bikeworkshop
Senior Retro Guru
Nice job
Did you have any photos of it in its previous incarnation?
Did you have any photos of it in its previous incarnation?
Orange Vitamin T strip and build
- Thread starter denco.h1e
- Start date
denco.h1e
Dirt Disciple
Thank youvery nice mountain bike
denco.h1e
Dirt Disciple
Thanks.Nice job
Did you have any photos of it in its previous incarnation?
I've never been into taking photos so sadly I have no old images of any of my bikes, motorcycles or cars down the years.
denco.h1e
Dirt Disciple
Thank you.
Regarding different versions, most of the T1s I've seen online don't appear to have the reinforcement at the top of the seat tube.
And I've heard some T1s used 1inch headsets; this one is 1-1/8. Don't know how true that is.
bikeworkshop
Senior Retro Guru
My vit t came inch but had been fired with a shim.
Also had a plastic seat tube shim, and no lug up top .
www.retrobike.co.uk
Late in the production run I believe.
Also different manufacturers?
Also had a plastic seat tube shim, and no lug up top .
Orange Vitamin T still in use
Here's my 1994 orange vitamin t - I bought this off the original owner in Jan 95. This photo predates digital, and almost the term "bikepacking". Taken somewhere in the middle of the Scottish Highlands may '95. The original build spec, from Dave Baters Downend, Bristol (rip😪): Stronglight 1"...
www.retrobike.co.uk
Also different manufacturers?
denco.h1e
Dirt Disciple
Different manufacturers was also my guessMy vit t came inch but had been fired with a shim.
Also had a plastic seat tube shim, and no lug up top .
Late in the production run I believe.Orange Vitamin T still in use
Here's my 1994 orange vitamin t - I bought this off the original owner in Jan 95. This photo predates digital, and almost the term "bikepacking". Taken somewhere in the middle of the Scottish Highlands may '95. The original build spec, from Dave Baters Downend, Bristol (rip😪): Stronglight 1"...
Also different manufacturers?
MSYT
Retro Guru
Oooo this give me some inspiration to get my find repaired: https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/i-need-to-save-this-orange-vitamin-t.471756/page-2
Lovely job!
I believe mine is a 93 too. It has a 1 1/8" headtube, havent checked the seatpost size but I can tell you it's seized solid and has split the frame - and the seat clamp lugs have been ground off in favour of a collar.
Lovely job!
I believe mine is a 93 too. It has a 1 1/8" headtube, havent checked the seatpost size but I can tell you it's seized solid and has split the frame - and the seat clamp lugs have been ground off in favour of a collar.
denco.h1e
Dirt Disciple
Not as clear an image as I'd like, but the vertical cut in the seat tube is consistently equal width all the way down. But then look at the angle that the clamping lugs were welded on. They give the impression they could almost bind together on the back edge when fully tightened.
So 30 years ago to sort out this problem as well as the too small seatpost I started by making shims out of Coke cans to wrap around the post. To solve the out-of-square lugs problem I junked the QR and replaced it with a Ti bolt and end caps. But because of the angle the lugs were sitting at the Ti bolt actually bent along its length as it was tightened. To get a straight passage for the bolt I would have needed to ovalise the holes in the lugs even wider than they are, and not wanting to do that on a new titanium frame I made a pair wedge shaped aluminium spacers from an old bit of tubing - they're the little spacers to the inside of the black caps. The wedges straightened out the line through the lugs so the bolt now clamped in a straight line.
This need for further ovalisation of the lug holes, and the 26.8mm post (when it should have been 27.0mm) were the reasons the QR could never be tightened enough to prevent the post gradually slipping down during my early rides.
These days I'd have the bike shop sort it out on warranty, but BITD all I wanted to was ride, so I sorted it myself.
I know there's a great deal of love here for Vit-ts but even when new they were not without their issues. In virtually every way it's superior to my Trimble - smooth ride (although the Trimble's not far behind) snappiness, weight, acceleration and climbing. But I never truly fell in love with it. Maybe the initial problems coloured my opinion. I really enjoyed riding it because it was (is) a fantastic bike, but if I had to keep just one retro bike, as great a bike as it is for its period, it's the Vit-T that would be up for sale. That's how much I love my Trimble.
What is it they say about your first love?
So 30 years ago to sort out this problem as well as the too small seatpost I started by making shims out of Coke cans to wrap around the post. To solve the out-of-square lugs problem I junked the QR and replaced it with a Ti bolt and end caps. But because of the angle the lugs were sitting at the Ti bolt actually bent along its length as it was tightened. To get a straight passage for the bolt I would have needed to ovalise the holes in the lugs even wider than they are, and not wanting to do that on a new titanium frame I made a pair wedge shaped aluminium spacers from an old bit of tubing - they're the little spacers to the inside of the black caps. The wedges straightened out the line through the lugs so the bolt now clamped in a straight line.
This need for further ovalisation of the lug holes, and the 26.8mm post (when it should have been 27.0mm) were the reasons the QR could never be tightened enough to prevent the post gradually slipping down during my early rides.
These days I'd have the bike shop sort it out on warranty, but BITD all I wanted to was ride, so I sorted it myself.
I know there's a great deal of love here for Vit-ts but even when new they were not without their issues. In virtually every way it's superior to my Trimble - smooth ride (although the Trimble's not far behind) snappiness, weight, acceleration and climbing. But I never truly fell in love with it. Maybe the initial problems coloured my opinion. I really enjoyed riding it because it was (is) a fantastic bike, but if I had to keep just one retro bike, as great a bike as it is for its period, it's the Vit-T that would be up for sale. That's how much I love my Trimble.
What is it they say about your first love?
