Another N-1+1 thread
07-12-13, 01:01 PM
#1
astro
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Location: Pennington, NJ
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Bikes: Raleigh Sports, '72, Bianchi Volpe, '97 (no more, it died), Greenspeed GTVS6, '05, Trek 520, '13
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Another N-1+1 thread
N for me is 1, so N-1 is zero!
Yesterday, I was on a short ride (6.7 miles) around the neighborhood and making the turn for the last half mile to home, I heard a pop or a ping. After that the handling was squirrelly, but since my driveway was just up the road, I kept going. I figured I'd broken a spoke. But when I got home, all the spokes were fine. Hmmm…
Overnight I thought about it some more and decided there had to be something wrong and I'd better find out what it was before I went riding again. It turns out the right chain stay was broken at the joint with the seat stay and the dropout. Not just cracked, but completely broken. There was some rust on the separated pieces, so there must have been a crack there for a least a little while.
I went into semi-panic mode. I've got to get a bike for the FANY ride which starts in 9 days! How am I going to keep fit for the ride while I wait for a new bike?
As it turns out, when I was worried about whether the bottom bracket could be unfrozen from the frame about a month ago, I did some research on a new bike and decided a Trek 520 would be good. One of the dealers in Princeton carries Trek. They had one in stock which could be adjusted to fit me. I'll be picking it up in another hour or so! Now I've got to get used to bar end shifters! But I'm psyched that the bike feels lighter and definitely has lower gearing than what I'm used to. Bring on those hills!
The photos show my poor old Bianchi and the broken chain stay!
- Ed
Yesterday, I was on a short ride (6.7 miles) around the neighborhood and making the turn for the last half mile to home, I heard a pop or a ping. After that the handling was squirrelly, but since my driveway was just up the road, I kept going. I figured I'd broken a spoke. But when I got home, all the spokes were fine. Hmmm…
Overnight I thought about it some more and decided there had to be something wrong and I'd better find out what it was before I went riding again. It turns out the right chain stay was broken at the joint with the seat stay and the dropout. Not just cracked, but completely broken. There was some rust on the separated pieces, so there must have been a crack there for a least a little while.
I went into semi-panic mode. I've got to get a bike for the FANY ride which starts in 9 days! How am I going to keep fit for the ride while I wait for a new bike?
As it turns out, when I was worried about whether the bottom bracket could be unfrozen from the frame about a month ago, I did some research on a new bike and decided a Trek 520 would be good. One of the dealers in Princeton carries Trek. They had one in stock which could be adjusted to fit me. I'll be picking it up in another hour or so! Now I've got to get used to bar end shifters! But I'm psyched that the bike feels lighter and definitely has lower gearing than what I'm used to. Bring on those hills!
The photos show my poor old Bianchi and the broken chain stay!
- Ed
07-12-13, 02:10 PM
#2
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If you're buying new, just don't settle on fit, make it right.
Glad you found that close to home, have fun with the new ride.
Glad you found that close to home, have fun with the new ride.
07-12-13, 02:15 PM
#3
Time for a change.
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Serves you right for only having one bike
Glad you managed to get a replacement so quick but ask around the shops. One of them will know of someone that can repair steel frames. Will cost a bit as new chain stays to be made or acquired but just a project to get the bike repaired. N+1 on the cheap.
Glad you managed to get a replacement so quick but ask around the shops. One of them will know of someone that can repair steel frames. Will cost a bit as new chain stays to be made or acquired but just a project to get the bike repaired. N+1 on the cheap.
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Spike Milligan
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
07-12-13, 04:17 PM
#4
Senior Member
Clean it up and weld that chainstay, the Bianchi will be stronger than ever. Meanwhile, pics of the new Trek would be nice.
07-12-13, 07:22 PM
#6
astro
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I moved things like the mirror, blinkie, trunk bag, handle bar bag, water bottles, and most importantly, the saddle from the old bike. Turns out the handle bar is much fatter than the old one. My GPS mount wouldn't fit.
As far as bike fit, it fits fine. The old one was a 58 cm, the new is 57. It needed a longer stem than what was on it when it was in the display. Now, it basically has all the same dimensions as the old one.
As far as welding the stay - maybe. I have a whole bunch of spares and tools that will be useless with the new bike, so maybe things will show up on ebay or maybe I'll actually look into repairing the frame.
- Ed
07-12-13, 09:21 PM
#8
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Nice bike! Looking good! 
Seems like everybody's getting new bikes! Enjoy your rides and if this Jersey weather keeps up, all your rides, as well as mine, will be in the rain.
Seems like everybody's getting new bikes! Enjoy your rides and if this Jersey weather keeps up, all your rides, as well as mine, will be in the rain.
07-13-13, 06:17 AM
#9
Senior Member
The new ride looks great. Many happy miles ahead, I'm sure you will be able to find a mount to fit the new handlebar for your GPS. Lots of luck with it.
07-13-13, 08:51 AM
#10
Semper Fi
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Hope the new bike suits you as well as the Bianchi did. From the pictures it looks like you had some rust invasion at the joint where the chain stay joins the drop. I'm glad that you weren't injured by a catastrophic failure and found such a good N+1 that quickly, nest of luck.
Bill
Bill
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Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
07-13-13, 08:27 PM
#12
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07-14-13, 12:15 AM
#13
Time for a change.
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Both thoughts came into my head but the bike situation will change once the Bianchi is fixed. The clean garage though is worrying.
Perhaps he is never in it as he is always out riding.
__________________
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
07-14-13, 02:29 AM
#14
Senior Member
As an aside, if you still want the Bianchi in the family, the dropout appears to be repairable. The break appears to be entirely in the dropout casting and doesn't really seem to be a result of the corrosion.
It does need a good frame builder who can access the same castings as used in the original dropout. But I don't think it's a particularly complicated or expensive repair -- other than getting the bits of the dropout out of the seat and chain stays.
I broke the dropout clean across where the triangular hole is on my Fuji Touring, and I was able to braze it all back together again. The bike is no longer my tourer, and it will become a commuter bike... it's just that I am not totally confident of the repair unless I were to replace the entire dropout.
The Trek has a good reputation, albeit overshadowed by the Surly LHT. But I'd expect you to get excellent service from it.
It does need a good frame builder who can access the same castings as used in the original dropout. But I don't think it's a particularly complicated or expensive repair -- other than getting the bits of the dropout out of the seat and chain stays.
I broke the dropout clean across where the triangular hole is on my Fuji Touring, and I was able to braze it all back together again. The bike is no longer my tourer, and it will become a commuter bike... it's just that I am not totally confident of the repair unless I were to replace the entire dropout.
The Trek has a good reputation, albeit overshadowed by the Surly LHT. But I'd expect you to get excellent service from it.
