Classic & Vintage - Is my Paris-Sport Repairable?

Vic Fraysse is my great grandfather, and in N.J my uncle has a barn full of paris-sports.

He sent me one and it was my first road bike, I immediately fell in love.

It's a super flexible Vitus frame, aluminum tubing bonded to aluminum lugs, a design pioneered by vitus (or so I've read.)

However I learned the hard way that bikes are not toys and after denting a keg on new years eve I somehow wrecked it (don't really remember how) and my collar bone.

The front fork got bent, but that's replaceable.

However the top tube has a slight bend towards the front, and the opinion at all the bike shops was that it could fail at any time and I shouldn't be riding it.

It is possible to have that top tube replaced or repaired by a frame builder?


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This should get your images up:

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w215/rockhoundsk/13030019.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w215/rockhoundsk/13030020.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w215/rockhoundsk/13030021.jpg

I'm afraid that looks pretty far gone to me.

Neal

Paris-Sport,
cool, I know who your grandfather is, very big name in east coast and
US cycling.
As for your frame, given the internal cable routing I don't ride it.
Can a framebuilder fix it? maybe but I'd be wary of any repair work on an aluminum frame.

Marty

The steel fork can be straightened, but unless you can find someone who can replace and re-bond the tubing on a Vitus frame, I'm afraid you're up a creek. Easier to find another Vitus frame.

-Kurt

The fork is actually aluminum.

I remember talking to Jonathan Boyer at the New York bike show back int he early 80's, right after I had gotten a 979 frame. He rode one in competition and I asked him if they had any problems with them. He nonchalantly said that the tubes would pull out of the lugs from time to time, but the mechanics would just heat the joint up with a hair dryer and stick them back together.

Either way, I wouldn't try to straighten either the frame or the fork, since that would weaken the frame (and the joints) considerably.

The top tube is bent, but the down tube must also be bent, no other way to get that deformation, could be bowed slightly along the whole length, I have seen a similar result on a steel frame with a ful frontal impact.

While there is a guy who can do repairs, I never kept the info as I don't own one and don't plan to, as stated earlier, time for a new frame and fork, even if you can ride that one.

there's only one shop (and they are in Canada) that has experience and specializes in repair of Vitus aluminum frames...I doubt they are "cheap" but if the frame is worth it to you, they may be your only real option...now I just have to find the link...that may take a while, it's on my home 'puter and I'm at work.
found it: http://www.guywires.com/vitusmain.htm

To bad about your bike, as a teenager in the 70's I would go into the shop in Ridgefield Park and drool over the Paris Sport bikes there. Until just recently my wife had a ladies frame 3 speed English style Paris Sport in a beautiful metallic red, it was quite classy. She wanted a mountain bike so we sold it. I'd love to have high end vintage 10 speed Paris Sport like the ones I saw as a kid....very nice! Rich

However I learned the hard way that bikes are not toys and after denting a keg on new years eve I somehow wrecked it (don't really remember how) and my collar bone.


i'm still trying to figure out what this statement means.

I can't tell if the fork is the original aluminum fork or a steel replacement w/a Cinelli sloping crown.

-Kurt

+1 Frame is toast, and if fork is aluminum, its probably toast too.

I can't tell if the fork is the original aluminum fork or a steel replacement w/a Cinelli sloping crown.

-Kurt

Look at the width of the blade from the side. The Vitus blades were "deep" so that the wheel didn't chatter under hard braking (which was still a problem under a heavier rider). You can also see the bonding line at the transition between the crown and the blade.

I want to see pictures of the barn, and the dented keg ( ;) )

i'm still trying to figure out what this statement means.

I think he had a couple of beers and then decided it would be a good idea to go for a bike ride.

I think he had a couple of beers and then decided it would be a good idea to go for a bike ride.

Yup but probably went more along of the lines of waking up at around 1130 the next day with no recollection of the previous night's happenings with an intense piercing behind the eyes and ringing in the ears.. And then through out the next day, he played detective, finding clues to what may have unfolded. The clues so far, for those still keeping track, broken collar bone, a dented keg, and a rung bike. Mystery still surrounds the events of that night.

BF member mainducoyote just posted a Vitus 979 with pictures yesterday (3/3/09) on "your catch of the day..."

in N.J my uncle has a barn full of paris-sports.

Don't you think that Uncle can spare you another one; or at least give you a deal on one? Hey, that's what family is for!

I recently had one of his uncle's auctions on my ebay watch list. Probably need to pay for a new frame if the old one got messed up under somewhat questionable circumstances.

What a shame, but that frame is too far gone. The rear wheel looks wrong too.
The seat tube appears to have bent forward from the impact. Just under the FD, the BB looks pulled forward.

Salvage what parts you can.

Wow, you guys have been extremely helpful.

And yes I drank alot from the keg and then rode back home, somehow I ended up going over the handlebars in a 28+mph, drunken sprint.


And If it is my uncle selling the paris-sports on ebay I better call him right away and reserve one of the vitus 575 frames.

Or maybe that Canadian company can fix mine.

Forget the alloy frame, get Mike to work a deal on one of the steel Paris-Sport's, they were made by many but a number were built by some top notch builders of the day. An Alloy Vitus sporting Paris Sport transfers is not collectable in comparison.

Good chance your tweaked ride had a bent BB shell, just show it to the guys in the 12 step program.

Lucky the police department didn't get you for a "pee-wee" .... pedaling while intoxicated.;) For now, why not strip down the bike. Clean all the components, and box them up for storage. Hang onto the frame for awhile, and see what shows up on Craig's List, or elsewhere, that could help you get as much of the bike back on the road as possible.

I would not even think about riding that frame again. Ever. Bent aluminum = invitation to disaster. Bending aluminum back = engraved, gold-leafed, hand-delivered invitation to disaster.