Last night I put my road bike, Old Yeller, up on the stand for post-race maintenance. Immediately after removing the water bottles, my eyes were drawn to a hairline crack where the seat tube meets the bottom bracket.
Hmmm, I don't recall seeing that one before.
Because this bicycle was powder-coated, I realized that it was unlikely a simple scratch on the surface, but more probably a fissure all the way through the aluminum (aluminiyum for you Brits) frame.
The only way to be sure was to pull the crank and bottom bracket for a gander with a mirror from the inside of the seat tube.
The frame is indeed cracked.
Crap!
Here are more details of the same images: external, internal
Should I be concerned about this? Has Old Yeller's racing days ended, or is this a mark of graceful aging no different than the deepening crow's feet near my eyes?
Your comments are welcome.
Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
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Let's pick up the story in roughly the middle of the action.
... Goldilocks first sampled Papa Bear's porridge, "Holy shit, that's hot,"
she cried, toss...
2 years ago
Say it ain't so!
ReplyDeleteI think Old Yeller's had its day. I'd strip it down and hang the frame on the wall.
All good things....
Remember the super glue add showing the lifting of a Ford tractor off the ground. You really need some of that brand.
ReplyDeleteOl' dad
Man Brady, I'm really sorry to see that. I think its probably about the end of the line for Old Yeller, you can ride it but that crack's not going to stop growing. That's just my opinion but I think it'll be backed up by others. Short term, its rideable but do it justice and don't destroy it in the process. Put it on the wall and let it live out its days in glory. I can probably hook you up with a loaner bike while you figure things out.
ReplyDeleteNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
ReplyDeleteNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Man that sucks, especially after the drama of your theft/recovery.
But yes, this is more of a deal breaker than the theft was. There's no way to put hard work and elbow grease into making this better. I don't remember how heavy your frame was, or what the exact geometry was, but if you bring it over (stripped down) and it's comparable to my Soma Speedster and if you're interested at all, I'd give you a really good deal on it.
Or, if your cross bike works out, it could be your main ride. Just switch out wheelsets with different tires for different ride types (road only, mixed, etc). That way you can get away without having to buy a new frame, and also buy parts for your cross project.
Just some suggestions. Let me know anyway I can help.
I'd put a 24" kid's bike rear wheel on it, flop and chop the drop bars, put the widest cross tire you can on the front wheel and spend many happy minutes launching that ugly bitch off loading docks.
ReplyDeleteI've always been one for Nastalgia. That's why I gently place my worn-out faithful steed of 2 decades into the dumpster. I like Single_speeder's idea so much, I'm kicking myself for not sending the Bianchi that way when its time was done.
ReplyDeleteThis is like a gift from heaven..."Honey...I have to get a new frame, mine's broken"
ReplyDeleteCoach: if I had realized the upgrade possibility of new frame, I may have considered launching Old Yeller off loading docks long ago.
ReplyDeleteIn truth, I'd rather have Old Yeller without a crack than a new bike. Perhaps my opinion will change one day.
While I decide what comes next, I'm building the cyclocross bike for winter rides and to share time commuting to work with the Nishiki.