Trusting an old frame on the road?

[smokeysmoo]

But I'm very tall. 89kg not heavy?

Not IMO

 

[DaveyA]

this was posted in the vintage section today
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/acti...e-worlds-toughest-bike-race-100-years-on.html
read it, and be reassured and amazed

That looks like a good read. I will save it for tomorrow.
I am feeling a lot more confident now and I am really looking forward to getting it back together and enjoying riding it.
Thanks.

 

[Smurfy]

It'll probably be fine. I've only had one steel frame fail, a mountain bike after years of (ab)use.

It's unlikely, especially as you're a lighter rider, but the thing to look out for when cleaning is slightly wrinkled paint, as that would suggest local yielding of the metal, and after that a crack will quite possibly appear with continued use.

Just ride, enjoy, and if you're worried clean it regularly and check for anything odd.

 

[fabregas485]

In all fairness, older bikes/(pretty much all older things) are built to last. If you feel unsafe on it or feel flexing then there could be a problem. Give it a once over for rust, flaking paint, bubbling paint etc.

 

[bigjim]

Not IMO

It is in mine when I'm trying to drag it up a hill

 

[David Higson]

From my experience, the older the better. Older bikes were engineered to last a lifetime, even the cheaper end of the market. Remember, a large proportion of roads in pre-1970's Britain were still cobbled, certainly many of the side streets in our large towns were only tarmacced from then onwards. Remember too, the frame goes nowhere without the wheels. Check the state of the spokes as they may need replacing if over-rusted. A spoke is usually under high tension which can cause problems on corroded metal.

 

[DaveyA]

I'm getting there, just need a few more bits to finish it. New cables and chain, I might look for a shorter stem as I always felt a bit too much weight on my hands when I rode it regularly. Will post some pics when done.

 

[Trull]

Aye I had some similar thoughts, and I've previously broken low quality frames so have a little experience of catastrophic failure… the wonderful thing about steel is that in cracking it makes a noise, and when it does go the rest of the frame is strong enough to allow you to stop and take stock. Given some ty-wraps George Berwick completed a 600k randonnee with a snapped down tube.

I just got my old Raleigh Randonneur re-powder coated this past week and she's looking much nicer https://www.flickr.com/photos/torcuill/sets/72157645232910023 first re-spray since 1988. If you are concerned with external rust I'd invest in a cold zinc coat then zinc rich primer, then top coat and lacquer… Zinga is a good way to apply zinc http://www.anodeoutlet.co.uk/produc...9cp1_tdGBEixlCA2Xw0ucowQVIfMNq_BSLKMLDKrw_wcB

 

[Ern1e]

I've ran a few old frames over the years, and FYI I've never been a lightweight

Can't really add anything that's not been said, but trust your instinct and inspect the frame regularly as you should anyway.

FWIW whenever I've restored a steel framed bike I've always sprayed the inside of the frame and forks with Waxoyl, it might be overkill but IMO it's all about peace of mind.

Ride safe

Thats a +1 on the Waxoyl from me and IMO not at all overkill.