Uploaded November 2019 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
I bought this 2010 Trek 4300 mountain bike for $20. It was 24 speed with disc brakes, and the fork had a lockout. Seemed like a great deal. I planned to overhaul the RST Gila TNL fork and make a video. And then I was going to build the bike up. Maybe do something with the disc brakes for a video. It was missing the derailleurs and chain, but I probably had derailleurs lying around, and a chain was cheap. But the farther I got into the bike, the potential repair costs were stacking up. Finally came a moment when the bike was no longer worth fixing, I didn't want to throw good money after bad. I can at least part the bike out and get more than my $20 worth of parts out of it.
* No, straightening an aluminum frame is not as simple as just heating it up and bending it. It needs to be heated very carefully to soften it. If it is is not heated enough, or if it gets too hot, it can crack. Once it is bent, the aluminum will remain soft. It will need to be heat treated. And of course, now the frame will need to be repainted. This is best done by an experienced professional. So in most cases, this will be cost prohibitive. Trying to straighten the frame incorrectly would leave the frame vulnerable to breaking and unsafe.
* No, I am not just going to built it up and ride it as is. The bike is not even close to my size. And I am not going to build up and sell a bent bike.
* I am guessing the fork got water in it and froze.
* Trek lifetime frame warranty is for original owner and not transferable.
* No, I didn't go over the bike with a fine tooth comb before buying it. It a big sale with a ton of stuff, and a lot of other buyers. Buying was fast and furious. I bought a bunch of stuff. I did not have time to micro-examine each item. I glanced at the bike and for $20 (plus another free bike included), it was a no brainer. I easily got more than $20 worth of parts out of it. And I sold the free bike for more than $20. This is all the stuff I bought that day: youtube.com/watch?v=SCUJxDFS2BU
Checking frame alignment without expensive tool:
youtube.com/watch?v=z9bPiAi_KQc
youtube.com/watch?v=dUPAKqS3dt8
▶ SUBSCRIBE & HIT THE 🔔 bit.ly/SubRJTheBikeGuy
👍 And please give my video a thumbs up 👍
▶FACEBOOK.com/RJTheBikeGuy
facebook.com/RJTheBikeGuy
▶TOOLS
rjthebikeguy.com/tools
▶SHIRTS
bit.ly/RJBikeGuyShirts
▶WEBPAGE
RJTheBikeGuy.com
I bought this 2010 Trek 4300 mountain bike for $20. It was 24 speed with disc brakes, and the fork had a lockout. Seemed like a great deal. I planned to overhaul the RST Gila TNL fork and make a video. And then I was going to build the bike up. Maybe do something with the disc brakes for a video. It was missing the derailleurs and chain, but I probably had derailleurs lying around, and a chain was cheap. But the farther I got into the bike, the potential repair costs were stacking up. Finally came a moment when the bike was no longer worth fixing, I didn't want to throw good money after bad. I can at least part the bike out and get more than my $20 worth of parts out of it.
* No, straightening an aluminum frame is not as simple as just heating it up and bending it. It needs to be heated very carefully to soften it. If it is is not heated enough, or if it gets too hot, it can crack. Once it is bent, the aluminum will remain soft. It will need to be heat treated. And of course, now the frame will need to be repainted. This is best done by an experienced professional. So in most cases, this will be cost prohibitive. Trying to straighten the frame incorrectly would leave the frame vulnerable to breaking and unsafe.
* No, I am not just going to built it up and ride it as is. The bike is not even close to my size. And I am not going to build up and sell a bent bike.
* I am guessing the fork got water in it and froze.
* Trek lifetime frame warranty is for original owner and not transferable.
* No, I didn't go over the bike with a fine tooth comb before buying it. It a big sale with a ton of stuff, and a lot of other buyers. Buying was fast and furious. I bought a bunch of stuff. I did not have time to micro-examine each item. I glanced at the bike and for $20 (plus another free bike included), it was a no brainer. I easily got more than $20 worth of parts out of it. And I sold the free bike for more than $20. This is all the stuff I bought that day: youtube.com/watch?v=SCUJxDFS2BU
Checking frame alignment without expensive tool:
youtube.com/watch?v=z9bPiAi_KQc
youtube.com/watch?v=dUPAKqS3dt8
▶ SUBSCRIBE & HIT THE 🔔 bit.ly/SubRJTheBikeGuy
👍 And please give my video a thumbs up 👍
▶FACEBOOK.com/RJTheBikeGuy
facebook.com/RJTheBikeGuy
▶TOOLS
rjthebikeguy.com/tools
▶SHIRTS
bit.ly/RJBikeGuyShirts
▶WEBPAGE
RJTheBikeGuy.com
