
If repairable, a point in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
If scrap, I'll have to look for a new bike!
Cheers.

I think that it's not repairable and will always be suspect.

People do ride around on dented alu frames but they are more likely to crumple.

Cheers James

Wow! How did that happen?

Rather than buy a new bike, I'd transfer the running gear to a new frame.

Your best bet is to take it to a Specialized dealer - if possible, the shop you bought it from - and tell them (truthfully) what happened. Depending on the age of the bike, they might do you a crash-replacement deal.

I've seen people ride around on dented alu frames for ages; it's unlikely to just fall apart, but equally it probably won't be the easiest thing to repair, at least not to the same strength.

More info on how you did it and a full pic of the bike might be useful.

Hi
The aluminium will tear if you attempt to straighten the dent. Try the dealer/warranty as suggested or it could be reinforced externally with GRP if you have that knowledge and experience

Hi all,

Riding past a car - driver decided to open her door. The dent was caused by the seam of her door.

I've tried Specialized. They won't sell frames separately, but did, as someone mentioned, offer 30% off a new bike.

I'm also worried about any other peripheral damage - Forks, steering components etc. - took quite a hit!

Thanks for advice.

Vectrum999 wrote: ↑28 Jul 2022, 11:09am Hi all,

Riding past a car - driver decided to open her door. The dent was caused by the seam of her door.

I've tried Specialized. They won't sell frames separately, but did, as someone mentioned, offer 30% off a new bike.

I'm also worried about any other peripheral damage - Forks, steering components etc. - took quite a hit!

Thanks for advice.

So, is that's an insurance case against the car owner ? If so, its "new bike".

Vectrum999 wrote: ↑28 Jul 2022, 11:09am Hi all,

Riding past a car - driver decided to open her door. The dent was caused by the seam of her door.

I've tried Specialized. They won't sell frames separately, but did, as someone mentioned, offer 30% off a new bike.

I'm also worried about any other peripheral damage - Forks, steering components etc. - took quite a hit!

Thanks for advice.

"Dooring" (having a car door opened into you) is a specific offence in law. It's an insurance claim against the driver/the driver's insurance company.

The insurance company should be putting you in the same position as you were before the incident ie a new bike of similar or greater value.

You DID get their details, yes?

Yes - everything's going through her insurance, but her insurance company want me to get quotes for repair!

Vectrum999 wrote: ↑28 Jul 2022, 4:23pm Yes - everything's going through her insurance, but her insurance company want me to get quotes for repair!

I wasn't aware that Specialized didn't sell frames separately, but that makes your claim easier - i.e. just provide them with that information, and give them a quote for a new bike, maybe mentioning the 30% discount that Specialized are offering. As far as road accident claims go, yours will still be at the lower end, so I doubt you'll get much quibbling from them. (Would probably also help if you could get a quote from Specialized or a frame builder to state that a repair to the frame would be too complicated or risky for them to do.)

Vectrum999 wrote: ↑28 Jul 2022, 4:23pm Yes - everything's going through her insurance, but her insurance company want me to get quotes for repair!

Economically unviable.
Get a bike shop to declare it as a write-off.

It's not a car where you can just bash a single panel straight or replace a wing and respray it.

And then point them in the direction of the nearest direct replacement that is actually in stock. I wouldn't bother declaring the crash replacement discount. They just need to buy you a new bike as near as possible to what you currently have.

As stated above, you probably will need a bike shop to provide confirmation that the frame is a write-off (and possibly confirm damage to the components), which you can pass on to the insurance company. However, it's possible that the insurance company might not require that, because their experience of dealing with claims for damaged bikes should enable them to to realise just from your photographs that the frame is a write-off.

Most insurance companies will have agreements with a major bike retailer to provide replacement bikes (at a very large discount), and I think a lot of them use Wheelies (https://www.wheelies.co.uk/insurance*). Assuming your bike is a mid-range model or lower, I expect it will be cheaper for the insurance company simply to offer you a complete replacement bike from Wheelies (or another retailer), than to pay for a new frame plus the labour costs of transferring over the undamaged parts from your bike.

If they do use Wheelies, that might simplify things and suit you, because Wheelies can supply Specialized brand bikes, and therefore should be able to replace yours with the same model, rather than you being offered an equivalent model from a different brand which might not be to your liking.

* The link describes the procedure where someone is claiming under their own insurance policy for a damaged or stolen bike, but I would expect that the insurance companies would similary use Wheelies for liability claims for bikes belonging to third parties, such as in your case.

OK - thanks guys (and girls, if any).

Will try and get a shop to write it off. I didn't think it would be economical to repair and check all the other components.

Thanks again.

Go to a specalised dealer, and ask them for a quote for repair. As soon as you say it's on insurance you'll get a quote immediately.

I would expect two options.

One quote for new frame + cost of moving parts.

Or much more likely a new bike.

They won't fix it, a dealer would never take the liability. And they will say the frame is unrepairable. Insurance company won't expect you to go anywhere but a specialised dealer.

Vectrum999 wrote: ↑28 Jul 2022, 4:23pm Yes - everything's going through her insurance, but her insurance company want me to get quotes for repair!

Maybe take it to a couple of LBSs and get them to write "Not repairable" on headed paper. Insurance companies are bound to want to reduce how much they pay so getting a repair is going to be their first choice and they may easily not know much about alu frame damage but they are making you do all the leg work so from their perspective trying to reduce payout, to delay any payout and it's not costing them anything as you're doing all the work.

Ian