Titanium Repair

[briank]

Hi

I've had a disaster with my Litespeed Ghisallo - the gear hanger has sheared off. Well actually the break is part-way round the curve of the drop out. The metal gas deformed a bit as well as breaking. (I wondered what the creaking was - all usual checks, tightening etc - then the back wheel popped out the back when I gave it a bit of wellie up a hill.)

I'm not expecting it to be cheap, but does anyone know of anywhere I could get a new part - or the relevant bit of it - welded in. It wouldn't have to be a Litespeed one. (I bought the frame second hand so no warranty applies.)

Thanks

 

[ASC1951]

Oh dear, I dread to think how much that might cost. Have you tried Omega Cycle Works in Brighton? 01273 691520 They do custom Ti frames.

To put a back-stop figure on it, you can get a custom-made Ti frame from XACD in China for under $500 delivered. Not the same standard of finish as a Litespeed, but apparently at least as good quality.

 

[Chuffy]

Ow....

If ever there was a car-crash thread, this is it. I can't help but post, even though there's nothing I can do.

Don't Ghisallos have a rep for being light at the expense of strength?

It might be worth having a word with your friendly UK Litespeed distributor (http://www.paligapltd.co.uk/) or contacting Litespeed themselves. I know you don't have a warranty, but this is titanium dammit, that should be warranty enough! They may be able to help and I'm sure that they will be interested. Litespeed frames shouldn't do that under normal use....

Of course, if you are a 20 stone heffalump then all bets are off.

 

[Globalti]

Just open your Yellow Pages and find welders, then get on the phone. You'll soon find a local welder who has the confidence and more importantly the Ti welding rods to do the job.

I sold my Kona Hei Hei frame but it had some nasty chainsuck gouges on the RH chainstay so i took it along to a local welder who filled the gouges with Ti, filed and smoothed it and left it looking like new. I made it clear when I sold the frame and the buyer was quite happy. The bloke who did the job was another story though - a real character.

Oh and he only charged me £25 to do it in his lunch break!

 

[briank]

Thanks gents
I'll not give up yet.
Filling gouges is one thing - assuming the tubes were still purged with the argon gas used during assembly - where would it go? - but this drop-out has to be fairly strong.
Trouble really is the stretching of the metal as it broke: even if the broken part could be welded back on the combination of inelastic deformation and Heat Affected Zone would not be good. I was a welder myself for many years with loads of different codings and could make a phone call or two without needing the Yellow Pages, but I'd really like to find a bike specialist to undertake it.
Anyway, thanks for your time. Good to know you're here.

 

[Globalti]

Then wouldn't you do better to remove the old dropout completely and replace it with new? I'm sure the manufacturer would send you one.

 

[mearle]

Probably a long shot, but isn't there any chance of contacting the guy you bought it off and coming to some arrangement with the warranty that is presumumby still valid for him?

 

[rich p]

I thought they had a lifetime guarantee which may apply even if you haven't got a receipt.

Omega bikes have gone incidentally. They are now Enigma and not in Brighton

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

Probably a long shot, but isn't there any chance of contacting the guy you bought it off and coming to some arrangement with the warranty that is presumumby still valid for him?

Many manufacturers have a no fault crash replacement offer, normally half the RRP of the current comparable version. Like the warranty this will often apply to the original owner only

I thought they had a lifetime guarantee which may apply even if you haven't got a receipt.

Omega bikes have gone incidentally. They are now Enigma and not in Brighton

Omega did not actually become Enigma, although the owner of Omega is employed as the designer of the Enigma range. Enigma are about to start manufacturing Titanium frames in the UK soon (if they haven't started already) so may well be worth contacting regarding potential repair work.

Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk

 

[briank]

I've spoken to Jim at Enigma and he sounded reasonably optimistic, so I'll email him some pics over the weekend and see what can be done.
I'm not expecting it to be cheap!
There does seem to be a consensus that the Ghisallo is a shaving too far in pursuit of lightness. Maybe there was on e cattle-grid too many o the sportive I used it on last year. Mind you the old Reynolds Cirrus wheels which I had on and which are also incredibly light - like 1120 grams the pair - came to no harm.)
Anyway, I've written to the importers Paligap and will await their reply before deciding anything, but I'm not quite so despairing as I was!

Thank you all for your help.