Re: [CR] Uhoh..urago on ebay

(Example: Framebuilding:Restoration)

From: "kevin sayles" <kevinsayles@tiscali.co.uk>
To: "Steve Birmingham" <sbirmingham@mindspring.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <002001cbcfac$26362bc0$72a28340$@com>
In-Reply-To: <002001cbcfac$26362bc0$72a28340$@com>
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2011 21:11:38 -0000
Subject: Re: [CR] Uhoh..urago on ebay


I recently bought a 1953 Rotrax 'Concours'....the top model of the time with beautifully hand cut lugs, fortunately it only cost me £10 plus about the same in petrol to collect it from Bristol........so, once back at work [Thorn cycles at that time] I shot blasted the old paint off, which showed no evidence of any serious rust issues........but once the paint was removed......oh dear! every tube was absolutely useless, only the head tube with the lugs was saveable!!

So perhaps one day I will get around to grinding out the remains of the tubes and rebuild myself a 'Rotrax' frame.......this will be the second time I've done so with a Rotrax as my present Rotrax Concours was rebuilt in 1991 with new 531 tubes for the triangle, and 753 chainstays, only the head tube & lugs, seat stays and forks were retained........must be a labour of love......

cheers

Kevin Sayles
Otley
West Yorkshire UK


----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Birmingham
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 8:40 PM
Subject: Re: [CR] Uhoh..urago on ebay



> I've seen it, a couple times, but there was always some extra influence.
> First one, an early 80's Univega. - went to fix it up for a friend and
> when
> I removed the ducktape from the toptube the tube looked like it had burst.
> Plenty of rust, But I suspect frozen water actually did in the weakened
> tube.
>
> Seccond one, Early70's Motobecane. Cracked in front of the seatlug.
> Thinned
> from rust, but cracked from too much twisting from how he rode. The rust
> would have gotten that one eventually.
>
> Third one rusted through chainstay. Forget the bike. had some bad wheel
> rub
> at one point that wasn't touched up and it rusted through.
>
> Not exactly what was described, and all began with some level of abuse.
> Outdoor winter storage was the common thing, and I believe at least 2 of
> the
> 3 were ridden in winter on salty roads and never cleaned.
>
> Fortunately none of them were high end bikes.
>
> Steve Birmingham
> Lowell, Massachusetts
> USA
>
> Message: 12
> Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:20:38 -0800
> From: Kurt Sperry <haxixe@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [CR] Uhoh..urago on ebay
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Message-ID:
> <AANLkTin_8PH50M54=apfvzXU8gTt-Rqu7+bnJk=xE3bW@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> How many people here have personally as opposed to it happening to a
> friend, cousin etc. had classic steel frames experience an actual
> structural failure due solely to rust? I've never seen or heard of it
> happening but have learned not to put much weight in my own narrow
> anecdotal experience. If Fraysee is anywhere close to correct there
> should be hundreds or more probably thousands of such tales out there
> to be related by list members.
>
> How about a show of hands?
>
> Kurt Sperry
> Bellingham, Washington
> USA