My QR Tequilo was damaged in a crash last year to the point where it is unsafe to ride (crack across top tube, good-sized dent above left rear wheel mount) and is just taking up space in my garage. I was curious if the frame material could be recycled and if so, where would I take it to have it done?
Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions.
Personally, I’d try to sell it in the classifieds section. Someone could build it up as a “on the trainer only” bike.
Throw the frame in the dumpster behind the bagel shop; Ms. Sontage – the one eyed homeless lady – will find a way to turn your broken metal into cold hard change.
I crashed an aluminium frame a few years ago - fork sheared clean off but the main frame was OK apart from being a little crooked around the backstays (like a few millimetres off true). The shop I took it to for an insurance assessment said that although they could bend the frame back into shape, they were not allowed to and in fact they refused to give me the frame back as they said subsequent frame failure leading to an accident could have legal implications for them. Didn’t bother me as the bike was a write-off and I got full compensation from the insurance of the guy driving the car that rammed me but I was interested how seriously they took the whole situation.
Even if you get it fixed, I would strongly recommend it never be used for anything other than your trainer/rollers.
Yes it can be recycled. Save all your aluminum such as pop cans etc. Take it to a scrap metal yard and you might get some cash. They take all metals. We go about once a month here with old wheels, etc. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s still cash to me;)
The shop I took it to for an insurance assessment said that although they could bend the frame back into shape, they were not allowed to and in fact they refused to give me the frame back as they said subsequent frame failure leading to an accident could have legal implications for them.
They wouldn’t give it back to you? That doesn’t sound right to me.
Sounded strange to me as well - I suspect that it was because an insurance company was involved that it was a problem. If I’d damaged the frame myself then I think they would simply have refused to fix it but would have let me take the frame elsewhere to try my luck.
It’s a good bike shop - I’ve bought my last 2 bikes there and they were great in helping me deal with the insurance company and making sure that I got full value for the bike (insurance company pulled the usual arguments - if the bike was bought new for £X 3 years ago, it must now be worth only X/3…). I don’t think there was anything funny going on.
There are all sorts of legal issues they have to watch out for, from the insurance co to the bike manufacturer (not to mention a possible lawsuit from you). They just don’t want to be liable for anything. Worked at a kayak shop where we had to take a defect kayak and cut the serial number out and the nose off of it and mail them back to the manufacturer. Destroyed a kayak for a cosmetic blemish, but thats the way it works.