Looking for a frame builder to modify a ti road frame

[kwalters]

Titanium (Reynolds 3-2.5) road frame on which I would like
to replace the integrated headtube with a standard
1-1/8 non-integrated threadless headtube. Frame finish is
brushed ti, and preserving the decals will not be an issue.
A picture can be seen at:

http://photobucket.com/albums/a158/kwalters

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Ken

 

[bfd]

If you are near San Francisco, check out Dan Nelson (NTP Bikes). His ti
frames are very nice and he does frame repair on steel, aluminum and ti
frames:

http://www.ntpbikes.com/PRODUCTS/OTHER SERVICES.html

 

[[email protected]]

kwalters wrote:
> Titanium (Reynolds 3-2.5) road frame on which I would like
> to replace the integrated headtube with a standard
> 1-1/8 non-integrated threadless headtube. Frame finish is
> brushed ti, and preserving the decals will not be an issue.
> A picture can be seen at:
>
> http://photobucket.com/albums/a158/kwalters
>
> Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
>
> Ken

I remember you had concerns about the apparent uneven head tube
machining. It looked pretty typical, from my experience. Were there
functional issues as well?

 

[A Muzi]

kwalters wrote:
> Titanium (Reynolds 3-2.5) road frame on which I would like
> to replace the integrated headtube with a standard
> 1-1/8 non-integrated threadless headtube. Frame finish is
> brushed ti, and preserving the decals will not be an issue.
> A picture can be seen at:
> http://photobucket.com/albums/a158/kwalters

Can't help with that.
Did you consider using a more standard format headset and
fork with a set of aluminum sleeves in your largish head
tube? No downside to that I can see.
(couldn't see the picture)
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[kwalters]

[email protected] wrote:

> kwalters wrote:
>
>>Titanium (Reynolds 3-2.5) road frame on which I would like
>>to replace the integrated headtube with a standard
>>1-1/8 non-integrated threadless headtube. Frame finish is
>>brushed ti, and preserving the decals will not be an issue.
>>A picture can be seen at:
>>
>>http://photobucket.com/albums/a158/kwalters
>>
>>Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
>>
>>Ken
>
>
> I remember you had concerns about the apparent uneven head tube
> machining. It looked pretty typical, from my experience. Were there
> functional issues as well?
>


I have high speed shimmy which I didn't have initially. Wheel swaps &
new bearings did nothing to mitigate it (let's not start another shimmy
thread). Cane Creek seems to think repeated "cleaning up" with their
$400 cutting tool will result in eventually cutting thru the sidewall
of the headtube. Ken

 

[kwalters]

A Muzi wrote:

> kwalters wrote:
>
>> Titanium (Reynolds 3-2.5) road frame on which I would like
>> to replace the integrated headtube with a standard
>> 1-1/8 non-integrated threadless headtube. Frame finish is
>> brushed ti, and preserving the decals will not be an issue.
>> A picture can be seen at:
>> http://photobucket.com/albums/a158/kwalters
>
>
> Can't help with that.
> Did you consider using a more standard format headset and fork with a
> set of aluminum sleeves in your largish head tube? No downside to that I
> can see.
> (couldn't see the picture)


No, but am willing to try it. Where would I find the sleeves? My
headtube i.d. is approx 38mm, the cup skirt o.d. on a std 1-1/8 headset
is ~34mm so using 1-1/8 to 1" reducers would require some shimming.
Besides, I think this is something I should not have to be doing on a
$2600 frame. However, Trek continues to ignore my protestations. And
interestingly, they apparently have discontinued integrated headset frames.

Ken

 

[[email protected]]

kwalters wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>
> > kwalters wrote:
> >
> >>Titanium (Reynolds 3-2.5) road frame on which I would like
> >>to replace the integrated headtube with a standard
> >>1-1/8 non-integrated threadless headtube. Frame finish is
> >>brushed ti, and preserving the decals will not be an issue.
> >>A picture can be seen at:
> >>
> >>http://photobucket.com/albums/a158/kwalters
> >>
> >>Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
> >>
> >>Ken
> >
> >
> > I remember you had concerns about the apparent uneven head tube
> > machining. It looked pretty typical, from my experience. Were there
> > functional issues as well?
> >
>
>
> I have high speed shimmy which I didn't have initially. Wheel swaps &
> new bearings did nothing to mitigate it (let's not start another shimmy
> thread). Cane Creek seems to think repeated "cleaning up" with their
> $400 cutting tool will result in eventually cutting thru the sidewall
> of the headtube. Ken

Hi Ken,

I don't think changing the head tube(!) and head set from integrated to
standard would affect a shimmy, since that's often related to the
torsional and lateral stiffness of the frame (among many things). I
wouldn't think integrated head set bearings (or not) would affect that
very much if at all.

Have you considered just selling the frame (or whole bike)? Jim Beam
says big tube aluminum frames tend to shimmy less, and there are plenty
of those around, even cheap ones on ebay, if you just want to try it
and see. Then if it seems to solve the shimmy problem you could
consider some kind of "nice" big tube aluminum frame if you want.

Too bad Lemond doesn't seem willing to do anything. Maybe they'd swap
your frame for a Trek 2200 or Klein?