Cracked Serotta Steel Frame - Who Ya Gonna Call?
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Cracked Serotta Steel Frame - Who Ya Gonna Call?
I got a crack on the downtube towards the top above the DT shifters that's over 50% of the diameter of the tube.......don't ask, let's just say the wife and her car are involved!
Can it be repaired to it's original strength and beauty......so that I can still ride it??
Who do I contact and how much $$ should I expect for this life saving operation??
Can it be repaired to it's original strength and beauty......so that I can still ride it??
Who do I contact and how much $$ should I expect for this life saving operation??
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I got a crack on the downtube towards the top above the DT shifters that's over 50% of the diameter of the tube.......don't ask, let's just say the wife and her car are involved!
Can it be repaired to it's original strength and beauty......so that I can still ride it??
Who do I contact and how much $$ should I expect for this life saving operation??
Can it be repaired to it's original strength and beauty......so that I can still ride it??
Who do I contact and how much $$ should I expect for this life saving operation??
Not a bad place to start.
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Any custom frame builder should be able to fix most problems.
Had a full tube replaced on one of our tandems that had only 50,000 miles on the frame. After tube replacement rode it for another 14,000 miles!
If you like the bike, it's worth fixing!
Had a full tube replaced on one of our tandems that had only 50,000 miles on the frame. After tube replacement rode it for another 14,000 miles!
If you like the bike, it's worth fixing!
Last edited by zonatandem; 01-20-16 at 11:28 PM. Reason: spelling
#4
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Yellow Jersey can replace entire tubes and his prices are pretty reasonable. Lots of examples on his website. You'll have to repaint.
Vintage American Frameset Repair at Yellow Jersey
Classic Japanese Handmade Miki Sekai 5000 Frameset Repair at Yellow Jersey
American Built Masi 3V Frame Service at Yellow Jersey
Vintage American Frameset Repair at Yellow Jersey
Classic Japanese Handmade Miki Sekai 5000 Frameset Repair at Yellow Jersey
American Built Masi 3V Frame Service at Yellow Jersey
#6
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I got a crack on the downtube towards the top above the DT shifters that's over 50% of the diameter of the tube.......don't ask, let's just say the wife and her car are involved!
Can it be repaired to it's original strength and beauty......so that I can still ride it??
Who do I contact and how much $$ should I expect for this life saving operation??
Can it be repaired to it's original strength and beauty......so that I can still ride it??
Who do I contact and how much $$ should I expect for this life saving operation??
There are other good frame repair specialists elsewhere in USA and Canada.
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Northwest - TiCycles. They've done probably every type of repair out there. Repaired the seatstay caps on my Trek that had cracked through the deeply stamped "R" in "TREK". Did both sides (after telling me over the phone before they saw the bike that the other side would have cracks started also. Pointed those out to me when I brought the bike in. More recently I brought them a 40 year old Raleigh of unknown history to have stripped, inspected, work done if necessary and repainted. Turns out I bought a "Monday/Friday bike. Very little braze under the lugs. A half days work got me solid joints throughout the bike, new seatpin ears, a derailleur hanger that works with modern derailleurs, waterbottle bosses and two cracks repaired.
They build mostly TIG welded bikes, steel and ti but also brazed steel forks regularly. I got to look at a fork with the blades cut off. (Post crash forensics.) The radius of the braze around the tube end in the crown socket looked like a machined radius, except with the matte finish of raw braze; eyes and tools had never seen this until the blade was sawed off. Beautiful work!
TiCycles is well connected with painters so that shouldn't be an issue. The work I had done cost $800. That covered the strip and powdercoat paint, a half day's labor (the hourly rate isn't cheap, but what happens in that hour is impressive) and a couple of specific charges. Give them a call. A tube replacement is pretty straightforward so they probably can quote you over the phone.
Another plus for TiCycles: They do both belt drive bikes and S&S couplers. Some of the best frame builders in the country send their almost finished custom frames to TiCycles to get couplers and belt dropouts installed rather than messing with these operations they rarely do. I see drool-worthy frames jigged up to be cut and coupled on my visits regularly. Your bike will be in very good hands.
Ben
They build mostly TIG welded bikes, steel and ti but also brazed steel forks regularly. I got to look at a fork with the blades cut off. (Post crash forensics.) The radius of the braze around the tube end in the crown socket looked like a machined radius, except with the matte finish of raw braze; eyes and tools had never seen this until the blade was sawed off. Beautiful work!
TiCycles is well connected with painters so that shouldn't be an issue. The work I had done cost $800. That covered the strip and powdercoat paint, a half day's labor (the hourly rate isn't cheap, but what happens in that hour is impressive) and a couple of specific charges. Give them a call. A tube replacement is pretty straightforward so they probably can quote you over the phone.
Another plus for TiCycles: They do both belt drive bikes and S&S couplers. Some of the best frame builders in the country send their almost finished custom frames to TiCycles to get couplers and belt dropouts installed rather than messing with these operations they rarely do. I see drool-worthy frames jigged up to be cut and coupled on my visits regularly. Your bike will be in very good hands.
Ben
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Yup, that's them.
Ben
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west coast is pretty big if you are in the San Jose/San francisco/Silicon Valley area try Bronson Silva Silva Cycles
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#13
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In Portland you only have about a dozen or so local framebuilders
But wherever you are on the west coast, you might find one fairly local to you, so you don't even have to ship the frame it to get it looked at.
What town are you in @Bjbusa?
But wherever you are on the west coast, you might find one fairly local to you, so you don't even have to ship the frame it to get it looked at.
What town are you in @Bjbusa?
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● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
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If you're in the Bay Area: Ed Litton - he's been doing frame repairs and paint for decades, he's also Bianchi's "authorized" west coast frame repair guy.
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Ticycles is 4+ months out..... and estimated $1000 just for repair....so that's a no go.
Ed Litton doesn't seem to have an email address and nobody answered the phone when I called the shop......not impressed
Haven't heard back from Siva
Ed Litton doesn't seem to have an email address and nobody answered the phone when I called the shop......not impressed
Haven't heard back from Siva
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$250 per tube is what i was quoted on one --- A Serotta should be worth that ---- you might feel under the top tube as well to make sure there's not a wrinkle there as well -- usually goes hand in hand with a goofed up down tube in that area
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I'm in the camp that there are a lot of good used frames out there. I'd probably tinker on the frame myself, but I'd choke on paying someone $1000 to fix it, and it may never be as good as new.
Cost of paint?
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Is the frame lugged or tig welded?
Tube replacement would be vastly different depending on the two designs.
Tube replacement would be vastly different depending on the two designs.
#21
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Lugged frame.
#22
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To compare, my quote from Matt Assenmacher to replace two frame tubes, mod a few braze-ons, strip, prep, repaint one color, make decals, apply decals and clear coat was just under $1000. I don't know if that's too much. The tube replacement (one tube) is $185.
Lugged frame.
Lugged frame.
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Give Ed Litton a second try. He painted my Mooney 30 years ago with a fantastic Imron paint job. A year before I crashed it and bent the fork. Watched him straighten it, ordered a new one from Peter Mooney and had him strip the frame and paint it and the bare fork. He was right on with budget and time and a pleasure to work with. Paint job was flawless and every chip that paint has acquired in the past 30 years was earned. I have heard my experience from others as well.
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I'm gonna try Assenmacher...............don't like having to ship but I imagine Ed is back logged like ticycles. Being able to use it for Erocia CA this April is seeming unlikely. I will put it on hold if I have to wait 4 months....................Oh Well, a good excuse to buy another old/new bike! Yeah! I like that idea!!
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In my area, best options are Spectrum in Breinigsville or Bilenky Cycle Works in Philthadelphia. I've used Eagle One in southern Virginia to repair the Bridgestone RADAC and the gent there did a superb job.