90s Harry Quinn refresh

Ok, been seen on here before but after breaking the frame, just had a new down tube inserted and a lovely smokey candy red/black repaint by Neill at Atlantic Boulevard, so now back in service with some shiny new campag bits (and some polished old shimano ones)... 10 speed Veloce levers will index with shimano spaced 8 speed; yay!

lovely colour and a bonkers saddle to bar drop! :shock:

oldmuthariley":1flte4eg said:

lovely colour and a bonkers saddle to bar drop! :shock:

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I have long arms!

Nice one Gary. How did you break the downtube?

Bigfish":1sfkoszq said:

Nice one Gary. How did you break the downtube?

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Cheers Chris; whilst I'd naturally like to claim it was bestial torque from upper-body force applied on climbs, I suspect it was just a stress failure at the cable stop brazings. Probably too much heat when it was made... tube fractured full dia right through that area. Oh, I also split the chainstay bridge - I'm claiming that was down to rider effort!

Still riding then? I'll have to try and get home in time to catch up before the summer(?) is over...

Looks fast!!!

Hi

Just curious what year frame ?

back in the 70's I am struggling to think of a well made frame breaking apart from failing to take a corner

Harry Quinn frames were well regarded, apart from his choice of colour which always brightened up the bunch (peloton)....bright yellow springs to mind

Shaun

This frame was one of two ordered in 1992, the other was my track frame. Both were made to measure. My frame was used for a good few years in track and timetrials, and finally sold a couple of years ago, still in very clean condition. Gary's frame was never used by the guy who ordered it (long story), but he has had it for many years and achieved some notable road race results during the 90s. I am surprised at the said frame failures, as mine was solid as a rock, and I'm no lightweight. Mind you, nether is Gary (sorry mate).

In fairness to the frame, the bike had done loads of hard miles on rough tough roads; as Chris says, it was raced for quite a few seasons in the mid 90s, and was also used for time trialling and general riding/training. I'm actually astonished nothing let go before the tube fractured last winter... it's actually a testament to the toughness of the 653 tubeset and the builders' craft that it never suffered a more catastrophic failure that resulted in my face-planting.... once I realised what had happened (the handling went a bit vague and the bike felt a bit hinged), I actually rode it the 20 odd miles home (carefully) with just the top tube connecting front and back ends. The failed tube completely parted full circle immediately where the stops are located... the tube was fag paper thin in this location so not much of a stress raiser would be needed and I do/did lean on the bars hard on the rare occasions I get interested in a climb etc

I just took the view it was too pretty and too much of an old friend to scrap

Looks great and good on you for getting it repaired.