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forum
Steel frame repair/replacement.
Hello fellow crash test dummies.
Today I was hit by a driver who didn't see me on a roundabout. My beloved Chas Roberts that I bought new in 1985 was severely bent at the rear triangle. I thought 'how will I be able to replace the frame?'.
Chas went on a sabbatical years back and I guess he is retired now. It is likely that the frame was built by Winston Vaz, but I feel like I want to replace it with a 'branded' frame. So I thought that I would have to go to a skilled craftsman who is still building custom frames. Brian Rourke came to mind. Looking on his website, they list a road frame built either in 853 or 953. My Roberts was Columbus SL.
I suppose the questions that I want to ask are: have any of you found yourself in a similar unfortunate situation?
What current frame builders would you be able to recommend?
Assuming the driver's insurance do not dispute liability, am I correct to assume that they will replace my frame, wheelset and other damaged items on a like for like basis?
Some friends have suggested having the rear triangle replaced, but to my mind the bike would never be quite the same.
Looking forward to reading any replies over a cup of tea and a handful of ibuprofen.
Charlie.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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13 comments
Hi and thanks for all the good input.
I spoke to a guy at Argos yesterday about the repair. Looks like rear triangle replacement will be around £1000, and he told me that a new frame is around £3000! And the price of chrome is crazy - think he said £190 for a fork! He didn't sound that enthusiastic but maybe he gets a lot of calls where people ask hundreds of questions and it all comes to nothing, as he mentioned people often don't want the job done when it is all priced up.
I did speak to Wayne at Rourke Cycles this afternoon and I think I will order a new frame in 853. 6 months wait so will be ready for the better weather next year and actually cheaper than I expected. My Roberts was listed at £350 in 1985.
But I will do my best to get the Roberts back to it's former state.
At those prices I can only imagine that Argos don't want the business. That's extortion even assuming they have to buy in some exotic steel that Chas used.
Chas' brother Geoff Roberts is still building frames and a good shout for your repair.
Deffo repair not replace. Steel will be as good as new.
I pretzeled the non replaceable rear mech hanger and cowled dropout on my 853 DeKerf MTB. Chris DeKerf was/is basically the Canadian version of one of the 90's Chas/Dave/Dave holy trinity of UK frame builders. A buddy of mine in the industry found an up and coming framebuilder to sort it and they did a beautiful job including paintwork matching.
Loved it more afterwards.....
Being a Chas its probably mega thin (Italian Steel from memory?) on the stays so it might be a entire rear end replacement but on a Chas its worth it.
ps Argos are great.
Repair or replacement from Sven Cycles?
Rourke or Mercian.
Off the peg Condor are still nice frames, built and finished in Italy and use Columbus tubesets. I think they even still have a traditional geometry model.
Steel is definitely a safe repair, and remade to the same dimensions in the same materials should give you the same feel.
The principle of insurers is that they will return you to being in the same position as you were before the accident, which includes expenses incured due to the accident (e.g. taxi ride home), then compensation for pain and distress. This has the potential to get silly - because a wheel that is part worn can't be repaired or replaced to a part worn state, and I've had arguments where I have pointed out that me dipping into my wallet to contribute has left me worse off (decorator dropped paint on a bedroom carpet and they tried to make me pay half for betterment on an unworn 5 year old carpet). As a classic bike, you can argue that the bike itself is valued.
They may of course try and apportion some blame on you to reduce their claim (your fault for being on a bicycle!) but it sounds like the costs involved may make them more interested in a settlement.
See where it goes, but don't feel you have to settle for anything that makes you worse off. If you have cycling insurance, make sure you contact them, even if in the first instance you don't need to go legal.
You could probably get Winston himself to mend the frame. He builds frames for himself nowadays - www.varonha.co.uk
Argos Cycles in Bristol, full stop. They fixed up my Mercian after a similar incident and did a cracking job. The only downsides are lead time and the fact that you might buy one of their lovely bikes whilst there!
Great place, they did the paint on my La Vie Claire Hinault 753R. Took a while to get booked in as you say, but end result was flawless.
La Vie Claire Hinault 753! Reading that put shivers up my back....
Here it is, started the component collecton in 2018, Argos stripped & repainted it, bike finally finished in first lockdown 2020. It's a nice looking and feeling bike but with lowest gear as 42-24, it's not exactly fun on the legs here in Dorset.
Ready for the next Eroica Britannia, but it keeps getting cancelled...
Looks even better than I imagined it! And it's my size! 24"/ 60-61cm. I know what you mean about the gearing, when I got my Roberts out of the loft years back, I couldn't believe how tall the gearing was so I took the 20 speed route with compact cranks and did the Jurassic Beast sportive.