Orbit Frontier - Wholesome English goodness

coomber

Retrobike Rider
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So this has found it's way to me after some very generous delivering by the legend that is NeilM.

Looks quite original in the "before" pic - sadly this means it weighs ten metric tonnes. The wheels are shot hub wise and seem to carry half the weight. The right thumbie is missing its cap and is rusty, but the frame and forks are straight and dent free. Sadly the paint is terrible, non-existenet in a lot of places and so bad I think it will have to be treated and then resprayed.

Came without brakes, well a no name v brake on the front, but I will put some cantis on it when finished.

The cranks are nice looking but looks like someone has already had a go at taking them off, without luck, as the threads look naffed. So reckon that's another original part that will be skip bound.

Progress to date is little: have taken all the parts off including the stuck stem. However, the wedge is broken but looks like it will be ok.

Seatbolt, headset and all chrome parts currently in a tub of coke to help the rust get cleared.

Anybody want to volunteer a colour?

And anybody got any final solutions for the cranks before mr angle grinder comes a calling?

AND DOES ANYBODY KNOW EXACTLY THE SEATPOST SIZE? 26.2 seems a smidge too tight...

Before cleaning












Nice Lug on the bottom bracket:

And on the Headtube




Wrapped seatstays are gorgeous:


Sachs rear mech? Know nothing on these (help!)

It’s a lovely chainset but it’s threads look poor. Maybe hope..


Paint Loss!

The chainslap is really bad – no paint at all…


Stem Wedge is a little deformed but seems to be ok apart from the rust

Head badge/sticker

Here’s my two year old helping clean!


 
Re: Orbit Frontier fillet brazed English goodness

As per a post by here by NevadaSmith here it is in the 1988/89 buyers guide. Can’t verify It is that year though? Any other pointers?
BBG1988-9-1_zpsa20e1a42.jpeg


BBG1988-9-2_zpsba6cc25e.jpeg


BBG1988-9-3_zpsa1e8aa3c.jpeg


BBG1988-9-4_zpscdace058.jpeg


BBG1988-9-5_zpsd1194e61.jpeg


BBG1988-9-6_zps489aa43c.jpeg


BBG1988-9-7_zps35fb18ed.jpeg


BBG1988-9-8_zpsb6f55b7f.jpeg
[/quote]


viewtopic.php?f=9&t=251100&p=1900665#p1900665
 
Re: Orbit Frontier fillet brazed English goodness

Nice to see you've started work; there is something very satisfying about stripping off all the cr*p to see just what it is you have to work with, and I had to severely restrain myself from getting busy with the spanners for the short while that the Orbit resided in my garage.

Colour wise, it's got to be bright to do the era justice; puce, yellow, orange... something eighties is a must.
 
Re: Orbit Frontier fillet brazed English goodness

Really great to see all this Orbit interest on here.
It would be nice to keep to the original colour, but its such a personal thing that who knows. Most of those Orbits had lovely sparkly paintwork, not easy to replicate without a huge budget!

My favourite Orbit colour is this one:
viewtopic.php?t=204213&highlight=orbit

I thought the seatpost on these was 27.0mm, but obviously not on your one. Maybe that's only the 531 models?

Its interesting to note that they offered the option of a 24" frame! :shock:

Good luck with this very worth while project!

Cheers,
Andrew
 
Re: Orbit Frontier fillet brazed English goodness

Lovely old bike, but please tell me what part is fillet brazed?
 
Re: Orbit Frontier fillet brazed English goodness

You know I might have put 2 + 2 together and got 5! Thought it was as they all were but perhaps not :facepalm:

Can't check as its with an expert getting cranks removed. I will also report frame no when its back on Tuesday, hopefully cranks will be saved at the same time.
 
Re: Orbit Frontier fillet brazed English goodness

That's reAlly nice. Worthy of decent kit for sure. Bet it will ride like butter.
 
Re: Orbit Frontier fillet brazed English goodness

So I soaked one rusty stem in a tub of cheap coke...

Before..


24 hours later and without using anything else at all..

 
Re: Orbit Frontier fillet brazed English goodness

And people drink that stuff?

As for the fillet brazed thing; your Orbit has brazed lugs, rather than butted joints that are fillet brazed. Both methods are still in use by bespoke frame builders.

However, I would not have been rude enough to point out the error.
 
Ha! I didn't take any offence, basic error in my excitement.

Hoping to get this free and naked as frame and forks next week. Then I will decide on a colour. Definitely thinking along the lines of bright red, orange, green, baby blue etc. Budget is tight but would hope to get it finished by end of summer.

Biggest expense will be chain set, thinking something like plain deore if and a big IF the old is no good.
 

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