The grim reaper came to visit me, Roberts content, be strong...

[froze]

So, here's my bike.
It's a nice bike, and I've ridden it as intended for 35+ years after having it made to measure all that time ago.
As I mentioned a few years ago on here this was a custom build, basically a Phantom, being a full Max OR frameset, but with a sloping tt and straight Max forks as that's what I wanted.
It's fast as hell, accelerates and climbs brilliantly and still looks fab to my eyes.

Sadly, as you can see from the second pic it's developed a crack at the base of the down tube. It actually goes a lot farther around, and seems to have started near that pulley boss.
So, what to do. I think I'd be looking at a tidy weld up rather than tube replacement and full respray, but I want the frame to last another 35 years, so may have to accept that it would be better to strip the lot and deal with any issues at all.

Any thoughts?

That is a very strange crack, but the hole is even stranger, it almost looks like you came in contact with a rock, scraped the side and then somehow it scraped the pulley boss off, so the combination of hitting something and pulling off that boss led to the crack.

That is too bad, I hope Roberts will fix it and can figure out a way to do it and still look good. Even if they have to replace the tube and respray the entire bike, so what? The bike will look brand new, you can't buy a new bike like that for anywhere near the price it will cost to fix it, so just get it fixed, and keep your pride and joy.

 

[bikeworkshop]

It looks strange but it's quite common. You get damp in the bb, it can rest in the tubes where they butt against the bb shell.

Often there's a residue of flux here. It's a hard spot to clean, and some builders love their flux.
(Im sure Roberts would do a good post-braze clean up though)

You've also got 3 different metal alloys in close proximity.

Once you get a rust spot it can grow and breach the wall whilst the surrounding metal, just a few mm away, remains sound.
Once the wall is weakened or holed, you get a stress riser that can propagate a crack along the stress. (The bb "swings" side to side when you pedal)
Often 95,% of the tube is almost perfect.
Sometimes it's all rotten.

 

[Seca Blue]

Beautiful colours. Kingfisher'esque

Cheers. It works very well in a forest I must say.

It looks strange but it's quite common. You get damp in the bb, it can rest in the tubes where they butt against the bb shell.

Often there's a residue of flux here. It's a hard spot to clean, and some builders love their flux.
(Im sure Roberts would do a good post-braze clean up though)

You've also got 3 different metal alloys in close proximity.

Once you get a rust spot it can grow and breach the wall whilst the surrounding metal, just a few mm away, remains sound.
Once the wall is weakened or holed, you get a stress riser that can propagate a crack along the stress. (The bb "swings" side to side when you pedal)
Often 95,% of the tube is almost perfect.
Sometimes it's all rotten.

To add to this, I wonder if Max, being so stiff, suffers more from stress related damage around the bb. There's an instant take off with mine that I haven't felt anywhere else and I expect a lot of that is down to the lack of flex.

I hope that it's possible to be sure you've spotted any weakness elsewhere before repainting it - I really wouldn't want to be back here in a different location next year.

I might even start stripping it down on the weekend, think I just want to get it done now - although paint choice will be an issue...

I guess I could even change it to disc brakes...

 

[JCS]

Interesting rebuild story of a White Spider:

Rebuilds

Roberts white spider 1990 rebuild I bought a Chas Roberts white spider online, a classic Roberts white spider in 753/ “service de corse “. Awesome frame similar of that used by Tim Goul…

levybikes.com

 

[bikeworkshop]

Discs would make the bike and its ride better (although the fork might present a challenge if the blades aren't up to the new forces) but the alteration would lower the collectable value and sellability in a way that repaired to original wouldn't.
I put discs on my vit t - and never been sorry in any way at all.

I'm not selling it, after all.

And now it stops!

 

[Seca Blue]

Discs would make the bike and its ride better (although the fork might present a challenge if the blades aren't up to the new forces) but the alteration would lower the collectable value and sellability in a way that repaired to original wouldn't.
I put discs on my vit t - and never been sorry in any way at all.

I'm not selling it, after all.

And now it stops!

I'm also considering switching to V brakes but not sure it's really worth the effort. I think I'll most likely keep the stopping as is tbh.
I'm toying with a switch to 8 speed though. The screw on freewheels just very well sealed but that will lead to new wheels of course...