My turn... question for frame builders, should I be worried?

[auto_rock]

Last night at the tuesday night crit one of the other riders pointed out that my seatstay looked like it was bent at the drive-side dropout. I've included a photo.

1) Am I just being crazy? Does that look bent to you?

2) Should I stop riding? There are no visible cracks or big bends or buckles.

3) How difficult is the repair/replacement? It is a Columbus Zona rear triangle.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4859757563_58b0c97de0_z.jpg

[John M]

Chainstay looks fine in this view., but it does look like the alignment of the long axis of the seatstay is a little off from the dropout lug. I'd have a good shop check the rear triangle alignment. Since it is a steel frame, if there is a problem, yes it can probably be repaired.

[auto_rock]

I meant seatstay, sorry. Still early...ish. Edited the OP, and posted a better pic.

[victoryfactory]

If that angle in the photo is not meant to be like
that you should be able to detect a fracture or separation
in the paint, no?

VF

[audiisaac]

Is it parallel to the other seatstay?

[timto]

If it looks like the joint integrity is there (no cracked paint or separation) it was likely brazed that way - meaning that when the builder was choosing dropouts for your particular frame they chose a dropout with too tight of an inner angle (Between cs and ss) for a 'straight' exit from the dropouts. There is quite a lot of slack in lugs and socket drop outs for angle fitments for builders - so you can have a tube leave a socket like that and then braze it all in place and have it be fine. Many bikes with Henry James drop outs (horizontals) have the chain stays leaving the bb ports at an angle too because of the dropout design (not a 'center line' drop where the axle location is lower than where the chain stay would braze to the dropout). My waterford has chain stays that leave the BB port off centerline much like how your chain stays are leaving the dropout socket.

Doesn't mean the brazing or integrity is compromised (see first sentence) just because it is exiting a little skewed.

I think design items like this are what set apart the David Kirks, Bedfords, Wages etc of the world from the guys that have built less. The details man!!

I think it would bother me a tiny bit because i'm a details nut. Tough to have a builder reconcile this though. Replacement is tricky because of work and $ and it's cost relative to a new frame. REPAIR shouldn't be an issue if it is truly separated and I'd contact Bilenky cycle works as they do tons of repairs of all kinds and could tackle that if the original builder doesn't fix it for you.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

EDIT - some dropouts are designed so the inner angle between cs and ss can be spread - others like breezers have no issue like this at all, and others are cast in angles for sloping bikes (very tight inner angle) and for larger or non slopers requiring larger inner angle between CS and SS. Lots to consider for a builder and lots of details to get right to make it all 'sweet'.

I've built six bikes to date and they all have 'newbie' nuances. I don't want to insult the builder by saying it's a newbie thing but suffice it to say it didn't have to be that way.

[victoryfactory]

Is it parallel to the other seatstay?


also, does the lug/tube transition on the other seat stay have the same angle?

[auto_rock]

I remember lookoing at it last night and thinking "totally different on the non drive side", but I looked at it again after your comments, when I was 1) not on the grass next to the road 2) not in a world of post-crit hurt.

Yeah, it looks like they're both that angle, I will just assume they were brazed that way and... ride on.

Issue resolved, turns out I am a goof! Thanks, Serotta forum, as always.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4860681504_15548f4b33.jpg

[jvp]

They don't look the same to me.

[mister]

they look close to me.

also, i don't think the angle (to which we are referring) of the dropout doesn't have to the be same for the wheel to still align right.
think how if the dropout weren't brazed in place, it could rotate around the axle and the wheel could still stay in the same spot.

anyway. if the frame doesn't ride weird then i wouldn't worry about it.

[auto_rock]

Here it is with lines, a la "John M"

Yeah, doesn't ride weird, looks pretty close on either side. I am no longer concerned.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4860154681_51ea66af28.jpg

[rugbysecondrow]

Here it is with lines, a la "John M"

Yeah, doesn't ride weird, looks pretty close on either side. I am no longer concerned.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4860154681_51ea66af28.jpg


Looks the same to me...

[Charles M]

Same or not, It doesnt look like it's gone (or going) anywhere...

[Ahneida Ride]

I think design items like this are what set apart the David Kirks, Bedfords, Wages etc of the world from the guys that have built less. The details man!!



Amen !!!!

Look at any Kirk, Ellis, or Bedford ...

enough said.

[Peter P.]

Even though the question has been answered to the satisfaction of the OP, I'd like to chime in and say I agree with timto that attention to these details are what sets the experts apart from those either still learning or those trying to build something that's just "good enough".

It'll not impact the ride or longevity but it should give you an idea of all the little details that must be attended to when building a frame.