[Classicrendezvous] Cold setting 753....

(Example: Framebuilders:Cecil Behringer)

From: <OROBOYZ@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2000 17:40:21 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [Classicrendezvous] Cold setting 753....

In a message dated 11/19/00 2:39:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, monkey37@bluemarble.net writes:

<<This is just Reynolds hype. I've spread at least three 753 rear ends from 126mm to 130mm. I've also realigned a few of the fork blades and at least one twisted headtube. I have seen a Raleigh 753 frame bread into three separate parts after hitting a haybale in a crit race. I've also seen downtubes crack after a header even if there wasn't a ripple in the tube. Many high end tubesets are quite brittle for many reasons that I won't go into here >>

Gee Brandon, I am nervous about your statement. Or at least what some readers might infer from them..

Of course one can (and obviously you have) cold set 753. Adding 2 mm per side is maybe not so risky, that doesn't mean it is a good idea. In fact 753 probably should NOT be cold manipulated like we can "get away with" in other steels.

I believe the approach to 753 should be certainly different from most other garden variety bike tubing and dramatic cold setting may likely lead to failure sooner or later. Even cold setting the stays a smidgen , while apparently successful, may have introduced stress risers that might be back to haunt you.

Dale Brown