Frame Advice required.

Swap notes about technical issues

Moderators: Philip Whiteman, Andy Terry

Post Reply
User avatar
snailmale
Posts: 131
Joined: 22 Nov 2006 10:03
Real Name: Alan Nicholls
Location: Worcester

Frame Advice required.

Post by snailmale » 11 Apr 2015 15:43

My 20-year-old Reynolds 531 steel Trevor Jarvis frame is developing rust patches on the top tube, the worst, worryingly, being around the cable stop nipple at the headset end. This is the second time I've had a rust problem so I'm now considering buying a new steel frame.

With my present mileage being 2.5k a year max, I no longer need a custom built frame and am looking for reasonably priced off-the-peg alternatives

I've identified a couple of 'possibles', a Ribble 525 steel Audax with a carbon fork for £250-ish, and a Planet X Kaffenbach 2 which apparently is built with 'revised' tubing of unstated and mysterious origin.

The Ribble's 525 tubing is the 'new' Reynolds 531, which I've ridden for the last 60+ years, but the price seems cheap and I was wondering if there was anything I should know about Ribble framesets?

The Kaffenbach from Planet X is on offer at £150, 40% discount. I've never dealt with Planet X although I've heard good things about them but the lack of provenance on the tubing worries me

If anyone has any views on these two framesets, or can suggest reasonably priced alternatives, I'd like to hear.

I'm just looking for something to tide me over the next ten years.
It is better to be interesting rather than exact

User avatar
CakeStop
Posts: 1258
Joined: 17 Nov 2006 21:57
Real Name: Steve Smith
Location: Birmingham

Post by CakeStop » 11 Apr 2015 19:57

I'm happy with my Genesis Equilibrium which is Reynolds 725.

725 is not suitable for forks though so the forks are colour matched carbon.

I bought frame & forks to build a winter bike, just completed it's 4th winter, so far so good. Only possible downside I can think of (which doesn't matter to me for a winter bike) is it doesn't have rear rack mounts but I think current models may have.
Eat cake before you're hungry

Patch
Posts: 370
Joined: 06 Aug 2009 19:51
Real Name: Chris Hudson
Contact:

Post by Patch » 11 Apr 2015 20:55

I'd have to agree with Steve the Genesis is really nice. That would be my choice they have nice geometries, paint finish is good nothing to fault really.
Patch

laurence_cooley
Posts: 1119
Joined: 31 Dec 2011 13:48
Real Name:
Location: Harborne

Post by laurence_cooley » 11 Apr 2015 21:31

Yep, I can recommend the Genesis Equilibrium too. It's a bit more expensive than the ones you mention, but mine's served me well over the past three years. Some weeks in winter, it feels like every second bike on the club run is an Equilibrium.

User avatar
petemarshall
Posts: 663
Joined: 17 Jan 2014 16:40
Real Name: Pete Marshall
Location: Stourbridge

Post by petemarshall » 11 Apr 2015 22:47

I have the Ribble frame set. I also have a 1980's hand built MB Dronfield frameset in Reynolds 531C.
The Ribble frame may well be built from the same steel but the tubing is oversized, heavier and neither stiff nor responsive in comparison to the handbuilt 531C frameset.
The Ribble is ok for the money I suppose. The welds are neat and the paint job decent but it just doesn't ride or feel the same as a handbuilt machine.
If I was you I would take the frame you have to a decent frame builder (preferably the original builder ) and get it repaired and stove enamelled. Should cost about the same as buying the Ribble.
If you want a new frame of similar quality you are looking at the far side of £700 from any decent builder.

Tim
Posts: 1255
Joined: 06 Sep 2011 17:02
Real Name: Tim Egan
Location: Bournville

Post by Tim » 11 Apr 2015 23:30

£125 off all genesis here I've just seen. If you go down that route. http://www.urbancycles.org.uk/shop/bike ... ry=Genesis

User avatar
petemarshall
Posts: 663
Joined: 17 Jan 2014 16:40
Real Name: Pete Marshall
Location: Stourbridge

Post by petemarshall » 11 Apr 2015 23:52

By the way, this is Vernon Barker (the builder of my bikes frame) price list for repair and resprays
http://www.vernonbarkercycles.co.uk/prices_frames.html
http://www.vernonbarkercycles.co.uk/pri ... aying.html
I would guess it is about the same for any decent builder.

This winter I had my frame repaired and repainted. Took a large dent out of the down tube and removed all the gear cable gubbins (I was making it a single speed), whilst replacing all the brake cable stops with modern one all for £175.00.

They also build brand new 531C forks from £100 (Raynolds still produces 531C tubes specifically for forks as none of their present tube sets makes such good forks, hence using carbon. I am presently using some cheaper and heavier alternatives although I do plan on getting some genuine forks.

Even with heavy steel forks the frame set is still lighter than the Ribble frameset . It is far, far more responsive to ride. Although it is obviously heavier than any modern carbon frameset it still feels as nice to ride, particularly when climbing. The ribble frame actually weighs as much as my 531ST touring frame, which is built to carry huge loads, is much longer and far more comfortable. My guess is that the tubing is not butted and far to much steel has actually been used to make the frames oversized to meet the needs of fashion rather than performance, 531 tubing is very, very stiff, so the tubes diameter needs be small.

User avatar
Philip Whiteman
Posts: 2045
Joined: 19 Nov 2006 16:17
Real Name:
Location: Drayton, Worcestershire

Post by Philip Whiteman » 12 Apr 2015 08:20

Alan, if it is a Trevor Jarvis frame, does it happen to be a Flying Gate? If so, they are still being built under license from Trevor . They could inspect it for you?

User avatar
snailmale
Posts: 131
Joined: 22 Nov 2006 10:03
Real Name: Alan Nicholls
Location: Worcester

Post by snailmale » 14 Apr 2015 12:31

Thanks all, for your comments. The Ribble doesn't sound as good an option as I'd hoped.

I've had dealings with the guy who took over Trevor Jarvis, Philip, he's based over at Abberley, quite a reasonable bloke. The frame will take me through this season without disintegrating, although its appearance is not aesthetically pleasing, so I'll check out a refurbishment then. If it's bad news I might look round for a good second hand frame if I can't identify a new one within my price range.

For the record, my first custom built frame was a Viking Severn Valley from Viking of Wolverhampton. 531 throughout, (state-of-the-art then) with beautifully filed Nervex Professional lugs and pencil thin fluted wrap-over seat stays. Mine for less than fifteen quid, headset included, in 1958.
It is better to be interesting rather than exact

Oscar
Posts: 94
Joined: 02 Feb 2008 22:48
Real Name: Oscar Hopkins

Post by Oscar » 18 Apr 2015 21:20

Check second hand bikes in Cycling magazines. The last one I bought I have cycled over 35000 miles on it with no problems.

Post Reply