Boo Hoo

[Pete White]

When I cycled to Bath and back yesterday, coming back to Trowbridge along the Kennet and Avon Canal
on my trusty Puegeot ATB, I noticed a knocking sound from my BB. "Ho-Hum," I thought, "time for a
new bottom-bracket." Mucho muscle time. Anyway, while I was getting the damn thing out of the frame
(I'll recover in a few weeks- Hopefully) I noticed a tiny-tiny-tiny crack in the bottom of the right
hand chainstay.

Bugger. I'm very attached to that bike as well!

Pete White

 

[J-P.S]

On Sun, 2 Mar 2003 14:10:56 -0000, Pete White scrawled: ) Anyway, while I was getting the damn thing
out of the frame (I'll ) recover in a few weeks- Hopefully) I noticed a tiny-tiny-tiny crack in the
) bottom of the right hand chainstay.

Out of interest, can that sort of thing ever be put right with a weld, or will it always be a
weak point?

J-P
--
No more 'noses on parade,' you complete WEIRDO

 

[Pete White]

"j-p.s" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 2 Mar 2003 14:10:56 -0000, Pete White scrawled: ) Anyway, while I was getting the damn
> thing out of the frame (I'll ) recover in a few weeks- Hopefully) I noticed a tiny-tiny-tiny
> crack in
the
> ) bottom of the right hand chainstay.
>
> Out of interest, can that sort of thing ever be put right with a weld, or will it always be a
> weak point?
>
> J-P
> --
> No more 'noses on parade,' you complete WEIRDO

I'm not sure about steel frames, but both of my bikes are Aluminium, and I'm pretty sure that it
isn't posssible to weld Aluminium. Hence the fact that its new bike time... I guess that steel is
weldable (is that a word?) but the weld would indeed be a weak point. I wouldn't want to try any
jumps on a frame that had been re-welded.

Pete White

 

[Marc]

Pete White <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> I'm not sure about steel frames, but both of my bikes are Aluminium, and I'm pretty sure that it
> isn't posssible to weld Aluminium. Hence the fact that its new bike time...

It is possible to weld Aluminium ( How do you think they made the bike?)

> I guess that steel is weldable (is that a word?) but the weld would indeed be a weak point.

If it was done properly the weld would be stronger than the surrounding metal.

 

[Graham Bowers]

"Marc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Pete White <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> > I'm not sure about steel frames, but both of my bikes are Aluminium, and
I'm
> > pretty sure that it isn't posssible to weld Aluminium. Hence the fact
that
> > its new bike time...
>
> It is possible to weld Aluminium ( How do you think they made the bike?)
>
> > I guess that steel is weldable (is that a word?) but the weld would
indeed
> > be a weak point.
>
> If it was done properly the weld would be stronger than the surrounding metal.

I believe the issue is not so much that it's difficult to weld Aluminium alloy (although it is more
difficult than steel) , but it is necessary to conduct a heat treat operation after welding in order
to ssort out the grain structure. This means bunging it in an oven for a few hours, which is
economic with manufacturing volumes, but not for repair at a price we would be prepared to pay.

Just found this: http://www.solace.mh.se/~turbo/mek/metals/aluminum.htm

I'd still get the opinion of an expert frame repairer anyway - but be prepared for
disappointment :-((

Graham

 

[Robert Taylor]

It would be worth checking to see if Peugeot has a replacement program for frame failures like the
one you have. When I bought my Cannondale (in the US) beyond the usual warrenty there was also a
company policy to provide a replacement frame for $150 even if the frame was damaged by something
other than a defect like being run over by a car (hopefully while the rider was elsewhere). I think
this was done because aluminum frames can't usually be safely repaired. I don't know whether this
policy is still in effect.

It's worth checking. with Peugeot.

Bob Taylor

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Sun, 2 Mar 2003 16:53:17 -0000, "Pete White" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I guess that steel is weldable

I guess they would remove the chainstay and braze a new one in.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

 

[Chris French]

In message <[email protected]>, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
<[email protected]> writes
>On Sun, 2 Mar 2003 16:53:17 -0000, "Pete White" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I guess that steel is weldable
>
>I guess they would remove the chainstay and braze a new one in.
>
I would expect so, I guess a weld of the crack is possible, but probably never going to look neat
and I wouldn't be surprised if a frame builder didn't want to do it.

Bob Jackson quote GBP 37.50 + vat for a new chain stay, but after that you'll want a
respray as well.

<http://www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk/repairs.htm>
--
Chris French, Leeds

 

[Pete White]

"Robert Taylor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It would be worth checking to see if Peugeot has a replacement program for frame failures like the
> one you have. When I bought my Cannondale (in the US) beyond the usual warrenty there was also a
> company policy to provide a replacement frame for $150 even if the frame was damaged by something
> other than a defect like being run over by a car (hopefully while the rider was elsewhere). I
> think this was done because aluminum frames can't usually be safely repaired. I don't know whether
> this policy is still in effect.
>
> It's worth checking. with Peugeot.
>
> Bob Taylor
>

I don't think Peugeot still market bikes anymore, certainlt not in england. After all mine is seven
years old...

Pete White

 

[Pete White]

"Graham Bowers" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Marc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Pete White <[email protected]> wrote:

<Snip>

> I believe the issue is not so much that it's difficult to weld Aluminium alloy (although it is
> more difficult than steel) , but it is necessary to conduct a heat treat operation after welding
> in order to ssort out the
grain
> structure. This means bunging it in an oven for a few hours, which is economic with manufacturing
> volumes, but not for repair at a price we
would
> be prepared to pay.
>
> Just found this: http://www.solace.mh.se/~turbo/mek/metals/aluminum.htm
>
> I'd still get the opinion of an expert frame repairer anyway - but be prepared for
> disappointment :-((
>
> Graham

Thanks for the link.

I reckon I might get a few more miles of riding out of the Peugeot, but I don't think I'll do much
offroading, and seeing as I have a Trek 1000T as well I don't see the point of keeping the Puegeot.
As to fixing the crack, I have thought of getting a strong glue and trying to glue it, if only to
try to stop the crack growing. What does everybody reckon?

Pete White

 

[Graham Bowers]

"chris French" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> In message <[email protected]>, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
> <[email protected]> writes
> >On Sun, 2 Mar 2003 16:53:17 -0000, "Pete White" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>I guess that steel is weldable
> >
> >I guess they would remove the chainstay and braze a new one in.
> >
> I would expect so, I guess a weld of the crack is possible, but probably never going to look neat
> and I wouldn't be surprised if a frame builder didn't want to do it.
>
> Bob Jackson quote GBP 37.50 + vat for a new chain stay, but after that you'll want a respray
> as well.
>
> <http://www.bobjacksoncycles.co.uk/repairs.htm>
> --
> Chris French, Leeds

Chris If I'm reading the thread right, Pete's cracked frame is Aluminium alloy, and unfortunately
the repair bob jackson is offering is 531 steel :-(( Cheers Graham

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Tue, 4 Mar 2003 17:14:33 -0000, "Graham Bowers" <[email protected]> wrote:

>If I'm reading the thread right, Pete's cracked frame is Aluminium alloy, and unfortunately the
>repair bob jackson is offering is 531 steel :-((

Can't speak for Chris, but I for one fully understood that. I was making a tangential comment
regarding the putative repair of a crack in a steel chainstay, which I would expect ot be achieved
by replacement, and Chris agreed (which was nice).

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

 

[Chris French]

In message <[email protected]>, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
<[email protected]> writes
>On Tue, 4 Mar 2003 17:14:33 -0000, "Graham Bowers" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>If I'm reading the thread right, Pete's cracked frame is Aluminium alloy, and unfortunately the
>>repair bob jackson is offering is 531 steel :-((
>
>Can't speak for Chris, but I for one fully understood that.

That bit of information seemed to pass me by....

>I was making a tangential comment regarding the putative repair of a crack in a steel chainstay,
>which I would expect ot be achieved by replacement, and Chris agreed (which was nice).


--
Chris French, Leeds