Severe cable rub in seat tube - safe to ride?

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ChrisEyles

Guru
Location
Devon
I recently acquired a MTB frame (for the princely sum of £1.05 on ebay) that I'd like to build up.

However there is some pretty severe cable rub going on in the seat tube, probably the worst I've ever seen. The cable outer has worn a groove that goes about 75% of the way through the thickness of the tubing (maybe more if the seat tube is butted).

Before I go to the trouble of tidying up the frame, is this going to be safe to ride?

I'm thinking it will probably be OK as

1) Some frame designs don't even have seat tubes at all
2) If it does fail it's only likely to happen while seated rather than when standing (i.e. while climbing rather than descending!)
3) I can probably get the seat post to go below the cable rub groove, which may strengthen the seat tube

Does this sound sensible?
 
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ChrisEyles

ChrisEyles

Guru
Location
Devon
ps - I can add a pic if it would help, but don't think it would add a lot to the description given above.
 
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ChrisEyles

ChrisEyles

Guru
Location
Devon
Here are a few pics of the offending groove. It's located around halfway down the seat tube rather than near the top, so the seatpost clamp won't be anywhere near it. Could potentially pop a front derailleur clamp around it if that would help I suppose?

IMG_20190714_165108.jpg
IMG_20190714_165116.jpg
IMG_20190714_165120.jpg
 
Location
Spain
Is it me, or does that look like it’s been caught with an angle grinder to remove a lock, could be me, but I don’t think that looks like cable rub, what do others think?
Doesn't look like the sort of damage plastic could do to metal to me either. I reckon you're bang on.
 

DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
That’s what I thought, cable rub would only wear the paint away where that mark is, no cable will be there, but it’s where a lock would have been approximately having gone round the seat tube & through the rear wheel, my concern would be was it the sellers frame to put on eBay to start with.
It’s definitely a mark from a cutting tool.
 
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ChrisEyles

ChrisEyles

Guru
Location
Devon
The rear brake cable (and rd cable on the other side) does actually run exactly where the mark is. It's a ca 1998 Marin mount vision, if you Google image it you'll see the cable routing that leads to this.

Doesn't look like an angle grinder slip as the profile is quite smooth and rounded, but I suppose it could be - hadn't thought of that.

The intention is to use it on the trails. I don't mind if I have to walk it back to the car and then trash it, but a catastrophic downhill failure would obviously be pretty bad.
 
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Deleted member 1258

Guest
The rear brake cable (and rd cable on the other side) does actually run exactly where the mark is. It's a ca 1998 Marin mount vision, if you Google image it you'll see the cable routing that leads to this.

Doesn't look like an angle grinder slip as the profile is quite smooth and rounded, but I suppose it could be - hadn't thought of that.

The intention is to use it on the trails. I don't mind if I have to walk it back to the car and then trash it, but a catastrophic downhill failure would obviously be pretty bad.

Doesn't look like cable rub to me, looks like tool damage that someone's tried to tidy up.
 
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