David Bean wrote:
>
> Item # 300076746601
> The seller says that the cap at the top of the right-hand seat stay
> is not detaching from the stay. It looks bad to me. What do the
> framebuilders have to say?
Ugly but probably not fatal.
Seatstay caps like this are not just decorative; they do serve to distribute the stresses away from the relatively small spot of braze holding the side of the stay to the lug. On this one the cap is effectively detached, though I think the crack has gone about as far as it will ever go - the cap won't fall off. I would say there is a slightly elevated chance of the crack propagating into the seatstay itself. If that happens the bike will eventually be unrideable until that is repaired. And depending on how bad it is (how long you wait before repairing), the repair could be difficult and more expensive than the frame is worth. The copper brazing they used in the area complicates frame repairs.
My educated guess is the crack will never go any further, and this joint will last effectively forever. I'd have no qualms about riding it. But boy howdy it is ugly...
Mark Bulgier
Seattle WA USA