Bent dropouts

[AndyPeace]

Just looking for some practical advice. My sister brought her bike round the other day, she's not been cycling long and recently had a minnor fall on it. She says it pulls to the side. I looked at the rear wheel and checked it over and it is badly dished, which I suspect is the heart of the pulling problem. However, I had my Nephew remove the rear wheel, tire, etc for me so I could true the wheel up after work. One of his bright mates decided to sit on the bike, without the rear wheel installed and has bent the dropouts. It's a steel frame so I am figuring I can sort this, currently I am using 2 axles and trying to get the dropouts back in alignment. Do you think I need to do anything else, or will my make shift maintence do the job?

 

[simon.r]

On a cheap steel frame you can just use a pair of mole grips to bend the dropouts back into alignment. Use a bit of thick cardboard / hardboard or similar to protect the paint if you need to.

 

[deanE]

I thought this posting was going to be another rant about “the youff of today”!

 

[fossyant]

Just go carefully, but yes you can bend back into alignment.

 

[HovR]

Just try and use the biggest pair of mole grips/adjustable spanner possible so that you don't bend the dropout out of shape when trying to straighten it out.

 

[Norm]

Just try and use the biggest pair of mole grips/adjustable spanner possible so that you don't bend the dropout out of shape when trying to straighten it out.

And then use the same tool on the fingers of the bright mate. What a buffoon.