I just washed my single speed…. never a good idea but it needed a new drive train so I thought I’d wash it first.   Oh dear…… found a big crack.

It’s..was …a Ti456.  Iirc it was from the very first batch.  I remember preordering and waiting a few months for it to arrive.

I can’t remember what the warranty was but… on one /px are…. no longer the same company?  I’m guessing zero to no chance of me getting a replacement?

Hmm….. looks like I will be commuting in a different way next week (yes …. SS ti456 is an odd choice for a town commute but I’d enjoyed the complete lack of maintenance needed…. hence why I’d not even seen the crack)

@Brant

I’m guessing zero to no chance of me getting a replacement?

Correct.

Trying to guess, what is that 12 years old? 15?

You’ll probably find an old 456 frame (not Ti) on eBay/Facebook etc

I’d suspect not much hope with a 16 year old frame

15 I think.   Can’t remember if it was 5 year or life time warranty but either way haven’t they gone to the wall and restructured … at least once?

SS ti456 is an odd choice for a town commute but I’d enjoyed the complete lack of maintenance needed….

May I recommend a 1993 Kona Hahana for the same reason.
Though they’ve just gone bust so I’m probably due a crack next week.

🤣

Worth a look to see if it is lifetime. Mate of mine broke an old Trek STP from about 1998 a couple of years ago. Rang them up and they said ‘Sorry, we don’t do those any more. Would you like a 9.8 hardtail frame instead?’

No idea if On One/PX are as good at warranty as Trek but they honoured the lifetime thing.

I guess I will have to give them a call Tuesday.  I’m not particularly expecting to get very much.

Bit surprised to find the crack… its never really had much gnar.  But then multiple years of SS commuting with a long seat pin and small frame would have put quite some stress cycles into the top tube/seat tube junction … cracked fron the bottom of the slot in the tube, which is at the front,  about 1/3 round the seat tube.   Oops.

Worth a look to see if it is lifetime.

the vast majority of ‘lifetime’ warranty’s cover the expected lifetime of the bike, not the owner. Generally 5ish years. Worth remembering that warranty’s cover manufacturing defects, which tend to take less than 15 years to show up…

Yes some manufacturers do take that stance I think. I’m not here to argue about what is right or wrong.  Not really sure why I am posting…. marking the passing of a well used bike maybe!  Likely that as much as asking if I bother getting in the phone on Tuesday.

To be fair my Ti29er of the same Lynskey era cracked twice (head tube, then wishbone stay) during 15 years and was warranteed back to Lynskey and back to me twice, so you never know

Blimey.   Might be worth my breath then.   If not I’m sure it’ll make someone laugh!

I guess I’d need a repair….26″ alternatives are thin on the ground these days!

I tried a warranty recently with them and ended up getting a crash replacement.

Details here…

On one frame warranty claim

“Worth remembering that warranty’s cover manufacturing defects, which tend to take less than 15 years to show up”

At 15 years old, it’s going to be a fatigue crack (rather than a single gross overload).

Guess where fatigue cracks start… in defects. Can be (often is) weld defects, but sometimes small defects in the base material.  If a material was truly flawless (which is a parctical impossibly), it wouldn’t suffer fatigue.

The ‘life means the life til it breaks’ is just a deceitful shitbag cop out from (unfortunately) many bike makers.   Some bike makers actually deserve to go bust when they do stuff like that. Giant (UK) are of course even worse.

It’s most definitely fatigue. As I said,  it’s done a few years commute so more miles than many ti456, but never had much of a gnar life.   I was riding off road a lot less after moving to London,  I bought the frame partly to encourage riding off road more… did a bit but not loads…. then a kinesis max light Pro I had on ss commute detail cracked around the downtube and the lyrics and gears came off the 456, and it went rigid ss for commuting.  I still rode it off road a bit but not gnarly.   It’s a small and chuckable frame so I had a long seat pin, the leverage and a lot of spinning 32:16 has fatigued it.  Crack starting from the bottom of the slot which is at the front and running just above the welds to the top tube then seat stays.   I’d say its not the  expected use really,  but also it’s not an abuse….a not heavy on one frame that can run at 4 inch forks being used xc like with rigid salsa forks and single speed…. ti bred. I’m not angry it’s cracked although I am a little surprised and disappointed … its had far less gnar and miles in general than the kinesis I mentioned.. that was coke can thin on its downtube,  1/3rd the cost, rode better,  got ridden harder than designed and did huge miles before it cracked and Ti is supposed to be more fatigue resistant than Aluminium. I’m fact with covid and hybrid working massively reducing my miles…plus kids and not play reducing my miles…. yes although thy frame is 14 (I’ve thought it through,  I think I ordered it January 2010, got it April ish) it surprised me to see the crack.

Then again….. kids and covid have had a predictable influence on my weight…. maybe that has contributed!

I’ve WhatsApped them.  I’ll need to bump it Tuesday apparently,  outside business hours WhatsApp rules the autoresponse says.  Fine.

If I can’t get it repaired I’ll need to decide…. new commute bike or destroy an ultegra group set over the winter….I don’t really want a new bike but a new ultegra group is probably a lot more!

COnsidering they wouldn’t honour their 2 year warranty for me after 11 months, I’d say no. But, fingers crossed for you.

In case it doesn’t, I had my Soda repaired by Enigma, they did a gorgeous job that I think is still standing up fine for the new owner, that was at least 5 years ago.

I’d be embarrassed to ask for a warranty replacement on a 15 year old frame.

If you like the bike why not get a second hand steel frame and swap all your parts over. Might not look as good but should ride almost the same. Paint can be touched up with hammerite paint for the full on commuter hack look. Seem to be quite a few about. Keep you moving at lowish cost too.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=on+one+456+frame&_trksid=p4432023.m4084.l1313

Have you considered sending it off to enigma to get sorted? Yes, it’ll cost but maybe not as much as you’d expect. I have a kinisis road bike I bought cracked for peanuts on ebay and then got fixed. Looks and rides lovely.

Then again, as you said – this is not really the right bike for what you are using it for…..maybe this is the right time to find a frame/bike more suited to it’s current use.

Yes,  a bit of thinking required.

I’ll see what on one say,  but this may be the time to buy a hybrid/commuter.

I just checked the frame,  I don’t think this is a Lynskey era frame.  The sticker I found is ‘Ti 3Al/2.5V Handcrafted by van Nicholas ‘

I think I’m going to be trawling cycletowork for a hybrid or Brompton.  I’ve no idea what I want there…. and oddly I’m not at all excited about the thought of trying to decide.

Where are you and what size?

I’ve got this gathering dust. 18″ steel ss inbred with pipedream steel fork.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3072907816347684

PM me if it’s any use. Would take less than advertised. £250. Postage would be more and tricky.

I’m in Newcastle, doing the Gralloch in a few weeks.

Thanks but I think I’m warming to the idea of a flat bar commuter adventure missile…. something like a croix de fer fb looks appealing.   It’ll depend on what is possible through cycle to work.

montgomery
Free Member

I’d be embarrassed to ask for a warranty replacement on a 15 year old frame.

I’d be delighted to, it’s hilarious. Like, I once got to phone up Cotic and say “I’ve broken my frame, oh, I’m the second owner so it’s not really a warranty job, also it’s too old for the warranty, oh also I broke it racing the 6 hour endurance downhill at fort william and I’m pretty sure it originally broke after about 4 hours but I didn’t want to stop”. And Cy was like, that’s ****in awesome, that’s the worst attempt at a warranty call in history.

A Boardman Urb might be a good flat bar commuter that’s still quick ish- it’s belt drive with an 8 speed geared hub so it’s about as low maintenance as you’re going to get short of singlespeed.

Halfords are normally on most cycle to work schemes I believe – had 4 bikes on the scheme from them.

Van Nicholas will replace (not repair) any Titanium frame that fails due to manufacturer defects in materials or workmanship for the lifetime of the frame. Every bicycle has a limited life, the so-called useable life-cycle. The duration of the useable life-cycle of bicycles depends on the type of frame, the way in which and the circumstances under which the bicycle is ridden and the care/maintenance the bicycle receives. The lifetime guarantee period is established on the basis of the duration of the useable life cycle of the bicycle. Van Nicholas sets the lifetime of their frames at an average of 25 years.

https://www.vannicholas.com/service/warranties/warranty-conditions-2.htm#:~:text=1.1%20Van%20Nicholas%20will%20replace,%2Dcalled%20useable%20life%2Dcycle.

Cheers for the suggestion.   I’m coming around to the idea and after discovering when I googgled ‘flat bar gravel’ instead of hybrid or commuter you get returns for bikes with more tyre clearance i see there are a few to choose from.   I’m not actually against derailleur tbf, I’ve got a crate full of 9 speed mtb cassettes and dérailleurs that amassed so a gravel bike could give them a use.  I’ll change my mind come January perhaps but for now I’m quite happy at the thought of mechs.

Thank you Scott routes!  That would be marvelous!  Although what they would offer me to replace a 26″ wheel bike frame I jave no idea….. but it gives hope I may get something more than shrieking laughter!

Might be worth editing the post where you said the frame was too small and seat post too long? I imagine that would give them wiggle room. Happy to edit this too.

I didn’t say ‘too’.  It is/was the correct size for me.  Its ‘small and chuckable ‘ ie it’s low for it’s length, lots of stand over…. not a farm gate.  So it needs a long seat pin.  That’s the design.

Whoop di doopdy doopdy doop!  Response from Ben at px on a bh,  very very impressed and surprised!  Also very impressed and surprised by the result!  He’s found my order,  it was July 2010.  He expects a credit note from Van Nicholas and asks what I might like!

Hopefully I’ll get a nice gravel frame to build up with bits from my spares bin and buying the wheels, seat tube, clamp,  headset etc that I’ll need on C2W.

Very pleased and very impressed, very impressed indeed!

Astonishing, I’d wait for the credit note before ordering any parts though!

The warranty exclusions are interesting

https://www.vannicholas.com/service/warranties/warranty-conditions-2.htm#items

True.  It’ll take me a while to sort out what I may need and  what I can get through my work c2w scheme anyway.  Iirc I can get a voucher to spend anywhere but if I use the scheme operator it’s generally cheaper… and they can get most things.  I shall have to wait and see what the credit note gets me though first.   The only medium sized gravel frame in stock with px is the Titus Goldrush.   Looks great,  but I think it may be more than the 456 cost back in the day.

Fingers crossed though,  it looks great!

Update.

On one have made a very reasonable offer to split the difference in the cost of the frame.   Very impressed.

However as I think it through and work out what other bits I need it is really mounting up the cost.

On one/px costs:

Split the difference on frames,  the forks, headset, seat post and clamp – £500

Minimum other bits needed:

Gravel wheelset ~£300

Tyres, tubes and odds and sods ~£150

Let’s say I get those via c2w, the total spend is then ~£650.  With bars,  stem, saddle, brakes, gears, cables all coming from my spares bin.  Then reality struck… my current brakes have seen years of commute with no servicing… they could be shot. The extensive stock of new cassettes, front and rear derailleur and cranks that somehow I accumulated are all 9 speed….it is perhaps stupid to build a bike up with this even when I’ve spares of most items (except shifters).  If I factor in costs for a modern drive train and/or brakes, even on c2w,  I’m looking at maybe £900-£1000.

Suddenly the alternative of, a croix de fer or similar on c2w costing me about half the above and seems a very logical choice.

I’ve asked px about one of the other gravel frames, possibly it could be cheaper,  but I’ve a tough decision to make.

Fair play to OO/PX/VN for that…

I thought you were pushing your luck with a frame more than a decade old.

PX made a very generous offer but now you’re angling for them to vary it because you’re trying to avoid the additional cost of replacing components.

That deserves a response from PX saying…that’s the offer; take it or leave it.

What’s wrong with 9speed if you’ve got the bits and it works?

I’d not build a new one with it because of spares becoming rarer but you’ve got that covered🤷

No Frank, px asked me what else I might be interested in.  I made a choice based largely on it seemed to be the only gravel frame in my size in stock.  The answer they came back with was a very reasonable offer but it’s not actually in stock.   So I asked if anther frame which might suit would be in stock in the same time and what it would cost. I had to ask the cost as the 2nd frame currently has a £500  discount showing but since I can’t order it in my size I thought the discount probably wouldn’t apply.  Px have been very reasonable indeed and Ben has been very helpful.  I’ve asked about the timescales and prices of 2 frames, that’s all.  I don’t get your problem!