The official BONDED BICYCLE thread !

[Elev12k]

Very nice. A had its MTB counterpart at some point. It had the exact same colour. Tubing was aluminum in front triangle and not carbon like with your bike. So carbon lugs, al tubing. The opposite from what usually can be seen. There was also a MTB edition with the carbon tubing, like the catalogue points out. Seatclamp is identical to as what can be seen at your roadframe. My Vitus CL1 MTB frame has the same clamping system >>

Two cylindric bits moving inward, like Zooka and Cattlehead stems have too.

 

[thedirtyroger]

My Sakae Litage 1995

As described on this thread

 

[INDECS]

Love that Litage frame ^

I really have to finish my 1990 Allez Epic... Only thing that's missing is a Dura Ace 7400 front mech with clamp.
Seatpost is also a Dura Ace now, and I have to fit the DA headset. I'd love to find a nice Turbo saddle for it, Rolls was just for mock up.

How safe/dangerous is it to ride these things?

 

[bwhsh8r]

@ INDECS

my dads had a bonded cf frame since 91 and he had been pounding it ever since, hes now 230lbs (and he didnt put it on in a day...) and still rides it

its fine.

theyre no less safe than any other bike.

 

[Defiant]

my Koga

 

[PIGEON]

There's all this fuss on the internet about bonded bonded bikes being prone to spontaneous failure, but I've never had this happen and neither has anyone I know so I guess SOME bonded bikes have failed but most won't. If bonded bicycles really lacked structural integrity, there would be none left after the 30 years they have been around.

Talking about bonded bicycles, I need to get my Vitus 992 up and running!

 

[jimmy casino]

Any idea what this is ?

Hi,

could anyone help me what is the manufacturer of this frame.

As you can see its bonded carbon and aluminum. I would date it to around 1990 - 1991

The back looks like Giant, but that does not match the rest. Kuwahara ?

Any help would be highly appreciated...

 

[mAdam]

Great thread, some fantastic machinery, a real credit to all. For what its worth, my 1990's Vitus 787 Futural, which I raced at junior level for 2 seasons, averaging 60-70 mile races a few times a week during the season together with countless training mileage, never let me down. Yes there were always rumours of failure, but just like ghosts & UFOs i never had any experience of an alloy frame failing. My old Vitus has been stood for around 16 years until its recent rebuild, and it still rides like it used to when it was new. story & spec: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=190289

 

[Old Ned]

I've seen UFO's - but never had a frame fail.

Yet :roll:

 

[taylorsummers]

I have never seen any UFO's however I know of at least one Vitus that has become unbonded.

The downtube on my cousins vitus cross bike came unstuck, that must have been around 92/93. However my Uncle glued it back together(and I think pinned it) and is still racing on it :shock: :shock: