Broken bike and flats

I have 2 issues.
1. the frame on my Trek 820 cracked/broke by the wheel. Can it be welded/fixed or is it not worth it?

I could put the parts on another frame if I can find a cheap used store around town City of Chicago.

2. My back up bike a 1975 Schwinn 10 speed that has problems with the "snake bite" flats from low pressure and yesterday after getting a new tube and getting it up to 80 psi it blows out!!!

I can use my single speed cruiser for trips close but not practical for a 14 mile round trip commute.

Pleeez help I don't want to spend the rest of summer riding the cta.

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Permalink Reply by Old Tom on July 27, 2010 at 10:53am

A good welder can weld any weldable alloy; it's just a matter of knowing procedure. I mean a GOOD welder like a boilermaker or pipefitter and not just some rod burner. You can tell good welders; they say "heli arc" rather than "tig". ;)

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Permalink Reply by Michael Perz on July 27, 2010 at 11:03am

Actually, "heliarc" can apply to TIG, MIG, stick and flux cored wire welding.

As for the bike in question, I think that Trek 820s are made from basic 1020 carbon steel which is relatively easy to weld and doesn't need to be normalized afterward. I would be more concerned about the structure of the welded area and if any sleeves or gussets were added as necessary. Unfortunately, "by the wheel" is not a good description of the damaged area so I can't really say for sure.

Old Tom said:

A good welder can weld any weldable alloy; it's just a matter of knowing procedure. I mean a GOOD welder like a boilermaker or pipefitter and not just some rod burner. You can tell good welders; they say "heli arc" rather than "tig". ;)