Temporary Frame Repair

[Bill]

Ok now this is what this guy done for me in the past for a temporary fix to get me back home. As I was riding along a back country road I hit some loose gravel and flipped end over end. I was fine but after checking over my bike I noticed the chain-stay tube was cracked pretty bad. I walked for about 1/2mi. and this older gentleman stopped and asked if I was ok from my ripped shirt. I told him I was fine but I had to push my bike because of the cracked frame. His car was stuffed with all kinds of flea market stuff so there was no room for me and I was not leaving my bike there. He said he had an idea that may work until I got home. He pulled out a tool box and grabbed an old rusty wrench which the open ends where bent 90 degrees the same direction. Also he had two hose clamps he fitted the wrench ends on the outer sides of the crack and screwed one end down with the hose clamp as tight as it would go and did the same with the other hose clamp. I was VERY skeptical about riding it but he said sit on it and see. I did so and rode around his car watching the crack and it surprisingly held ok. I made it 10mi. back to town and stopped at the LBS. He said time to retire that old 10speed. He was amazed I made it back. Now granted it took me a while to get back but I was being careful when riding it. Now if that happened again I would probably make a splint with two of the cone wrenches I carry with the 2 hose clamps depending on where it is "located" <---- THAT IS THE KEY ! .

[JonB]

haha, good bodge! It's amazing what a bit of common sense can achieve, though I feel it was missing Duck Tape

I've seen things like that before (I'm into Downhill so there's nearly always someone with a broken bike).

The best one I saw was the guy had broken his Star-nut somehow (and I think the compression ring in his headset as well). using a rather complex rigging of inner tubes attached to the lower crown, stem and bars. He made it home:

[attachment=823]

There was a guy I heard of in the Alps as well, he snapped his rear shock out there, but rather than go home he used an old inner tube wrapped around it to hold it all together and stop the pushrod falling out. He then carried on riding for a week with it (the Alps aren't exactly kind to a Downhill bike). Apparently it stayed together and worked fine. DO NOT try that one at home!

[jr14]

I can only assume by the "ASKAR" visible in the pic, that that bike is a GT Zaskar. Not exactly a downhill bike.

No wonder it failed.

[Bill]

Maybe you're right but one does what they have to do when there is no other way lol. If I had duct tape I probably would've used that too over the whole thing, help keep it in place. Although now I think about it maybe I should start carrying around a roll of that too!?!? (Laughin out Loud, just a joke there)

[jr14]

I carry duct tape for major cuts on the trail. Of course, if you use it on your legs, you can't wear shorts for a week.

[Bill]

Lol, suppose one could wear shorts but it would look real funny.

[jr14]

Sure would. I suppose you could carry JB Weld, but while you wait for it to cure, you would have to set up camp, cook dinner, drink your whiskey, fall asleep, wake up, cook breakfast, pack everything up, and THEN wait for it to cure.

[Bill]

Hahahaha, if you are in the mountains and have the proper gear then yup one could ahahaha.

[Bill]

I wanted to EDIT this as I do know alot more then I once did. As far as cracked/bent/broken frames I do not suggest trying to repair them. This is my personal opinion and others have the right to have their own. Now knowing what I know I think I would rather walk.