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2003 or 2004 Specialized Sirrus DISC - my son ran into a parked car and now I need a new front wheel, rotor and fork. The whole thing is silver, Chromoly. I love this bike, it was a trusted commuter during an interesting season in my life.

My very trusted and loved LBS says "Just over $300" to get it back up and running because they only do top of the line work and if something should be replaced instead of repaired that is the way they go. But a new Sirrus (with no memories, and lower components) is about $450. So I'm in the middle.... ideas from anyone?

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    Have you had a look for a matching bike second hand? You could buy one and grab parts off it, and low-end bikes second hand often go for $100 or less. If it's the exact same model compatibility isn't an issue. Also, as a former mechanic I'm glad you like your local bike shop :) That's exactly the issue with cheap bikes in general, BTW, they're often not worth fixing for exactly that reason. But if you do it yourself, you don't pay the labour part. If you're not confident you could see if they'll do a "standard service" afterwards and mostly just check you haven't screwed anything up.
    – Móż
    Commented Jun 27, 2016 at 4:24
  • if you need help, a local bike coop or some from the local bicycle club might be availble.
    – mattnz
    Commented Jun 27, 2016 at 4:39
  • I hope your son is okay and not significantly damaged. However I hope he's learned by experience that cars are hard and unyeilding. Whether it was his fault or the driver's fault is another matter completely, but bikes always come off second-best. Hopefully it makes your son a better all-round road user in the future.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Jun 27, 2016 at 4:53

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Before you start, check very closely at the top and down tubes, about 1-2 inches behind the head tube welds.

Your frame may be damaged in these spots, which is totally counter-intuitive. A steel bike will develop two rust rings here after a front-end collision.

Use a magnifying glass or a jewellers loupe, and a bright light to look for any cracks or distortions. A metal ruler can be used as a straight-edge to look for sharper bends.

Spending money on forks may be wasted if the frame is damaged.

That said - I rode a steel bike that had frontal damage for several months. You need to make a judgement call once your inspection is done.

Can't build a house on a poor foundation; can't build a bike on a damaged frame.

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