[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.

Topic

[ktache]

It’s not the “full” Jones,

It’s not the “full” Jones, but BikeSnob really rated the SWB and the LWB. Still not cheap, but…

I think the LWB came out on top, he gave away the SWB.

The H bars are very good. I had just wrapped the loop, made it more useable. First bar I’d wrapped in over 20 years, got some non sticky very cheap stuff from eBay, so I can get it right before wrapping with the much more expensive Castelli Tennis wrap I’d got for the purpose. 

[chrisonabike]

Haven’t had a MTB frame for

Haven’t had a MTB frame for years, last I owned was some Merida Matts one IIRC which I had in the 90s and which followed me around like a faithful hound!  If I went all midlife crisis a hardtail might re-appear – maybe even full Jones (crisis with spending to match)!

[ktache]

She was.

She was.

There are some 90s MTB frames out there, so there is some hope…

Been riding her for a few weeks while waiting for the broken Ultimate Commuter to be replaced.

Was having a lot of fun, she responded well to being pushed hard.

[chrisonabike]

Ouch!  Sorry to see that –

Ouch!  Sorry to see that – looks like a nice machine.

[ktache]

No, and I never used the seat

No, and I never used the seat post in the bike workstand either.

[quiff]

Patch it with marmalade?

Patch it with marmalade?

[tigersnapper]

That doesn’t look good, but

That doesn’t look good, but then I’m no expert!  Enigma Bikes who buils and sell titanium bikes / frames used to do repairs to no Enigma frames.  Don’t know if they still do.  Based in Hailsham.

[Sriracha]

Yikes! Out of curiosity, do
Yikes! Out of curiosity, do you have a bike packing bag or rack cantilevered off the seat post? That’s not meant to be an accusation! It’s just that I’ve always looked at them and wondered ? what they do for the frame.

[chocim]

Given the extent of cracking

Given the extent of cracking on the photos, I would question the advisability of even trying to repair this frame. It could have been badly designed with too much stress concentrated there or the material could have been dodgy. Would never feel safe riding something that cracked so badly even if someone offered to repair it.

[wtjs]

My Merlin Ti is virtually

My 23-year old Merlin Ti is virtually road only, so it still looks immaculate- only thing wrong with it is the rim brakes.

[David9694]

See attached. 

See attached. 

[IanMSpencer]

A mate had the rear dropouts

A mate had the rear dropouts fail on his Planet-X – dodgy design if you ask me as the whole weight of the bike went through the weld to the dropout, which stuck out behind the frame – they have changed the design.

He found a local welder somewhere in the West Midlands. Basically, Titanium needs to be welded in an oxygen-free environment so it’s a bit specialised how it is done, but if you can find a welder who can do it, and there are plenty around, the fact it’s a bike makes no odds. I don’t think it cost massive amounts, £100 rings a bell. 

[Miller]

That frame is absolute toast.
That frame is absolute toast. Even if you had it expensively repaired, who knows what other part is waiting to fail ? As the frame is so old it won’t conform to current parts standards so you’re probably looking at a whole new bike, realistically, but would that be a disaster?

[Simon Withers]

Good luck with that! 

Good luck with that! 

The only place I could find in the UK doing titanium repairs is Vernon Barker Cycles in Sheffield. Though their website presently says: “Apologies but we are currently not taking aluminium or titanium frame repairs and alterations. We hope to resume in the near future.”

Might be worth contacting them, as it’s possible they haven’t changed their home page. If nothing else, they might be able to say whether the repair is physically possible.

I’d guess any repair – if it is possible, which I’d question given the scale – would be prohibitively expensive.

All the best.

[hawkinspeter]

I’m sorry for your loss
I’m sorry for your loss

[Author]

Replies