Hello
I've joined the forum as I've been told this is THE place to seek advice about older bicycles. Please forgive me if I make any mistakes...
I've owned an old Carlton Grand Prix for the best part of two decades (I think), and just recently with a new job, I'm travelling on it a bit more and parts have begun to fail. I'm not very clever with my hands, so my local bike shop has replaced the rear sprocket, chain, front wheel, bottom bracket etc. About a month after the new BB going in, the pedals started to go offline again and I took it back to them, thinking it might be whatever the next part is having expired. They advised there was a problem with the bottom bracket shell (frame stretched or the threads had gone taking the old BB out), and as it would cost hundreds to have that repaired, I should consider either having the BB welded in (with the consequent skipping of the frame when the BB then died) or just replacing the bike.
I asked advice on my guitar forum (I know, but we have quite a broad membership so you can get some good 'starters for ten'!) and they suggested all sorts of BBs I'd not heard of - threadless, external and so on - suggested I join here, and find a local classic bike repairer.
I'm currently trying someone local to me who has more of an interest in vintage bikes, and he's put a threadless BB in. First attempt at leaving his shop, I didn't get a hundred yards down the street before I realised it was still wonky. I brought it back to him - he said he'd face the frame -and when I took it away again, I got almost home before the bracket started wobbling again.
He's said he will look at it again tomorrow, and might need to face the other side of the frame as well, but my fear at this point is that - perhaps- the BB shell is sufficiently far gone that this solution just isn't going to work. I've called Bob Jackson for advice: I saw their price list suggesting £160 for a new BB shell, which is a huge cost against the value of the bike and having spoken to them I now understand that I'd also need a respray, so all in £160 shell + £100 respray + £55 carriage there and back + £whatever a local bike shop would charge to dismantle and reassemble... = £Lots!
Now, I love the bike and would very much like to keep it - I know it's silly, but it's 'my bike' and even though people tell me it's too big for me (25 1/2" frame for a 5'11" person) I've been riding it a long time now and I'm very happy with it. Equally, I think the repair bill if I have to take this route is getting on for £400; a mint example of the bike sold over the weekend for a hair under £60 on eBay (other side of the country from me unfortunately - I'm in Cambs and the bike was in Warrington. If it had been local I would have been tempted to grab it and repair the original when I've got the disposable to do so).
I would very much appreciate any thoughts or advice! I think the sensible answer is 'you could buy a new bike for that money' but I am loathe to give up on the bike if I can at all possibly avoid it...
Thanks very much, Dan.
I've joined the forum as I've been told this is THE place to seek advice about older bicycles. Please forgive me if I make any mistakes...
I've owned an old Carlton Grand Prix for the best part of two decades (I think), and just recently with a new job, I'm travelling on it a bit more and parts have begun to fail. I'm not very clever with my hands, so my local bike shop has replaced the rear sprocket, chain, front wheel, bottom bracket etc. About a month after the new BB going in, the pedals started to go offline again and I took it back to them, thinking it might be whatever the next part is having expired. They advised there was a problem with the bottom bracket shell (frame stretched or the threads had gone taking the old BB out), and as it would cost hundreds to have that repaired, I should consider either having the BB welded in (with the consequent skipping of the frame when the BB then died) or just replacing the bike.
I asked advice on my guitar forum (I know, but we have quite a broad membership so you can get some good 'starters for ten'!) and they suggested all sorts of BBs I'd not heard of - threadless, external and so on - suggested I join here, and find a local classic bike repairer.
I'm currently trying someone local to me who has more of an interest in vintage bikes, and he's put a threadless BB in. First attempt at leaving his shop, I didn't get a hundred yards down the street before I realised it was still wonky. I brought it back to him - he said he'd face the frame -and when I took it away again, I got almost home before the bracket started wobbling again.
He's said he will look at it again tomorrow, and might need to face the other side of the frame as well, but my fear at this point is that - perhaps- the BB shell is sufficiently far gone that this solution just isn't going to work. I've called Bob Jackson for advice: I saw their price list suggesting £160 for a new BB shell, which is a huge cost against the value of the bike and having spoken to them I now understand that I'd also need a respray, so all in £160 shell + £100 respray + £55 carriage there and back + £whatever a local bike shop would charge to dismantle and reassemble... = £Lots!
Now, I love the bike and would very much like to keep it - I know it's silly, but it's 'my bike' and even though people tell me it's too big for me (25 1/2" frame for a 5'11" person) I've been riding it a long time now and I'm very happy with it. Equally, I think the repair bill if I have to take this route is getting on for £400; a mint example of the bike sold over the weekend for a hair under £60 on eBay (other side of the country from me unfortunately - I'm in Cambs and the bike was in Warrington. If it had been local I would have been tempted to grab it and repair the original when I've got the disposable to do so).
I would very much appreciate any thoughts or advice! I think the sensible answer is 'you could buy a new bike for that money' but I am loathe to give up on the bike if I can at all possibly avoid it...
Thanks very much, Dan.
