if i had the cash i have found a nice second hand bike in my size

[cyberknight]

I have an oldish ally dale. Welds nothing like that, essentially invisible.
Amazes me what folks will accept on supposedly high end bikes.
Many modern ally bikes look to me like something that came out of a soviet tractor factory circa 1957. Or tanks in the dark days of ww2 when appearances mattered not a jot, just needed to get them out of the factory.

they used to second pass the weld to smooth them out more , why bianchi didnt do this i have no idea

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

they used to second pass the weld to smooth them out more , why bianchi didnt do this i have no idea

Cost. Aluminium can be welded pretty neatly if the welder knows what they are doing. I had a diesel engine intercooler fabricated with much neater welds than on that bike frame, and it sits behind a radiator grille where no-one can even see it! I suspect the bike frame was robotically welded, which tends to result in consistent but agricultural results.

 

[screenman]

I wonder if a join in a bike frame needs to be stronger han that on an intercooler, eprsonally I ride my bikes not stand staring at them.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I wonder if a join in a bike frame needs to be stronger han that on an intercooler, eprsonally I ride my bikes not stand staring at them.

Big ugly weld beads aren't necessarily strong welds in my experience. Quite the opposite in many instances. If you get full penetration of the pieces you are joining together the weld can be as strong as the rest of the material and yet barely protrude above the weld line. Untidy welding is welding done at speed, for purely cost reasons, nothing else. If a customer of a high end brand is willing to accept such an agricultural standard of work, more fool them. I wouldn't hand over my cash for something let out of the factory looking like that.

 

[screenman]

John I doubt you would hand you cash over for anything without a fight.

 

[Blue Hills]

I wonder if a join in a bike frame needs to be stronger han that on an intercooler, eprsonally I ride my bikes not stand staring at them.

me too - but ugly is ugly.
and then if someone is charging premium prices for ugly, something which they could sort, something's wrong in my book.

 

[screenman]

me too - but ugly is ugly.
and then if someone is charging premium prices for ugly, something which they could sort, something's wrong in my book.

Ugly is your choice, I do not see it the same way.

 

[Adam4868]

I have an oldish ally dale. Welds nothing like that, essentially invisible.
Amazes me what folks will accept on supposedly high end bikes.
Many modern ally bikes look to me like something that came out of a soviet tractor factory circa 1957. Or tanks in the dark days of ww2 when appearances mattered not a jot, just needed to get them out of the factory.

Im guessing the older ones had more time spent on them.Where as now there's no grinding/cleaning off the welds.
As a aside when I was younger (apprentice) I was taught to get it right first time.Should be good enough you don't need to grind/polish off.Especially when welding ally or stainless

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

John I doubt you would hand you cash over for anything without a fight.

That's not really the case. I don't mind spending, but I have to be convinced that I'm getting good value and I have to be happy with the quality of what I'm buying. If either the value is not there or the quality/finish is substandard, my cash stays firmly in my pocket. That's not quite the same thing as a blanket non-spending approach.

me too - but ugly is ugly.
and then if someone is charging premium prices for ugly, something which they could sort, something's wrong in my book.

What is wrong is some customers will accept a poor standard of workmanship on bike frames. I wonder if they would buy a new car with visible welds like that on the exterior of the body? Somehow I doubt it!

As a aside when I was younger (apprentice) I was taught to get it right first time.Should be good enough you don't need to grind/polish off. Especially when welding ally or stainless.

Exactly how i was taught. shite looking welding is inexcusable on new fabrication work.
I doubt those bike frames were put together by hand by a skilled welder though. More likely the parts were clamped in a fixture by an operative, who then hit a button on a machine to start the welding process, and removed the frame upon completion.

 

[classic33]

Is that not due to it being aluminium, can you weld wood?

It would seem so.
https://www.twi-global.com/media-and-events/press-releases/2019/twi-develops-wood-welding-process

You just need a bit of linear friction.

 

[DRM]

It's not ugly, it's history, due to it's first owner

 

[Blue Hills]

Ugly is your choice, I do not see it the same way.

fair do's - takes all sorts - here's the inspiration for that sort of welding:

https://thegourmandiseschool.com/recipe/how-to-crimp-a-pie/

mm - pies.

lick those crimps.

 

[Blue Hills]

Im guessing the older ones had more time spent on them.Where as now there's no grinding/cleaning off the welds.

My old dale (now broken down and used as a wheel building rig) is US made.

Now all far east I think - and a different company in effect.

Am tempted to post a pic of it.

Or of my old steel Ridgebacks - welds are visible on those but nothing like that Bianchi.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

My old dale (now broken down and used as a wheel building rig) is US made.
Now all far east I think - and a different company in effect.

It's the same with Trek. There was a time when they made some really nice steel framed stuff in the USA. then as they got bigger, they started outsourcing the manufacture abroad. Although not a big fan of aluminium frames of any sort, one thing I've always admired about the old USA built Cannondales is the quality of the frame fabrication & finish - they were really done to a high standard and were reminiscent of a fillet brazed hand-built steel frame.

 

[Blue Hills]

It's the same with Trek. There was a time when they made some really nice steel framed stuff in the USA. then as they got bigger, they started outsourcing the manufacture abroad. Although not a big fan of aluminium frames of any sort, one thing I've always admired about the old USA built Cannondales is the quality of the frame fabrication & finish - they were really done to a high standard and were reminiscent of a fillet brazed hand-built steel frame.

I believe @ColinJ has an old dale. Probably ally.
Have ridden with him but must admit to never having peered at his welding.
Or checked if it's US made.
But it is of a certain vintage.
Care to give us a peek colin?