Damaged (dented) seatstay...problem??

if it isn't big, it's no issue at all at 1/2 price. depends on what you mean by "isn't that big at all" though. maybe you can get it in writing, just in case. if you ever get it repainted professionally, you can get the dent filled in and never be able to tell the difference.

however, if the stay is actually bent, that's another story, because a misaligned back triangle can cause all kinds of problems

Three things to think about:
1) It's not the size of the dent that matters, it's how sharp the edges are. A blunt, smooth dent is much less trouble than a sharp crease.
2) As philso noted, there may be an alignment issue, and the shop selling the frame should be able to check it.
3) If the above two check out, buy the frame and keep an eye on it. If the paint near the dent starts to crack then you have a problem. The great thing about steel is that you'll have quite a few load cycles between the crack showing and failure. Also, because it's steel a good frame builder can cut out and replace just that tube.

SteelRider said:

We found a brand new chome moly steel road-tandem for 1/2 off the original price (last years model). It has a small dent in the seatstay.

Is this something to be concerned with? The bike shop selling it is confident it's not a structural issue...with it being steel, I would agree (the dent isn't that big at all).

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

Pictures help. I posted a similar question about a year ago but it's still hard to judge the amount of damage online.

SteelRider said:

We found a brand new chome moly steel road-tandem for 1/2 off the original price (last years model). It has a small dent in the seatstay.

Is this something to be concerned with? The bike shop selling it is confident it's not a structural issue...with it being steel, I would agree (the dent isn't that big at all).

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

As a new frame, they should be giving you the full manufacturers warranty. Ask the shop if they will still honor that.

Otherwise, I agree that a small dent that doesn't alter the alignment should not be a problem.