How dead is my bike?

Over a year ago someone tried to steal my bike by using a big pole on my D lock.

Today I decided to take the mudguards and associated gorilla tape off. The paint came away and the seat stay is definitely cracked.

It’s obviously not broken yet. Is it properly dangerous? Could I do some sort of repair at home?

It’s a Whippet and used as my gravel bike.

I’d happily buy a new frame but I’m angling to get a full sus e-bike and I think 2 very noticeable purchases might be frowned upon.

No idea about the bike, but that magazine has seen better days (winking humorous emoji)

It’s a no from me.

If you have to ask, you already know the answer.

A busted seat stay? I mean, what is the worst that can happen.

Yes it can be repaired if it is carbon. But not prettily at home IME and probably the cost of a new frame professionally…

HQ Fibre Products in Norfolk are good for repair – very old school with just a phone number, but my last carbon repair with them (which involved them custom machining a part) was £80 plus postage. I’d not ride that.

If that’s your idea of not broken I’d hate to see how bad it needs to be for you to say it is.

Or is the **** gert hole in it a very realistic sticker of a **** gert hole?

Bulging eyes sucking a deep breath winking emoji

Sand it down and do your own carbon repair, it won’t be pretty but it’ll be good enough.

I’d repair that, at home, with a kit from what used to be easycomposites, but a basic pro-repair near me is $400+.
So at potentially 80 quid, id send it off like munrobiker did.

How found a nearby carbon repair place. Let’s see if they can fix it cheaper than a new Scandal frame.

https://www.facebook.com/fibrelytecarbonfibre

But I’d question whether you might just be better off buying a new bike/frame. I know loads of people who have used them but normally on expensive bikes. You’d be looking at +£100

I’ve helped a mate with an almost identical repair, few years ago now.

£40 quid repair kit from eBay, a long evening with sandpaper and dust masks, couple of hours chopping bits of carbon fibre sheet up and sticking it down with epoxy, wrapping it with tape and leaving to dry. Then sand it back smooth (ish) and 5 or 6 coats of rattle can paint.

Think the hardest thing was getting something into the tube, behind the repair to make sure that we had something to support the bottom layer of CF. He’s moved away now, but think he still has the same bike.

Look up how bamboo bike frames are joined. Lot’s of techniques and almost all of them are very very DIY.

Saw an old seatpost in half lengthways then clamp the halves around the damage with some jubilee clips. Any gaps beneath the seatpost splint can be filled with an appropriate filler if needed. Paint the repair orange. Refit guards, go for ride.

@zippykona knowing roughly where you are based, Carbon Bike Repair in Leatherhead did a good job for me on my Tarmac, however it’s not cheap and I was lucky that the insurance was paying for it. Once done you couldn’t tell it had even cracked before

Had contacted the Leatherhead people. Their videos are very clever.
A scandal frame has come up nearby, I’ll go for that.

Baked bean can and couple of jubilee clips, sorted!

If anyone is interested the quote was £250 – £300 plus vat.
Collecting new frame tonight.

Just a heads up that I’ve put the frame in the classifieds for free if anyone wants it.