When did we become such a throwaway society? For most people, once a cell phone, computer, appliance or even a bicycle frame breaks, they are just chuck it into the trash instead of taking the time to fix the item. For many products it remains cheaper to buy a new one than it is to try to repair the broken one. This fact is especially true with electronics, but bike frames are a bit different. Depending on the type of break and material, a frame can be repaired and often for a fraction of the cost of a new frame – even carbon fiber.
Over the years, we’ve come across a number of companies that either offer the service of frame repair as their only business, while some frame builders offer the service on the side.
We’ve combined a list of a few companies that will let you fix it instead of trashing it:
Calfee Design (Carbon Fiber Frame Repair)
A pioneer in carbon fiber frame development, Calfree has built custom frames since 1987. This experience paired with their in-house manufacturing and finishing qualifies Calfee as the industry’s carbon repair expert. Since 2003, they’ve managed repairs for over 5500 riders, retailers and manufacturers, while offer a 10 year warranty on carbon repairs.
KirkLee (Carbon Fiber Frame Repair)
KirkLee did not start out with the intention of repairing carbon fiber bike frames, but through the years of frame building they have developed the technique of repairing carbon fiber. This service has saved a number of frames and thousands of dollars from being thrown into the trash. They have fixed top tubes, down tubes, seat stays, you name it on road and mountain bikes. They have heard of just about every way to break a frame, but welcome new challenges, Turnaround time is usually two weeks depending on what is in the queue. Prices will vary depending on repair complexity and paint refinishing.
Spectrum Cycles (Titanium and Steel Frame Repair)
Tom Kellogg and Jeff Duser produce some of the most well thought of steel and titanium frames on the market. Spectrum Cycles was started in 1985 after Tom left Ross Bicycles (you may recognize Tom Kellogg from Merlin Metalworks bikes). Along with building frames, Spectrum also a full line of repair and refinishing services. The team at Spectrum is certainly not fast at repairing frames, but they are meticulous which is why they only accept a limited number of frames a year.
Yellow Jersey (Steel Frame Repair along with other services including aluminum fixes)
We’ve never actually seen the repair work completed by Yellow Jersey, but the photos of their repairs are unique indeed. Yellow Jersey is one of the only frame repair shops that we have seen machine a dropout to repair a broken derailleur hanger. The mostly focus on steel frames, but do offer repair services on other frame materials. If other repair shops have turned you down, Yellow Jersey might have the solution.
Waterford (Steel Frame Repair and Refinishing)
You may have never head of Waterford Precision Cycles, but the name Schwinn might ring a bell. Waterford is operated by Marc Muller and Richard Schwinn (great-grandson of Ignaz Schwinn, the founder of Schwinn Co. in 1896). Both Marc and Richard work for Schwinn before leaving for Waterford. Just like Spectrum, Waterford is known for their attention to detail. Along with building frames, they offer two levels of restoration – Full Refinishing and Technical Restorations. For steel frames, they can make a number of repairs and alterations including removing and replacing bosses; rear dropout spacing adjustments; and in the case of lug-brazed, Waterford frames and US-built Schwinn Paramounts, they can replace a wide range of tubes.
Now, these are just a few of the companies out there offering bicycle frame repair service. While most will not give a free estimate for a repair, it is worth asking around and researching before heading to the shop for a new bike.
One material that could be a problem is aluminum, because the heat treating of the tubes after welding is an important step in the process to stabilize the material at the molecular level. Without heat treating, the tube can have a failure similar to scoring a piece of glass. It can completely snap instead of bending causing a catastrophic failure and even death for the rider. While aluminum repairs can be done by regular welding shops with cosmetically nice results, we should stress that these types of repairs since they are not heat treated after welding. In these cases going to the original manufacturer is recommended.
Finally, the nice part of buying a steel, aluminum or titanium frame is that they can be easily recycled if they cannot be repaired. Currently, this is not the case with carbon fiber. We have featured the ongoing progress with carbon fiber recycling, but truthfully the process is not cost effective yet and it is difficult. So by having your frame repaired instead of throwing it away, not only helping your wallet, but you are helping the Earth in the process.