trailwright
GT Fan
Ebay is addictive, so when an apparently soundly described 1991 Specialized Allez Epic frame (sans forks) appeared a few weeks ago, looking like a barn find, then of course how could I resist! This has been a must have machine for me for many a year.
The main issue I wanted to resolve before pushing the 'buy it now button' was whether I could source 1" forks that would suit the frame. The polished aluminium Direct Drives were interestingly not present and finding these proved to be impossible. So after much searching I located some brand new Ritchey carbon's which had the nice checker weave pattern so common on earlier carbon products.
The other issue was that, like the forks, the frame was Stateside and so with postage and import duties added it doubled the previously low price. A quick offer got the frame even cheaper, and so I sat and waited excitedly for delivery day.
However, you can't keep a good addict down, thus it was back onto Ebay sourcing bits and bobs at silly prices (both high and low) ready to hang off the awaited aluminium and carbon classic masterpiece.
It arrived last Friday. Very dusty, with years old grime and cobwebs down the head-tube. Now, I'm very well aware of the risks in buying a bonded lugged frame, and have read the horror stories and seen the pictures, but the seller reassuringly said all was well, with only some clear coat scuffing being the only age related issue. And so it seemed. The inspection then began around the lugs. All were looking very tight, certainly no external cause for concern, until I spotted it. That very slight gap on the underside of the top-tube / head-tube lug. A problem? Some lateral pressure was applied and, f*ck, sure enough the top-tube moved. No way was this ever going to be ridden on the roads again. Gutted!
So I go back to my earlier point about the missing forks. My theory is that the bike has had quite a prang at some point in its early life, stuffed the forks, and been stored in a shed thereafter. The seller seemed to be a discoverer rather than a previous user. On closer inspection by pulling the tube further out with great force, it's actually not the alu/carbon bond that has come away, rather the aluminium lug has an internal 'male part' so to speak, cast as part of the lug, which the carbon tube bonds to, and it is this part that has sheared away. I could see the other part of this aluminium protrusion secure and tight inside the carbon tube, which itself is completely un-damged. So I'm strangely reassured that 30 year old glue is still strong, but narked that my dream build on this frame will be no more. Fortunately I did get quick refund and have been told to keep the frame.
All is not completely in vain though. Out came the Gorilla Weld and a liberal pasting within and without the lug has stopped any movement from the tube. Still not trustworthy enough, but good enough I think to be built into a static turbo trainer bike for the meantime rather than meeting its death at the local tip.
Back to Ebay it is then...
The main issue I wanted to resolve before pushing the 'buy it now button' was whether I could source 1" forks that would suit the frame. The polished aluminium Direct Drives were interestingly not present and finding these proved to be impossible. So after much searching I located some brand new Ritchey carbon's which had the nice checker weave pattern so common on earlier carbon products.
The other issue was that, like the forks, the frame was Stateside and so with postage and import duties added it doubled the previously low price. A quick offer got the frame even cheaper, and so I sat and waited excitedly for delivery day.
However, you can't keep a good addict down, thus it was back onto Ebay sourcing bits and bobs at silly prices (both high and low) ready to hang off the awaited aluminium and carbon classic masterpiece.
It arrived last Friday. Very dusty, with years old grime and cobwebs down the head-tube. Now, I'm very well aware of the risks in buying a bonded lugged frame, and have read the horror stories and seen the pictures, but the seller reassuringly said all was well, with only some clear coat scuffing being the only age related issue. And so it seemed. The inspection then began around the lugs. All were looking very tight, certainly no external cause for concern, until I spotted it. That very slight gap on the underside of the top-tube / head-tube lug. A problem? Some lateral pressure was applied and, f*ck, sure enough the top-tube moved. No way was this ever going to be ridden on the roads again. Gutted!
So I go back to my earlier point about the missing forks. My theory is that the bike has had quite a prang at some point in its early life, stuffed the forks, and been stored in a shed thereafter. The seller seemed to be a discoverer rather than a previous user. On closer inspection by pulling the tube further out with great force, it's actually not the alu/carbon bond that has come away, rather the aluminium lug has an internal 'male part' so to speak, cast as part of the lug, which the carbon tube bonds to, and it is this part that has sheared away. I could see the other part of this aluminium protrusion secure and tight inside the carbon tube, which itself is completely un-damged. So I'm strangely reassured that 30 year old glue is still strong, but narked that my dream build on this frame will be no more. Fortunately I did get quick refund and have been told to keep the frame.
All is not completely in vain though. Out came the Gorilla Weld and a liberal pasting within and without the lug has stopped any movement from the tube. Still not trustworthy enough, but good enough I think to be built into a static turbo trainer bike for the meantime rather than meeting its death at the local tip.
Back to Ebay it is then...
