Torus frame cracked,is it f***ed?

[Clifford]

Help can this be saved?

I am doing the South Downs Way in two weeks, do I need to find a new frame/bike?

Both cracks are in the rear triangle, one is on the side of the chain stay and the other is on the underside of the seat stay.

Thanks in advance

 

[xerxes]

Re:

I wouldn't ride it like that. Is it a titanium frame?

It's an odd way for a frame to crack, it's as if the tubes were seem welded and have failed along the seem; I know some steel tubes are made that way, but I don't know about titanium. Usually frames crack near the ends of the tubes and at the junctions, around the bottom bracket, headtube/downtube join etc.

Pretty much any frame can be repaired by replacing tubes, but the cost and whether it's economical is another matter. :?

 

[Woz]

AFAIK Torus did not use seemless tubing. One reason why some later versions were painted.

 

[mattr]

Yup, he's not wrong. Most (all?) of the Torus frames used seamed tubes, due to the availability (or otherwise) of bike suitable sizes of seamless tubing.

IIRC some of the later ones used seamless.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re:

I'd ride it, that tie wrap will hold it together.

 

[Clifford]

Re:

Hi

Yes its ti and I'm gutted.

I thought something was wrong when we were out on the downs Saturday morning and my tyre started rubbing the front mech on the step climbs. We did 4400ft of climbs in just 26 miles that day. Rear triangle is not very stiff now, not sure how stiff it should be though.

I'm of to screw fix to buy a pack of 1000 cable ties!

Balls comes to mind.

 

[IanS62]

Ti is very brittle, so once its started to go then that's it I'm afraid. There's no way you should ride it in that state, one good hit and the tube will crumple. Sorry

 

[ishaw]

No idea if you want to get this frame fixed or not, but if you do, get in touch with enigma as they do ti repairs, and I had a good experience, despite it only being refitting bottle bosses, they had to fixthe bodge colourtech had done. They treated the frame with care (a torus as well - kind of worried about mine now), fixed the bodge (colourtech punched the old bosses into the frame then filled it with expanding foam to hide their dastardly deed - twice as I picked up on this first time and sent it back for them to do properly and also make good the scratches and paint spray they had also managed to add to the frame), put in new bosses and were great throughout.

Whilst it may not be cheap to get done, it will probably be cheaper than a replacement ti frame (unless you get lucky).

Sorry your frame has gone, but if you think it is worth saving, it can be.

 

[mattr]

Re: Re:

Rear triangle is not very stiff now, not sure how stiff it should be though.

Pretty stiff! Its the same frame as Team Raleigh rode most of the way thro the late 90's to "quite a few" podium places.

 

[Clifford]

Re:

Many thanks for the advice and I have sent a few emails to some Ti welders including enigma (nice bikes!) so fingers crossed

To overcome the ‘needing a bike’ problem I went shopping and brought a 2013 Kona Mahuna 29er for £399. Should get me over the South Downs with no problems

I will keep you all posted on the 94 Torus XT

Thanks