Vernon Barker Cycles - a menace with a welder

[wynne]

Think what some are missing with VB is choice/trade off. VB are quick and relatively cheap. I had a bike repair turned around in a week for around £60 - and neither repair failed. I'll take less than pretty if the price & speed is good.

Some of the other frame repairing names either didn't get back to me at all/after wanting a pic of the crack or suggested it would take months.

I couldn't agree more with the @greencat reply. £60 for the time, expertise, equipment and materials to make good a broken frame is peanuts, and especially to do this in a timely way.
I admire Dave from @Vernon Barker Cycles for coming on here to defend his work.
I have seen examples of spendy steel custom frames on retrobike that have cracked - arguably because too much material has been removed and the integrity of the frame has been compromised. In this situation someone is left with an unrideable £4K frame. I see what VB offers as a refreshing polar opposite to heavily marketed expensive stuff that breaks.

 

[legrandefromage]

weld penetration, looking pretty doesnt always make for a strong bond

an engineer told me that, I've seen his certificates!

 

[d8mok]

I couldn't agree more with the @greencat reply. £60 for the time, expertise, equipment and materials to make good a broken frame is peanuts, and especially to do this in a timely way.
I admire Dave from @Vernon Barker Cycles for coming on here to defend his work.
I have seen examples of spendy steel custom frames on retrobike that have cracked - arguably because too much material has been removed and the integrity of the frame has been compromised. In this situation someone is left with an unrideable £4K frame. I see what VB offers as a refreshing polar opposite to heavily marketed expensive stuff that breaks.

His welding still breaks. So not only is it bad to look at , it’s not strong either.

Having seen the OP’s frame ‘repair’ and the cost he was charged. He is absolutely correct in starting this thread and bringing it to people’s attention on here.

 

[pigman]

If I cracked my enigma , and it was repaired by enigma looking anything like that I’d not be a happy bunny.

However I’ve seen repaired frames from enigma and they do a good job.

If I cracked an Enigma I'd be pissed off full stop. They're not cheap, (but very nice) but I'd expect it to last. After all titanium is generally thought to be a bike for life.
If on the other hand I cracked a £500 unnamed russian titanium frame I'd probably scrap it or at best look for a cheap repair to keep it going

 

[d8mok]

If I cracked an Enigma I'd be pissed off full stop. They're not cheap, (but very nice) but I'd expect it to last. After all titanium is generally thought to be a bike for life.
If on the other hand I cracked a £500 unnamed russian titanium frame I'd probably scrap it or at best look for a cheap repair to keep it going

As an owner of several Ti frames I don’t think Ti is for life. They do seem to crack at a certain age. I guess that’s why enigma changed their warranty to be 10 years rather than life.

 

[905]

I have some very pertinent experience here, but am not going to name names. It wasn't with VB (whom I applaud for turning up in this thread, though I have no opinion on their repairs as I've not used them). All I can say is, if you're a frame builder, please stand by your warranty.