Finally got round to retrieving my P7 out of storage to get cleaning it up ready to finally upgrade the sliding dropouts. Spoke to Orange they’re calling me in the morning to sort the dropouts ordering.

Super excited as it’s my best hardtail ever of all time. Waited two years now for an opportunity to go back to Coed y Brenin (next week) and razz it about.

But…saw a weird rusty little ‘outbreak’ on the drive side chainstay. Gave it a scrape and saw a hole. Then another. And a little fracture off the bigger. Fuckity **** ****.

Is it dead? Can use filler? Gutted doesn’t say it.

I’d say that’s new chainstay time – if it’s like that on the outside, the inside’ll be worse..

Tin worm – sticker obvs it’ll be reet

#notreallydon’trideit

I’d ask Orange whether they would consider that warranty failure or not. But certainly wouldn’t ride it again

#ThoughtsAndPrayers

I’d ask Orange whether they would consider that warranty failure or not. But certainly wouldn’t ride it again

Doubt it. I bought it a few years ago on STW classifieds. Only got to ride a few times as the dropouts were slipping, then was in rehab so…

Looks like it was a gravel rash that went bad. Looking down the seat-tube it looks good. Am sick of living in basically a damp underground cave! It kills our cars too. Looking at being car-less this MOT around. The air here eats metal while I try to sleep.

Ok that’s enough moaning. I’m going to skip it and get some boot laces. Spring will seem different. Still have the gravelbeast, just no MTB fun. Been collecting bits for this day of rebuild. A pair of Sektors and a Stans Arch front wheel were going on. GNNNNNNNNNGH! Waves of whining washing over me like wreckage. I said I’d never get rid.

RIP The Peej

Remembered in better days (shore of Trawsfynydd, 2018)

Time for…

….or new chainstay.

*Stans Flow

^ That fence is ace mattoutandabout. And the candle is thoughtful Cap’n. Best ever hardtail. I remember telling Mrs R (after riding it all over Gwynedd) that I’d be ‘buried with this bike’. #sleeponit

OK I need to go away now. 🤮.

I remember telling Mrs R (after riding it all over Gwynedd) that I’d be ‘buried with this bike’.

Has she asked for any patio quotes recently?
Has she ever gone to the shed with salt and warm water?
Just saying.

See how to wall mount a sentimental frame thread.

Couldn’t you see if you could pick up another cheap / slightly retro frame on eBay / Facebook classifieds etc? Thinking maybe the Covid tax might be calming down now the nicer weather / long evenings are coming to an end.

I flogged a mid 00’s Kona frame for £50 last year I think it was. Something like that would at least get you up and running again.

Edit – CRC are selling Brand X HT-01 frame for £119 I think still. I picked up one for a budget build for my nephew.

135mm qr rear / screw in non-boost bb / you could put a suitable headset in for a straight steerer fork etc. Not sure if you’re on 26er or 650b but you probably could get away with running it with 26” wheels.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/brand-x-ht-01-hardtail-mtb-frame-27-5-2019/rp-prod130452

Use Clear2020 code and get a further £10 off!

Just get a cheap new alloy hardtail. Far better geometry and you won’t miss the fictional “steel feel”.

Just get it repaired if you like it?

2009 P7?
Harshest steel frame I’ve ever owned, the 456 that followed it was like riding a cloud compared.

Even the Scrap mon refused to take it.

Just get it repaired if you like it?

I wouldn’t, the rest of the frame will be corroded too. Good money wasted, get a new bike.

What model year Malvern Rider?

^ Pretty sure it’s 2008. The year the dropouts were rubbish and the decals were cool as. Freaking loved that frame though. Am running it singlespeed so was just about to order the dropouts to the revised ones. Saved me thirty-odd wasted quid then so there is an upside. That was the entire budget as last year bought a front wheel and forks (ok and a new chain)! It replaced a GT Avalanche that Mrs Rider bought me so it has sentimental value too. Hateful year.

Lesson learned: Never get attached to pieces of metal.

buy this (not mine) – https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2866878/

Exactly the same thing happened to my P7 (2010).

Found a Cotic Soul Mk 3 as replacement which has a much nicer ride!

Edit: Just spotted the link above is for a Cotic Soul. Fate.

Exactly the same thing happened to my P7 (2010).

Cold light of day. I’m wondering if it’s something to do with the paint/powdercoat? I’ve had a few steel MTBs in my time, fair few 90s Konas, fair few Raleighs. Of the few that suffered any rust they still didn’t go through in holes. Can’t get my head around this. It was a ‘hidden‘ spot behind the chain/ring I suppose and I missed it before it went into mate’s garage in January 2020. The second smaller hole you’d hardly see anything was wrong on the surface before I began scraping. It wasn’t an ‘eruption’ just a small tint to the paint. As others have said it’s no doubt worse inside so maybe water got in the drainage holes during a jetwash some time back in history? I may have jet washed it from a distance once IIRC.

OP. That is a shame. Was my dream bike back in the day, but couldn’t afford it. I’m offloading a Decathlon Rockrider 8 XC frame, which is scuffed but because it is alu, structurally fine as there has been no rot. If you pay the postage/want to collect (I’m Surrey area), you can have it (although it is an XL, so not sure if that works for you).

Was designed for a 100mm fork, I ran it with 115mm Rebas (man, I was a crazy youth…) no problem for all of its working life.

I’d stick a borescope in to have a look at the rest of the frame, if looking ok few spots of weld and she be alright!

^^ Gribble thats really kind offer thanks, yet need like for like or very similar ie singlespeed 17”/med, 27.2 post and 140mm forks.

I’d stick a borescope in

Interesting. Does that work with iPad?

Has she asked for any patio quotes recently?
Has she ever gone to the shed with salt and warm water?
Just saying.

My son has that BrandX HT01 mentioned above in small with 26″ wheels. It’s not a bad frame to be honest. You’ll want a shim if you want to get a 27.2 seatpost in but apart from that it’s ‘traditional’ measurements.

but its steel, it can be fixed super easily according to these very forums

tbh the seatpost is shimmed already in the P7. Thinking about it there weren’t too many decent 26er aggro hardtails in singlespeed flavour IIRC? * Simple, Alpine, P7?

* #futureniche

I have a 19″ Rock Lobster frame that’s never been built in 10 years you can have if you want to come to Sussex to pick it up?

Could you run that brand x with a tensioner for single speed? I don’t know much about it as I much prefer gears as why make life harder for yourself on big climbs? But for £109 brand new, I don’t think there is much other option.

I think there’s probably a feel thing with expensive / trail steel frames, but less so with overbuilt ‘hardcore’ hardtail frames like that P7. My nephew is loving the Brand X I built him and I’ve had a quick go on it (although it’s a bit big for me and the Recons feel noodly after my Lyriks) and it seems alright. It looks pretty decent / stealthy too.

My welding isn’t the best, but I’d weld that for free if you want a trip to Dursley.

If thats not been used for ages, this points to storage conditions IMO.

Where and how was it stored?

I have a 19″ Rock Lobster frame that’s never been built in 10 years you can have if you want to come to Sussex to pick it up?

snap his arm off! I always wanted a Rock Lobster, always had P7…

If thats not been used for ages, this points to storage conditions IMO.

Where and how was it stored?

It’s either from the inside out or damage from the outside working in. Storage in a damp shed wont have helped either. I tend to waxoil the inside of my steel frames as they live in a shed/garage.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254685231528

You could but a cheap snake camera to use on a phone and if the rest of it is OK just weld those holes up.

Personally I’d move on, time to try something different and probably something alloy

I had that same frame, saved up for ages and built it as a dream build. Full XT, Fox forks, hope brakes and finishing kit, absolutely loved it.

It was an awesome bike.

Shame. My 2007 is still used regularly, kept in the shed and no rust AFAIK. Got me worried! I’ve got one of those cheap inspection cameras, might take a look.

This was the bodge for the dropouts that refused to stay put. The later dropouts had an extra hole, so drill the frame and add a bolt.

As ever this place rarely fails to shine some light in a dark hole. I’ve PM’d the main culprits with thanks. Humbled. Sadly, also turns out the Lobster was too big for the job.

Also have zero MTB budget and more family commitments of late so it may be time to call it. That said, might take you up on that welding offer GeForce Junky! Call it an experiment. Suppose will depend on internal state of frame. Will PM soon as 👍🏼

Storage I’ve only got barely enough room to store the gravelbeast and tourer indoors. Recently tried mounting one on the wall but it brought the plaster down 🤮

Do have access to some secure underground storage and a friend’s garage (which if I can fix it, will be future storage option) but the bunker has already nigh on killed a utility bike and now the P7. This part of the Hills is like the poopside of a tree. ie The right side for moss, windshelter (and for shit to go down) – but the wrong side for sun and steel.

It’s either from the inside out or damage from the outside working in. Storage in a damp shed wont have helped either. I tend to waxoil the inside of my steel frames as they live in a shed/garage.

Hindsight.

Thinking out of the box – my other bike (rigid 29er) accepts plus size tyres but currently has 23mm internal rims. I could maybe sell it’s wheelset (plus the Sektors and the JRA front wheel I had saved up for The Peej) and maybe get some wider rims that would take plus tyres?

Then the 29er could ride anything which chums can ride on their Enduros and hardtails?

Who am I kidding? P7 running singlespeed and boingers is without doubt the most direct and riotous fun I’ve had on an MTB.

Not only that, but it singlebikedly restored a passion for very heavy metal playlists 🎸

*Edit, spoke to Orange yesterday to allay the dropout order and tell them what had happened. They said ‘there may be someone out there who could replace the chainstay’. So now you know! Have to say, I’ve had other bikes kept in much worse conditions and for longer, and they haven’t holed. Am inclined to think that it was an ingress/jetwash issue. Will know more when I can get the BB out. Jamze – glad this thread of woe was of some use! Get it checked out.

lunge: It was an awesome bike.

Past tense??

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Orange-P7-Mountain-Bike-19-Inch-Frame-Large/233708433914?hash=item366a1bb1fa:g:X7gAAOSwOfRfWSgv

Don’t think this is a 2012 though, dodgy phone screenshot pics…looks the same year as yours?