Stuck seatpost on my aluminum tandem after a flood. Stripped the frame and placed it upside-down. Filled the seat tube with liquid wrench and let it work for a week. Put the seatpost in a large vice upside down. Every night gave it a twist. After another week she came free! Painful.
Stuck stem - Soaked a couple of days with liquid wrench Soaked for a couple of days with vinegar Pounded from underneath with a long punch Cut off the top of the stem which allowed removal of the fork Pounded some more top and bottom Used a hack saw blade to cut down one side of the wall of the remaing stem Wouldnt come out, had to cut away the opposite side Finally got the pieces of stem out Easy peasy!
Be sure to ASK anyone selling a frame on ebay if there are any dents. After I bought an old 531 frame and the seller shipped it, they happened to remember that it had a (small) dent in the down tube. I got the frame for cheap though, and either I'll try to bring out the dent using frame blocks, or I can clamp on some shifters (where the dent is located approximately)
To add ! •Rear dropout adjusters seized. •Top of rear stay at seat clamp cracked or cracked and bent at the brake bridge from too bigger an axle. Usually gearside only! •Top tube cable guides rotted from rain or sweat esp pre 84 ish? (Guides on top). •Bottle cage bosses loose and spinning…with a bolt seized in. •thanks eBay•
Yeah, those are some regualr ones also. Perhaps I'll do a part 2! Rivnut bottle bosses on a steel frame is really awful. Dawes did that a lot on the later Galaxys.
A ripple in the tubing underneath the top tube head lug or underneath the down to head lug suggest a crash. Usually this area bends in a Reynolds 531 frame whereas in a carbon steel frame the fork is more likely to bend. Also just cracking in the paint like a herringbone pattern running perpendicular to the direction of the tube also suggests stress from a front end collision. These problems can be fixed with a VAR frame straightening tool, BUT ONLY ONCE. I once threw my chain into the spokes at 30 miles an hour and locked up the rear wheel - I bounced four times side to side and came to a stop unharmed. My rear drive side seat stay was bent inwards towards the seat tube about 5mm. That problem was fixed with a wire puller tool.
I have dabbled with pedal cycles for over 60 years and thought I knew quite a bit. This video has chastened me somewhat. Excellent. Very informative. Love the presenter's style, too.
Yes its always a good idea to be mindful of that too. I built a lovely bike for a friend a few years ago, which was stolen from his garage. Ive been on the lookout for it ever since but not come across it :-(
@@ellisbriggsbikes - God, losing some generic mass-produced velocipede to light-fingered scum is bad enough, but when you have personally built the thing, clearly with love (as it's for a friend) the loss must be, for you both, truly heartbreaking. Stealing someones bike, really is low, I know lots of people for whom it's their ONLY means of transport, and with that it's a given that they are not wealthy ..... sorry, I'm rambling, I really thing hanging is too good for bike thieves, there, rant over. Loved the vid BTW.
Don't worry about ranting, I'm sure all the cyclists reading these comments will have similar opinions regarding bike thieves. It was quite a while ago now, but it still stings!
Discovered the channel by chance but knew of ELLIS BRIGGS. Bloke in cap, wielding a blow torch, talking loads of sense and measuring things. Thanks Paul susbscribed immediately. Good stuff 👍
This is a GOLD video!I was expecting to listen something brand related but instead those are very informative and useful tips for a good frame.. good job
Ha, the old Peugeot I mentioned on your last post ticked a few boxes Ripple underside of downtube Sold without a fork Ovalized headtube lower race was a very loose fit Great videos by the way, lots of info for viewers, thanks for putting together this resource
Glad to be of hel and hopefully others will avoid issues, or at least be aware of what they are buying. Most of these issues are repairable if the frame is worth it to you.
Great channel first time watching it. Love the old Vintage bikes. I have a 1980 Holdsworth Professional frame that I purchased in 1980 .I built it with components at the time that I could handle, like a 12-18 rear cassette and front sprockets were 54-42. I raced with it for a little bit before some back injuries. Over time I hung the bike on the cellar rafters where it stayed for about 35 years. In the mean time I had purchased a more up to date bike which I have put thousands of miles on and really enjoy. About 8 years old I took the Holdsworth of the rafters for a ride. Boy have I aged, the gear set up kicked my ass. I guess back in the day high cadence wasn't in the vocabulary. I am looking to change the gear set up to make it so a 70 year old can ride it in comfort. It is on my bike stand now and I am reminiscing of 1980. Keep up the great channel !
dont forget to check the headset size , a 30.0 cup will fall into a 30.2 headtube , like wise crown race 26.4 vs 27.0 , a few uk builders did continental models which spec'ed italian headsets .😉
You should already be aware of the possibility by the manufacturer and time period such as French bikes. Even then, that's just a different parts spec.
Finally someone that knows what they are talking about. I worked building and selling race bikes for a decade during the 1980's. I find that most every "bike tech" in their 20's and 30's just doesn't really know all of the ins and outs of these steel frames, yet they are now the "experts". It's not rocket science, but there is a proper way to approach things, and thinking you know everything isn't the way. You on the other hand bring real expertise to the craft.
I'm sold on your Fred Dibnah northern industrial look... Nice discovery this evening and I've just subscribed and given you a big, fat thumbs up! You can't beat a piece of well-crafted steel - what a joy it is.
This is excellent, thank you. I wish I’d seen the video before I spent a tonne of money getting an old Mercian with an ovalised head tube and loose threads on the fork resprayed. Do you know a fix for the ovalised head tube, which is currently sporting a beer-can shim [looks ashamed]? Apart from a replacement head tube?
Just wanted to say I've discovered your channel a couple of weeks ago, when you had around 200 subscribers or so. And I was instantly hooked. I love the conciseness of your content and the lack of "flash" that other creators seem to adhere to, especially as they grow their subscriber base. And then there's all the knowledge and experience you impart, sprinkling all sorts of morsels inbetween. I, rather shamefully, admit that I hadn't heard of the Ellis Briggs workshop before, especially seeing how I'm not from the UK, but now I see they're a true heritage name trying to stay true to its essence in an everchanging world. And they've also made a wise choice starting this channel, especially with you as its current face. P.S.: I do hope I'll one day join one of the frame-building classes you have to offer. Cheers and best of luck. P.S.2: In the meantime, I'm building up a retro italian frame with modern Campagnolo components (as modern as Centaur can be, at least).
Thanks for your kind comments! We've always been a smaller builder as we never wanted to sacrifice quality for quantity. However we've been at it a long time now and as long as people still want to ride steel frames, we can help. I can't guarantee the videos won't become a bit more polished, but the aim is to share our knowledge with a wider audience. As we don't want to become a huge business but we do want to keep doing what we love. Get in touch if you would ever lie to come do a course! And the build your doing is what this whole channel is about, so if you have any questions, let us know and if we think it will help others we'll do a video on it. Thanks for watching!
Had a stem stuck in my old Trek. Really stuck. Left the frame in my car on a sunny hot day middle eastern day.. nearly burned my fingers but the stem came right out.
I am glad I found your vids with thanks to TH-cam for displaying them with the latest offerings from long-time favorites such as GCN. Great content, great conversational style. And I'm here in the States and that's a funny term, 'a cowboy fix.' And I have to wonder if it goes back to the Yanks in England during WWII. I'd imagine those guys were good at cowboy fixes. "Now just hold your horses, one more cowboy fix and your Spitfire will run like new!" :)
Haha. I have no idea where that comes from exactly but my mentor used to say it to me if i did something the easy way rather than the right way. Language can be really funny. I have a friend in Michigan who I have often discussed British/American colloquialisms with. Thanks for watching!
@@ellisbriggsbikes Thanks for your reply and I agree, colloquialisms can be so much fun. And it probably didn't help your perception of us that they made ALL those cowboy movies. 😀
True, but any idea where that idea comes from? Until the other day i never really thought about it. My mentor used to use it along with "bodge it and scarper". Thanks for watching!
I have a Schwinn Paramount (the hand built line) from the early 80s, I had it professionally painted in 1992, and upgraded to full Dura Ace components in 2003. It’s in near perfect condition. I’m 75 now and only ride my mountain bike. The Paramount is Prestige tubing. What is the best method to sell such a bike?
Paramounts have a bit of a following. Perhaps they have an owners club? Either that or a classic bike forum or eBay really. Someone would definitely like that bike!
Might I add BENT derailleur hangers / rear dropouts. Many times this damage occurs when transporting the bike, or the owner backs into the rear derailleur with their car. On aluminum frames this issue can be the end of that frame's life. I love the checklist and have encountered most of these issues....often after I made a "bargain" purchase.
Yeah, hangers are pieces of steel that are too small and short. They can't be bent back much before cracking. You sometimes have to bent back then grind out the opening to look as original as possible ...or skip that frame.
Here's another one: Tie a length of string to one rear dropout, bring the string forward around a smooth portion of the head tube, then back on the other side to the rear dropout on that other side. Then tie off the string snugly in the same part of the dropout and in the same manner as the string was tied to the first dropout. Once the string is in place, measure the distance from the string to the seat tube on both sides of the bike. The two distances should be equal.
Very common measurement. That's really not a deal breaker in the least because it is so easily modified. If it is really off you aren't going to need a string to see it.
In the workshop we live and breath steel frames, so if we can bring value to you just doing what we love then we'll keep doing it. And hopefully more people will enjoy riding classic and modern steel frames :-)
Been keeping my 531 Cross frame on the road using one of those quick fix bottom brackets that screw into each other as the right hand thread is shot.. Its for the old square taper type chainset. Is there a modern version that can be obtained for hollow tech cranks that work on knackered stripped brackets ?
Not that I know of. But depending on how much you like the bike (only you know the answer to that), it can be fixed with a complete new bottom bracket shell. Basically the old one is cut, the braze melted, the remnants are removed and then a new bottom bracket lug is silver brazed in its place. Obviously it is a quite a major operation, so it would usually require a respray afterwards. This is something to look out for in one of my upcoming workshop videos as I do it quite reguarly. Thanks for watching!
Some frame builders will repair the sloppy bottom bracket shell by melting brass into it and then tapping threads. It's a smaller repair but will still add enough heat to cook the paint off of decent portion of the frame around the bottom bracket shell.
@@mikekrasovec6390 we wouldn't usually do that as brass would only be a temporary fix. But we would sometimes slit the bottom bracket lengthways, close it up and gas weld back together and then retap. Personally though I prefer a new cast shell
My dad has left me his 1950 Claud Butler. It's a lovely bike, with a 531 steel frame, still with the original 27" wheels, and seems to be in pretty good condition, though unused for 15-20 years. He had the components upgraded with Shimano 600 all round circa 1978. Is this bike suitable for a modern groupset? Would I need the frame professionally adjusted for a modern cassette? Or should I just service it and stick with the Shimano 600? Thanks.
Well if it has already had some modification to accept Shimano 600 then it may not be too much of a stretch. Send me some pics to paul@ellisbriggscycles.co.uk and I can give you a better answer :-)
@@ellisbriggsbikes Thank you. I'm away from home at the moment but will ask my daughter to take some pictures to send you. Your help will be greatly appreciated. My dad loved this bike, it was well used, but also well cared for.
@@st4331 you must keep the rear hub spacing correct 120? 126mm? Keep this the 5 speed or 6speed and still use a 6 or 7 speed index shifter. (Limit the mech) Any shimano are good pre 90’s ( sl 434 are great to match up to any thing and are cheap! Ultrgra and Santé Sl 6400/5000 I find are incredibly precise and smooth action. Modern looking grey or nice stylish retro modern white for the sante . Any nice derailleur that you have will fit! You could go 700c with a long drop single pivot caliper such as shimano 6207 ( man pull, big springs!) or newer ultrgra 6400 do a long drop, and that kit is all precise and serviceable. Slr makes them like air brakes after the older 600 kit. Have fun only way to test is to try;)
Hi Paul, just found your channel, I ride on steel and have for years. Always enjoy content from the skilled and knowledgeable like yourself. My current frame is bespoke and about 14 years old now. Would you recommend spraying a light grease or WD40 through the cage bottle holes? I’ve ridden it through the winter for the first time this year and would hate for it to of suffered internally and me not know as it can’t be seen. Look forward to more videos and subscribed. 👍🏼🚴🏻♂️🚴🏻♂️🚴🏻♂️🚴🏻♂️
We don't really have a retail shop now as we are primarily a framebuilding workshop. But we do still have a high street presence. The workshop featured in our videos, is our workshop :-)
How many of those are deal-breakers? Personally, I don't mind a little dent in a steel frame or a bit of paint worn away. But I've ridden a frame bent from a head-on collision... pretty sketchy.
Dents can be a good bargaining point though! None are deal breakers, if you know what you are getting into. Everything can be repaired. Even a head on collision. But you wouldn't want to buy a frame without having been aware of any of these. I find many customers come to me with these issues.
Sounds like a business opportunity for someone to inspect frames and give them a thumbs up or thumbs down? The logistics might be an issue, though. I think there are more than a few sellers who are trying to get rid of frames belonging to a loved one that might be interested. I've been fortunate when buying vintage bikes, as most were purchased from members of an on-line group where folks were usually well known.
alright just for kicks lets list the solutions one by one Tip #1 Bottom bracket threads can be chased with a BB tap at your local co-op bike shop, tapped to ITA thread from bsa and finally repair bottom brackets that thread into themselves work just fine when mounted with green or red loctite and left for 48hrs to cur. Tip #2 headset threads have different tolerances for example a tange seiki falcon with aluminum cups and threads fits a bit more snuggly than some steel stuff, fork threads can also be chased with a die and you can mount your lockring with some trusty loctite. Of course in the end you can always source a new fork to save a really cool frame. Tip #3 ovalized headtubes! assuming physical material hasnt been rubbed clean off head tubes can always be *carefully* squished back into a rounder shape that'll hold the headset cups snug. personally I'm using a set of 12"/300mm knipex wrench pliers(part# 86 03 300) i finished that off by pressing in aluminum cups (they typically have a marginally larger outside diameter) with red loctite and again leaving the loctite 48hrs to cure. Tip #4 there are a few different diameters when it comes to 1" headsets typically you will commonly find 26,4mm and 27,0mm crown race diameters however 26,5mm 26,7mm and 26,8mm headsets do exist. if the race drops right onto the fork theres a good chance you have yourself a 27mm crown race and a 26,4mm fork. so whip out the good digital calipers and have a look. Tips#5-10 no notes **TIP 11** some vintage steel frames have the rear brake cable running through top tube. this is a rust magnet, remember its also about the health of the inside of the tubing. for example all the pre 1990s peugeot frames in the modern era crumple like a cheap suit after even the most basic impacts. oxidation inside the tube set is the culprit.
Thanks for your comment. Usually when I get frame in with worn steerer threads the steel has worn away, running a die down won't add any more material unfortunately. Usually this happens because people ride their headsets loose. Ditto head tubes, all that rocking stretches the headtube so you can't just squash it back unfortunately. There are plenty of fixes for bottom brackets but it can be costly if you want to avoid bodges. The crown race seat is another area that suffers from loose headset. Usually we're talking with the original spec headset but you are correct about different headset dimensions. I appreciate your more mechanic style input but I come at this from a framebuilders perspective, and I would only build a frame up which was in spec. So yes you can get round many of these issues with a bit of ingenuity but it would always feel like a bodge for me. So my intention with this advise is to save people money when they are having a frame restored by a framebuilders like myself. Thanks for watching!
Even though old frames can be problematic , I’m still very tempted to give a classic build ago 👍, nice workshop 👌🏻
Stuck seatpost on my aluminum tandem after a flood. Stripped the frame and placed it upside-down. Filled the seat tube with liquid wrench and let it work for a week. Put the seatpost in a large vice upside down. Every night gave it a twist. After another week she came free! Painful.
Thanks. This is outstanding advice. One small point - it doesn't tell you what a nightmare stuck seatposts and stems can be to remove !
Stuck stem -
Soaked a couple of days with liquid wrench
Soaked for a couple of days with vinegar
Pounded from underneath with a long punch
Cut off the top of the stem which allowed removal of the fork
Pounded some more top and bottom
Used a hack saw blade to cut down one side of the wall of the remaing stem
Wouldnt come out, had to cut away the opposite side
Finally got the pieces of stem out
Easy peasy!
Be sure to ASK anyone selling a frame on ebay if there are any dents. After I bought an old 531 frame and the seller shipped it, they happened to remember that it had a (small) dent in the down tube. I got the frame for cheap though, and either I'll try to bring out the dent using frame blocks, or I can clamp on some shifters (where the dent is located approximately)
To add !
•Rear dropout adjusters seized.
•Top of rear stay at seat clamp cracked or cracked and bent at the brake bridge from too bigger an axle. Usually gearside only!
•Top tube cable guides rotted from rain or sweat esp pre 84 ish? (Guides on top).
•Bottle cage bosses loose and spinning…with a bolt seized in.
•thanks eBay•
Yeah, those are some regualr ones also. Perhaps I'll do a part 2! Rivnut bottle bosses on a steel frame is really awful. Dawes did that a lot on the later Galaxys.
@@ellisbriggsbikes ah when you just think you’re home free and there it is!!! Ooh Dawes yes they leave a legacy wherever possible !!😂
A ripple in the tubing underneath the top tube head lug or underneath the down to head lug suggest a crash. Usually this area bends in a Reynolds 531 frame whereas in a carbon steel frame the fork is more likely to bend. Also just cracking in the paint like a herringbone pattern running perpendicular to the direction of the tube also suggests stress from a front end collision. These problems can be fixed with a VAR frame straightening tool, BUT ONLY ONCE.
I once threw my chain into the spokes at 30 miles an hour and locked up the rear wheel - I bounced four times side to side and came to a stop unharmed. My rear drive side seat stay was bent inwards towards the seat tube about 5mm. That problem was fixed with a wire puller tool.
I have dabbled with pedal cycles for over 60 years and thought I knew quite a bit. This video has chastened me somewhat. Excellent. Very informative. Love the presenter's style, too.
Well i'm glad you enjoyed it and found it useful. Thanks for watching!
stolen goods???
Yes its always a good idea to be mindful of that too. I built a lovely bike for a friend a few years ago, which was stolen from his garage. Ive been on the lookout for it ever since but not come across it :-(
@@ellisbriggsbikes - God, losing some generic mass-produced velocipede to light-fingered scum is bad enough, but when you have personally built the thing, clearly with love (as it's for a friend) the loss must be, for you both, truly heartbreaking. Stealing someones bike, really is low, I know lots of people for whom it's their ONLY means of transport, and with that it's a given that they are not wealthy ..... sorry, I'm rambling, I really thing hanging is too good for bike thieves, there, rant over. Loved the vid BTW.
Don't worry about ranting, I'm sure all the cyclists reading these comments will have similar opinions regarding bike thieves. It was quite a while ago now, but it still stings!
Discovered the channel by chance but knew of ELLIS BRIGGS. Bloke in cap, wielding a blow torch, talking loads of sense and measuring things. Thanks Paul susbscribed immediately. Good stuff 👍
Thanks for subscribing. I'll try to keep talking sense!
You covered everything Ive ever found in 30 years. Nice work !!
Well those are the ones I come across regularly.thanks for watching!
Thanks for the great tips. They should help me avoid a “flipping heck” the next time I purchase a frame.
Glad it helped!
This is a GOLD video!I was expecting to listen something brand related but instead those are very informative and useful tips for a good frame.. good job
Ha, the old Peugeot I mentioned on your last post ticked a few boxes
Ripple underside of downtube
Sold without a fork
Ovalized headtube lower race was a very loose fit
Great videos by the way, lots of info for viewers, thanks for putting together this resource
Glad to be of hel and hopefully others will avoid issues, or at least be aware of what they are buying. Most of these issues are repairable if the frame is worth it to you.
Great channel first time watching it. Love the old Vintage bikes. I have a 1980 Holdsworth Professional frame that I purchased in 1980 .I built it with components at the time that I could handle, like a 12-18 rear cassette and front sprockets were 54-42. I raced with it for a little bit before some back injuries. Over time I hung the bike on the cellar rafters where it stayed for about 35 years. In the mean time I had purchased a more up to date bike which I have put thousands of miles on and really enjoy. About 8 years old I took the Holdsworth of the rafters for a ride. Boy have I aged, the gear set up kicked my ass. I guess back in the day high cadence wasn't in the vocabulary. I am looking to change the gear set up to make it so a 70 year old can ride it in comfort. It is on my bike stand now and I am reminiscing of 1980. Keep up the great channel !
Great story! Thanks for watching
Very good quality video wow!Can’t wait for more!❤❤❤
Thanks for watching!
What I love is that the thread issues, and the head tube fit issue, the dent issues, and the seat binder issue are all fixed affordably with silver :)
dont forget to check the headset size , a 30.0 cup will fall into a 30.2 headtube , like wise crown race 26.4 vs 27.0 , a few uk builders did continental models which spec'ed italian headsets .😉
You should already be aware of the possibility by the manufacturer and time period such as French bikes. Even then, that's just a different parts spec.
i think the cheap fork shown was neither of those....
Enjoyed your video. Good information presented in a clear and concise manner.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching. There is more to come
Incredibly useful video.
Finally someone that knows what they are talking about. I worked building and selling race bikes for a decade during the 1980's. I find that most every "bike tech" in their 20's and 30's just doesn't really know all of the ins and outs of these steel frames, yet they are now the "experts". It's not rocket science, but there is a proper way to approach things, and thinking you know everything isn't the way. You on the other hand bring real expertise to the craft.
Thanks for your comments!
Something tells me this man loves to share his craft and is not "that" temperamental technician everyone loathes. 😊
Bike mechanics are often a breed of their own :-)
I'm sold on your Fred Dibnah northern industrial look...
Nice discovery this evening and I've just subscribed and given you a big, fat thumbs up!
You can't beat a piece of well-crafted steel - what a joy it is.
thanks, Fred Dibnah was a legend, even for a Lancastrian! Thanks for watching!
#11 look under the bottom bracket if the cable routing is still usable. have seen frame where the cables have worn them thru to the axle
Well I've never seen that myself. But definitely worth checking!
This is excellent, thank you. I wish I’d seen the video before I spent a tonne of money getting an old Mercian with an ovalised head tube and loose threads on the fork resprayed.
Do you know a fix for the ovalised head tube, which is currently sporting a beer-can shim [looks ashamed]? Apart from a replacement head tube?
Just wanted to say I've discovered your channel a couple of weeks ago, when you had around 200 subscribers or so. And I was instantly hooked. I love the conciseness of your content and the lack of "flash" that other creators seem to adhere to, especially as they grow their subscriber base. And then there's all the knowledge and experience you impart, sprinkling all sorts of morsels inbetween.
I, rather shamefully, admit that I hadn't heard of the Ellis Briggs workshop before, especially seeing how I'm not from the UK, but now I see they're a true heritage name trying to stay true to its essence in an everchanging world. And they've also made a wise choice starting this channel, especially with you as its current face.
P.S.: I do hope I'll one day join one of the frame-building classes you have to offer. Cheers and best of luck.
P.S.2: In the meantime, I'm building up a retro italian frame with modern Campagnolo components (as modern as Centaur can be, at least).
Thanks for your kind comments! We've always been a smaller builder as we never wanted to sacrifice quality for quantity. However we've been at it a long time now and as long as people still want to ride steel frames, we can help.
I can't guarantee the videos won't become a bit more polished, but the aim is to share our knowledge with a wider audience. As we don't want to become a huge business but we do want to keep doing what we love.
Get in touch if you would ever lie to come do a course!
And the build your doing is what this whole channel is about, so if you have any questions, let us know and if we think it will help others we'll do a video on it.
Thanks for watching!
As with stuck stems and seat posts; bottom brackets!!!
One more: Check for clamp marks on the chainstays from a screw on stand. Dents there could be dangerous on a road bike with thin walled tubes.
Had a stem stuck in my old Trek. Really stuck. Left the frame in my car on a sunny hot day middle eastern day.. nearly burned my fingers but the stem came right out.
It's funny how some things work out because in theory aluminium expands more than steel.
Thanks for watching!
As was mentioned, if the frame is worth it right? I've sacrificed a few seatposts and stems over the years.
Still riding my '79 Dave Moulton!
That's great to hear 😊 thanks for watching
I am glad I found your vids with thanks to TH-cam for displaying them with the latest offerings from long-time favorites such as GCN. Great content, great conversational style. And I'm here in the States and that's a funny term, 'a cowboy fix.' And I have to wonder if it goes back to the Yanks in England during WWII. I'd imagine those guys were good at cowboy fixes. "Now just hold your horses, one more cowboy fix and your Spitfire will run like new!" :)
Haha. I have no idea where that comes from exactly but my mentor used to say it to me if i did something the easy way rather than the right way. Language can be really funny. I have a friend in Michigan who I have often discussed British/American colloquialisms with.
Thanks for watching!
@@ellisbriggsbikes Thanks for your reply and I agree, colloquialisms can be so much fun. And it probably didn't help your perception of us that they made ALL those cowboy movies. 😀
Yeah, that probably didn't help!
Referring to someone as a cowboy in the UK is a derogatory term. Eg a cowboy builder cuts corners, bodges the job but still charges a top price.
True, but any idea where that idea comes from? Until the other day i never really thought about it. My mentor used to use it along with "bodge it and scarper".
Thanks for watching!
I have a Schwinn Paramount (the hand built line) from the early 80s, I had it professionally painted in 1992, and upgraded to full Dura Ace components in 2003. It’s in near perfect condition. I’m 75 now and only ride my mountain bike. The Paramount is Prestige tubing. What is the best method to sell such a bike?
Paramounts have a bit of a following. Perhaps they have an owners club? Either that or a classic bike forum or eBay really. Someone would definitely like that bike!
Might I add BENT derailleur hangers / rear dropouts. Many times this damage occurs when transporting the bike, or the owner backs into the rear derailleur with their car. On aluminum frames this issue can be the end of that frame's life. I love the checklist and have encountered most of these issues....often after I made a "bargain" purchase.
Yes, I will do a follow up to this video at some point. Thanks for watching!
Yeah, hangers are pieces of steel that are too small and short. They can't be bent back much before cracking. You sometimes have to bent back then grind out the opening to look as original as possible ...or skip that frame.
If I change the fram on my bike, is it a different bike?
Here's another one: Tie a length of string to one rear dropout, bring the string forward around a smooth portion of the head tube, then back on the other side to the rear dropout on that other side. Then tie off the string snugly in the same part of the dropout and in the same manner as the string was tied to the first dropout. Once the string is in place, measure the distance from the string to the seat tube on both sides of the bike. The two distances should be equal.
Very common measurement. That's really not a deal breaker in the least because it is so easily modified. If it is really off you aren't going to need a string to see it.
Loving this channel...
Thanks that's great to hear! Thanks for watching
Needs more viewers...
In the workshop we live and breath steel frames, so if we can bring value to you just doing what we love then we'll keep doing it. And hopefully more people will enjoy riding classic and modern steel frames :-)
Been keeping my 531 Cross frame on the road using one of those quick fix bottom brackets that screw into each other as the right hand thread is shot.. Its for the old square taper type chainset. Is there a modern version that can be obtained for hollow tech cranks that work on knackered stripped brackets ?
Not that I know of. But depending on how much you like the bike (only you know the answer to that), it can be fixed with a complete new bottom bracket shell. Basically the old one is cut, the braze melted, the remnants are removed and then a new bottom bracket lug is silver brazed in its place.
Obviously it is a quite a major operation, so it would usually require a respray afterwards.
This is something to look out for in one of my upcoming workshop videos as I do it quite reguarly.
Thanks for watching!
Some frame builders will repair the sloppy bottom bracket shell by melting brass into it and then tapping threads. It's a smaller repair but will still add enough heat to cook the paint off of decent portion of the frame around the bottom bracket shell.
@@mikekrasovec6390 we wouldn't usually do that as brass would only be a temporary fix. But we would sometimes slit the bottom bracket lengthways, close it up and gas weld back together and then retap. Personally though I prefer a new cast shell
My dad has left me his 1950 Claud Butler. It's a lovely bike, with a 531 steel frame, still with the original 27" wheels, and seems to be in pretty good condition, though unused for 15-20 years. He had the components upgraded with Shimano 600 all round circa 1978. Is this bike suitable for a modern groupset? Would I need the frame professionally adjusted for a modern cassette? Or should I just service it and stick with the Shimano 600? Thanks.
Well if it has already had some modification to accept Shimano 600 then it may not be too much of a stretch. Send me some pics to paul@ellisbriggscycles.co.uk and I can give you a better answer :-)
@@ellisbriggsbikes Thank you. I'm away from home at the moment but will ask my daughter to take some pictures to send you. Your help will be greatly appreciated. My dad loved this bike, it was well used, but also well cared for.
@@st4331 you must keep the rear hub spacing correct 120? 126mm? Keep this the 5 speed or 6speed and still use a 6 or 7 speed index shifter. (Limit the mech) Any shimano are good pre 90’s ( sl 434 are great to match up to any thing and are cheap! Ultrgra and Santé Sl 6400/5000 I find are incredibly precise and smooth action. Modern looking grey or nice stylish retro modern white for the sante . Any nice derailleur that you have will fit! You could go 700c with a long drop single pivot caliper such as shimano 6207 ( man pull, big springs!) or newer ultrgra 6400 do a long drop, and that kit is all precise and serviceable. Slr makes them like air brakes after the older 600 kit.
Have fun only way to test is to try;)
I don't need to buy one. I own one from the 80's. A Repco Supralite chrome molly frame. My hassle is finding somewhere to get it re-kitted.
I'm still riding my 1959? Capo Sieger and 2000 Marinoni squadra.
Great to hear! Thanks for watching
Hi Paul, just found your channel, I ride on steel and have for years. Always enjoy content from the skilled and knowledgeable like yourself. My current frame is bespoke and about 14 years old now. Would you recommend spraying a light grease or WD40 through the cage bottle holes? I’ve ridden it through the winter for the first time this year and would hate for it to of suffered internally and me not know as it can’t be seen. Look forward to more videos and subscribed. 👍🏼🚴🏻♂️🚴🏻♂️🚴🏻♂️🚴🏻♂️
Thanks for this question. Any questions like this, I will answer in a video. I'll tag you in the answer next week. Thanks for subscribing!
@@ellisbriggsbikes Great Paul, thank you.
Do Ellis Briggs still have a shop/factory ?
We don't really have a retail shop now as we are primarily a framebuilding workshop. But we do still have a high street presence. The workshop featured in our videos, is our workshop :-)
How many of those are deal-breakers? Personally, I don't mind a little dent in a steel frame or a bit of paint worn away. But I've ridden a frame bent from a head-on collision... pretty sketchy.
Dents can be a good bargaining point though! None are deal breakers, if you know what you are getting into. Everything can be repaired. Even a head on collision. But you wouldn't want to buy a frame without having been aware of any of these.
I find many customers come to me with these issues.
Increíble!
Amzing
Where is your shop?
Shipley, West Yorkshire
Sounds like a business opportunity for someone to inspect frames and give them a thumbs up or thumbs down? The logistics might be an issue, though. I think there are more than a few sellers who are trying to get rid of frames belonging to a loved one that might be interested. I've been fortunate when buying vintage bikes, as most were purchased from members of an on-line group where folks were usually well known.
Gold dust!
Tops
alright just for kicks lets list the solutions one by one
Tip #1 Bottom bracket threads can be chased with a BB tap at your local co-op bike shop, tapped to ITA thread from bsa and finally repair bottom brackets that thread into themselves work just fine when mounted with green or red loctite and left for 48hrs to cur.
Tip #2 headset threads have different tolerances for example a tange seiki falcon with aluminum cups and threads fits a bit more snuggly than some steel stuff, fork threads can also be chased with a die and you can mount your lockring with some trusty loctite. Of course in the end you can always source a new fork to save a really cool frame.
Tip #3 ovalized headtubes! assuming physical material hasnt been rubbed clean off head tubes can always be *carefully* squished back into a rounder shape that'll hold the headset cups snug. personally I'm using a set of 12"/300mm knipex wrench pliers(part# 86 03 300) i finished that off by pressing in aluminum cups (they typically have a marginally larger outside diameter) with red loctite and again leaving the loctite 48hrs to cure.
Tip #4 there are a few different diameters when it comes to 1" headsets typically you will commonly find 26,4mm and 27,0mm crown race diameters however 26,5mm 26,7mm and 26,8mm headsets do exist. if the race drops right onto the fork theres a good chance you have yourself a 27mm crown race and a 26,4mm fork. so whip out the good digital calipers and have a look.
Tips#5-10 no notes
**TIP 11**
some vintage steel frames have the rear brake cable running through top tube. this is a rust magnet, remember its also about the health of the inside of the tubing.
for example all the pre 1990s peugeot frames in the modern era crumple like a cheap suit after even the most basic impacts. oxidation inside the tube set is the culprit.
Thanks for your comment.
Usually when I get frame in with worn steerer threads the steel has worn away, running a die down won't add any more material unfortunately. Usually this happens because people ride their headsets loose. Ditto head tubes, all that rocking stretches the headtube so you can't just squash it back unfortunately.
There are plenty of fixes for bottom brackets but it can be costly if you want to avoid bodges.
The crown race seat is another area that suffers from loose headset. Usually we're talking with the original spec headset but you are correct about different headset dimensions.
I appreciate your more mechanic style input but I come at this from a framebuilders perspective, and I would only build a frame up which was in spec. So yes you can get round many of these issues with a bit of ingenuity but it would always feel like a bodge for me.
So my intention with this advise is to save people money when they are having a frame restored by a framebuilders like myself.
Thanks for watching!