Cool Ti Refinishing (Agave Finishworks)

[AngryScientist]

Saw this for sale on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Anod...16.m2516.l5255



and then checked out the place that did the resto...

https://www.agavefinishworks.com/

It looks like they do pretty nice work, and i love the new life they breathed into that rapid tour. it's too much $$ at the starting bid for the frame with no fork IMO, and not my size, otherwise i would be tempted.

My old Serotta Legend has a pretty dated paint scheme that i never really liked, and i think it might be fun to send it off to these guys somewhere down the road.

Anyone else ever use them, or anyone else to do a nice face lift on an old ti frame?

[muz]

Looks nice, too bad they positioned the downtube logo way too low.

[tuscanyswe]

Originally Posted by muz

Looks nice, too bad they positioned the downtube logo way too low.

For your preference? As thats likely around the place the original decals placed on frames with dt bosses i would think

[muz]

Originally Posted by tuscanyswe

For your preference? As thats likely around the place the original decals placed on frames with dt bosses i would think

Maybe it's the angle in the picture, but my Colorado has the text baseline further up. This one has the bottom of the letters not quite visible.

Like this one (from eBay)

s-l1600.jpg

[happycampyer]

I think both of you are right—the logo is in the right place relative to the headtube and bottom bracket, but it appears to be too low on the tube top-to-bottom. When Serotta applied decals (or painted them) the left and right side decals were closer together across the top of the tube than across the bottom. A lot of builders do this to make the logo more readable when. viewed at an angle, which is how one typically views a bike. And if the downtube was swaged, which on most models it was, the decals were not equidistant to each other since they followed the taper of the tube. This made the decal appear centered along the tube’s length.

[Brian Smith]

Originally Posted by muz

Looks nice, too bad they positioned the downtube logo way too low.

I think I get what you're saying. The location of the text of the logo on the downtube doesn't quite match where it would have been on the original finish. If one is looking at the right side downtube logo, the "tta" of Serotta falls downward around the bottom of the tube. A critical eye can find similar fault with each of the other logos anodized onto that ebay Rapid Tour. Logo locations or "decal placement" is a common problem spot for the refinished Serottas often discussed, lauded, or referenced here. Often much more egregious inconguences are present in non-factory refinishes. I think what they've done there, with respect to logo locations, while not a factory match, is actually better than average, among the work often displayed here, even of some established and busy refinishers.

It could be mentioned that, as with everything in the company's products, the materials, graphic choices, and aesthetic nuances in how the pieces were combined were not strictly defined and only a certain way. Comparing how one photographed frame matches the content of one's own fleet may fail to capture how the photographed frame matches the style of the typical production 5 years prior or 5 years hence. Comparison to references in the printed catalogues of certain years faces similar and additional problems, as with an evolving product not waiting for "model years" to elapse in order to change, the printed catalogues were already out of date by the time they were produced. Most used frames receiving modifications or refinishes at the factory had craftspersons using the current palate of materials and practices, not the historic. This was sometimes humorous, but often what was sent back out the loading dock was improved over what it had originally been years prior when it was originally new, and customers often provided feedback to that effect.

[berserk87]

Originally Posted by muz

Looks nice, too bad they positioned the downtube logo way too low.

Not if you are really, really short.

[dbh]

Imagine this paired with a custom Ingleheart segmented fork. You could get all the touring/rando brazeons to your heart's desire as well as a custom color to match the anodized logos. Would work perfectly with the one inch headtube. So tempting as it's my size, but I agree that nearly 1K for a used touring frame with cantis is a stretch.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by dbh

Imagine this paired with a custom Ingleheart segmented fork. You could get all the touring/rando brazeons to your heart's desire as well as a custom color to match the anodized logos. Would work perfectly with the one inch headtube. So tempting as it's my size, but I agree that nearly 1K for a used touring frame with cantis is a stretch.

absolutely! for a frame like this you would want a steel fork anyway, so the 1" head tube is perfect. hopefully they drop the price a little and someone can make this project a reality.

one has to wonder why someone went through the trouble of refinishing it and then selling it off.

[weiwentg]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

...

https://www.agavefinishworks.com/

It looks like they do pretty nice work, and i love the new life they breathed into that rapid tour. it's too much $$ at the starting bid for the frame with no fork IMO, and not my size, otherwise i would be tempted.
...

Anyone else ever use them, or anyone else to do a nice face lift on an old ti frame?

Very interesting, thanks for pointing them out. I see they offer refinishing on individual components as well. I can't really think of how I'd use that right now. But I'll keep it in mind.

[RonW87]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

one has to wonder why someone went through the trouble of refinishing it and then selling it off.

cuz the logo was too low!

[Steve in SLO]

Some neat stuff on the Agave website.
Makes me want to design some foil decals for my Moots.

[slowpoke]

I suspect that Rapid Tour is mayal7's:
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=232322

Which sold on eBay, then was parted out as just a frame (decal scratches are the same):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Serotta-Rap...m/223533553916

And was bought and refinished as we see here.

[ultraman6970]

Question, the lettering in color are stickers or is something else???

[Dekonick]

Looks nice. I had http://www.bilenky.com/ Bilenky Cycle Works do my last Ti frame; Nice work, but obviously just polished 'decals' with painted panels and brushed frame - no color anodized areas.

I like what Agave Finishworks is doing. Neat!