Frame Repair

[biggs682]

Been looking at getting a rear stay bridge replaced due to the dreaded rot

Got a fair quote for doing it along with replacing a squashed brake bridge as well and then a re powder coat as well making a total of £160 for frame repairs , up to now i would have had these repairs done and hopefully been able to re sell the finished item on and still make a profit .

But with the prices of old steel bike's being what they are at the moment , it just does not add up anymore , now as many of you are aware i am all for old steel bikes .

i have paid less than the repairs required for some very fine hand made machines recently .

This will be a tough decision to make

 

[Leaway2]

Time to get your welding goggles on?

 

[woodbutcher]

Been looking at getting a rear stay bridge replaced due to the dreaded rot

View attachment 455844

Got a fair quote for doing it along with replacing a squashed brake bridge as well and then a re powder coat as well making a total of £160 for frame repairs , up to now i would have had these repairs done and hopefully been able to re sell the finished item on and still make a profit .

But with the prices of old steel bike's being what they are at the moment , it just does not add up anymore , now as many of you are aware i am all for old steel bikes .

i have paid less than the repairs required for some very fine hand made machines recently .

This will be a tough decision to make

I would put the frame on the "back burner" for a while and take the £160 in search of a bargain steel bike. If indeed the demand for them is depressed maybe you can pick up a nice one that needs no work done !

 

[roadrash]

^^^ wot he sed^^^^

 

[Venod]

It depends how much you value the frame, and of course the condition of the rest of the tubes, if its the only repair required and you really want to keep it spending on it may be whats needed even it doesn't make economic sense.

On the other hand there are some bargains out there with a bit of searching.

The Marin Bear Valley I have posted on another thread was £50, the paintwork wasn't too bad, but the tubes were solid, I had it Powder Coated for £50 and its made a decent bike.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Been looking at getting a rear stay bridge replaced due to the dreaded rot

View attachment 455844

Got a fair quote for doing it along with replacing a squashed brake bridge as well and then a re powder coat as well making a total of £160 for frame repairs , up to now i would have had these repairs done and hopefully been able to re sell the finished item on and still make a profit .

But with the prices of old steel bike's being what they are at the moment , it just does not add up anymore , now as many of you are aware i am all for old steel bikes .

i have paid less than the repairs required for some very fine hand made machines recently .

This will be a tough decision to make

Is the rest of the frame solid? If so and I wanted to use the bike once its built up I'd get the repair done and ride it, if its just to be sold on then I wouldn't repair it.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

It depends how much you value the frame, and of course the condition of the rest of the tubes, if its the only repair required and you really want to keep it spending on it may be whats needed even it doesn't make economic sense.

That's the kicker.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

If you haven't got too much cash tied up in it, why not set it aside until the market improves to the point where the repair would be financially viable?. So long as it doesn't get scrapped it can always make a comeback when the time is right. TBH, there is so much newer more user-friendly stuff flooding the market, plus the C2W scheme, that you have to be a bit eccentric to say the least, to deliberately buy old steel if you are just looking for transport. I can't see the market improving very soon, may take years.

 

[biggs682]

that you have to be a bit eccentric to say the least, to deliberately buy old steel if you are just looking for transport. I can't see the market improving very soon, may take years.

this is my thought as well and with 13 steel bikes and a further 5 frames awaiting build , i don't really want to tie up the space and finances for another mediocre frame set

 

[Slioch]

Tough one.
If it was my only steel bike and I felt the serious "lurve" for it and wanted many more years of togetherness then I'd probably spend the money.
But, if you don't feel the love and you have 13 other bikes, then it probably doesn't make economic sense.
Head versus heart scenario.

 

[rogerzilla]

If you want a decent wet paint job, it is never economic unless you are dealing with an exceptionally desirable frame like a curly Hetchins. After decals and lug lining, paint will be about £250 and most decent vintage frames are less than £100 because people know the cost of restoration. It never used to be like this - a decent re-enamel used to be £30 through my LBS in the 1990s, and I didn't think twice about it.

 

[midlife]

Just out of curiosity what frame is it ?

 

[uphillstruggler]

I had the same quandary with a frame I picked up, a chap I know filled it but I wouldn't have trusted it

I had it costed by (probably) the same chap you did and thought about it but I didn't spend the money at the time.

It's still in the loft but I'm in no rush

 

[biggs682]

Still no decision has been made , and i got some extra pics and the bike is in a lot nicer condition than i remember it from last time i saw it a few yrs back , so still tempted to take it on , but who knows

 

[Kempstonian]

Can a complete downtube be replaced?