JDMKidBill

Although this is an older bike (1987), I would like the extensive knowledge of present bike owners to take a look at this picture. Is there a vertical crack on my down tube? I cannot feel a fissure when I run my finger across or down it. If it's a crack- what do I do? This is my first real road bike and it's treated me so well- I've put over 200 miles on it (more than my lifetime, haha), and I love this bike.

Lexi01

Ouch...

I had a cracked seat tube recently and apparently the tell-tale sign is when the paint breaks away from the line in a jagged pattern.

From what I can see of your pic it looks more like the paint has cracked...obviously its hard to be certain from a pic.

Have it checked out by a pro.

Psimet2001 

Looks like you need to clean it.

JDMKidBill

Sadly, that was the cleanest I could get with a wipe down of Finish Line pink bike wash. I haven't had the opportunity to remove all parts and give it a really nice clean.

I might as well get it inspected from a bike shop for peace of mind. But if the guys at the bike shop can't tell...

Bob Dopolina 

I assume it's a steel frame based on the photo. Steel tubes are drawn and have no seams so this is not a failure of that nature.

It looks more like a scratch to me but, as mentioned, take it to a shop and have them inspect it.

rekmeyata

Is that tubeset made by True Temper? True Temper used seamed steel tubing, and it looks like it's just the seam showing through where the paint was not painted heavy enough to cover the seam well. If it's True Temper steel tubing then the frame is fine. I can't remember if there were any other steel manufactures using seamed tubing but if you have a different manufacture let us know and we, or you could too, do a web search and find out.

JDMKidBill

Yes, it is Tange 1 steel. It's a 1987 Ironman Dave Scott Expert I'll go to my local bike shop and have them check out the condition of my bike.

JDMKidBill

The sticker on my bike says it's seamless.

rekmeyata

Take it to a bike shop, because that line looks like a seam and not a crack, I've never seen a crack do what that "crack" is doing. It's possible they put the wrong tubeset sticker on it and it could be seamed.

If it is seamed don't get upset about it because a seamed tube set is no different the a seamless, in theory seamless should be stronger, but I've never seen a seam fail on a seamed tubed bike. Seam tubesets are generally a bit heavier but only by about 100 grams, I think the last generation of seamed tubesets were actually just as light as seamed.

Maybe it's a weird scratch you got from hitting something you weren't aware of? or maybe the paint ran original ran and they wet sanded it down and now it's showing?

Bob Dopolina 

Interesting. I did not know that.

Do you have any more info on this? Years? Type of tubing? Brands that used it?

unterhausen

you can't see the seams on TT tubing. There is no hint of the seams at all, no discoloration, and definitely no bumps. If you didn't know it was seamed, you couldn't tell.
I have seen some older Reynolds tubing that was badly drawn and did have a failure in the lengthwise dimension. I think that sort of failure is extremely rare, and I suspect this is paint

big chainring 

I dont think that is a crack. This is a crack.

TrojanHorse

I'm gonna have to go with seam on that one. Or expansion joint.

Bobsled

A little JB weld will fix that right up.

JohnDThompson 

Lots of manufacturers offered seamed tubing, e.g. Reynolds 501, Columbus "Allele" and "Zeta," Ishiwata 0265, Tange "Hi-Ten," etc.

Bob Dopolina 

I knew some of the lower end tubing like Hi-Ten was seamed but not 501. Time to go back and review steels...

rekmeyata

that's a lot of infor you want, you should do a web search and find out all of that. True Temper Ox Platnium is seamed, but they also make seamless like their new S-3 tubeset. Too many brands to mentioned used True Temper so you can search those if drives you to want to know.

Bob Dopolina 

I worked in steels in the late 80's. I'm not sure why I missed this but it seems (pun intended) that I've forgotten a great deal. I've already downloaded some stuff from Reynolds for review this weekend.

rekmeyata

Apparently there was even a tubeset made by Reynolds that was seamed, as well as other brands. Not sure why they chose seamed over seamless sometimes but they did. Maybe it was cheaper? I've never seen a seamed bike fail so a far as advantages over one vs the other I don't know if there is. But I do know that True Temper Ox Platnium was a highly regarded tubeset. I think seam vs seamless is the same type of argument going on in the Carbon Fiber industry of lugged CF vs formed CF, and other such arguments that seemed to never be proven as to which is superior.

If find something of interest please share it with us, thanks.

JDMKidBill

I had my bike checked out earlier this week, and the the guy said it's not a crack. He pointed out that it progressively became visible from the headtube part of the downtube to the bottom bracket. He said it could be a bad paint job, or it could be a seamed tube. All in all, it was concluded that my bike is in excellent mechanical condition, and that visible vertical mark should not be a problem.

On top of that, more good news. My PD-M540's came in Tuesday, and my pedaling continues to improve. I am one happy camper

lazerzxr

That will buff right out

rekmeyata

I'm glad it was nothing. Good for you. Now slap those pedals on and ride that bike.

JohnDThompson 

Reynolds 501 was seamed tubing. But just about all modern and relatively modern seamed tubes (including the aforementioned True Temper and Reynolds 501) are cold-drawn over a mandrel after welding to obliterate the weld seam.

And yes, seamed tubing is cheaper to make than seamless. Seamed tubing starts out as a sheet of metal, which is rolled into a tube, welded, and cold-drawn, whereas seamless tubing starts out as a solid ingot which is pierced while red-hot, and repeatedly cold-drawn over mandrels until the desired diameter and wall thickness are achieved.

roccobike

A Centurion Ironman used only Tange 1, SEAMLESS, doublebutted chromoly tubing. There are no seams in your downtube. That said, I'm sure you are seeing a paint imperfection. Those are desirable vintage bikes. If you post over on the C&V you'll find many have been upgraded with newer components and STI shifters. The red and white paint job is very desirable. My favorite, and I finally found one, is the aquamarine and light cream. Looks like a dark Celeste Bianchi.

JDMKidBill

I figured when I REALLY cleaned the appeared-to-be scratch, and put some polishing wax I had lying around the house. It appears to be gone.

Yes, I do like the paint job. However, there are paint chips on the drive-side chainstay and seatstay. Also, there a bunch of chips and scratches randomly placed throughout the bike. I removed the sticker that the bike was purchased from in 1986 or '87, and I was amazed that my paint job was originally WHITE/RED. But it now appears to be CREAM/RED. Is there a way I can get the seattube to be white again? :/

And I, too, would like to upgrade the components to modern STI shifters on the brake levers...