32
votes
How does brazing and welding not ruin the heat treat on steel tubes?
tl;dr heating chromoly to brass-brazing temperature doesn't really change it, at all; the steel was born hot and heating it back up does nothing to it other than oxidizing the surface if you don't ...
- 3,306
21
votes
What's the strongest way to bond a cable stop to an steel frame?
Don't use cable stops. The biggest load those stops will ever see is when you grab your brakes hard for an emergency stop. So you're likely to find out that whatever you did to bond the stops to the ...
- 10.4k
18
votes
Accepted
What are the most basic parts of a bicycle which cannot be upgraded over a period of time?
Certain parts of a bicycle are more easily upgradeable than others, while other types of upgrades require special tools, much more money investments or are limited to whatever standards are used in ...
- 14.2k
17
votes
What's the strongest way to bond a cable stop to an steel frame?
Beside a professionally done welding, clamp-on cable stops should be a reasonably reliable solution.
- 14.2k
15
votes
Accepted
Bike with a hi-ten steel frame for getting around the city?
I have 4 bikes, and the one I keep for just riding around a city is high-ten steel. Yes, they're heavy, and normally cheap, but they can be tough and practical.
What's more important is that it works ...
- 55.8k
14
votes
Accepted
Frame with bottle cage boss ripped out - how serious is the damage?
You'll need to very carefully inspect the area around the boss that's been ripped out, as well as your usual second hand frame check. If the bike was ridden after the damage cracks could easily have ...
- 23.2k
14
votes
What are the most basic parts of a bicycle which cannot be upgraded over a period of time?
Any and every part of a bicycle can be replaced, including the frame. (Many people would probably regard a different frame as a different bicycle though.)
You ask whether there are components that '...
- 75.3k
12
votes
Aluminum seatpost broken into a steel frame
That's a challenge right there - I hope the bike wasn't being ridden at the time it failed !
Clearly the post is dead, so damage to that is okay. You want to save the frame.
Remove the seatpost ...
- 120k
11
votes
Accepted
Cracked frame riding into the back of car, what's salvageable?
I've worked on a couple bikes that have had frontal impacts.
Check the underside of the downtube for any abrasions or rubber marks. You might find the front tyre has touched the downtube in the ...
- 120k
11
votes
Accepted
Fixed gear steel frame from AliExpress
No, it is not serious, you should not believe these descriptions. They just try to attract people searching various terms.
There are indeed many counterfeits in these shops. When they claim so much ...
- 15.3k
10
votes
Cracked chainstay weld -- now what?
Get in touch with Surly even if it out of warranty. The worst they can do is say no, and even if they won't fix it, they should be able to offer advise on the the best way to proceed. They live or die ...
- 47.8k
10
votes
Accepted
What is the function of these 'bulges' on the frame?
My best guess is that you have a frame made of Gilco Design Columbus tubing used on Italian bikes in the 80s. I could find no mention of Oberriet bike brand anywhere. Maybe a small custom frame ...
- 19.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Will grooves on seatpost cause rusting inside frame?
The best thing to do is apply a thin layer of grease to the inside of the seat tube and the outside of the post (only the part of the post inside the seat tube needs grease) and set the seat height ...
- 19.9k
10
votes
My chainstays have been eaten by rust, can something be done?
The only thing that can be done to save the frame is to have patches welded over the holes. You would need the expertise of a professional welder to get it done properly so that the frame is made ...
- 75.3k
9
votes
Bike with a hi-ten steel frame for getting around the city?
High tensile or 'hi-ten' steel is the lowest end material used for inexpensive bikes. The next level up is so called 'cro-moly' steel (alloys using chromium and molybdenum).
High tensile steel frames ...
- 75.3k
9
votes
Accepted
Can this frame be used or is it done?
If it were mine I wouldn't ride. It appears there is a crack connecting the two holes. This would indicate there has been enough flex to cause the frame to crack.
- 18.3k
9
votes
Fixed gear steel frame from AliExpress
Personally, I would suggest you look locally for a used bike for your project. You don't need a brand new bike and that bare-frame is not exactly cheap.
Also notice that you'll need to paint the bike ...
- 120k
9
votes
Accepted
Slightly bent seat stays. Should I worry about it?
Most likely this is normal design. Although more common in aluminum than in steel, tubes that don't run straight are common. Since both sides are a same, the only possibility this is caused by an ...
- 17.7k
9
votes
Aluminum seatpost broken into a steel frame
I can imagine two approaches.
Use an internal bearing extractor. This is a split cylinder that can expand to clamp against the inside wall of the seatpost, much like a quill stem clamps against the ...
- 28.5k
8
votes
Steel vs. Aluminum Wheels
Others have answered the second part "what are the differences..."
Here's an answer for the first part "why not many at the dump"
In in my city 2015 light grade clean steel is worth $0.02/kg. ...
- 120k
8
votes
My chainstays have been eaten by rust, can something be done?
To be clear, I would not recommend riding that frame as-is. The clamps of the kickstand probably added rigidity, by removing it the bike will be weaker. If one or both chainstays part then handling ...
- 120k
8
votes
Aluminum seatpost broken into a steel frame
There's no pleasant option here but I think in lieu of very specialized tools (like a slide hammer collet that could grab it securely enough), you're limited to cutting it out.
Use a hacksaw blade ...
- 80.1k
7
votes
Steel (531) road bike conversion to disc practicability
Answer: Its not worth doing, from a financial stand point.
Adding disk brakes to a frame is expensive, risky, and ruins any vintage value the frame had. The stays are not engineered or designed for ...
- 120k
7
votes
Cracked chainstay weld -- now what?
Just getting it welded by a non-framebuilder could have a couple caveats:
I think most framebuilders would approach this in a way where they get full access to the broken face of the dropout, so they ...
- 80.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Are dimpled chainstays weaker than smooth ones, other things equal?
The dimpled chainstay may have less stiffness in certain directions at that point, but if forces are not concentrated there, or in the direction of less stiffness it just doesn't matter.
A u-shaped ...
- 75.3k
7
votes
Accepted
132.5mm dropout spacing with a 130mm hub AFTER it has already been used with a 135mm hub
Short answer: Don't worry about it!
Steel is inherently a springy material and you will find the dropouts spring back to their original location once the wheel is removed.
In order to permanently re-...
- 13.1k
6
votes
Aluminum seatpost stuck to a steel frame
Eventually got an aluminium seat-post out of an old steel Peugeot road-bike frame. It had been in for a couple of decades, never moved and was completely 'welded' in place. Tried penetrating oil, ...
- 61
6
votes
Accepted
Can I use titanium axle bolts on a steel frame?
Presumably you're talking about a Profile or one of the other BMX hubs with ti hop-up bolts available. Yes, there is no issue. Were a bolt loose and able to rub dynamically against the frame, they ...
- 80.1k
6
votes
Can this bent (after crash) rigid steel fork get repaired?
The quick answer is NO, you can't bend back the fork. Or at least not at a reasonable price.
Your bike looks right knackered. You could maybe find a used fork off a donor bike for free or cheap at a ...
- 28.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Can this bent (after crash) rigid steel fork get repaired?
I expected the question to be about bent legs/tines on the fork.
That is a bent steerer tube on the fork, which means it was one/both of
one heck of an impact
exacerbating an existing weakness in ...
- 120k
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