From Joy to Despair - 853 Rock Lobster

[bobby-gg]

Saw a badly listed steel framed Rock Lobster on market place not too far away from me and thought, that's got to be a 853 looking at the lovely rear dropouts.



A quick 26 minute round trip did indeed see me as a new owner of a 853 framed Rock Lobster, complete with knacked Marzocchi forks and avid hydraulics, some nice mavic rims on deore hubs and various other bits.

Stripping it down today, I think it's been 9 speed lx spec, the forks weren't seized but pumped up rock solid and have cleaned up nicely


But, on inspecting the frame, someone has gone and drilled (badly too) a hole straight through the wishbone seatstay! I presume to fit a mudguard, even though there's a 5mm insert in the end of the wishbone for one!

Other than that, and the lacquer in really bad shape and very soft, I think it's OK.
Think I might give it a polish, followed by flash over of some gloss lacquer to try and bring it up again, then build up v brake spec as I've some xtr's that I haven't got anything else to put them on, with some mavic ceramics and a nice 27 speed XT build and see what it rides like

 

[Frankenorange]

Might have been a cable stop for canti brakes there, or a light?

Does look like it was painted after the drilling tbh. I have seen the same on other frames that were V/disc so maybe it is factory? Mis-aligned could still be factory like my Orange with its wonky bottle bosses and uneven chainstays where they meet the monostay.

 

[ishaw]

Shame about the holes but it looks half decent otherwise some rubber bungee will fill them, nail varnish to colour match or even get some weld done, file and paint. If it bothers you.

If you want any xtr parts to match your brakes, I may have a few bits.

Nice bike though, nice colour too.

 

[moonlite]

Definitely worth some love and you'll have a nice rider when it's sorted.

 

[bobby-gg]

Might have been a cable stop for canti brakes there, or a light?

Does look like it was painted after the drilling tbh. I have seen the same on other frames that were V/disc so maybe it is factory? Mis-aligned could still be factory like my Orange with its wonky bottle bosses and uneven chainstays where they meet the monostay.

By jove @Frankenorange , you're right, I honestly would have argued that no frame builder would do that!
But, trawling Google for images of 853 Lobsters led me to 2 right here on retrobike, plus a random one out there in Google world, quite clearly showing the same hole!
Only the disc only frames don't have the holes!





Panic over!