Frame

Q: I was in a wreck, and my frame appears to be bent. What should I do?

A: First of all, DO NOT ride the bike. Bent frames can catastrophically fail or make the bicycle hard to control, causing injury or death if ridden. Take the bicycle to a competent bicycle shop and have them inspect the frame for alignment and cracks. We have special tools at our store designed specifically to determine frame alignment. Bring your bike in and we will give you an idea of any damage that was done in your crash.

Q: What is butted tubing?

A: Whereas straight guage tubing is one thickness along its entire length, a butted piece of tubing has multiple thicknesses along its length. Manufacturers butt the tubing to reduce the amount of material in low stress areas to lower the weight of the product. For instance, on a butted frame, the material thickness of the tubing at the welds or gussets is thicker than the tubing in the middle. Single butting is where one end is thicker than the rest of the tube. Double butted tubing has both ends thicker than the center. Butted tubing also tends to increase the ride comfort in the frame.

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