# Is This Fame Bent?



## dougfisk (Nov 19, 2013)

I have been looking at early diamond frame bikes and I see a lot of this....  Are the bends in the top tube and down tube, toward the head tube, a styling flourish? ...or damage from a head-on crash?


----------



## Iverider (Nov 19, 2013)

Tis crash damage. That part of the frame should be straight!

I'd buy it for the parts and either straighten the frame, or buy an arch truss or motorbike frame and put it back together! Camelbacks are ok, but Arch Trusses are cooler!


----------



## rustyspoke66 (Nov 19, 2013)

Sure is! Not a easy repair.


----------



## bricycle (Nov 19, 2013)

first run it over with your car, then I could tell you for sure...


----------



## bricycle (Nov 19, 2013)

rustyspoke66 said:


> Sure is! Not a easy repair.




jeff, can I interest you in a straight razor?


----------



## dougfisk (Nov 19, 2013)

...and whenever I see it, the fork is always perfectly straight.  I guess that means someone replaced the fork.  As I said, I see a lot of this in antique diamond frames.  It makes me appreciate all the balloon frames with 2 top tubes.  I wonder if the earliest double top tubes were strength or styling motivated?


----------



## bricycle (Nov 19, 2013)

dougfisk said:


> ...and whenever I see it, the fork is always perfectly straight.  I guess that means someone replaced the fork.  As I said, I see a lot of this in antique diamond frames.  It makes me appreciate all the balloon frames with 2 top tubes.  I wonder if the earliest double top tubes were strength or styling motivated?




styling......


----------



## scrubbinrims (Nov 19, 2013)

I have one of these...downtube is bent, the top tube also could be at the head tube end, although to a much lesser degree.
The fork is iver however, so maybe it was straightened.
PS- Good luck with the sale of this non gender bender...
Chris


----------



## tbone (Nov 19, 2013)

dougfisk said:


> I have been looking at early diamond frame bikes and I see a lot of this....  Are the bends in the top tube and down tube, toward the head tube, a styling flourish? ...or damage from a head-on crash?




As I understand it, the older bicycles were given that downsloping top tube as a matter of economics. As teen boys were given these bikes, they could use an adult bicycle as the seat was lower, as they grew they cuold utilize the same bike just by raising the seat post.

in today's disposable economy good luck finding intelligent design like that now. [ at least in a bicycle ]


----------



## rustyspoke66 (Nov 19, 2013)

I think my art skills need some work, maybe a straight razor would help? I wouldn't mind giving it a shot at repairing that little bike.


----------



## Iverider (Nov 19, 2013)

We're talking about the bent top tube close to the head tube. It's slight but evident. The downtube has a slight bend to it too. The rear bend toward the seat is characteristic of Camelback frames and is supposed to be there of course.






tbone said:


> As I understand it, the older bicycles were given that downsloping top tube as a matter of economics. As teen boys were given these bikes, they could use an adult bicycle as the seat was lower, as they grew they cuold utilize the same bike just by raising the seat post.
> 
> in today's disposable economy good luck finding intelligent design like that now. [ at least in a bicycle ]


----------



## Hermanator3 (Nov 19, 2013)

Looks like the steer tube is bent back.  Probably took a direct hit.


----------



## rustyspoke66 (Nov 19, 2013)

dougfisk said:


> I have been looking at early diamond frame bikes and I see a lot of this....  Are the bends in the top tube and down tube, toward the head tube, a styling flourish? ...or damage from a head-on crash?




What are your plans for this bike?


----------



## hoofhearted (Nov 23, 2013)

*Thoughts From The "Easier Said Than Done" Dept. .......*

Let's get right to it before our better-judgemant kicks in -------- Remove everything 
attached to the headtube that can be removed. --------- Using a tubing cutter ...
make a full cut midway (down the length of) on the downtube.. --------- Fire up 
a gas torch ... mapp or oxy/acetylene ----------- Heat the central area of the top 
bend to cherry red -------- Grab the downtube just above the cut -------- Lift this 
tube in a direction that begins to straighten that top bend ------- When satisfied 
that this part of the tube is once-again straight  ... take a break.

Back from break -------- Do the same heating / bending ritual on the bottom bend.

NOW FOR THE TRICKY RE-ALIGNMENT ... of the previously-separated downtube 
sections ------ Obtain a clean 1.5-inch section of 7/8-inch tubing without any plating 
(old handlebar) -------- Chamfer inside and outside edges of BOTH ENDS of that cut-
down-tube -------- Place the 1.5-inch tennon into the lower part of the downtube .... 
allowing a quarter-inch to rise above the cut -------- Electro-Weld stitch this area ---

For the actual re-attachment ... get an able-bodied helper to work WITH you --------

Look ... i'm not going to go into any further, real detail at this point ... you can see 
clearly what needs to be done ... DO THE DEED ... GO FOR IT ... TAKE THE HILL !!!!!!!

When finished .... make a nicely-beaded weld, where the two-halves of the downtube 
are re-joined.


....................  patric


----------

