So I'm riding home from work last night on my nice, shiny, handmade bike.
Out of the saddle up Fullers road, feeling good. Suddenly "ping", and the bike feels really weird. Soggy as all hell, and the front derailleur's rubbing the chain badly.
Stop and have a look, and the join between the bottom bracket and seat tube has come apart, taking part of the bottom bracket with it.
D'oh!
This grasshopper needs to do some more learning about brazing, methinks. Just because it looks nice and works when you first ride it, doesn't mean it's still going to be good 10,000km down the track.
So I'm riding home from work last night on my nice, shiny, handmade bike.
Out of the saddle up Fullers road, feeling good. Suddenly "ping", and the bike feels really weird. Soggy as all hell, and the front derailleur's rubbing the chain badly.
Stop and have a look, and the join between the bottom bracket and seat tube has come apart, taking part of the bottom bracket with it.
D'oh!
This grasshopper needs to do some more learning about brazing, methinks. Just because it looks nice and works when you first ride it, doesn't mean it's still going to be good 10,000km down the track.
Regards,
Suzy
D'oh! indeed. Isn't this exactly why the older frame builders say something about making many frames & testing some to destruction? How many km &/or how old for that frame?
D'oh! indeed. Isn't this exactly why the older frame builders say something about making many frames & testing some to destruction? How many km &/or how old for that frame?
Yeah, the common one is "don't buy a frame off a builder that's made less that 10 (or 100) frames"
The frame's only about 9 months old, but in that time it's done an Audax Alpine Classic, a super series, commuting, and a 900km tour. Around 10,000km at a guess.
I guess the riding I've done sort of counts as testing to destruction. Hopefully frame number 3 will be better :|
Yeah, the common one is "don't buy a frame off a builder that's made less that 10 (or 100) frames"
The frame's only about 9 months old, but in that time it's done an Audax Alpine Classic, a super series, commuting, and a 900km tour. Around 10,000km at a guess.
I guess the riding I've done sort of counts as testing to destruction. Hopefully frame number 3 will be better :|
Regards,
Suzy
I've gotta say Suzy, 10,000km is more than most frames used in Aus ever do, and probalby many more k's than some of the cheaper alloy frames ever make... (But probably less km than you'd like your frames to be capable of i spose)
Not bad considering this was your first frame (or second?).
Yeah, the common one is "don't buy a frame off a builder that's made less that 10 (or 100) frames"
The frame's only about 9 months old, but in that time it's done an Audax Alpine Classic, a super series, commuting, and a 900km tour. Around 10,000km at a guess.
I guess the riding I've done sort of counts as testing to destruction. Hopefully frame number 3 will be better :|
Regards,
Suzy
I've gotta say Suzy, 10,000km is more than most frames used in Aus ever do, and probalby many more k's than some of the cheaper alloy frames ever make... (But probably less km than you'd like your frames to be capable of i spose)
Not bad considering this was your first frame (or second?).
T
Surely you jest. I am a very ordinary rider and I do 5000kms a year. I owned a Cannondale 1000 for 10 years and know it is still going strong 3 years later. One of my current steel tourers has 10000 plus on it and looks new, except for all the paint scratches.
Yeah, the common one is "don't buy a frame off a builder that's made less that 10 (or 100) frames"
The frame's only about 9 months old, but in that time it's done an Audax Alpine Classic, a super series, commuting, and a 900km tour. Around 10,000km at a guess.
I guess the riding I've done sort of counts as testing to destruction. Hopefully frame number 3 will be better :|
Shhh.. don't tell people that! Everyone thinks you're the bike building Queen! 🙂
*grin* hence the title - someone emailed me about an mtbr thingy a couple of weeks ago titled - "Suzy Jackson - excellent framebuilder" or somesuch. I figured it was time to set the record straight.
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If it took part of the BB, could it be a BB flaw?
Or is it likely an issue with that section getting too hot or something when brazing it?
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From looking at it last night (proper post mortem will take place when
I cut every lug in half with a hacksaw and take photos), it appears there was a void in the filler, from which a crack slowly but surely grew around the tube, until finally the remaining intact part of the join snapped.
I'm guessing the original void was caused by cooking the flux on that part of the lug.
I hope practice makes perfect. I've ordered a full set of Henry James lugs and Columbus Zona tubes to make a replacement.
think of it as your 'had to churn it out' second album/book.
all the reviewers were eagerly awaiting it and you felt pressured to exceed the 'debut' so inevitably it was jsut going to 'flop'. Time to rediscover the reason you 'entered the industry' and hide away for a period to a triumphant return on a all-new-improved steed 😄 😄 😄
I have broken two frames - fatigued dropout across one side of an open triangle style (drive side rear) and failure of the weld at the rear drive side of the chainstay at the dropout end (753 unlugged, pretty sure that it is welded)
The first bike had approx 40k and was a fairly heavy cromo frame.
2nd bike 753 OS race, bought 2nd hand from a mate, probably did 60k befor failure and 15k since repair.
More recently have 35k on a 7005 aluminimum with no failure yet.
Just one data point as to failure rate.
That said, build me a bike and I'll test to destruction!
The first bike had approx 40k and was a fairly heavy cromo frame.
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2nd bike 753 OS race, bought 2nd hand from a mate, probably did 60k befor failure and 15k since repair.
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More recently have 35k on a 7005 aluminimum with no failure yet.
My old Tange steel bike has ~50,000k on it, no failures. My aluminium Colnago has ~25,000km on it, with a small crack in the head tube and a rattly bidon cage mount. I'm riding that one at the moment.
I've gotta say Suzy, 10,000km is more than most frames used in Aus ever do, and probalby many more k's than some of the cheaper alloy frames ever make... (But probably less km than you'd like your frames to be capable of i spose)
Not bad considering this was your first frame (or second?).
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Surely you jest. I am a very ordinary rider and I do 5000kms a year. I owned a Cannondale 1000 for 10 years and know it is still going strong 3 years later. One of my current steel tourers has 10000 plus on it and looks new, except for all the paint scratches.
i put something around 12000 km on my MTB every year for 5 years...
This grasshopper needs to do some more learning about brazing, methinks. Just because it looks nice and works when you first ride it, doesn't mean it's still going to be good 10,000km down the track.
You brazed it?
Not a good method if you want structural strength.
This grasshopper needs to do some more learning about brazing, methinks. Just because it looks nice and works when you first ride it, doesn't mean it's still going to be good 10,000km down the track.
You brazed it?
Not a good method if you want structural strength.
It would have been better to use a MIG welder.
Why? Steel frames have been brazed for years. My old Ricardo Elite (brazed steel frame) served me well for over 18 years including times where I weighed over 100kg. I crashed it a couple of times racing it never needed straightening. It would have done over 30,000 km, including
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6000km in the 12 months before I upgraded. The driveline wore out
completely and I just needed an excuse to buy something with STI...
This grasshopper needs to do some more learning about brazing, methinks. Just because it looks nice and works when you first ride it, doesn't mean it's still going to be good 10,000km down the track.
You brazed it?
Not a good method if you want structural strength.
It would have been better to use a MIG welder.[/QUOTE]
Where have you been for the past hundred plus years!! :eek:
My old Tange steel bike has ~50,000k on it, no failures. My aluminium Colnago has ~25,000km on it, with a small crack in the head tube and a rattly bidon cage mount. I'm riding that one at the moment.
My Trek alloy frame has 48,000 and still going strong.
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I figure a good steel frame should last forever.
steel=>rust
Nothing lasts forever, but titanium will be the closest 🙂
Carl Brewer <[email hidden]> wrote in news:[email hidden]:
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steel=>rust
And aluminium => aluminium oxide. Perhaps not at the same rate, but it happens. However, if you look after a decent bike, whatever the frame material it should last a long time (although reportedly longer if it's steel).
