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Recommendations please. Titanium frame repair.

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  • February 22, 2023 at 12:26 pm #32466
    ktache

    I mentioned it on today’s live blog.

    I have cracked the frame of my titanium framed Good Bike. High end late 90s XC MTB.

    Can anyone please recommend a genius artisan craftsperson who can weld a cracked titanium frame?

    I will post a few pictures, if nothing else but to solicit some sympathy, when the forum post goes up.

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  • February 25, 2023 at 1:34 am #1011447
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    NOtotheEU
    ktache wrote:
    My Ultimate Commuter is a Surly Ogre, and apart from a weakness in the offside chain stay and dropout weld, two broken after two years each, she is a beauty.

    That’s disappointing to hear. I’m hoping eventually to build a bomb proof Surly commuter as I’m always expecting my Aluminium bikes to fail one day, especially the 20yo one.

    February 24, 2023 at 9:47 pm #1011445
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    ktache

    My mate Mike had a steel rock

    My mate Mike had a steel rock lobster (strangely, his was also the glued dynatech) which became Gahn’s on Mike’s unfortunate passing , and I borrowed for a few years so I could visit the better half in hospital in Ipswich. Lovely thing. XT thumbies, but awful elastomer forks, good ones but elastomers. Very restrictive visiting hours, and if I took the bus, I’d get back after the morning one, have half an hour in her flat then have to start travelling back for the afternoon one.

     

    February 24, 2023 at 9:17 pm #1011443
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    Secret_squirrel

    Did a quick EBay. Used to

    Did a quick EBay. Used to have a Eock Lobster Team Ti which are one of the nicer Ti frames for the price. Holy mother of god look at this abomination. 

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165864990973?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ykV-r51gTa6&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=nzPDwD4DRFi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

    February 24, 2023 at 8:45 pm #1011441
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    ktache

    Nokons. They were properly

    Nokons. They were properly bling when new, but they rot in our climate. I have a fresh set in black, and was about to start changing them, the liner has gone somewhere on the rear brake. 

    My Ultimate Commuter is a Surly Ogre, and apart from a weakness in the offside chain stay and dropout weld, two broken after two years each, she is a beauty.

    The troll still had canti bosses, but the fork is not suspension adjusted.

    February 24, 2023 at 8:23 pm #1011439
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    NOtotheEU

    Would something like a new

    Would something like a new Surly Bridge Club frameset be suitable? It’s got old school dropouts, can run 26″s and (I think) has a straight steerer. Probably a bit of a downgrade from your frame though and it’s disc only 

    I’d love to build one as I’ve never felt the need to upgrade from square taper 3×8 and 26″ wheels. Can only dream of building it with XTR, Hope and Chris King parts like yours although I’m temped by those cable outers.

    February 24, 2023 at 7:08 pm #1011437
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    ktache

    That’s where I’m at Secret,

    That’s where I’m at Secret, full XTR that to 20 years to complete, ceramic 26 inch wheels, and a Chris King headset (with ti parts) that is not hidden and requires a straight 1 1/8 steerer.  Either fixing it, which as soon as I noticed the cracks in the top tube, I considered to be unlikely, but I have to try, or something in ti or good steel of late 90s vintage that will accept the parts.

    I cannot justify the many thousands that would get me anywhere near the equivalent in a modern version. And I don’t really fancy electronic shifting…

    February 24, 2023 at 7:00 pm #1011435
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    ktache

    Cheers lodger.

    Cheers lodger.

    February 24, 2023 at 3:07 pm #1011433
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    jaymack

    Enigma did a grand job doing
    Enigma did a grand job doing some work on my non-Enigma titanium frame. I’d suggest that contacting them would be worthwhile. Their customer service was terrific as well.

    February 24, 2023 at 2:35 pm #1011431
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    Miller
    Secret_squirrel wrote:
    You’re over egging the standards bit.

    Perhaps, perhaps not. Anyway, looking at the state of that frame the components might not be in such good shape either. Sometimes you just have to let go?

    February 24, 2023 at 10:42 am #1011429
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    lodger

    I had my frame repaired by

    I had my frame repaired by Pat Banks at Limit Fabrications.

    It was a crack in the chainstay weld and not really on the same scale as yours so no idea if it’s fixable, but he did a great job on mine.

     

    February 24, 2023 at 8:37 am #1011427
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    DrG82

    I don’t like the look of the
    I don’t like the look of the shimmed seatpost. Is it a 1 or 2 part shim? If the former shouldn’t the split be at the same point as the split in the frame?

    Also, how long is the shim and how much seatpost have you got stuck out? I guess it’s all academic really as it’s proper knackered.

    February 24, 2023 at 7:32 am #1011425
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    Secret_squirrel

    You’re over egging the

    You’re over egging the standards bit.  Relatively easy to obtain new nos or lightly used parts still. And the standards are still current mostly. 

    There’s a whole scene out there on Retrobike.co.uk

    I still have a shed full of stuff from my Retrobike days. 

    You’re not going to get 11 speed + electronic shifting and tubeless without a fight but you could still build up a perfectly good 9×3 triple with square taper cranks and 26″ wheels.

    February 24, 2023 at 7:26 am #1011423
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    Secret_squirrel

    Given the extent of the

    Given the extent of the cracking I’m inclined to agree.  The fact that it’s spread from the weld to the monostay is worrying.

    I’m wondering if that frame was one of the Raleigh Special Products  range that was made out of rolled and seam welded Ti sheet?  Would explain the crack propagation.

    February 24, 2023 at 5:25 am #1011421
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    Anonymous

    So much for titanium lasting
    So much for titanium lasting forever…….. Or maybe that’s just marketing……

    February 23, 2023 at 11:30 pm #1011419
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    chrisonabike

    The import would dent the

    The import would dent the budget any way round of course…

    Thanks for the tip for the H-bars – I think I saw you mention them before.

    I discovered Jones through BikeSnob (also noted the LWB / SWB) and looking at the H-bar realised that (like everyone) I’d probably spent time over the years with different bar angles, straight / drops, closer, further away, sticking various bits of tube on to extend forward / upward … but that actually that H-shape might just have enough to do it?  (I never got quite as far as butterfly bars or Sheldon’s “three speed” monster though).

    Having said all that I’ve been going increasingly “look ma!  No weight on my hands!” – though not as “Top Gun” as another of Mr. Burrows creations though.

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