Frame crack on bike - advice please

[James Thomson]

"Nigel Cliffe" <[email protected]> a écrit:

> Paul Boyd wrote:

> > My Randonneur is coming up to 10 in a couple of months

> If the Randonneur is one of the "really hand built by the blokes in the
> shed at the end of the Nottingham factory", then its from the quality
> bike department. Might be one of the last ?

Randonneurs were made by the Special Products division, which, as far as I
know, had its own site at Ilkeston. They were still being made in 2000 after
the Nottingham factory ceased frame production.

James Thomson

 

[Sandy Morton]

In article <[email protected]>,
M-gineering <[email protected]> wrote:
> That was the short answer. The long one is that finding somebody
> -who can weld aluminium

No problem

> -who has the reamers to reface the bearing seat

No problem

> -who will take the job

No problem except the distance

> -who will charge less than what will trigger a heartattack

Megamajor problem

> is... erm.... difficult ;}

Not insurmountable but anything with less than 2 zeros at the end of
the invoice would be a problem.

--
T h e - e x t e n d e r ! ! ! !

 

[Paul Boyd]

James Thomson said the following on 30/01/2007 22:06:
> "Nigel Cliffe" <[email protected]> a écrit:
>> If the Randonneur is one of the "really hand built by the blokes in the
>> shed at the end of the Nottingham factory", then its from the quality
>> bike department. Might be one of the last ?

It's certainly a nice bike. The wheels have never needed to be trued in
all that time, and the whole bike still feels "right". The frame is
good old Reynolds tubing - 708.

> Randonneurs were made by the Special Products division

That rings a bell (if you'll pardon the nearly-pun!)

> They were still being made in 2000 after
> the Nottingham factory ceased frame production.

That I didn't know.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[James Thomson]

"Paul Boyd" <usenet.dont.work@plusnet> a écrit:

> It's certainly a nice bike. The wheels have never needed to be
> trued in all that time, and the whole bike still feels "right". The
> frame is good old Reynolds tubing - 708.

I had one that I foolishly gave to my father. They're very nice bikes.

>> They were still being made in 2000 after the Nottingham factory ceased
>> frame production.

> That I didn't know.

If you search Google groups for my name and Raleigh, you'll find a press
release I transcribed in 1999 concerning the cessation of frame building at
Nottingham, and the plans to keep RSP running.

There were certainly new Randonneurs still being produced in 2000. I came
close to buying one in the spring of that year. The last bikes were lovely.
They kept the Reynolds 708 frame with a few small changes (a new fork crown,
a dynamo braze-on, and a stainless head badge) but the equipment was
deluxe - a full XT 9-speed group, plus Magura hydraulic brakes and a Brooks
saddle. The price jumped 50%.

James Thomson

 

[Paul Boyd]

James Thomson said the following on 31/01/2007 09:00:

> They kept the Reynolds 708 frame with a few small changes (a new fork crown,
> a dynamo braze-on, and a stainless head badge) but the equipment was
> deluxe - a full XT 9-speed group, plus Magura hydraulic brakes and a Brooks
> saddle. The price jumped 50%.

The dynamo braze-on would have been handy for most of its life, although
I now have a dyno-hub. It still "only" has an 8-speed groupset, but it
did come with a Brooks saddle which is almost broken in now!

Magura hydraulic brakes would have been nice pose value! I've currently
got V-brakes, which can stop me quicker than I'll ever need to stop

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, mb
[email protected] says...
> On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:07:08 +0000, Rob Morley wrote:
>
> > In article <[email protected]>, mb
> > [email protected] says...
> >> On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:05:53 +0000, Rob Morley wrote:
> >>
> >> > In article <[email protected]>, Creature
> >> > [email protected] says...
> >> > I suspect that
> >> >> it's a write-off - it's not an expensive bike, and one can't weld
> >> >> aluminium (can you?)
> >> >
> >> > You can if you've got a TIG welder.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> OK, step away from the keyboard;
> >> 1. It's prolly heat treated alloy, which means that you shouldn't weld on
> >> it, 'cos it will be almost impossible to heat treat it again (without a
> >> computer controlled oven).
> >
> > That doesn't mean it can't be done,....
>
> Now, see, I don't know 'cos some alloys/heat treatments are completely
> unweldable.
>
> > ....it just means it's not worth doing.
>
> Agreed.
>
> >
> >> 2. TIG welding aluminium is not for the faint-hearted and will need a
> >> welding set capable of high amppage - higher than for steel.
> >>
> > And ... ? You snipped the bit where I said return the frame under
> > warranty or scrap it.
>
> Then why mention welding, unless you thought it was possible?
>
>
In answer to the OP's question, which is still up there ^
It's not impossible, it's just not worth the effort.