frame repairs and tubing decals

[NBC]

hi all

i know this is a fairly trivial question, but....

i've replaced 8 out of the 11 tubes in my frameset, which formerly was 531, however is now mostly 853....

where do you guys stand on which tubing decal to then stick on ? or would you not use a decal at all in this case ?

thanks

NBC

[Jonathan]

Generally I wouldn't, but I'm capable of exceptions. I'm not sure tubing decals have ever meant very much to anyone but the buyer.

[Mark Kelly]

What kind of frame has 11 tubes?

[rellis]

Frame and fork.

[Curt Goodrich]

I haven't used a complete tube set in 14 years. I put the tubing decals on my sandblast cabinet.

[Will Neide]

I don't use "tube type" stickers on mixed tubeset bikes. I consider it if it's a complete tubeset, and that depends on the tubeset. For example, if I did a complete Pego-Ritchie, I would apply the sticker. If I think it will improve the appeal and presents the bike in an honest way, than I will add it.

[Tom Kellogg]

Like Curt, we haven't used a complete tubeset in decades, always mixing tubes in order to get what we want. We haven't used tubing decals on our bikes in decades as well for the same reason. We use them all the time for refinishing though.

[NBC]

curt & tom,

sounds like no tubing decal is the way to go...

when you make frames for customers, do you then tell them what tube is what, or is that more like a trade secret ?

thanks

NBC

[Tom Kellogg]

curt & tom,

sounds like no tubing decal is the way to go...

when you make frames for customers, do you then tell them what tube is what, or is that more like a trade secret ?

thanks

NBC

We don't really have secrets here. Some folks are interested in who made the tubing going into their new bike but honestly, they are a small minority. If they want to know, I'm willing to give them the list and even where we positioned the tube butts and how we trimmed the stays and blades. No secrets.

[Curt Goodrich]

I agree 100% with what Tom wrote. It's not about being secretive. I just don't buy tube sets. Perhaps it's a control issue of mine but I like choices. If customers want to know (few do) I tell them what tubes I used for their frame.

[Dancingbear]

So I'm going to be the guy that has to ask why you replaced 8 tubes on a single frame/fork. Is there something special (sentimental) about this one? I'm thinking time (and $) might have been better spent starting anew........

[NBC]

dancingbear...

it was my first audax type bike that i bought, and i just like it, especially the lugs

had a few issues though,

seatpost kept slipping and the lug ears were crushed, replaced seat tube and the binder
had long campag road ends, which i kept on having slippage issues with, so changed to vertical
had been badly respaced from 120 to 130 in the past, now is 135mm
changed the brazeons from down tube levers to ergos with head tube rings, i really hate scratched paint there, also now the routing is under the BB, instead of the old campag over the BB guides

decided that i might as well convert to threadless at the same time so built new forks instead
while i had it apart, why not change parts to 853 ? had made it somewhat lighter !

was it worth it ? probably not, but hey, sometimes you just like something because you do !

NBC

[Dancingbear]

dancingbear...


was it worth it ? probably not, but hey, sometimes you just like something because you do !

NBC

I get it. Quality of life is not necessarily related to results of cost/benefit analysis. Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do..........