Cracked titanium - Orange Vit T2 seat tube

[dyna-ti]

My tuppence worth, aand also riding a ti with a crack, though not up/down, but sideaways and not imho any problem really. End of the seat tube due to flex on too short a clamp.

But anyway. whats the worst that can happen to it ?, move on down towards the weld.
Whats causing it, or at least aggravating it ?, likely the seatpost pressures and the clamp tightness.
How to counteract those forces :? Sounds daft but a jubilee clip adding full 360 d support around it isnt going to make it worse and will at least to some degree take some of the strain off the crack allowing the clamp to tighten, and the post to be more rigid and not such an influence on it.
Wrap some insulating or ptfe tape around it to disguise, or one of the neoprene lower headset covers we used to get free in mbuk bitd.

Lets face it, the crack is the seat tube, so despite it appears many fears the headtube isnt going to fall off, nor is the bottom bracket or such. Very worst is the post slips.

A clip, some tape and a disguise and who'll know really

 

[rwm1962]

I might beef it up as you mention once welded.

Cheers!

 

[greencat]

Just as an append to my earlier post. The crack on my seat tube that Vernon repaired was at the bottom of the frame insert (no shim). That was welded and eight months later, the frame cracked again where the seat tube meets the down tube/chain stays. Vernon reckoned he could probably weld it again, but I thought it was time to give it up.

 

[fattiman]

Orange titanium frames are made of cheese, terrible build quality.

 

[ti_pin_man]

you could read this thread and replace orange with manitou. So many cracked.
Although it depends on you love for the frame and its value, both commercially and sentimentally, you could send it to Steve Potts. He does an excellent job structurally and aesthetically.

 

[Minifreak]

Orange titanium frames are made of cheese, terrible build quality.

Is the T2 known to crack more than the original?
I had a Vit-T that appeared beautifully made and had no signs of cracking, stupidly sold it like so many of my bikes :facepalm:

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

My original Vit T was also a thing of beauty and was crack free. I also regret selling it :facepalm: . The T2 certainly seems prone.

 

[rwm1962]

I love cheese & Orange. Searching options for this repair it would seems a lot of brands have similar issues. Disappointed, & if the weld doesn't hold up I'll be leaving Ti alone unless I maybe stumble on a Vit frame. I'd likely get an early P7 frame & move the bits over.

I've been told by a frame builder that the repair could last years - or a day. To that end I'm not paying to ship it 2 ways to a frame builder in the UK, never mind California, but getting a very local welding company that works with Ti (lots of offshore stuff) to repair it. They tell me they've had Ti bike frames in before.

I'm only just slowly getting back into riding again after a post-op lay-off of 7 months. I may ride the steel bikes until I've lost some more weight!

 

[rwm1962]

Seat post. I'm measuring 28mm with my cheap gauge. Any advances on that? Looking to bin the shim

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=77111

 

[ishaw]

Re:

If that's the internal diameter, then you'll need a post that size. Given the crack you dont want any wriggle room.

You could get a tall seat post clamp with 2 bolts to ensure more secure clamping.