Are Rocky Mountains Built in Canada?

[shutter]

P.S. Are you sure that is fillet brazing on the '91 Summit. How do you know ?

Personally I think that is probably a TIG welded frame, maybe farmed out.

The frame is tig welded but the seat clamp area looks fillet brazed... see pics below.

The black stem is a Rocky Mountain / Ritchey Filet Brazed stem (I stripped the paint and re-finished it so I know), and it looks just like the summit... If the summit is not filet brazed how did they attach the rear stays to the frame?

 

[FluffyChicken]

I have no idea, could be a one piece job ?
I don't know enough about frame construction to tell you.

But what evidence do we have... serial number?
Somebody who was there, a reference ?
Any reason the skilled Japanese/Taiwanese people could not add a bit of fillet for the look ?

Just looked at the catalogue and it doesn't mentioned welded in Canada like the Altitude and above do. Just mentions TIG welded frame in the blurb.

 

[walleater]

Re, our Vertex frames, I don't know if you happened to find my thread on the history of mine?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=189347

 

[cyclotoine]

Yes the seat stay attachment is clearly brazed as are the drop-outs and all the braze-ons. Tig and torch are often still both used today. Granted there are "braze-ons" now that are made to be fusion welded to the frame and drop-outs designed for tig. What does this mean for where your frame was made? Nothing. I have no idea. I know only the top of line models were made in Canada.

 

[shutter]

Thanks for all the tips! My vertex also starts with a "V" and the serial number is hand punched

 

[RockiMtn]

Yes the seat stay attachment is clearly brazed as are the drop-outs and all the braze-ons. Tig and torch are often still both used today. Granted there are "braze-ons" now that are made to be fusion welded to the frame and drop-outs designed for tig. What does this mean for where your frame was made? Nothing. I have no idea. I know by the early 1990s rocky welded most of their high end stuff in BC, and were contracting out to some local builders. Most notably, chris dekerf. Most blizzards (all?) in the early 1990s were welded in Canada.

my 92 blizzard has "I" as the start of the serial number on the BB, so i'd say it was still a Toyo built one. i can't recall but i think the 90 blizzard i briefly had was also Toyo built. only one that i think was made in canada from rumors i've heard was the 93 blizzards outsourced to DeKerf. i have a 95 which i don't recall if i ever looked at the serial number, but i think it's offshore made as well.

 

[troje]

We've had some discussion on serials here: viewtopic.php?t=83881

And I think the '92 Blizzards (at least mine) don't have a serial starting with an 'I' but with a 'T'. See the pics on page 3

I think you can also identify the hand made frames by the way the serial is stamped in the bottom bracket. If it looks mechanical, all digits with the same pressure applied and the same distance between the characters, then it's more likely it's an off shore Rocky. And the way it's positioned on the bottom bracket might also tell something. Most Rocky's welded in Canada have a serial number along the long side of the bracket. Others have a serial stamped in the direction of both wheels.

But this doesn't say all, my '94 Altitude has a serial that looks as if it applied by a machine and it's positioned in the direction of the wheels. But I'm quite sure it's a Canadian welded frame. ;-)

 

[RockiMtn]

looked like an "I" on mine :?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=43180

 

[iveto1983]

The only number I can find on my 93 Altitude is stamped on the drive side dropout, FE-SF25, anyone have a number like this?

 

[FluffyChicken]

The only number I can find on my 93 Altitude is stamped on the drive side dropout, FE-SF25, anyone have a number like this?

I think that is the Shimano part code for the drop-out

you'll find it under the bottom bracket, running along the drive side edge.
You might possibly have to strip the paint like I did. or try some fancy photography/IR/XR etc.. if you have access to such stuff :twisted:
I think but will check that my 'A' used on 1993's was actually welded over, meaning like the earlier Altitude they where pre stamped before construction. ?