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Sensible and cost-effective advice needed

(13 posts)
  • Started 3 years ago by Greenroofer
  • Latest reply from gembo

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  1. Greenroofer
    Member

    The aluminium frame on my commuter bike is disintegrating after 12 years. The paint on both seat stays is bubbling up and underneath is lots of white powder. The bike has newish Alfine 8 hub, dynamo and disc brakes. I don't want to chuck the whole thing, but I need a hub-gear compatible flat-bar frameset to replace it (I think).

    What's your advice. Do you know any good hub-gear/disc-compatible frames?

    Low price ideal, following the acquisition of a bike from @crowriver, n=9 and Mrs G has indicated that s=10. I suspect therefore that a new Shand frame is off the cards...

    Posted 3 years ago #

  2. crowriver
    Member

    Hm, quite a few expensive frames designed for hub gears from the likes of Genesis, etc. However, while designed for fixed gear/flip-flop hub, this might be pressed into service potentially? Only available in Medium size, but bargain-tastic price!

    https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/frame-elops-speed-500/_/R-p-202451?mc=8590104&c=ORANGE

    Also in RAF blue, but appears to be out of stock.

    EDIT: Also this looks quite nice from Ribble. Again a "fixie" frame rather than hub gear specific.

    https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-725s-frameset/

    EDIT EDIT: Just remembered the disc brakes requirement. So those frames no use.....sorry!

    You could get any old disc brake frame and use a chain tensioner?

    Posted 3 years ago #

  3. Dave
    Member

    Yeah, to open up more budget possibilities I would look at a tensioner on a normal frame. No specific suggestions alas!

    Posted 3 years ago #

  4. urchaidh
    Member

    I'm never totally sure about the life of aluminium frames, it seems to depend on how much use/abuse they've had rather than age, but I believe bubbling and white powder corrosion as you describe is usually just superficial.

    If you want to nurse a few more commutes out it, you can clean it off mechanically back to areas of good paint, re-etch and paint.

    Posted 3 years ago #

  5. urchaidh
    Member

    I tarted up my old Cannondale MTB frame this way, just masked and hand sprayed (rattle can) the affected areas.

    (Still too scared to ride it hard though - it's pushing 20 years old, I'm a big and un-tallented rider and, compared with a modern hardtale, it handles like a wardrobe on wheels.)

    Posted 3 years ago #

  6. crowriver
    Member

    Just a thought, to give yourself more frame options you could get hold of a non-disc brake frame, add disc forks and fit a clamp on style rear disc mount to the rear triangle. Readily available to convert older frames for example.

    Posted 3 years ago #

  7. gembo
    Member

    When the now no more Bike Chain converted my nexus 7 to SA 3 that involved chain tensioner.

    No disc brakes I have yet to make that leap to such new fangledness.

    But did require spacers as SA3 narrower that Nexus 7

    I find myself stuck in an era I sort of know how to break and then less so how to get home from breaking.

    My nightmare is disc brakes, and tubeless tyres and a Nexus 7 hub gear.

    Posted 3 years ago #

  8. chdot
    Admin

    Yeah

    531, cantis and tubes just fine

    Plus 90’s XT

    Posted 3 years ago #

  9. Greenroofer
    Member

    Thank you for your combined advice. I'm minded to start by taking a wire brush to the corrosion (which oddly is concentrated around two accessory mounts, so could be bimetallic in origin). If the results are reassuring, I'll paint it. If not, I'll go on the hunt for a disc-frame and chain tensioner (although I'll need a frame that can accommodate 622 wheels). The alternative, we've realised is that I could pop out the Alfine hub and use it to upgrade my Tern HSD in a rebuilt wheel.

    Posted 3 years ago #

  10. gembo
    Member

    @chdot, Raleigh whoever they are now have produced the Joop Zoetemelk bike, well replica, with down tube shifters which looks lovely but over priced.

    Posted 3 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    “

    I’ll admit I was expecting the TI-Raleigh to be mostly mouth and not all that much flared trousers, especially with its weight of 9.8kg, but I was completely wrong. It was lively, responsive and exciting yet smooth. When I mentioned this to a framebuilder friend of mine, he said: “Of course. It’s 753.”

    I have three bikes made from different types of steel tubing (Reynolds 531, Columbus Gilco and a True Temper mix) and slightly to my chagrin, the Raleigh rode better than all of them.

    It was hard to believe the tyres were only 23mm, the bars were covered in the thinnest layer of cloth and the seatpost was a short, fat piece of aluminium: the ride quality was wonderfully plush. I’ve heard it said that all other frame materials try to emulate the ride of steel, and based on this, you can see why.

    …

    £2,500 for the full build or £1,500 for the frame and fork isn’t crazy expensive for a modern steel bike, especially considering it’s made from the legendary 753. It’s hard to put an absolute value on this bike, but if you are a retro Raleigh enthusiast it will seem like a fair price.

    “

    https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/road-bikes/ti-raleigh-40th-anniversary-road-bike

    Posted 3 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    Value?

    Original (similar) version

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203475895434

    Posted 3 years ago #

  13. gembo
    Member

    Cheaper than a Shand but made in Taiwan not Balerno. Also some of the reviews on Raleigh’s own page were suggesting the £2500 full bike still,comes requiring to be built?

    Posted 3 years ago #

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