For the bike nerds...
Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 24 October 2012
My new bike frame is sitting in the boot of my car, awaiting care and attention hopefully this weekend. Bit of a special purchase, been waiting ages and I think it will appeal to a few on the Forum.
Just to get you going here are 2 teaser photos. Anyone fancy a guess at what it is! (Huwge is not allowed to enter)
Italian, not CrMo, still ferrous though....
Inox, that should outlive a carbon fibre frame by a couple of centuries. 
Italian, not CrMo, still ferrous though....
Inox, that should outlive a carbon fibre frame by a couple of centuries.
Funny you should say that. In my whole life I have only had two frames fail "from just riding along". A head-tube in one case, steerer tube in the other. Both were decent quality steel. But I have never had a failure of a carbon frame. (Although a buddy had a Ridley crack after about 5-6 years of riding. Ridley replaced it free of charge). A couple of years ago, a guy I was riding with in Europe had the chain-stay of his brand new steel, custom-made Roberts split along its length for about 100mm. The bike had about 1000km on it.
Italian, not CrMo, still ferrous though....
Inox, that should outlive a carbon fibre frame by a couple of centuries.
Funny you should say that. In my whole life I have only had two frames fail "from just riding along". A head-tube in one case, steerer tube in the other. Both were decent quality steel. But I have never had a failure of a carbon frame. (Although a buddy had a Ridley crack after about 5-6 years of riding. Ridley replaced it free of charge). A couple of years ago, a guy I was riding with in Europe had the chain-stay of his brand new steel, custom-made Roberts split along its length for about 100mm. The bike had about 1000km on it.
I'm sure the frame Bruce has bought will be a lot better than "decent quality". The only failure I've know when riding along was a carbon fibre seat post, not mine I hasten to add.
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A lot of failures are down to poor maintenance, which I must admit I've been guilty of in the past. I'm surprised the headtube of my Diamondback hasn't failed, considering what I did to it..
Not Pegoretti, very close though. Columbus XCR by Tiziano Zullo!
I'll post more pics as I go along. The paint job is wild!
Tiziano made bikes for TVM back in the day - Phil Anderson, Robert Millar.
Bike and maker - now has different saddle, wheels, tape. Bruce has the Vergine,iirc - this is the Inqubo
Italian, not CrMo, still ferrous though....
Inox, that should outlive a carbon fibre frame by a couple of centuries.
Funny you should say that. In my whole life I have only had two frames fail "from just riding along". A head-tube in one case, steerer tube in the other. Both were decent quality steel. But I have never had a failure of a carbon frame. (Although a buddy had a Ridley crack after about 5-6 years of riding. Ridley replaced it free of charge). A couple of years ago, a guy I was riding with in Europe had the chain-stay of his brand new steel, custom-made Roberts split along its length for about 100mm. The bike had about 1000km on it.
I'm sure the frame Bruce has bought will be a lot better than "decent quality". The only failure I've know when riding along was a carbon fibre seat post, not mine I hasten to add..
A lot of failures are down to poor maintenance, which I must admit I've been guilty of in the past. I'm surprised the headtube of my Diamondback hasn't failed, considering what I did to it..
Tange Prestige tubing on one bike, Reynolds 531 on the other. Not cheap - reasonable quality as I said.
I don't think the Roberts that prematurely failed was cheap either. Far from it. I didn't ask what he'd paid, but as an indication, it was kitted out with Campy Super Record and some very nice wheels.
I don't know how frame cracks are prevented by maintenance. I guess keep it clean and free from corrosion. That wasn't an issue in any of the failures I've seen.
All I'm saying is that there are no absolutes. Steel frames fail (even good ones), as do carbon and aluminium. Perhaps the only lifetime frame is good quality Ti (that hasn't been built too light). No fatigue failures with Ti.
Winky all frame materials can fail for sure. No absolutes as you say.
I reckon in recent years there has been a much higher percentage of carbon bikes sold failing than steel bikes failing. Also, carbon failures can be dramatic....remember the TdF crash when the carbon bike split clean in two?
Steel frames can potentially be fixed too whereas carbon probably not (or you have to get the resin and weave out). Do you know if Roberts fixed that steel frame in the end and sure it was 531?
Only sensible solution seems to be to have one of each type 
PS Can i join in the bike p0rn?
At work on the paintscheme. Stencils removed to show polished stainless steel underneath.
Bruce
PS Nice Moots. I always fancied a YBB as a rather leftfield MTB choice. All Moots bikes seem to have a clean and no-nonsence simplicity about them.
That is looking pretty slick Bruce. Could leave as is or overlay colours. Pls keep the pics coming.
Funny you should mention the YBB as have fancied one for years to replace my steel hardtail but have never been able to justify cost due to being more roadie these days. Maybe sell the Naim 
Winky all frame materials can fail for sure. No absolutes as you say.
I reckon in recent years there has been a much higher percentage of carbon bikes sold failing than steel bikes failing. Also, carbon failures can be dramatic....remember the TdF crash when the carbon bike split clean in two?
Steel frames can potentially be fixed too whereas carbon probably not (or you have to get the resin and weave out). Do you know if Roberts fixed that steel frame in the end and sure it was 531?
Only sensible solution seems to be to have one of each type
PS Can i join in the bike p0rn?
Likely more carbon failures than steel because there are now many more carbon bikes than steel bikes. I don't know about percentage-wise. (ignoring department store bikes).
Yes, carbon can fail catastrophically. But not always. My buddy's Ridley creaked for nearly three years before the crack was noticed by our LBS mechanic.
The Roberts was Reynolds 853 I think. My frame, where the head-tube failed just above the lower lug was labelled as a 531 frame. The head-tube may not have been, of course.
Yes, Roberts would almost certainly have fixed the 853 frame. It was basically brand new. Never crashed. The guy had bought it for the Marmotte. It failed two weeks prior. He ended up doing the ride, but not sure on which bike. Roberts may have lent him a frame if they couldn't repair his in time. That sort of service is to be expected from a builder like Roberts.